Good morning,
Jesus was not a preacher in the conventional sense. He did not stand behind a pulpit and preach. He ministered as he lived life. He allowed everyday events to be his sermon material. People followed, watched, and ultimately trusted Jesus as Savior and Lord.
That is what today’s devotional challenges us to do.
We need more sermons in shoes!
(Theodore Cuyler)
“Live such good lives among the pagans, that . . . they may see your good deeds and glorify God!” 1 Peter 2:12
“Whoever says he abides in Him–ought to walk and conduct himself in the same way in which He walked and conducted Himself.” 1 John 2:6 (Amplified version)
We need more sermons in shoes–men and women going up and down the roads of life preaching Christianity by their imitation of Christ!
The demand of the day is for a higher standard and style of Christian life. Every follower of Christ must represent His religion purely, loftily, impressively–before that multitude of “Bible-readers” whose only Bible is the Christian!
“The true test of religion, is in the street. It lies in the common walks of life–even more than in the worship of the sanctuary. The test of our religion is not the regular manner in which we go to church, or the way in which we read our Bibles, or any elaborate religious ritual we perform. Its test is the kind of people it makes us–the kind of life it produces in us.”
“A fine illustration of the worth of Christian character was seen in a teacher of one of the government schools of Japan. His contract was that he was not to teach Christianity–and, so far as words were concerned, he kept it faithfully. But all the while his life was so blameless and beautiful–that it did the work without words. As evidence of this, forty of the students, without his knowledge, met in a grove secretly, and signed a covenant to forsake idolatry–for the religion of their teacher. Some of them are now preaching the gospel in their native land.”
“Let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in Heaven!” Matthew 5:16
“That you may become blameless and pure, children of God without fault in a crooked and depraved generation, in which you shine like stars in the universe!” Philippians 2:14-15
“So that in every way they will make the teaching about God our Savior attractive.” Titus 2:10
“Be imitators of God, therefore, as dearly loved children and live a life of love–just as Christ loved us and gave Himself up for us” Ephesians 5:1-2
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That is a tremendous challenge for each of us. Do our lives so radiate Jesus that people’s lives are changed? That should be our goal.
Tom Stearns, WASI Chaplain, 907 715-4001
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