Brandon Phillips

Devotional, Family

Evangelism is a Strong Witness

Week 5.2

Not only is evangelism attraction as non-believers are curious about what God is doing, Evangelism is also a strong witness to those around us.

When we take our faith with us the other 6 days of the week and live our lives in the way God wants us to live others cannot help but see the difference in our lives and that is a strong witness. Unfortunately, there are many who claim to be Christians that do not follow through on their commitment to live out their faith every day. When non-believers see this type of behavior it can hurt our witness.

How do we make sure that we are being a strong witness?

  1. Live a Christ-centered life.

The way you live your life will affect what you do and how you act. When you decide to prioritize Christ in your life others will see that you are different in. good way. With so many bad examples to see someone who is living for Christ will be refreshing to those around you and you will be a strong witness for Christ.

I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service. 2 And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God. Romans 12:1-2

  1. Share your testimony.

When you have a relationship with God, he speaks to you. He expects us to share our lives with others especially what he has done in our lives. We need to make sure to talk about Christ to others. This includes telling out salvation testimony but also our current experience with God and what he is teaching us.

15 But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts, and always be ready to give a defense to everyone who asks you a reason for the hope that is in you, with meekness and fear; 1 Peter 3:15

  1. Serve and Give Generously

You will notice that in Acts 4:32-35, one of the things that sets the believers apart is their unity and generosity. They shared everything and no one had need. We cannot hold onto our possessions and time so tightly that they begin to rule our hearts. We are to be wise stewards but not withhold our gifts for use in God’s service.

Nothing tells others that we are thankful to God than taking what he has given to us and sharing it with others. When we do this in a ways that demonstrates the love of God it cannot help but be a strong witness and is evangelism lived out.

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Devotional, Family

Evangelism in Attractional

Week 5.1

As we continue to look at the early church in Acts. We see a few things that sets them apart from the world. These qualities are what makes the church THRIVE. When we as a body of believers focus on these things, we cannot help but be a successful Kingdom minded congregation making a difference in the community and around the world!

We have looked at discipleship, fellowship, prayer, worship, and today we will see that the results of those leads to evangelism. When there is a recipe or a formula, you are able to predict the outcome. That is what we see in these verses that if the church has the right focus, there cannot help but attractional to unbelievers and a strong witness to those in the community.

32 Now the multitude of those who believed were of one heart and one soul; neither did anyone say that any of the things he possessed was his own, but they had all things in common. 33 And with great power the apostles gave witness to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus. And great grace was upon them all. 34 Nor was there anyone among them who lacked; for all who were possessors of lands or houses sold them, and brought the proceeds of the things that were sold, 35 and laid them at the apostles’ feet; and they distributed to each as anyone had need. Acts 4:32-35

 What is attractional about the church?

In today’s times we do see many churches that are known for what they are against, but if we are truly seeking after God and the things he wants, we will be known for what we are FOR. We are for unity, we are for community, we are for God and the things of God.

When we are for the things of God, we will be attractional to unbelievers because they will want what we have. We have TRUE abundant life. Life that is not found in the things of the world but only found in Jesus.

True abundant life provides what we are all searching for, meaning and purpose. We want to know that we are not just living for the next paycheck but that there is something more meaningful. There is! Our purpose is to worship God. When we try to fulfill that purpose any other way, we end up feeling helpless and hopeless. As believers we can show others this abundant life by living out our worship of the one true God in our daily lives. That will be true worship and attract to those who do not have it.

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Devotional, Family

Worship – Week 4.2

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As we continue a quick look through Isaiah 6 let’s be reminded of the nature of this encounter. God is omnipresent so he is always there. We just can become so unaware of his presence that we don’t even acknowledge him in our daily lives. This was the case in Isaiah’s time too. Isaiah was going through his daily routine and then God showed up or rather made Isaiah aware of His presence.

Isaiah quickly changes his approach from haphazard to putting his focus where it needed to be, on God. He also was quick to realize the condition of his heart and look within. Today we will see a few more results of worship.

Worship is cleansing.

When Isaiah was confronted with his sin. He knew there was nothing he could do to take it away only God can do that. No amount of sacrifice on the altar or merit would earn his purification. Instead God caused an angel to bring a hot coal and cleanse Isaiah. God did the cleansing.

Just like Isaiah there is nothing we can do in our own strength to earn God’s forgiveness or live up to God’s holy righteous standard. Instead, we learn that it is only by grace through faith in Jesus’ death on the cross that we can be forgiven and cleansed. (Ephesians 2:8-10, John 3:16)

8 For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, 9 not of works, lest anyone should boast. 10 For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them. Ephesians 2:8-10

16 For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. John 3:16

Worship is sending.

