Southside's Blog

For Paul, “life in prayer, life in the Word of God and life in the community of the Spirit, are each and together a creation of the Spirit of God” (Romans 8:15; Galatians 4:6).¹  Jesus promised his disciples that the Spirit would provide comfort and help after he was gone, and that it would also convict the world of sin (John 16:7-9). The Holy Spirit provided comfort for the early church so the church might continue to grow (Acts 9:31). The Spirit convicted the Thessalonians of the truth of the gospel (1 Thessalonians 1:5).

The Spirit inspires (2 Timothy 3:16) and illumines the Word of God (2 Corinthians 3:1-18).²  Thus, by meditating on the Word of God, we are comforted and convicted by the Holy Spirit.³  As we meditate on the Scriptures, the Spirit works in us to form us into what God wants us to be by teaching us, correcting us, and equipping us (2 Timothy 3:16-17):

All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness; so that the man of God may be adequate, equipped for every good work.

 In Romans 8:26-27, Paul tells of how the Spirit helps the believer in prayer. The apostle pens these thoughts,

In the same way the Spirit also helps our weakness; for we do not know how to pray as we should, but the Spirit Himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words; and He who searches the hearts knows what the mind of the Spirit is, because He intercedes for the saints according to the will of God.

Through this prayer help, the Spirit comforts us in our weaknesses. The Spirit, who knows the heart of the believer, intercedes on behalf of the believer. When we pray, we are never alone; God’s Spirit is with us. Paul implores the believer to “pray at all times in the Spirit” (Ephesians 6:18). It follows that God’s Spirit cannot form us if we do not pray. No one can be spiritually formed without being a person of prayer (1 Timothy 2:1-8). No one can pray properly without the Spirit’s help.

As Paul states in Romans 8:5-10, living a life pleasing to God apart from the Spirit’s help is impossible:

For those who are according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who are according to the Spirit, the things of the Spirit. For the mind set on the flesh is death, but the mind set on the Spirit is life and peace, because the mind set on the flesh is hostile toward God; for it does not subject itself to the law of God, for it is not even able to do so, and those who are in the flesh cannot please God.  However, you are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God dwells in you. But if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he does not belong to Him. If Christ is in you, though the body is dead because of sin, yet the spirit is alive because of righteousness. But if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, He who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit who dwells in you.

Praise God that the Holy Spirit testifies that we are children of God so we can be heirs with Christ of the glory yet to come! ^“The Spirit Himself testifies with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, heirs also, heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with Him so that we may also be glorified with Him.” (Romans 8:16-17)

May the Spirit strengthen you as you live for God so that you might be glorified with Christ!

 ¹R. P. Meye, “Spirituality,” The Dictionary of Paul and His Letters, ed. Gerald F. Hawthorne, Ralph P. Martin, and Daniel G. Reid, (Downers Grove, Illinois: Intervarsity Press, 1993), 911.

²Meye, 911.

³Gary Holloway and Earl Lavender, Living God’s Love: An Invitation to Christian Spirituality (Abilene, Texas: Leafwood Publishers, 2004), 60.

For Paul, “the distinguishing mark of the Christian is that God himself, through the Spirit, indwells us” (Issler, 2000). Paul states, “However you are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God dwells in you. But if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he does not belong to Him” (Romans 8:9). The working of the Spirit allows us to live life to the fullest; this means living as God’s children, according to his will.

The Holy Spirit confirms in us that we are the children of God. In Romans 8:9-16, Paul emphasizes that we “are not in the flesh but in the Spirit” and that those “who are being led by the Spirit of God” are children of God. Being led by God’s Spirit, and living according to God’s will confirms our relationship with him.

In our finite minds, we can never fully fathom all there is to know about the working of the Spirit, but Scripture alludes to two major aspects that require our participation (Issler, 2000). As Christians, empowered by the Holy Spirit, we are: “1) to become increasingly aware of the Spirit’s guidance in our lives; and 2) to initiate new steps of faith in which we leave room for God to work” (Issler, 2000). The Spirit guides us because we are children of God (Romans 9:14). As we learn to surrender daily to the Spirit’s guidance, he “makes us more and more like the God we love” (2 Thessalonians 2:13; Holloway & Lavender, 2004). Part of the way we surrender to the Spirit’s guidance is by practicing spiritual disciplines.

