LIVE WITHOUT REGRETS
Pastor John’s Story About Phil
Have you ever noticed than when the water is calm and a boat travels across it, the wake waves travel great distances to splash against the shores?
“When I leave this world as we all will eventually do, I want to leave a wake like a heavy boat cruising across a calm lake. I want my life to leave an impact, a legacy worth remembering whether its for a few years or a few generations. I want to exit this world boldly, knowing that I made a difference because Christ made a difference in me.”
- Pastor John Braland
Leaving boldly matters because Christ is our great example of that. He left a bold legacy.
He changed the world. He came to die on the cross so that we may live, live life to the fullest.
In ancient times, Christian communities experienced rapid growth due to the relentless efforts of Jesus’ disciples and apostles to spread his teachings throughout the Roman Empire.
The influence of Christianity on the development of Western society cannot be overstated. It has shaped social services, inspired magnificent works of art, influenced cultural norms, contributed to the foundation of philosophical thought, and even impacted political structures. The teachings of love, compassion, and justice promoted by Christianity have shaped Western ideals and values.
The wake of Jesus earthly ministry has also substantially contributed to science, technology, medicine, fine arts, architecture, and education. From the development of modern hospitals rooted in the Christian commitment to caring for the sick, to the preservation of ancient texts in monasteries that laid the groundwork for education, Christianity’s impact is unmistakable.
Over 1,000 cities in the USA alone are named after biblical places and biblical events.
- St. Bonifacius
- Los Angeles
- Philedelphia
- St. Paul
Jesus lived with purpose and left boldly leaving an undeniable mark on the world.
Jeremiah was a prophet of God.
He was a bit eccentric and struggled with depression at times, but he was also used by God in a powerful way.
At one point in his life, Jeremiah was told by God to go down to the potter’s house.
Jeremiah didn’t know why he was going there until he arrived and God used a very clear illustration to show him a deep spiritual truth. God showed him how to leave a legacy.
“This is the word that came to Jeremiah from the LORD: ‘Go down to the potter’s house, and there I will give you My message.’So I went down to the potter’s house, and I saw him working at the wheel. But the pot he was shaping from the clay was marred in his hands; so the potter formed it into another pot, shaping it as seemed best to him.”
Jeremiah 18:1-4
Are you willing to be molded by God?
If so, that means you have to be willing for God to shape you into the Christ-like person He wants you to be and you desire to be. You have to be teachable, willing to change, and be open to God using you in ways that will bring life impacting others in simple and profound ways.
The problem is we are naturally not that moldable.
We are more like a half-baked plate that is not very strong and not pliable.
We say we are willing to change but don’t always mean it.
Inviting the Holy Spirit to work in your life is the intentional act of submitting your life completely to Jesus Christ.
If you have never submitted your life to Christ repenting of your self-focused life, then the first step you need to take is to invite Jesus Christ into your life.
“If you declare with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you profess your faith and are saved.”
Romans 10:9-10
If you have already invited Christ into your life, this verse is an excellent reminder that you already gave your life to Jesus. You already made the choice to be moldable.
If you feel stuck it could be that you have become brittle.
Intentionally or unintentionally you stopped letting God work in your life to shape you. I
How To Leave Boldly
1. Put Jesus at the center of your life
You put something at the center of your life. Everybody does.
To make good pottery, you have to first put the clay in the center of the wheel. This sounds like a real simple thing but it’s not.
It takes time, practice and persistance. You need to do it over, and over, and over again to get the feel to make sure that it is in the center of the wheel because if it’s not, it’s going to spin out of control.
If your relationship with Jesus is at the center of your life,
- you would forgive that person
- you would put down unhealthy choices
- you would prioritize growing in faith
- you would tithe and trust God to provide
This is not to say that you won’t go sideways at times, but putting Jesus at the center of your life takes work and effort to follow the teachings of Jesus.
We all have a God-shaped hole in the center of our hearts that only God can fill, and we try to fill it with so many things that just don’t fit so we keep trying new ways to fill it and we wonder why we life spins out of control.
The Bible says:
“O LORD, You are our Father. We are the clay, You are the potter; we are all the work of Your hand.”
Isaiah 64:8
2. Make a contribution with your life
God doesn’t create a masterpiece so that we can look at it and admire it.
What is your contribution?
It can change over the years with new seasons, and it probably should.
Whatever talents and gifts God has given you, use them to make a contribution.
Bring life by bringing Jesus.
“But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us.”
2 Corinthians 4:7
“If any man builds on this foundation using gold, silver, costly stones, wood, hay or straw, his work will be shown for what it is, because the Day will bring it to light. It will be revealed with fire, and the fire will test the quality of each man’s work. If what he has built survives, he will receive his reward.”
1 Corinthians 3:12-14
Jesus went to the cross for you and me. He died so that we may live.
His contribution forever changed mankind because through his death our sins can be forgiven.
“The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.”
John 10:10
Trusting Jesus for forgiveness and eternal life is the essential first step.
Then putting and keeping Him at the center of your life, and making a contribution will automatically have an impact on others and leave a legacy that will last. Live a life worth remembering.