2 Timothy 2
Pursue the Deeper Life with Jesus!
Good morning! This is Pastor Jerry Ingalls from New Castle First Baptist Church and today is Thursday, December 31, the seventh Day of Christmas. Enjoy your last day of 2020 and let’s welcome in the new year with prayer and fasting for God’s grace to pour down upon our church & families, communities and country. May God lead each of us into the deeper life with Jesus.
You have heard of “stop, drop, and roll” when you are on fire. Well I say to you: “stop, turn away, and run into the arms of Jesus” when you are finding yourself struggling in life.
Paul teaches us in 2 Timothy 2:22-26, “So flee youthful passions and pursue righteousness, faith, love, and peace, along with those who call on the Lord from a pure heart. Have nothing to do with foolish, ignorant controversies; you know that they breed quarrels. And the Lord’s servant must not be quarrelsome but kind to everyone, able to teach, patiently enduring evil, correcting his opponents with gentleness. God may perhaps grant them repentance leading to a knowledge of the truth, and they may come to their senses and escape from the snare of the devil, after being captured by him to do his will.”
The Bible diagnoses us as having been given over to our passions and desires and that “breeds quarrels” within us! When you desire for something/anything more than God, there is war! When you desire to break your promises with others in hopes of finding personal fulfillment, there is war! When you struggle to love and trust, there is war!
There is only one hope for victory and He is the living hope—our hope is found in a personal relationship with Jesus Christ!
Decide today: (1) move away from what “breeds quarrels” (STOP!); (2) flee from all immorality (TURN AWAY!); and (3) Pursue Jesus Christ—righteousness, faith, love, and peace (RUN INTO THE ARMS OF JESUS)!
Seize the moment and make it your all-consuming ambition in the New Year to live a victorious life for God by pursuing the deeper life with Jesus Christ.
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