Your Treasure is Where Your Heart Is (Luke 12:34)

The essence of who we are is what we love the most, “For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also” (Luke 12:34). If we live for this world, live for what unbeliever’s strive after - fame, glory, and applause - if we live that OUR wills be done - then we show our chief joy is ourselves, our heart is SELF-centered, and we are not God’s children.

We live so that others know Jesus Christ, obeying God in everything, even as our Lord and Savior shows us.

The Lordship of Christ is ESSENTIAL to His Being, because no relationship is with God apart from obedience.

One, we obey the gospel of His love, that He loved us, gave Himself for our sins, and chose us for life eternal. Secondly, we love people as He commands, doing what He says, to evidence this love.

This doctrine of baptism identifies us as servants of Jesus Christ, where we confess open allegiance to Him (Matt 28:19; Mark 16:16). Don’t be ashamed of confessing Christ; it is the only way to be saved, the best and most honorable life, and the life that helps others. Maximize your ability to serve in the church by ZEALOUSLY improving yourself constantly. You have consecrated yourself to Christ; renew it, renew it, renew it (Numb 6:8-12). Don’t let a day go by without trusting Him again, using His word, the saints, and every encouragement possible. He will restore your soul and take you aside through difficulty to TEACH you of grace, so that you may obey.

Spirit of God, We Need You (Spurgeon)

I see no reason why, this day, if God willed it, I should not stand up here and preach a sermon which should be the means of converting every person who hears it. THE WORD OF GOD is able to convict, convince of sin, and reveal Christ just as extensively as God the Spirit is pleased to apply it. If God is able to call one or two, he is just as able to call a hundred. The same sermon which God blesses to ten, if He pleased, He could bless to a thousand. I am sure that the Holy Spirit is able to make the word successful and effectual; and the reason why it is hidden from so many and revealed to some is still, "Even so, Father, for so it seemed good in Thy sight." My brethren, if we had the Holy Spirit on our ministry, it would matter very little about our talent. Men might be poor and uneducated; their words might be broken and ungrammatical; but if there were the might of the Holy Spirit attending their words, the most humble preacher would be as successful as Peter at Pentecost. It is the Spirit of grace, not talent, that wins the day. Mental power may fill a building, but only spiritual power can give a new heart. Spirit of the living God, we need Thee. Without Thee, we can do nothing. Make Thy word to be effectual this day to every heart, for the glory of our Lord Jesus.

C. H. Spurgeon, 1856