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Showing posts with the label Christian Life

Christians Can and Must Imitate God

Ephesians 5:1-2: “1 Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children. 2 And walk in love, as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us, a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.” (The following manuscript was originally preached to my church's pastoral apprenticeship program on Feb. 24, 2023).  Introduction Everyone has someone in their life they look up to, whether it’s a parent or a favorite athlete, or a movie star. When I was younger, one of my greatest heroes was Bear Grylls. Bear Grylls was the star of the tv show, “Man vs. Wild,” and is a world-renowned British survivalist. I watched every episode of his show. I got a Bear Grylls knife, a Bear Grylls fire starter, a Bear Grylls survival kit, and even a Bear Grylls bandana. I wanted to be just like Bear Grylls. I hiked through the woods. I slept in a tent once or twice. I tried to start a fire in our backyard. I even tried to copy his cool British accent. I had the grit to survive, just like him. Or so I thought.  ...

Introduction

“Behold, God is my salvation;  I will trust, and will not be afraid;  for the  Lord   God  is my strength and my song,  and he has become my salvation.” -- Isaiah 12:2 My name is Matthew Harper, and I am currently 22 and pursuing a joint B.A./MDiv in Biblical and Theological Studies at Boyce College and Southern Seminary in Louisville, KY.  I desire to enter pastoral ministry with an emphasis on preaching, shepherding, and missions. I have an ordinary faith in an extraordinary savior. I became a Christian and was baptized at age 6, and I desired to do ministry from age 10 onwards.  When I was in high school, I went through a period of doubt and sin that nearly broke my faith. In His kindness, the Lord gave me many answers to my questions and helped me be content to trust Him with the rest. My life's calling is to glorify God by helping hurting people with the gospel of Jesus Christ. I want to write this blog primarily to glorify God...