Christians become children of God through faith in Christ Jesus (Galatians 3:26-27). Paul speaks of the beauty and blessings of being God’s child, confirmed by the Spirit, a few verses later in Galatians 4:4-7:

But when the fullness of the time came, God sent forth His Son, born of a woman, born under the Law, so that He might redeem those who were under the Law, that we might receive the adoption as sons. Because you are sons, God has sent forth the Spirit of His Son into our hearts, crying, "Abba! Father!" Therefore you are no longer a slave, but a son; and if a son, then an heir through God.

The apostle John also speaks of the great blessings of being a child of God (1 John 3:1-4:4). Among those are that we abide in God, that he abides in us, and that we know God (1 John 4:7-16). In other words, we have a deep, intimate, relationship with God. These things are confirmed in us because God has given us his Spirit (1 John 4:7-13).

Along with the blessings of being a child of God comes the responsibility of keeping God’s commandments and loving our brothers and sisters (1 John 4:19-5:3). We can only do these things through the help of the Spirit (1 John 3:24-4:4) who confirms that we are God’s children.

References

Holloway, G. and Lavender, L. (2004). Living God’s Love: An Invitation to Christian Spirituality. Leafwood.

Issler, K. (2000). “The Spiritual Formation of Jesus: The Significance of the Holy Spirit in Jesus’ Life.” Christian Education Journal. Vol. 4, 6-22.

I recently completed a 14-week sermon series from the Book of Colossians, called Christ, Church, and the Christian. Paul truly focuses on all three Cs, with Christ being the greatest C of all!

In this post, I want to recap the final lesson in the series, to remind every follower of Jesus they have a part to play in the mission of the Church that Jesus gave to each of us.

Some Deliver Messages (Col. 4:7-9). 

As to all my affairs, Tychicus, our beloved brother and faithful servant and fellow bond-servant in the Lord, will bring you information. For I have sent him to you for this very purpose, that you may know about our circumstances and that he may encourage your hearts; and with him Onesimus, our faithful and beloved brother, who is one of your number. They will inform you about the whole situation here. 

Some Provide Encouragement (Col. 4:10-11)

Aristarchus, my fellow prisoner, sends you his greetings; and also Barnabas’s cousin Mark (about whom you received instructions; if he comes to you, welcome him); and also Jesus who is called Justus; these are the only fellow workers for the kingdom of God who are from the circumcision, and they have proved to be an encouragement to me.

Some Offer Prayers (Col. 4:12)

Epaphras, who is one of your number, a bondslave of Jesus Christ, sends you his greetings, always laboring earnestly for you in his prayers, that you may stand perfect and fully assured in all the will of God.

Some Practice Hospitality (Col. 4:15)

Greet the brethren who are in Laodicea and also Nympha and the church that is in her house.

Some Hold Potential (Col. 4:17)

Say to Archippus, “Take heed to the ministry which you have received in the Lord, that you may fulfill it.”

We all have gifts to offer in service to Jesus and His Church.

We need everyone to use their gifts to further the mission of Jesus to make disciples, teach people to obey Him, and encourage each other to keep following Him daily.

Let's Pray, Prepare, and Participate Together

• Pray about how we can contribute to reaching the lost and strengthening the saved.
• Prepare our hearts and minds to learn more about how we can contribute to the Great Commission Mission.
• Participate when we have opportunities to learn how to serve to help reach the lost and strengthen each other in Christ.

I first got reading glasses when I was studying Hebrew in graduate school. It put quite a strain on my eyes, but I only needed reading glasses. My vision was still considered 20/20. However, a few years ago I noticed I was having trouble seeing things on the computer screen, reading my small print Bible, and even making out street signs. So, I made an appointment with the eye doctor. He said I needed progressive lenses. Progressive lenses are at the top of my list of things that will humble you. Thankfully, they help me to see.

