Friday, January 26, 2018

FOOD FOR THOUGHT TO STEEP THIS FRIDAY

Feeling punky on this Friday and heading to the doctor, I'm borrowing words of wisdom from my favorite preacher! Certainly words of wisdom for this hot tea aficionado and the preacher's mom.

DON'T BOB IT...LET IT STEEP!

My mom's hot tea wisdom warned me that much is missed by rushing tea before its time.  Steeping is the only way to a cup of tea you will savor!

Bobbing may get you a fast cup of a hot beverage, but a flavor-rich cup of tea comes only with patience and proper steeping! 
 The aim in steeping is to infuse the boiled water with tea, transforming it into rich flavor notes that permeate the entire cup.

What's true of British breakfast beverages is also true when it comes to following Jesus and our appetite and approach to His Word.

This past Sunday in our message Fool Proof
we encountered Scriptural Warnings against the Ways and Walk of Fools.  When it comes to God's Word, a Fool LACKS APPETITE [Prov. 1:7 fools despise wisdom and instruction] and LACKS ACTION with what he hears.  Jesus in Matthew 7 warns,

Everyone who hears these words of Mine and does not act on them, will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand. The rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and slammed against that house; and it fell—and great was its fall. 

It's almost as if Jesus is saying a Fool only allows God's Word to BOB in and out, but he does NOT LET IT STEEP in his mind and step into action with it.  That foolish approach leaves us chasing down fool's errands and headed for catastrophic ruin.

WITH GOD'S WORD...ARE YOU BOBBING OR LETTING IT STEEP IN YOU?

How will you develop an appetite for God's Word and how will you move beyond Bobbing to His Word Steeping in you this year?  It won't happen quickly and it won't happen by accident.

To help us set our course to walk wisely in 2018, we have put together a churchwide reading plan and several Steeping Opportunities below for you to steep in God's Word with others.

May God grow us as a people with a growing distaste for bobbing & a growing taste for lingering in His Word and living it out everyday.

Let Christ and His Word Steep in you, so the aroma of Christ will be fragrant in your life and so others may taste and see that the Lord is good!


Steeping with you,

Buddy Liles
Lead Pastor