“but in your hearts honor Christ the Lord as holy, always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you; yet do it with gentleness and respect” (1 Peter 3.15)

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The Bible tells us there is one Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ (Eph. 4.5). He is to be the master and ruler of our lives. In fact, we are to empty our hearts of all things evil and sanctify Christ in our hearts, counting Him as Holy, filling our hearts with His word and love.

Those who accept Jesus as Lord have some obligations. If we believe that Jesus is the master of our lives, then we will believe that we are judged by His teachings. This will affect how we view the Scriptures and our obedience thereof.

For example, one who does not view Jesus as their Savior may still be in agreement with His teachings about murder or theft, etc.: “I would never do that!” However, for those of us who claim to be followers of Christ how do we respond to Jesus when He goes against everything we have ever believed? Our traditions? Our preconceived ideas? Or our desires?

The acid test of whether Jesus is Lord of our lives is when we obey God’s word even when it goes against what we want in this life. When Jesus says, “no,” do we still honor Him with our respect and obedience? Or do we elevate ourselves above God by creating a false God that will allow us to get away with the things we want to do?

We would love to study with you! E-mail Bryan Garlock, message us on Facebook, or text 903.308.4905.

*These thoughts are adapted from an article by Mark Dunugan.

“How can a young man keep his way pure? By guarding it according to your word.” (Psalm 119.9, ESV).¹

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¹It is important to guard our hearts against immorality. One way to do this is by guarding it according to the word of God. God’s word teaches us how to recognize, avoid, and overcome sin. Be diligent in your studies and application of the word and you can keep your way pure!

We would love to help you study and grow. If you’re interested in learning more about guarding your heart, contact Bryan Garlock, message us on Facebook, or text 903.308.4905.

“The one who rejects me and does not receive my words has a judge; the word that I have spoken will judge him on the last day.” (John 12.48, ESV)¹

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¹We must have standards for all we do in life. Standard is defined: “as a level of quality, achievement, etc., that is considered acceptable or desirable; ideas about morally correct and acceptable behavior; something that is very good and that is used to make judgments about the quality of other things" (Merriam-Webster). Thus, without standards we would and could not agree on anything and disunity and chaos would follow. For example, the employee policy hanging on the wall at work is the standard by which all employees must measure themselves. If an employee is found lacking in a particular area, his or her employer has the necessary tools to either help the employee improve or if the employee continues to spiral down, terminate them. Therefore, we understand the policy to keep the employee working effectively and efficiently.

Another standard worth mentioning is the handy dandy tape measure. Without it our buildings would be crooked and unstable and our furniture would be uncomfortable to look at and sit on! This is because we would never agree to the length of a piece of wood. One builder might say the length is 10 inches, while another argues the length is 14 inches. Thus, to eliminate disunity and chaos, these builders would have to adopt a standard by which they measure each piece of wood.

In the religious world, the Bible is our standard. With it we measure our faith (2 Cor. 13.5; James 1.25), our maturity in Christ (2 Tim. 3.16-17; 2 Peter 1.3) and our eternal outcome will be measured by our faithfulness (Rev. 2.10). Since God’s word will be the judge, that is, our standard, it would do us well to heed and obey the words of Christ in all things (Col. 3.17). BG

Are you interested in learning more about God's word? Message us on Facebook, e-mail us, or text 903.308.4905.

“Through your precepts I get understanding; therefore I hate every false way.” (Psalm 119.104, ESV)¹

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¹Are you struggling to overcome sin in your life? The Bible tells us many ways we can put a stop to sin. One way is by learning to hate it! In fact, as evident in our text, it is through God’s word that we learn to hate every false way.

We encourage all to read their bibles and internalize the scriptures. Let them dwell in your heart. Learn from Christ how to hate the sin in your life. Only then can you truly overcome sin.

We want to help you! E-mail Bryan Garlock or text 903.308.4905 for more info!

“Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God.” (Colossians 3.16, ESV)¹

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¹Jesus said, “For from within, out of the heart of man, come evil thoughts, sexual immorality, theft, murder, adultery, coveting, wickedness, deceit, sensuality, envy, slander, pride, foolishness. All these evil things come from within, and they defile a person.” (Mark 7.21-23, ESV). Since we are to “Keep your heart with all vigilance, for from it flow the springs of life” (Proverbs 4.23, ESV) and “For as he thinks within himself, so he is” (Proverbs 23.7, ESV), it would do us well to protect and guard our hearts from sin entering in.

Peter wrote, “but in your hearts honor Christ the Lord as holy…” (1 Peter 3.15). As we weed out the impurities in our life through repentance and abstinence of sin, we allow Christ and His word to have full reign in our hearts.

Brethren, is this something we are ever improving on? If you’re interested in learning about ways to allow God’s word and thankfulness for Him to dwell in your heart instead of the cares and pleasures of the world e-mail Bryan Garlock or text 903.308.4905. We will study with you anytime!