Isaiah knew that his people were in the same boat he was in. They were living their lives on their own terms and with no consideration of God in their lives. His life’s mission would be to warn of God’s judgement and announce the promise of the savior. God used this encounter to propel Isaiah’s ministry forward. He would go and he would be God’s prophet.

Worship should do the same for us. As we focus on what God has done it should cause us to want to tell others about what he has done for us. It should make our hearts hurt when we see others trying to love their life outside of God’s plan. Make it a point to tell others what God has done for you.

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Devotional, Family

Worship – Week 4

One of my favorite passages in the Bible is from Isaiah 6. It shows the power of worship. When we come to church, we are reminded of the importance of worship. We sing songs, pray, and listen to the word preached. These are each expression of worship.

However, if we are honest, it is easy for us to get into our busy schedules and forget to put our focus where it needs to be every day. We let life get in the way and we feel overwhelmed. The same life that would be better and less stressed if we placed our focus and worship where it should be on God every day. We need to worship through the week.

Even though Isaiah was a prophet he is just like us. He is human with the tendency to get bogged down in life’s daily grind. In fact that’s the context of Isaiah 6. He was going through his everyday routine. Perhaps even jus going through the motions just get the job done. Then God showed up! When God shows us everything changes.

6 In the year that King Uzziah died, I saw the Lord sitting on a throne, high and lifted up, and the train of His robe filled the temple. 2 Above it stood seraphim; each one had six wings: with two he covered his face, with two he covered his feet, and with two he flew. 3 And one cried to another and said:

“Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts;
The whole earth is full of His glory!”

4 And the posts of the door were shaken by the voice of him who cried out, and the house was filled with smoke.

5 So I said:

“Woe is me, for I am undone!
Because I am a man of unclean lips,
And I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips;
For my eyes have seen the King,
The Lord of hosts.”

6 Then one of the seraphim flew to me, having in his hand a live coal which he had taken with the tongs from the altar. 7 And he touched my mouth with it, and said:

“Behold, this has touched your lips;
Your iniquity is taken away,
And your sin purged.”

8 Also I heard the voice of the Lord, saying:

“Whom shall I send,
And who will go for Us?”

Then I said, “Here am I! Send me.”

  • Worship causes us to look up.

When Isaiah entered the temple to perform his daily duties something was different. It is not that God, and his presence was not there all the time but for whatever reason this day was special. God got his attention and caused him to look up.

When we take the time to worship, we pause and reflect on the greatness of God. When we do that, we cannot help but look up to the heavens and reflect on his holiness and glory Whether that be the stars we see in the sky or just his presence in the darkness. Worship causes us to reflect and consider all that God is.

  • Worship causes you to look with in.

When God’s glory was put on display, and it caused Isaiah to look inside himself. He looked inside himself and consider not only his sin but the sin of his people. He realized that he had fallen so short of God standard of holiness. So he said “woe is me!” This is a form of confession and repentance.

God has a way of revealing to us what we already known in our heart of hearts. In the busyness of our lives and integration with culture we have been desensitized to the conviction that we ignore his Holy Spirit and continue to sin. When we truly do look inside and consider our sinfulness in light of God’s holiness that should lead to true worship in the form of confession and repentance.

Tomorrow we will look at two more things from the passage…

  • Worship is cleansing.
  • Worship is sending.
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Devotional, Family

Prayer. Humble submission to God.

Week 3.2

I remember growing up in church and when people would pray, I would think “wow they must be close to God”. They would use big words, they would change the inflection of their voice, and it just seemed like they were close to God.

I'm sure these men meant nothing by their prayer performance, but it made me scared to pray in front of other people. I thought that I had to know the exact right words to say and was always afraid to mess up in front of others.

Now being much older in my faith I understand that prayer is special, we do not have to know exactly what to say. We do not have to know big theological words for God to hear us. What God wants more than anything in our prayers is humble submission to him.

So as we continue to think about prayer today I want to encourage you to just pray period. Very simply prayer is just talking to God. That's the blessing that we get when we can talk to God about anything. We all have enough gone on in our lives that we need to be able to stop what we're doing and pray. And knowing that we are able to pray through the creator of the universe should give us confidence to be able to make it through whatever the day may bring.

9 To some who were confident of their own righteousness and looked down on everyone else, Jesus told this parable: 10 “Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. 11 The Pharisee stood by himself and prayed: ‘God, I thank you that I am not like other people—robbers, evildoers, adulterers—or even like this tax collector. 12 I fast twice a week and give a tenth of all I get.’

13 “But the tax collector stood at a distance. He would not even look up to heaven, but beat his breast and said, ‘God, have mercy on me, a sinner.’

14 “I tell you that this man, rather than the other, went home justified before God. For all those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.”

Luke 18:9-14

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