John the Baptist

Scripture:

Luke 3:1-20



Synopsis:

John the Baptist, a cousin of Jesus, spent his LIFE pointing others to Jesus, accepting no glory for himself....

Arguably, one of the primary themes of John's message was repentance - not in word only, but also in deed. John declared "you will be known by your fruits." I see in this a two-fold message. First, true repentance will be reflected in your actions - you WILL "walk the talk." Secondly, you cannot ride the coattails of anyone else's relationship with God. Just because your parents, grandparents, and great-grandparents for multiple generations were powerhouses of faith does not make you righteous. Righteousness comes from God (through Jesus' death and resurrection) and each of us must accept the gift of salvation He offers. NO ONE can make this decision for us. And no one can rely on God on our behalf...no one can walk our walk for us.


Spark:
If you have not repented of your sin and asked God, in His infinite grace and mercy, to save you and make you His child, don't delay! He loves you and wants you to become part of His family!

If you are already a member of the family of God, prayerfully consider your walk today. Do your actions reflect that you have been forgiven? Can others tell by watching you that there is something "different" (in a good way!) about you? Are you walking daily (moment by moment) in the path God has for you? Are you fully relying on Him with each breath? Repent of anything keeping you from intimacy with Him, and of anything keeping you from reflecting Him in your daily life. Ask Him to draw you closer to Himself.

It's all about Him!