“The fear of the Lord is hatred of evil. Pride and arrogance and the way of evil and perverted speech I hate.” (Proverbs 8.13, ESV)¹

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¹Since fearing God includes knowing His will (Prov. 1.7), then to know God is to understand that He hates evil. Therefore, to fear and respect God requires me to hate evil. In our text, this includes pride, arrogance, the way of evil and perverted speech.

Do we hate the things God hates? Specifically, do we hate profanity, gossip, slander, false accusations, and lies? These are all things done with the tongue and cause our speech to be perverted!

We can help you overcome perverse speech and to talk in the same way our Lord and Savior showed us! Reach out to us today by messaging us on Facebook, e-mailing us, or texting us at 903.308.4905.

-Bryan Garlock

“Whoever loves his brother abides in the light, and in him there is no cause for stumbling.” (1 John 2.10, ESV)¹

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¹In the immediate context, John wrote, “Whoever says he is in the light and hates his brother is still in darkness. Whoever loves his brother abides in the light, and in him there is no cause for stumbling. But whoever hates his brother is in the darkness and walks in the darkness, and does not know where he is going, because the darkness has blinded his eyes” (1 John 2.9-11, ESV)

How is there no cause for stumbling? If we love our brethren we will not stumble over bitterness, malice, haughtiness, hate, revenge, jealousy, envy, strife, anger, grudges, etc. Instead, we will love, seek peace, seek the best for others, strive not to provoke one another, show patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness to each other, etc.

Are you tired of living in a world full of hated and anger? Let the Franklin Drive church demonstrate to you exactly what love and peace is. Visit with us and contact Bryan Garlock or text 903.308.4905 if you’re interested in learning more about God’s will for your life.

“Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy.” (Matthew 5.7, ESV)¹

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¹Jesus has called His disciples to be merciful toward those who have sinned against us. The reason being is because “as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive” (Col. 3.13b, ESV).

Jesus told the apostles a story of a man who would not forgive (Read Matt. 18.21-35). Notice that mercy will not be shown to the person who does not show mercy. This is parallel to Jesus’ words, “For if you forgive others their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you, but if you do not forgive others their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses” (Matt. 6.14-15, ESV).

Are you holding a grudge? Are you bitter inside? Let us help you overcome these things. Only when one forgives is there true peace! E-mail Bryan Garlock or text 903.308.4905 to learn more!

"O you who love the Lord, hate evil! He preserves the lives of his saints; he delivers them from the hand of the wicked." (Psalm 97.10, ESV)¹

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¹Any Bible student knows that God hates sin. The apostle John taught "that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all" (1 John 1.5, ESV). The Psalmist declared, "...you have loved righteousness and hated wickedness..." (Psalm 45.7, ESV) and "Through your precepts I get understanding; therefore I hate every false way" (Psalm 119.104, ESV). Additionally, God requires those who claim allegiance to Him to "Hate evil, and love good...." (Amos 5.15, ESV). Since Christ died on the cross because of sin, one can be absolutely sure that sin is in complete opposition to everything God is, and stands for. Peter wrote, "...who Himself bore our sins in His own body on the tree, that we, having died to sins, might live for righteousness—by whose stripes you were healed" (1 Peter 2.24, ESV). Notice the connection: Jesus suffered and died for our sins (1 Peter 3.18) so that we would die to sin and live for righteousness (Romans 6). In other words, we choose to abhor what is evil and love what is good (see Rom. 12.9). The truth is clear; we can only love Jesus if we hate sin.

The Bible teaches us that we cannot serve two masters (Matt. 6.24); nor can we claim allegiance to both sin and righteousness (Rom. 6.16-18). The question then is, who is your master? Who do you love? Jesus or this world? If you're interested in learning how to love Jesus over sin email Bryan Garlock or text 903.308.4905.