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Enough Already - Crosswalk the Devotional - April 24
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Truths observed at the intersection of faith and life by Crosswalk.com editors Crosswalk: The Devoti
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Truths observed at the intersection of faith and life by Crosswalk.com editors [Crosswalk.com Logo]( Crosswalk: The Devotional [Devotionals]( [Newsletters]( [e-Cards]( [Learn more about RevenueStripe...]( Enough Already
by John UpChurch âThe man from whom the demons had gone out begged to go with him, but Jesus sent him away, saying, âReturn home and tell how much God has done for you.â So the man went away and told all over town how much Jesus had done for him.â [Luke 8:38-39]( I knew Iâd feel inadequate, but once they slapped the Journeyman mic on me and the congregation sauntered in, the word inadequate became inadequate. Over my head, crazy, off my rockerâthose shot through my mind a time or two. Yes, I had notes. Yes, Iâd practiced. Yes, Iâd taken public speaking courses. But none of those really prepares you to face a congregation on Sunday morning. Nothing gets you ready to reach into Scripture and yank out the good stuff. Youâre dealing with potent material here, the kind of thing you donât want to get wrong. And out there are the faces of those who may never come back through the door of a church again. No pressure. And thatâs how my first sermon started. Actually, I donât remember much of it. It just kind of started and then ended. If there werenât a recording, I donât think Iâd even know what I said. But, alas, said recording does exist (no chance of being linked here), and the final verdict is⦠letâs just say mixed. At least no one left, and given the size of the church, I would have noticed. In many ways, I felt like that formerly demon-possessed man whom Jesus told to go tell it on the mountain. Jesus didnât give him much in the way of lessons or practice. He just sent the man home to talk about God healing him. And as far as we know, the man went and did just that. Since it made it into the gospel accounts, Iâm chalking that up as a success. All the man needed to know was that Jesus healed him, andâboomâhe started sharing the good news. Too many times, Iâve been shut down by the notion that I need to know more before I can say more. I canât tell this person about Christ because I havenât finished my study on Galatians. I canât share how God changed me because I only spent 15 minutes in prayer this morning. I canât start a small group in my house because Iâm not the perfect husband or dad. Itâs hard for me to say, âEnough already.â I know enough already to preach a sermon, even if Iâll keep learning and growing for years. I know enough already to share that God wrenched me out of depression, even if I donât know how to answer every question about the [Bible](. I know enough already to share my home, even if Iâm still working on keeping my smartphone off during family time. [CONTINUE READING →]( [Learn more about RevenueStripe...]( You May Also Like: [11 Ways to Protect Your Marriage from Adultery]( Chara Donahue An affair⦠It fails to convey the seriousness of vows broken and love betrayed. Unfaithful seems too broad, as though itâs on par with breaking the speed limit. Cheating, even kids are capable of that. But when God calls out the idolatrous, cosmic treason of His people, adultery is the one term He repeatedly uses to express his disgust and the vile nature of their infidelity. When we consider the gravity of what it means to abandon a spouse to find comfort in another, we need to see it with the same degree of severity God Himself judges it with. The lasting trauma and grief that adultery can cause is something nobody wants to go through, but in reality, it is a devastation that many have felt. It is always wise to learn how to protect your marriage from actions that can destroy it. Faithful marriages are a thing of beauty, but it is easy to get off course. The devil and our flesh war against us, but the Spirit is stronger if he is submitted to. That submission to the Spirit of God is the most important thing anyone can do to improve their marriage. For, âThose who live according to the flesh have their minds set on what the flesh desires; but those who live in accordance with the Spirit have their minds set on what the Spirit desires. The mind governed by the flesh is death, but the mind governed by the Spirit is life and peace" [(Romans 8:5-6)](. As we seek to follow the Spirit, these principles can help to set a guard against the emotional and marital scarring an affair can bring. Photo Credit: © Getty Images/fizkes [CONTINUE READING →]( [Learn more about RevenueStripe...]( [Are You Teachable? 10 Questions from Psalm 119]( Rachel Lehner My recent study of Psalm 119 revealed a lot about being teachable. As I read it, I found myself asking, Is my heart is ready learn from the Lord? [CONTINUE READING →]( [Crosswalk.com Logo]( [Read about Salem Web Network]( | [Unsubscribe From This Email](
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