Focusing on Jesus helps us to see the world more clearly. Focusing on Jesus helps us to have an eternal perspective. Focusing on Jesus helps us to live life as it is meant to be lived. Focusing on Jesus helps us bear up under the pressures of life. Focusing on Jesus helps us to become more like Him.

The writer to the Hebrews urged those struggling Christians to stay focused on Jesus in Hebrews 12:2-3,  “fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. For consider Him who has endured such hostility by sinners against Himself, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.”

In God’s great scheme of redemption, He gave His very best. He sent the One who helped Him create the world.

John 1:1-5; 14

Jesus is the Word, the conduit of creation, the Light that shines in the darkness and He came down to pitch his tents with us. He is full of grace and truth. The world needs Jesus. He offers life. He offers grace. He is the Truth.

John 3:16-17 (People in the world are deceived for various reasons as to who Jesus is, but one thing is for sure He has come to save us and not to condemn us. He wants to save us from ourselves most of all).

John 8:12 (The Light of life…amazing…beautiful)

John 14:6 He declares this about Himself. “I am the way, the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me.”

Jesus took on flesh in the form of a baby, lived a perfect life, declaring the truths of God, went to the cross to die, was buried in a borrowed tomb, rose again three days later, and weeks later returned to sit at God’s right hand to make intercession for us.

Paul declares boldly in Galatians 2:20 – “I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me.”

Philippians 1:21 (Paul declares, “For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain”)

In Colossians 1:13-20, Paul spells out exactly who Jesus is and what He means to us.

Colossians 3:1-4. If we have been raised with Christ (this is a clear reference to baptism in Colossians 2) then our focus should be on the things above, not on the temporal things here. Why? Because that is where Christ is…He is our focus. Now, that doesn’t mean that we turn all of our attention to the reward of Heaven, but instead to the will and desires of Christ. Paul explains it so:

• We have died and have no more agendas
• Our focus should be on living for Him every day. The Bible is clear about how we should live. (The Greatest Commands)
• Christ is our life. Christ is our life. Christ is our life.
• Our lives are to be hidden in Him. He will reveal Himself again and we will share in His glory.

Focusing on Jesus helps us to see the world more clearly. Focusing on Jesus helps us to have an eternal perspective. Focusing on Jesus helps us to live life as it is meant to be lived. Focusing on Jesus helps us bear up under the pressures of life. Focusing on Jesus helps us to become more like Him.

Wow! We had over 120 folks participate on the day of our Walk4Water event last weekend. We raised enough money to dig a well in a developing country and also provide help with irrigation and farming for a church community. These funds will help provide clean water and food for a community, and also open doors for the Gospel of Jesus to spread!

To learn more about the wonderful work of Healing Hands International, please visit their website at https://www.hhi.org/. If you want to learn more about Jesus Christ, please email me at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

Thank you!

Tim

What should I do when someone forsakes sound spiritual advice and suffers the consequences? Do I say, “I told you so!” and leave the person to suffer? Do I pretend nothing happened and enable them to keep making poor choices? Do I ignore them? When certain people scorned Paul’s advice and wound up in a storm that left them in grave danger, Paul did not simply say, “I told you so!” He did not enable them to continue to make poor choices. Nor did he ignore their pleas. Let’s pick up the text to see what he did.

Acts 27:21-26 “Since they had been without food for a long time, Paul stood up among them and said, ‘Men, you should have listened to me and not have set sail from Crete and incurred this injury and loss. Yet now I urge you to take heart, for there will be no loss of life among you, but only of the ship. For this very night there stood before me an angel of the God to whom I belong and whom I worship, and he said, ‘Do not be afraid, Paul; you must stand before Caesar. And behold, God has granted you all those who sail with you.’ So take heart, men, for I have faith in God that it will be exactly as I have been told. But we must run aground on some island.”

