God – Page 11 – John Markum

Fake Christians

Posted on July 18, 2011 by johnmarkum

No the title is not redundant…

This weekend I preached at our Saturday night service, as usual, but also at our youth service, “Elevate”. I preached the same message as part of our series, “You Asked For It!” which I am teaming up with Pastor Craig Stevenson to tackle. I dealt with a question that was submitted:

“Why do Christians try so hard to act perfect?”

Great question. In short, I said that we all become fakers when we forget that character is more important than image. Whenever we behave hypocritically, we are telling ourselves that we care more about the opinions of others rather than the opinion of God. Then I gave the following 4 points about being a faker from Acts 4:32-37 and 5:1-11:

Attitude is more important than action. Because God cares more about what we are becoming than what we are doing.
When I’m hypocritical, I’m really only lying to 2 people: myself, and God. Neither of which lasts for long.
The truth eventually comes out. “Be sure your sin will find you out.”
God takes hypocrisy seriously. Two people died in this passage for being fakers. Imagine if God treated fakers in the church the same way today!

The good news: God already knows what I’m trying to hide from others. He’s aware of my habits, my past, my baggage, my failures, and fears… and loves me still. I don’t have to be a faker. God loves me – faults and all. But He wants us to drop the act, be real, and allow Him to make us more like Jesus. So what do you say… ready to put the mask down?

Blessings,

John

12 Reasons to Attend Edgewood on Saturday Nights

Posted on July 14, 2011 by johnmarkum

Edgewood is an awesome church with 3 great worship services for adults, and a first-class youth service for our students every weekend. I lead the Saturday night service, sometimes known as The Awakening. Regardless of whether you attend one of these services now, have been thinking about getting back in church, or haven’t set foot in a church in forever, here are a few reasons why you might consider making Saturday nights at Edgewood your regular weekly worship experience:

Sleep in on Sundays, guilt free.
Awesome children’s ministry.
Be part of a newer, growing service.
More parking available than Sundays.
You like this blog and want to hear me preach.
You’ve been meaning to get back in church anyway.
Create more seating for others on Sundays.
Upbeat, passionate worship.
Relaxed, friendly, come-as-you-are atmosphere.
Exciting teaching series on practical issues.
Still part of Edgewood.
Much more…

See you Saturday at 6 pm. For more about our Saturday night worship experience, go to www.qcawakening.com

Blessings,

John

From my personal devotions: Psalm 112

Posted on July 12, 2011 by johnmarkum

I started this blog to give people in my church, family, and friends in ministry a means to better connect with me, and hopefully (more importantly) with God. Along those lines, about a week ago, I thought that it might be a good idea to start sharing some of my thoughts straight out of my personal time in God’s Word with my blog viewers. There’s nothing particularly special about what I think, of course. But I hope that as I try out this newer idea that it could serve as an encouragement to many of you, and perhaps for some viewers who may be unsure of where to start in the Bible for your quiet time with God, this can be something that you do with me.

Psalm 112 –

Praise the Lord! How joyful are those who fear the Lord and delight in obeying his commands. Their children will be successful everywhere; an entire generation of godly people will be blessed. They themselves will be wealthy, and their good deeds will last forever. Light shines in the darkness for the godly. They are generous, compassionate, and righteous. Good comes to those who lend money generously and conduct their business fairly. Such people will not be overcome by evil. Those who are righteous will be long remembered. They do not fear bad news; they confidently trust the Lord to care for them. They are confident and fearless and can face their foes triumphantly. They share freely and give generously to those in need. Their good deeds will be remembered forever. They will have influence and honor. The wicked will see this and be infuriated. They will grind their teeth in anger; they will slink away, their hopes thwarted.

My Observations:

Joy, fear of God, and obedience all go together. (v. 1)
My children’s generation will be affected by my obedience to God. (v. 2)
When I walk with God, I have light even in dark places. (v. 4)
3 Words describing those who walk with God: generous, compassionate, righteous. (v. 4)
Bad stuff still happens to righteous people (v. 7), and
by the grace of God, they inevitably win anyway. (v. 8 )
God deals with my adversaries for me. (v. 10)