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CURRENT RADIO SERIES Sheltered   CURRENT TV SERIES Songs of Encouragement

“Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven.” Matthew 7:21 I’ll never forget that day; four hijacked planes were murderously flown into the World Trade Center, the Pentagon, and into a field in Pennsylvania. It was a day that would change us as a nation politically, culturally, and spiritually... or has it? I read a poll recently that stated that nearly half confess to a new birth experience—up from 38% in the 1980s. Yet there is very little correlation between the profession of religion and the practice of godliness. Church attendance is on the decline, and the number of church attenders who volunteer regularly in church is dropping. Our nation has learned many lessons over the past 16 years, and many have come to faith in Jesus Christ. Yet I wonder if several have missed the point of the Christian life. Perhaps following Christ for them has become more about the experience than the commitment. We need a revival in America today. Not just a revival of those who claim Christ, but a revival of those who follow Christ. Don’t fall into the trap of consumer or emotion-driven Christianity. Follow Christ by staying committed to serving Him and growing in your faith! DON’T JUST CONFESS CHRIST WITH YOUR LIPS. HONOR AND SERVE HIM WITH YOUR LIFE. At All Seasons by Dr. Paul Chappell “And when they were come to him, he said unto them, Ye know, from the first day that I came into Asia, after what manner I have been with you at all seasons, Serving the Lord with all humility of mind, and with many tears, and temptations, which befell me by the lying in wait of the Jews: And how I kept back nothing that was profitable unto you, but have shewed you, and have taught you publicly, and from house to house,” Acts 20:18–20 Many events in life are seasonal. There are a variety of hunting seasons for different animals. Sports teams do not play year round, but rather each sport has a season. The same is true in the natural world. There is a planting season and a harvesting season, just as God promised would continue: “While the earth remaineth, seedtime and harvest, and cold and heat, and summer and winter, and day and night shall not cease” (Genesis 8:22). But there are some things that are never out of season—they are always appropriate. And one of those is our testimony and witness for God. There are no “off days” when it does not matter if we let down our guard and live like the world. There is no “pre-season” when the results don’t matter in the final standings. There are no “do overs” where we get to go back and change our response to temptation. Every day is a unique opportunity to live for God that will never be repeated. The successful Christian life is not a few seasons of productivity and obedience, but rather a continued day in and day out pattern of faithfulness. When we do what is right over and over again, we will always be in season. In his final meeting with the leaders of the great church at Ephesus, Paul was able to challenge them effectively because of the pattern they had seen in his life.   Today’s Growth Principle:  The time to live faithfully for God is not somewhere in the future—it is today.