The situation was dire, but Paul knew that God was still involved. When people don’t heed sound spiritual advice there are consequences. However, to repudiate them, to enable them, or ignore them is not right. Like Paul, we need to help them see their mistakes and learn from them while helping them to move forward.

Jesus Christ died, was buried, and rose on the third day (1 Corinthians 15:3-4). There are mounds of Biblical and extrabiblical evidence for the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. (I am happy to discuss this with you further.) For now, I want to briefly share some of the impact of the resurrection on believers.

1.  Our faith in Jesus Christ is based on His resurrection (1 Corinthians 15:1-4).

2.  Our baptism (by immersion) into Christ is based on the resurrection of Jesus (Romans 6:1-7).

3.  Our attitude, behavior, and speech toward others (Colossians 3:1-11).

4. Our salvation from our sins (1 Peter 1:3-5).

5. Our hope for Christians who have already died (1 Corinthians 15:16-18; 1 Thessalonians 4:13-14).

6. Our patience and perseverance through suffering (1 John 2:15-17).

The resurrection of Jesus Christ impacts my life completely (or at least it should)!

And those passing by were hurling abuse at Him, wagging their heads and saying, “You who are going to destroy the temple and rebuild it in three days, save Yourself! If You are the Son of God, come down from the cross.” In the same way the chief priests also, along with the scribes and elders, were mocking Him and saying, “He saved others; He cannot save Himself. He is the King of Israel; let Him now come down from the cross, and we will believe in Him. “HE TRUSTS IN GOD; LET GOD RESCUE Him now, IF HE DELIGHTS IN HIM; for He said, ‘I am the Son of God.’” (Matthew 27:39-43)

Jesus did not come down from the cross, even though the mob and the leaders of Israel challenged him to do so.He remained on the cross despite every reason to come down. Despite the physical pain, the emotional anguish, the anger and frustration, he remained on the cross.

Jesus was not held to the cross by a Jewish mob, the leaders of the Jews, Roman law, a lack of power, nor the nails.

It was not the nails that held Jesus to the cross! He had “prints from the nails” in his hands (John 20:24-25). He had the power to remove the nails.God could have provided him with “more than twelve legions of angels,” (Matt. 26:53). He had the power to still the storm, feed the multitudes and raise the dead. He COULD have removed the nails.

The crowd could not have killed Jesus if He had not allowed it to happen. “The reason my Father loves me is that I lay down my life—only to take it up again. No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord.  I have authority to lay it down and authority to take it up again. This command I received from my Father.” (John 10:17-18) 

It was the will of God that put Him there and kept Him there. The entire aim of His life on earth was to do the will of His Father. John 4:34—“My food”, Jesus said, “Is to do the will of him who sent me and to finish his work.” John 5:30—“By myself I can do nothing; I judge only as I hear, and my judgment is just, for I seek not to please myself but him who sent me.” John 6:38—“For I have come down from heaven not to do my will but to do the will of him who sent me.” 

The plan from eternity was for Jesus to die upon a Roman cross. “His intent was that now, through the church, the manifold wisdom of God should be made known to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly realms, according to his eternal purpose which he accomplished in Christ Jesus our Lord.” (Eph. 3:10-11) “This man was handed over to you by God’s set purpose and foreknowledge; and you with the help of wicked men, put him to death by nailing him to the cross.” (Acts 2:23) The will of God held Jesus to the cross.

Our sins held Him to the cross. Paul writes, in Galatians 1:3-4—that the Lord Jesus Christ gave himself for our sins to rescue us from the present evil age. Peter writes, in 1 Peter 3:18 -- “For Christ died for sins once for all, the righteous for the unrighteous, to bring you to God. He was put to death in the body but made alive by the Spirit.” "God made Him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in Him we might become the righteousness of God." (2 Cor. 5:21) Our sins kept Him on the cross.

Love held Him to the cross. John 15:13—“Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends.” Revelation 1:5—“…To him who loves us and has freed us from our sins by his blood.” Galatians 2:20—“I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.” Ephesians 5:2—“And live a life of love, just as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.” Love held Jesus to the cross.

