Daily writing prompt

What advice would you give to your teenage self?

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Halfhearted Christians become hardhearted, but Christ daily demonstrates His reality to the tenderhearted. Christ’s true disciples are living examples of people who have a heart that’s sensitive to, responsive to, and obedient to His presence and who continually surrender to be led by His Spirit, not by their own desires.

Sermons don’t equip people to be sold-out followers of the risen Jesus. Inner transformation does. Experiencing the risen Jesus will lead you to obedience. Hearing a religious talk about Him wont.

Disciples of Christ aren’t religious spectators contented to sit and hear religious talks about Him. They listen to the living Jesus speak in their heart and then do what He tells them to.

Because disciples of Christ are often led in ways that others are unwilling to go, they sometimes become churchless. Many of the strongest Christ-followers I know don’t regularly attend a traditional church. Jesus doesn’t want to give you a superficial religious makeover. He wants to take over your heart and your daily life.

Jesus tells His followers to, “Go and make disciples.” Before you can go and make disciples” you have to be one. Learn to daily demonstrate deep sensitivity to the presence of the risen Jesus so that others can see Him working in you and be inspired and empowered to connect heart-to-heart with Christ.

Biblical Christianity isn’t built on politics, nationalism, religious tradition, or church attendance. It’s built on direct personal revelation from God and ongoing surrender to the living, resurrected Jesus. The early Christians’ response to paganism wasn’t grasping for political power. It was showing Christ’s love to their enemies.

Unity in the body of Christ won’t happen in big meetings or by pastor’s trading pulpits for a week. It happens when Christ-followers begin to connect with Jesus and with each other heart-to-heart.

Religious activity
Without sensitivity
To the reality
Of Jesus
Is empty.

Church attendance
Without dependence
On the presence
Of the risen Christ
And obedience
To His Spirit
Makes an audience
Of religious
Spectators.

Church is looking
For an audience
For a sermon,
But Jesus is looking
For people who will
Let Him determine
Their future.

Let your heart be
Sensitive
So you can sense
Christ’s presence
And truly be
Appreciative
Of who He is.

You can pretend
But true transformation
Will only begin
If you let Jesus
Change you from within.