Many people will try to tell you that there is a formula for becoming a strong Christian. Thousands of books have been written, each with the author's own take on the 1, 2. 3's of growing in the Christian faith. Even I have written thousands of devotionals aimed at getting people to acknowledge that their ways are not God's ways and encouraging them to make the necessary changes. The fact remains that simply walking in the truth day by day is the only thing that matters. Inspired by God, King David probably said it best... "LORD , who may dwell in your sanctuary? Who may live on your holy hill? He whose walk is blameless and who does what is righteous, who speaks the truth from his heart and has no slander on his tongue, who does his neighbor no wrong and casts no slur on his fellowman, who despises a vile man but honors those who fear the LORD, who keeps his oath even when it hurts, who lends his money without usury [interest] and does not accept a bribe against the innocent. He who does these things will never be shaken." Psalm 15 Pastor Jim Kilby Your donation spreads good news! www.harvestyouth.org/donate

It's impossible to live for the Lord and still exercise control over your life. Many try, but the truth is that doing so negates the whole concept of "giving your life to the Lord." Consider for a moment who really controls your life. Then, consider if you are not letting Jesus guide your every step, you actually don't have life at all. "Whoever finds his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it." Jesus of Nazareth (Matthew 10:39)  Pastor Jim Kilby Your donation spreads good news! www.harvestyouth.org/donate

I've been a Christian for a good many years and sometimes the sins I struggle with still amaze me. I often wonder if I've even grown a single inch in Christ. Sure, I know what is right. But sometimes I fail to DO what is right! No doubt many of my readers feel the same way, but many of you might even think you're the only one's who struggle this way. You are not alone! Even the Apostle Paul struggled with sin, and said so in this incredible passage from Romans 7. This, however, is not a license to sin. But rather a notice to hold even tighter to God's truths and to become them. It's only through His Spirit that we have any hope to triumph over sin! "We know that the law is spiritual; but I am unspiritual, sold as a slave to sin. I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do. And if I do what I do not want to do, I agree that the law is good. As it is, it is no longer I myself who do it, but it is sin living in me. 18I know that nothing good lives in me, that is, in my sinful nature. For I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out. For what I do is not the good I want to do; no, the evil I do not want to do-this I keep on doing. Now if I do what I do not want to do, it is no longer I who do it, but it is sin living in me that does it. So I find this law at work: When I want to do good, evil is right there with me. For in my inner being I delight in God's law; but I see another law at work in the members of my body, waging war against the law of my mind and making me a prisoner of the law of sin at work within my members. What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body of death? Thanks be to God-through Jesus Christ our Lord! Romans 7:14-25 Pastor Jim Kilby Your donation spreads good news! www.harvestyouth.org/donate

Being a Christian is hard work. We understand that Jesus' work on the cross was sufficient to save our souls, but we've still got much work to do in this life to show Him our gratitude--proving by our actions we love Him and His Spirit lives in us. For me, probably the hardest part is to simply yield control of my life to Him. I don't like yielding anything to anybody, and certainly not someone who might get the inkling to send me off to a mission field in the middle of nowhere! We live in an age where everybody is probably a lot like me in this sense--wanting to control as much of our lives as we can and yielding as little as possible. For the Christian, however, how well we yield will determine how deep and how fast we grow in our faith and obedience to the Lord. Even the Son yields His will to the Father's desires. Since we're all going to bow to Jesus one day anyway, wouldn't it make great sense to get started now? After all, He will never do anything but love us, far off mission field or not! "Therefore God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name, 10 that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. Phillippians 2:9-10 Pastor Jim Kilby Your donation spreads good news! www.harvestyouth.org/donate

The old saying, "Practice what you preach" often comes to my mind. As a husband, a father, and a minister of the gospel, I always need to be aware of the disconnects between my words and my actions. Lately I've been preaching a lot about finding joy in suffering and not being surprised by persecution when it comes. Today I had an opportunity to put my words to the test. I took some abuse for the gospel and wouldn't you know I was instantly upset! I tried to tell myself to find joy in the persecution but I found that I just couldn't do it. I could tell you all the reasons I should have found joy, but I still couldn't find it. And then something hit me... If I could do it by myself then why would I need Jesus? The flesh can never find joy in suffering. It's only through the Spirit that joy comes. "And the disciples were filled with joy and with the Holy Spirit." Acts 13:52  Pastor Jim Kilby Your donation spreads good news! www.harvestyouth.org/donate

"But the Counselor, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you." John 14:26 Sometimes I get some serious stress, even times of sleeplessness and depression. Sure, life is tough... having lots of kids, and a ministry, and marriage are all tough. But as I sit back and analyze the times when I have the highest level of uncomfortablility with my life, it's always because I'm walking too close to the "integrity line." That's the line I'll call the "line of truth." Whenever a Christian finds a ways to justify actions the Lord would be uncomfortable with, the Holy Spirit immediately goes to work, making us uncomfortable--so uncomfortable we hopefully move back into the area where our integrity, and our testimony remain solid. "May integrity and uprightness protect me, because my hope is in you." Psalm 25:21  Pastor Jim Kilby Your donation spreads good news! www.harvestyouth.org/donate

Imagine that you worked your whole life toward piling up a huge mountain of good deeds. Following the last seconds of your life, you approach God and present Him with an excellent reminder of all you had done. "I did everything could to get into heaven" you might say. At which point God would tell you that your work was prideful, and even the attempt to enter heaven on your own merits was arrogant and selfish. You had attained nothing. In fact, less than nothing. Absolute perfection is required for entering God's presence.... you'll enter it shrouded by the perfect blood of Jesus Christ, or you won't enter it at all. God says that even our best deeds are like "filthy rage" apart from Christ. Save yourself the life of "piling up deeds" and spend your life saying "thank you" to the Savior that awaits your confession that you and anything you'll ever accomplish are worthless without Him. "All of us have become like one who is unclean, and all our righteous acts are like filthy rags; we all shrivel up like a leaf, and like the wind our sins sweep us away." Isaiah 64:6  Pastor Jim Kilby Your donation spreads good news! www.harvestyouth.org/donate

"Since, then, we know what it is to fear the Lord, we try to persuade men." 2 Corinthians 5:11a The other day I was helping a buddy do some work and we needed to pound some huge fasteners into a steel door. The perfect tool for the job was a huge sledgehammer! Since I needed to burn off some frustration anyway, I did the honors myself. With just a few swings on each fastener I was able to pound them into solid steel. Sledgehammers are great tools... but let's say you were in terrible pain from a sliver under your fingernail. Even in your distress, would you entertain someone working on it with a sledgehammer?! My dad always used to day, "Use the right tool for the job, Jimmy!" The truth is that although some have great intentions of "persuading men" to believe the Good News of Jesus, words and actions that seem like sledgehammers to them never work. No matter how much knowledge we have of the Bible, how great we can argue for the Truth, and no matter how well we can preach, without love it's all worthless. Never was there a more perfect tool for witnessing for Jesus Christ than genuine love. Only love is persuasive in the end. "If I speak in the tongues [or languages] of men and of angels, but have not love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal." 1 Corinthians 13:1  Pastor Jim Kilby Your donation spreads good news! www.harvestyouth.org/donate