Not the nails, not the crowd, and not even Rome could hold Jesus to that cross!  It was his choice to stay!

There is no better way to honor the sacrifice of Christ than to sacrifice yourself. Not on a cross, but by giving your life today and everyday to the work of the Lord.

Love, 

Tim (This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.)

Easter Sunday is coming on March 31. On that day, I will be preaching from Colossians 3 about what it means for us to be raised with Christ (baptism plus His resurrection victory). To get our minds thinking more about what Jesus said about what he would go through, and to revisit His sufferings, I invite you to read along in these passages each day, starting this Sunday, March 24. 

Daily Bible Readings

Sun: Matt. 20:17-19; 26:6-13

Mon: Mark 10:33-34; 14:1-11

Tues: Luke 22:37-53

Wed: John 16:16-22; 18:1-11

Thurs: Matt. 27:11-66

Fri: Mark 15:1-47

Sat.: Luke 23:1-56

If you would like to discuss them, learn more about Jesus, or discuss more about how to become a follower of Jesus Christ, please reach out to me: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

Sincerely,

Tim Gunnells

I remember translating this passage from Hebrew in one of my Hebrew Reading classes a few decades ago. The professor did not tell us where it came from so we would look at it and translate it with fresh eyes. As it came to light, word by word and phrase by phrase, it took on a power I hadn’t noticed before.  Who may abide with God indeed?

O Lord, who may abide in Your tent?
Who may dwell on Your holy hill?
He who walks with integrity, and works righteousness,
And speaks truth in his heart.
He does not slander with his tongue,
Nor does evil to his neighbor,
Nor takes up a reproach against his friend;
In whose eyes a reprobate is despised,
But who honors those who fear the Lord;
He swears to his own hurt and does not change;
He does not put out his money at interest,
Nor does he take a bribe against the innocent.
He who does these things will never be shaken. Psalm 15

O Lord, the thought of living with you and spending time with you is overwhelming. I cannot even fathom how it is possible.

I try to live a life of truth and openness. I strive to be a person who is whole and complete. I want to live right with You and people but I can’t do any of it without You.

Keep me from talking bad about people and injuring them with my words and thoughts.

Teach me to honor those who honor You. Keep me from defrauding anyone and complaining about anyone doing me wrong (in my estimation).

Never let my tongue be still when innocent people suffer.

I want these principles, Your principles, to be my guide.

Amen

If you are a Christian, you are part of the Church. If you are part of the Church, then you are the Bride of Christ (Ephesians 5:22-32). Just as we can lose the passion for our earthly spouse, we can also lose our passion for our heavenly one, Jesus.  

Kenneth Boa, in his book, Conformed to His Image (Zondervan, 2001), points out some natural enemies of spiritual passion:

1. Unresolved areas of disobedience.  You know God wants you to do something for Him, but you continually push Him aside. James says, “Therefore, to him who knows the right thing to do and does not do it, to him it is sin (James 4:17).” Maybe it’s time to truly give your life over to God in serving Him. Or, maybe you are caught up in a sin that you refuse to give up.
2. You have stopped intentionally seeking Him. Your hunger and thirst for God is gone. Indifference has set in. It is time to ask God to awaken us to Him again.
3. Erosion in spiritual disciplines.  When spiritual disciplines like prayer, bible study, time in solitude with God, and fellowship with other believers take a back seat to other things in life, it is natural for our spiritual passion to wane.
4. External obedience.  Are you more concerned with conformity to rules, moral behavior, and duty than with imitating Jesus? External obedience without internal affection falls short of obeying God from the heart (Jeremiah 31:33; Ephesians 6:6).
5. Loving truth more than Christ.  Keep reading….don’t give up on me. Some students of God’s Word can easily fall into the trap of loving the content in the Bible more than the Source of that truth.  Doctrine and theology are worthy pursuits, but not when they replace the pursuit of knowing and becoming like Jesus. Some of us can quote a lot of Scripture and not look anything like Jesus.
6. Elevating service and ministry above Christ.  Fellowship, serving those in need, and telling other people the Gospel message are all essential parts of being a disciple of Christ. However, if we elevate those things above becoming intimate with Jesus then they become empty actions.
7. Greater commitment to institutions than to Christ.  Does your activity with the church or some other organization occupy more time than your devotion to Jesus? It is easy to get more passionate about causes than to be passionate about Christ.
8. A merely functional relationship.  Are you in a relationship with Christ only for what you think He can do for you? Do you follow Him because you want help with your marriage, your career, or your health? We have to grow beyond the gifts-above-the-giver mentality if we hope to be spiritually passionate. What if you got nothing in return for serving Jesus other than forgiveness of sins? 

