{"id":6170,"date":"2018-02-27T11:53:04","date_gmt":"2018-02-27T17:53:04","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/tampaseo.expert\/focus\/?p=6170"},"modified":"2018-02-27T11:53:04","modified_gmt":"2018-02-27T17:53:04","slug":"god-is-worthy","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/tampaseo.expert\/focus\/2018\/02\/27\/god-is-worthy\/","title":{"rendered":"God is Worthy"},"content":{"rendered":"

By Phillip Johnson<\/strong>
\nHow\u2019s your walk with God?\u00a0 How strong is your personal relationship with God?\u00a0 Do you currently find yourself close to God or distant from Him?\u00a0 Are you walking away from God, traveling away to the far country as the Prodigal Son did in Luke 15?\u00a0 Or are you\u00a0journeying\u00a0back home to the waiting embrace of the Father?\u00a0\u00a0Do you realize you can be as close to God as you want to be?\u00a0\u00a0\u201cDraw near to God and He will draw near to you.\u201d<\/i>\u00a0 These words from James describe what is available to all humanity.\u00a0\u00a0These words show what is available to you.\u00a0\u00a0The embrace between the Prodigal Son and the Father in Luke 15 is one of the most moving pictures in the Bible.\u00a0\u00a0This picture can be reality for you.\u00a0\u00a0You can be as close to the Father as you want to be.\u00a0 The opposite is also true.\u00a0 You can as distant from God as you want to be.\u00a0 How is your relationship with God?\u00a0<\/span>
\nThe most important relationship you will ever have is your relationship with God.\u00a0 Your relationship with God is more important than your relationship with your spouse.\u00a0 Your relationship with God is more important than your relationships\u00a0with your children.\u00a0 Your relationship with God is more important than your relationships\u00a0with your friends and your coworkers.\u00a0 If we seek God first\u2026if we draw near to Him\u2026if we strengthen our walk with our Father, our other relationships will also be improved.\u00a0\u00a0I want to be a godly father.\u00a0\u00a0When I am close to God,\u00a0I am a better dad.\u00a0\u00a0I want to be a good husband.\u00a0\u00a0When I have a close walk with God, I am a better husband.\u00a0\u00a0I want to be a reliable friend.\u00a0\u00a0When I have a strong relationship with God, I am a better friend.\u00a0\u00a0Closeness with God makes me a better person.\u00a0<\/span>
\nWe need to remember the importance of our walk with God.\u00a0\u00a0God is worthy.\u00a0 He is worthy of every second you devote to Him.\u00a0 He is worthy of every dollar you give Him.\u00a0 He is worthy of every temptation you resist because of Him.\u00a0 He is worthy of every word you speak on His behalf.\u00a0 He is worthy of every trial and struggle you endure.\u00a0 He is worthy of your strength and\u00a0your\u00a0energy.\u00a0 He is worthy of your devotion.\u00a0 We know all of this to be true.\u00a0\u00a0We know God is worthy.\u00a0\u00a0Yet,\u00a0we still struggle in our relationship with God.\u00a0\u00a0How can we build a stronger relationship with God?\u00a0 What can we do to strengthen this eternally important relationship?\u00a0\u00a0God provides us direction.\u00a0 Let\u2019s take a look at God\u2019s plan to strengthening our relationship with Him.\u00a0<\/span>
\n\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

    \n
  1. Obey\u00a0<\/b>God<\/b>\u2014In John 14:15 Jesus says,\u00a0\u201cIf you love me, you will keep\u00a0<\/i>My<\/i>\u00a0commandments.<\/i>\u201d<\/i>\u00a0 Do you love God?\u00a0 Do you love Jesus?\u00a0 We know the right\u00a0answer\u00a0to these questions.\u00a0 What are our actions saying?\u00a0 We prove our love to God by obeying Him.\u00a0 The religious world has created a chasm between love and obedience as if they were mutually exclusive of each other.\u00a0 We like to hear the word \u201clove.\u201d\u00a0 We often cringe when we hear the word \u201cobey.\u201d\u00a0 Love and obedience go hand in hand.\u00a0 They are not mutually exclusive.\u00a0 It is impossible to show God we love Him without obedience.\u00a0\u00a0We cannot have a relationship with God without obedience.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n
      \n
    1. Stand Up for\u00a0<\/b>God<\/b>\u2014There are some things worth fighting for.\u00a0 Fight for truth (John 17:17).\u00a0 Fight for your soul (Matthew 16:24-26).\u00a0 Fight for the souls of others (2 Corinthians 5:11).\u00a0 Fight for your purity (Ephesians 5:3).\u00a0 Fight for your family (Ephesians 6:4).\u00a0 Paul considered himself an ambassador for Christ.\u00a0 In 2 Corinthians 5, he challenged the church at Corinth to take up this same fight.\u00a0 Satan has many ambassadors in our world today.\u00a0 Our world is full of people representing the interests of Satan.\u00a0 Who is fighting for God?\u00a0 Who is representing God?\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n
        \n
      1. Seek God First<\/b>\u2014God\u2019s expectations are made very clear in His Word.\u00a0\u00a0\u201cBut seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these will be added to you.\u201d\u00a0<\/i>\u00a0 Jesus spoke these words to people who were worried about the basic necessities of life.\u00a0 Jesus challenged them to trust God.\u00a0 He challenged them to seek God first.\u00a0 There is a big difference between first and second place.\u00a0 It will always be easy to put God first tomorrow.\u00a0\u00a0Tomorrow\u2019s life may be too late.\u00a0 Choose to live for God today.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n
          \n
        1. Talk About God<\/b>\u2014\u201cWitness\u201d and \u201ctestify\u201d are Biblical words.\u00a0 John the Baptizer came as a witness for Jesus.\u00a0 Paul was called to be a witness for Jesus.\u00a0 In 1 John 4:14 John writes,\u00a0\u201cWe have seen and testify that the Father has sent the Son to be the Savior of the world.\u201d\u00a0\u00a0<\/i>\u00a0If you know why you became a Christian and how you became a Christian, you have a story to share.\u00a0 Our world needs to know the Father has sent the Son to be their Savior!\u00a0 Talk to others about God.\u00a0\u00a0You will build a stronger walk with God each time you speak His great name.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

          \u00a0<\/span>
          \nRelationships are challenging.\u00a0 Relationships are tough.\u00a0 Relationships are also a tremendous blessing.\u00a0 The most important relationship we have is our relationship with God.\u00a0 Take time to strengthen your relationship with God.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 He is worthy of your time.\u00a0 He is worthy of your effort.\u00a0 He is worthy of your devotion.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

          By Phillip Johnson How\u2019s your walk with God?\u00a0 How strong is your personal relationship with God?\u00a0 Do you currently find yourself close to God or distant from Him?\u00a0 Are you walking away from God, traveling away to the far country as the Prodigal Son did in Luke 15?\u00a0 Or are you\u00a0journeying\u00a0back home to the waiting […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"give_campaign_id":0,"_et_pb_use_builder":"","_et_pb_old_content":"","_et_gb_content_width":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[59,66],"tags":[1286,520,1390,1288,284],"class_list":["post-6170","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-christian-living","category-think-excerpts","tag-faith-matters","tag-growth","tag-july-2013","tag-phillip-johnson","tag-relationships","et-doesnt-have-format-content","et_post_format-et-post-format-standard"],"yoast_head":"\nGod is Worthy - 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