I tried again to use a title that might get you to look. You really don't hear anyone ever say, "stop just listening". Usually people are trying their hardest to get other people to listen. So why did I title something, about our journey with Christ, as Stop Just Listening…Aren't we commanded to listen to Christ. Let's break it down a little.<br />
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Are we called to listen to Christ? Of course we are, but is that all. With all the relationship that we have in this world, would any relationship be great if we just listened? I know that at times the best thing we can do for someone is listen. But if we went on for weeks, months, and even years but just listening and not doing anything…would that relationship grow. When someone pours their heart out to us and we listen intently, but don't take the next step to give them that much needed hug, where would that relationship be?<br />
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I am still working through the first chapter of James with the senior high and towards the end of the chapter, James calls us to not just be hearers of the Word, but doers. Do we need to stop and listen to Christ speak through His Word? Of course. But what do we do with what we just heard? When Christ calls us to purge a sin from our life, and we just look at Him and say "good point" and keep on sinning…what kind of relationship would it be?<br />
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Christ calls us to sit and listen but then He says to go, do the the things that I have instructed. Does this mean that we won't fail…NO. Christ came to seek and to save those who are lost…not to condemn. <br />
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So many times, we'll sit and listen to Christ but never take it to the bank.<br />
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Let's start here. Let's take the things Christ has told us and do them. Let us show that we love Christ by keeping His commandments…not just listening to them.

Well, it has been a bit of a crazy morning for me, so I just have a little something to pass on from John Piper. In this article, he breaks down some things we know about humility. I will have to read this over and over again as not to be the man in James that looks in the mirror and then forgets what he sees. Hope you all enjoy.<br />
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<a href="http://www.desiringgod.org/Blog/1126/" >John Piper Article On Humility</a>

My wife and I were watching a video by <a href="http://desiringgod.org" title="John Piper">John Piper</a>. It was on a video series titled "Don't Waste Your Life". It was a short by very intriguing video. What John talks about is something that I feel plagues a lot of American Christians, even myself. John talks about having a WarTime mind set. What is a WarTime mind set? It is a mind set where everything you have and think is poured into one purpose.<br />
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Now for the Christian, the WarTime mind set is the joy of glorifying Christ. John talks about how often we will sit and waste countless hours watching television shows. No is that a WarTime mentality? Is that pouring everything we have into the glory of Christ. I don't believe that television in and of itself is sinful, but how much is it consuming and making us who we are. Is having a ton of money a sin? Not necessarily. Is having a ton of money and trying to get more just to spend on my frivolous wants a sin? I'm not even answering that one…But is having a ton of money so that you can pour it into the needs of widows and orphans a sin? Not at all. It is a WarTime mind set…It is seeking to pour everything in the glory of Christ.<br />
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This is who I want to be. I don't want to waste my life. I don't want my WarTime mentality to be focused on pleasing myself. I want my WarTime mentality to be a pouring out of everything I have for the glory of Jesus Christ. How fulfilling that will be!<br />
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Jesus,<br />
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I confess that so often I either seek to please myself or I am lazy in my pursuits for joy in You. Please help me to have a WarTime mind set and let that be to glorify You, Jesus. Please help me by your grace. I ask this in Your name. Amen

I am looking for some people to help contribute to this blog. If you are interested please send an email to info(at)journeywithchrist.com with the subject Blog Author. Please give a brief reason why you would like to write on this blog and we will get back to you as soon as possible. Thanks.

Such a well known verse that sometimes I feel like we don't let it sink into our hearts and saturate who we are.<br />
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<blockquote>Trust in the Lord with all your heart,<br />
And lean not on your own understanding.<br />
In all your ways acknowledge Him,<br />
And He will direct your paths.</blockquote><br />
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Let's Dig In<br />
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Trust in the Lord - Do I really trust the Lord? Do I trust Him with every aspect of my life or do I just trust Him for the things that I feel He should be in charge of? And do I trust Him with all my heart? Not just a bit of it…But with all of it. There should be no one I could trust more.<br />
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Lean not on your own understanding - Do I find my confidence in what I think is best? Do I rely on myself and on my own understanding of how things should be? God knows best. His understanding is far bigger than my ideas.<br />
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In all your ways acknowledge Him - Do all my plans revolve around who God is and in pleasing Him? Do I count the cost of my decisions based on Jesus? Do I state by all my actions that Jesus is my Lord?<br />
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He will direct your paths - Finally the best of everything. God directing my paths. God leading me where I should go. God leading me in places that will be best for me and the glory of my Lord.

So did I get you with that title. I was hoping it would get you to read. Well, I am still studying James 1 with the youth and we spent some time talking about verses 13-15 where it talks about our lusts are what leads us to sin. We lust and then sin and then eventually death. I tried to explain that this death is somewhat death of the heart. The feeling that is left when following after a sin and your heart crusts over…you feel dirty and down. <br />
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So the reason I called this the Lust For Death is because the depravity of our hearts leads us to lust for things we know will bring death. We know that something is just not right, but we still pursue it thinking that something might be different this time…this time the sin might actually fulfill long term.<br />
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It never does though. Sin never gives birth to good things…it never tastes good in the end. When we follow after a sin, it might "seem" good for a little while but it will eventually crust over the heart.<br />
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Let's face our lusts at the forefront. Let's destroy the lusts in our hearts before they give birth to eventual death. <br />
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NOTHING will satisfy like the love and open arms of Jesus Christ. Sin will never care how much it hurts. Christ is the joy that will replenish and fulfill long term.<br />
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Journey with HIM.

As I sit here and think about the journey with Christ, I have to think about how there are ups and downs. I think about how when I am walking close with Christ, it is the greatest thing ever and I never want to leave. And then next thing I am in slump and trying to figure out how I fell lazy and apathetic.<br />
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I think about how in the gospels it talks about how even after the disciples saw all the things that Christ did, some still doubted. We are fallen sinners. We are only good by the grace of Christ. No one seeks after good. We all seek evil. Now it is only by the grace and love of Christ that any of us can walk with Him. We don't do it by our own merit. Christ does it.<br />
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So how do I minimize the downs?<br />
How do I stay walking with Christ?<br />
How do I not get lazy?<br />
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I believe it is still only by God's grace. So I must, when I am in the "up" times, pray that Christ grace would flow over me…that I would return quickly when I start to stumble…Christ seeks us out…we just need to follow.<br />
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Jesus,<br />
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I pray that you would guard me. I pray that your grace would flow over me and that you would excite my heart to follow after you. I pray that when I fall, that you would not let me get lazy and stay there. Please Jesus help me walk with you and desire to follow after you. I pray this believing and knowing that it is Your will. I pray in your name, Jesus. Amen

Well I wanted to start this blog as a place for people to talk. To talk about their JOURNEY with Christ. See at times I thought that my relationship with Christ was a every once in a while kind of thing. I would do my own thing until I "thought" I needed Jesus to intervene. That's NOT what it is about. This is about our journey with Christ. The starting of the journey. The continuing of the journey. Or the looking back at people that have finished their journey. <br />
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I hope that every will be open and honest and share what is happening in their lives.