Love for God can truly be threatened by these enemies.  If any of these hit home, then I would encourage you to take some time to examine your life, pray to God about it, and seek out a spiritually passionate person to help you reignite your passion for Christ.

“Search me, O God, and know my heart;

Try me and know my anxious thoughts;

And see if there be any hurtful way in me,

And lead me in the everlasting way.” (Psalm 139:23-24)

Jesus is the Supreme One and He is worthy of our devotion. The Apostle Paul writes, 

He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. For by Him all things were created, both in the heavens and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things have been created through Him and for Him. He is before all things, and in Him all things hold together. He is also head of the body, the church; and He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, so that He Himself will come to have first place in everything. For it was the Father’s good pleasure for all the fullness to dwell in Him, and through Him to reconcile all things to Himself, having made peace through the blood of His cross; through Him, I say, whether things on earth or things in heaven. (Colossians 1:15-20)

Why is He worthy to be First Place? Here is the list:

• He is the King of His Kingdom.
• He is the Savior of our sins.
• He is the image of the invisible God.
• He is the firstborn of all creation (meaning the one with all authority).
• He is the creator of all things. 
• He is the sustainer of all things.
• He is the head of the body, the church.
• He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead.
• He is the fullness of all things.
• He is the reconciler of all things.

In Colossians 1:18-20, the apostle Paul is trying to help the church at Colossae, and all of us today understand the place that Jesus deserves in our lives. He explains why Jesus and Jesus alone is to be at the top.

18 He is also head of the body, the church; and He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, so that He Himself will come to have first place in everything.

Why is He the head of the body, the church? Why will He have first place in everything?

The answer follows in verses 19 and 20.

19 For it was the Father's good pleasure for all the fullness to dwell in Him, 20 and through Him to reconcile all things to Himself, having made peace through the blood of His cross; through Him, I say, whether things on earth or things in heaven.

Jesus gave His life for all of us. He did not have to because it was required of Him. He did so because it was required for us to be saved.

He deserves to be the most important relationship in our lives.

Praise the Lord!
I will give thanks to the Lord with all my heart,
In the company of the upright and in the assembly.
Great are the works of the Lord;
They are studied by all who delight in them.
Splendid and majestic is His work,
And His righteousness endures forever.
He has made His wonders to be remembered;
The Lord is gracious and compassionate.
He has given food to those who fear Him;
He will remember His covenant forever.

He has made known to His people the power of His works,
In giving them the heritage of the nations.

The works of His hands are truth and justice;
All His precepts are sure.
They are upheld forever and ever;
They are performed in truth and uprightness.
He has sent redemption to His people;
He has ordained His covenant forever;
Holy and awesome is His name.
The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom;
A good understanding have all those who do His commandments;
His praise endures forever. Psalm 111

O Lord, You are truly worthy of praise from all people!

I will say thanks to You in front of everyone I meet, without any reservation; whether they acknowledge You or not.

Your works are so great that there are many who doubt that You exist because they cannot fathom a being capable of such creative wonders.

Your righteous deeds, Your redemptive power, Your creative grace has never been forgotten in all the history of the earth.

You are grace and compassion, and You show it by Your care for those You honor You. When we show grace and compassion to others, we are simply being like You.

