The key to a growing faith

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… he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ. --Philippians 1:6 There are many churches these days that avoid talking about sin. It’s not a “feel good” topic. But sin is a critical topic if we want to be effective servants of Christ and to grow spiritually. So let me address one of the big questions before we go any further. People frequently ask me, “Can sin cause me to lose my salvation?” And I’ll tell you what I’ve told them, “Absolutely not!” You cannot sin your salvation away. You see, when you asked Jesus to forgive your sin and made him Lord of your life, he began a “good work” in you. And he promised to complete that work within you! But beyond salvation, God is also at work to help you deal with the issue of sin in your life on a daily basis. You and I desperately need this because sin will remain a reality in our lives this side of heaven. But we can overcome. We see this clearly in some of God's choicest saints. Men like Simon Peter and Paul admitted to the sin in their lives. But listen, sin was not a pattern in their lives! And that’s the difference that Christ made in their lives! Will you let Jesus do the same for you? He wants to! Let Jesus break the sinful patterns and habits in your life! Let Jesus break the sinful patterns and habits in your life! The Trap of Being Obsessed with Ourselves by Dr. Paul Chappell “What shall we say then? Is there unrighteousness with God? God forbid. For he saith to Moses, I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion. So then it is not of him that willeth, nor of him that runneth, but of God that sheweth mercy.” Romans 9:14–16 We live in a self-obsessed culture. People are more and more focused inwardly. The networks and connections that once bound communities and society together have frayed. Everything you need to know about what we value can be seen on the ubiquitous cell phone where the camera doesn’t just take pictures of what you are looking it—it quickly changes to take selfies. I read recently that most celebrities are no longer asked for autographs. Instead, they are now asked to pose for a picture, not of themselves, but with the fan. Even those that many look up to are included in memory only to the extent that they reinforce the image of self. God’s plan is not focused on us. He is not impressed by our strength, our intelligence, or our resources which pale in comparison to His perfection. Yet despite our shortcomings by God’s standard, we find it easy to be proud because we measure ourselves by whatever standard will make us feel better. We nurture and feed our pride, even though it is at the very top of the list of sins that God despises. “These six things doth the LORD hate: yea, seven are an abomination unto him: A proud look, a lying tongue, and hands that shed innocent blood” (Proverbs 6:16–17). This self-obsession is not limited to the world. We see its effects in God’s work as well. The temptation to focus on and rely on self has led to the destruction of many men and many ministries. The only hope we have is God.   Today’s Growth Principle:  We can either have our pride and what we can accomplish on our own, or we can choose humility and have God’s power.