Excelling in Christ

People with a spiritual interest commonly feel that they are on God's side. They feel like they are for Him. The tricky part is that some are mere spectators and not truly soldiers of Christ. Being one with God is more than a matter of mere words, Christianity reaches deep, all the way to the core of the heart, the hidden places of the heart and builds oneness from that deeply interior place....

Solomon prayed for wisdom and God granted his request. We can ask for wisdom and God will grant our request, too (James 1:5). God desires our success. God longs for our success. He is willing to support us in any manner He can that does not violate our free moral agency. His gift is not passively given. It is not given on a silver platter. Wisdom is a gift that we unwrap, open, and assemble. The p...

God wants you to excel and be a spiritual giant. You will not offend God in the least if you aspire to be the best you can possibly be (Matthew 22:37-38). In fact, God would be honored. So, I offer you a simple ten-point list to aid you in your journey of honoring and glorifying God (and bringing yourself wonderful joy) by being the best you can be. Together, We Can Make a Difference.

God created you with everything, every skill, mentally and emotionally to achieve what He designed you to be. You can live a life that you look back on and smile. You can look back with reasonable satisfaction. Of course, you will not bat a thousand. You won't have a perfect score at the end of life. But you can come to the end of life feeling like a winner.

The purpose of Christianity is certainly not all the hate and divisiveness we see in our world pretending to be Christianity. There has to be something better and I believe there is. I believe that what we are looking for in the deepest place of our hearts precedes us by 2000 years, and, of course, there is a place to find exactly what you want, and that place is not a modern place or idea.

Naaman is a reminder that success is not all that the unsuccessful think it is.  I love what Jim Carrey said.  He is one of the most successful comedic actors of our day.  His net worth is an estimated 180 million dollars.  He is certainly not worried about the rent or the price of milk.  He said, “I think everybody should get rich and famous and do everything they ever dreamed of so they can see...

This Sunday sermon was recorded live.  After an introduction from 1 Corinthians 10 discussing Paul’s use of Old Testament stories, we move into a discussion of king Saul.  We analyze his failure and fall.  Our goal is to safeguard ourselves, press forward, and enjoy the greatest success possible.

How can you protect yourself and your loved ones from false prophets? They are among us, so what can you do? Fortunately, there is a simple way to see through their disguise and it requires only a little effort and determination on your part. So, let's get into equipping you to defeat false prophets. Recorded live.

Sin is simply missing the mark. If we desire to excel in Christ and life, then we can't do it by missing the mark. Excelling requires that we hit the mark. Sin does have a shallow joy upfront, but it leaves one off target and incomplete. Sin is not a benefit. It may be a shallow diversion, but it is not a blessing. It is missing the mark that would bring you the greatest joy and satisfaction i...

This practice from the time of Moses is a mystery to many bible students. It is almost embarrassing in some ways, but we trust that God knew what He was doing when He put this story in the bible. When we delve into this story and unpack it, we discover multiple enlightening ideas. This lesson was recorded live at the Airport Loop Church of Christ in Searcy, Arkansas, April 19, 2021.

The mystery of grace and works has puzzled many people.  However, it is a fact that both are taught in the bible at the same time.  So, what do we do?  Do we accuse God of being inconsistent?  Do we claim that the Bible of being corrupt and unreliable?  Or is there another possibility?  In this lesson, I present a possibility that brings grace and works into wonderful harmony and removes the myste...

The floating axe head seems like one of those stories that is just over the top. Some Christians are embarrassed by it. They wish it was not in the bible. So, why is it in the Bible? Did God know what He was doing when He included it in the Bible? What was God thinking and how can we use this story in to be happier people? There are many, many good questions to ask, and the only way to answer is t...

So much of what you and I desire exist far beyond square one.  There is nothing necessarily wrong with square one, except the fact that most of what we dream about is not in square one.  It is as simple as that.  Excelling in Christ requires the courage to go beyond square one and actually climb the spiritual mountain.  For those that are willing to go beyond square one, there are many blessings,...

Israel was impressed with the manna at first, but then grew tired of it, complained, and moaned about it.  They never understood the mystery of the manna.  God had a much deeper blessing for them than they ever understood because they could not see past their belly.  Likewise, today God has amazing blessings in store for us vis His manna.  Unfortunately, the same problem exists.  Many people miss...

Our communities need Christ now more than ever. People are hungry for something deeper. We still have the answer in Christ and the key to the answer is learning to love as Christ loves. The key to honestly walking with Jesus is loving who Jesus loves. But first, there is a barrier or two that we must overcome, and this presentation helps overcome the barriers. This presentation was recorded live a...

God is on your side. Amazing!  Right?  God created you to enjoy life at an inexpressible level according to 1 Peter 1:8. God created you to enjoy a love that surpasses knowledge and be filled with the fullness of God, according to Ephesians 3:19. God created you to revel in the peace that passes understanding according to Philippians 4:6-7. So, why do some Christians not grow into this wonderful s...

Welcome to a Sunday Sermon. This is a live and unedited recording of a sermon on Melchizedek deliverer August 20, 2023. The Bible is a book of both clear instruction and mystery. In Melchizedek we have joyful mystery. Who was this mysterious Old Testament priest? Why did Abraham pay a tithe to him? Why did Melchizedek bring out bread and wine?

Imagine a couple on their wedding day, beautiful wedding, wonderful reception, and it’s time to leave.  They walk down the walkway to the cheers of friends, and then go to their separate cars, wave joyfully at each other and say, “I’ll text you later.”  And go off to live in separate houses.  Is that your idea of two becoming one?  Is a virtual marriage really the marriage plan of God? 

Modern grace theology would take all the responsibility and accountability off man and make the straight and narrow way broad and easy.  The problem is that Jesus did not teach that His way was broad and easy.  He expected disciples to do the things He taught.  His message is crystal clear and provides us with a north star to guide us to our eternal home.

How did Jesus treat the woman caught in adultery? Some people would be extremely intolerant, disgusted, and let their heart fill with the sewage of self-righteous arrogance.  Jesus gives us a whole new way to begin feeling love in our own hearts first, and then flowing out to other people.  Jesus gives us a whole new way to think about walking in His footsteps. If you desire to excel in Christ, th...

If you’d like to see positive changes in your life, then you will be delighted with today’s podcast, because we are going to look at a specific attribute of Christ you can imitate and make real change in your life. Do you ever fantasize about what it would have been like to travel with Jesus. What would it have been like?  There are multiple aspects you would have written in your travel journal, a...

Welcome to Exceling in Christ, the podcast that does not avoid the hard issues or tough questions.  We gladly accept that the way is straight and narrow and look to the Map of God’s word to guide us through. Today we look at the Once Saved, Always Saved discussion. I don’t have every answer to every possible scenario people may raise.  I simply propose to point you back to Scripture and encourage...

Today, we introduce another aspect of spiritual growth in, To clean house you must first see the dirt .  Today we are looking for the dirt of majoring in minors.  If you know anyone that does this, you will love this podcast, and you might also desire to tactfully share it with them.    What is majoring in minors?  Basically, it is taking something small, and making it a major issue, while ignorin...

The world is hungry for the compassion Jesus offers. All the recreation and entertainment of our day is little more than a distraction. Jesus offers to fill the deepest need, the deepest hunger of our soul. Step into a wonderful new realm as you step into the footsteps of Jesus.

Prayer is part of drawing nearer and nearer to God.  Drawing nearer to God is where all the power is.  If you want to go beyond quoting Philippians 4:13, “I can do all thing through Christ” and live the life of doing all things through Christ, then prayer is a vital key awaiting you.