You never forget a promise.  Your works are truth and justice and Your rules to live by will never be wrong.

You buy back those who turn from their slavery to sin, and You never forget those who love You.

To say that Your name is holy and awesome is not enough for You, but it is the most I have to offer with words from my lips.

May all my decisions emanate from a reverent respect for You and Your teachings.

Your praise will not end.

Amen and Amen

Being a follower of Jesus Christ, a Christian, is more than just going to church, saying you believe in Jesus, or reading your Bible every day. The goal for every Christian should be to become more like Jesus. Following Him is to become like Him. I like what James Wilhoit says about Christian spiritual formation:

“Christian spiritual formation: (1) is intentional; (2) is communal; (3) requires our engagement; (4) is accomplished by the Holy Spirit; (5) is for the glory of God and the service of others; and has as its means and end the imitation of Christ.” – James C. Wilhoit, Spiritual Formation as if the Church Mattered: Growing in Christ through Community, 23

I must want to become more like Jesus. I must realize the need to be part of a church family striving for the same goal. I must remain connected to Jesus, and allow the Holy Spirit to work on me to produce fruit. I must seek to honor God through my service to Him and my love for others.

It is a new year and I will be doing some Sermons and Bible Studies to help strengthen our faith and our walk with Jesus each day.

Starting this Sunday evening, I will begin a Bible study focusing on an overview of the Old Testament. This will last a few months. It is intended to help us understand God's big story and how we fit into it.

On Wednesday, January 17, I will begin a study in our auditorium class on Wednesday evenings on the Book of Daniel. There is a lot in Daniel that is valuable to both our understanding of the Old and New Testaments and how we should respond to the challenges of the culture.

Starting Sunday, January 21, I will begin a sermon series on Sunday mornings at 10 am from the Book of Colossians called:  Christ, Church, and the Christian. We will be looking at Christ's supremacy, the Church's importance, and how we should live as Christians in this world.

Please join us in person or online!

This past Sunday I suggested that the New Year is a great time to make some spiritual commitments. We need to be focused and committed to living out the Greatest Commands (Matthew 22:36-40).

The 4 Spiritual Commitments for 2024 I encourage every person to make:

1. Commit to Spending Daily Time with God.
2. Commit to Worshipping Regularly with the Church.
3. Commit to Expressing Love for Other People.
4. Commit to Giving Back to God.

If you want to watch the sermon, please check out our YouTube page for the Southside Church of Christ in Shelbyville, TN.

We are commanded by Jesus in the Great Commission (Matthew 28:18-20) to "go and make disciples". As we can see from the Book of Acts, the early disciples took this direction seriously and taught people about Jesus, how to get forgiveness through Him, and how to live for Him daily to change other people's lives. Yet, throughout the last 2000 years of the Church's existence, we have often watered down what true discipleship is and made it simply to show up for worship occasionally. That is not healthy and it is not Biblical. There is more to being a disciple of Jesus Christ.

The Apostle Paul writes these words to Titus, as recorded in Titus 2:11-14:

For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation to all men, instructing us to deny ungodliness and worldly desires and to live sensibly, righteously and godly in the present age, looking for the blessed hope and the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior, Christ Jesus, who gave Himself for us to redeem us from every lawless deed, and to purify for Himself a people for His own possession, zealous for good deeds.

David Kinnaman and Mark Matlock, in their excellent book, Faith for Exiles: 5 Ways for a New Generation to Follow Jesus in Digital Babylon, discuss 5 key characteristics of resilient disciples in the 18-28 age range. I will just list them here and come back and write about each one in separate blog posts.

1. They have an intimate relationship with Jesus.
2. They have developed the muscles of cultural discernment.
3. They have forged meaningful, intergenerational relationships (in the Church).
4. They have trained (and they practice) vocational discipleship.
5. They have curbed self-centered tendencies and engage in countercultural mission.

I should ask myself if I have these characteristics. Am I a resilient disciple of Jesus?

The clocks turn back this weekend and we will get an extra hour of sleep. It is a chance to start something new that will impact your life forever for the good. I am talking about coming to a Sunday School class and then staying for worship at the Southside Church of Christ in Shelbyville, TN. 

We have new classes starting for all ages this Sunday, including a new Young Adult class for those who are 18-25 years old. We have Sunday School at 9 AM and Worship at 10 AM. We would love to see you and get to know you!

Please come!

Sincerely,

Tim Gunnells, Minister

This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Some of us view prayer as a chore. We don’t enjoy doing it, but we do it anyway to keep the air clear. We assume that God will be satisfied if we go through an occasional prayer ritual. However, prayer should be the combination that unlocks the door to all the riches of the kingdom of God. Lack of understanding about the purpose of prayer and failure to pray are barriers that keep that door shut. On the other hand, the consistent practice of prayer will open wide the door of God’s work in our lives.

I want to share some things that might help us:  1) The Purpose of Prayer, 2) The Motivation for Prayer, 3) God’s Answers to Prayer, 4) The Promises of Prayer, and 5) Different Aspects of Prayer.

THE PURPOSE OF PRAYER

• Through prayer, we learn to converse with God.
• As we talk with Him, we get to know Him more personally.
• Soon we will discover that we have the power we need to do whatever God asks of us.
• What kind of power results from prayer? John 14:12-14
• What is a major reason for not receiving answers to prayer? John 16:24
• Sometimes we don’t even bother to ask God for the things we want, and then we complain when we don’t get them. In an average week, how much time do you spend in personal prayer?
• Do you feel like you are spending enough time in prayer, or would you like to spend more?

 THE MOTIVATION FOR PRAYER

• Why should we pray? For what should we ask? Are there conditions that you must meet to obtain an answer?  What are the results of prayer? 
• Until we answer some of these basic questions, we may not be motivated to pray. Here are some Scriptures that help answer these questions:

John 15:7-11

James 5:13-16

2 Chronicles 7:14

Matthew 6:5-13

Matthew 26:41

GOD’S ANSWERS TO PRAYER

• God wants to give us the things we need as we pray for them. But prayer is not like a quarter spent in a vending machine to automatically get what we want. God wants us to have what will be best for us. 
• Prayer involves: 1) Putting ourselves in the position to know God, 2) receiving what God has to give us, and 3) doing what He wants us to do.
• When we ask God for something, He will respond to our request in one of three ways:
  1. He might say Yes.
     1. When we pray for something according to God’s will He promises an affirmative answer. He loves us and wants to answer yes to our requests.
     2. 1 John 5:14-15
  2. He might say Wait.
     1. God always has a good reason for not giving us what we ask for right away. We may not always understand why He chooses to let us wait, but we can be sure that He is doing what is best for us.
     2. James 1:2-4 gives one reason God might have us to wait.
     3. Psalm 27:13-14 tells us what our attitude should be while we wait.
  3. He might say No.
     • Just as good parents must sometimes say no to their children’s requests, God must also refuse our prayer requests from time to time.
     • God told David no when He asked to build the temple because David had shed too much blood in his lifetime (2 Chronicles 22:7-10).
     • 2 Corinthians 12:7-10 -- God said no to Paul.
     • James 1:6-8 gives one reason that God sometimes says no.

 THE PROMISES OF PRAYER

• God’s Word provides hundreds of promises about prayer. But they won’t mean much to us if we don’t apply them to specific areas of our life. As we look quickly at 4 scriptures, think about how they apply to you.

Matthew 7:7-8

James 1:5

Philippians 4:19

Philippians 4:6-7

 DIFFERENT ASPECTS OF PRAYER

5 basic types of prayer:

1. Praise—Hebrews 13:15
2. Thanksgiving—Psalm 118:1
3. Confession—Proverbs 28:13
4. Petition—John 16:23-24
5. Intercession—1 Timothy 2:1-2

I would be happy to talk more with you about any of these things. You can contact me at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..