Taking Inventory as a Christian.

1 Corinthians 11:28 “That is why you should examine yourself before eating the bread and drinking the cup.”

Are we Aware of how we are LIVING?

Are We being Sincere/honest in our Christian living? 1 John 1:6 “So we are lying if we say we have fellowship with God but go on living in spiritual darkness; we are not practicing the truth.” So, what is John saying here? Don’t be a hypocrite. Practice what you preach. Live right before both God and man.

When Jesus is looking at us, is He observing “Sacred living?” 2 Corinthians 7:1 “Because we have these promises, dear friends, let us cleanse ourselves from everything that can defile our body or spirit. And let us work toward complete holiness because we fear God.”......... Cleanse yourself. Don’t merely pray for holiness—practice holiness! This must be done daily. An unclean Christian brings shame and sorrow upon God’s work.

It seems like most of us are going through life basically doing what Scripture tells us not to do, and not doing what Scripture tells us to do????Anyone else seeing that but me? Scriptural living, John 14:15“If you love me, obey my commandments. Our love for God is measured by how we obey Him. Remember, love always obeys! We kind of “pick and choose” what verses we want to live by. We seem to “avoid” the scripture that fits us mostly. Our sins, our hearts, our faults...........

Spiritual living constantly is what God desires from us. Of course, he lets us choose our path, sometimes its good, sometimes its not so good. Psalm 42:1–2 “As the deer longs for streams of water, so I long for you, O God. 2 I thirst for God, the living God. When can I go and stand before him?”..... There should be a hunger and a thirst for God. He will satisfy this need. Matthew 5:6 “God blesses those who hunger and thirst for justice, (what is right) for they will be satisfied.”

ARE WE SINCERELY EXAMINING OUR LIVES?

So, exactly what are the Desires of our life? The Psalmist tells us in Psalm 27:4 “The one thing I ask of the Lord— the thing I seek most— is to live in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, delighting in the Lord’s perfections and meditating in his Temple. Notice the desire of David for the Lord. If we don’t have a desire for God, then we will have desires for sin and the things of this world.”

How is our Devotional life? Remember Job? Job 23:12 “I have not departed from his commands, but have treasured his words more than daily food.” Job desired God more than food. We need to have a daily devotional time with the Lord and have a constant desire for our Father, His Holy Word and want to always live a live in His ways.....

Now, I have a hard time with one when I am observing others in Our Dedication to Jesus in our life. Joshua 14:8 “but my brothers who went with me frightened the people from entering the Promised Land. For my part, I wholeheartedly followed the Lord my God.”......... Caleb wholly followed the Lord. He put his heart into serving God. Whatever we do, we should do with all our might.

Do we have strong Determination in our Christian Walk? Ecclesiastes 12:1 “Don’t let the excitement of youth cause you to forget your Creator. Honor him in your youth before you grow old and say, “Life is not pleasant anymore.”......... Don’t be like Solomon, who “lost out” with God. He had money, fame, and intelligence, but he did not include God in his plans. Don’t waste your life! Give it to God!

ARE WE DOING A DAILY CHECK ON HOW WE ARE LOVING OTHERS?

Christ tells us again, Matthew 22:37 “Jesus replied, “ ‘You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your mind.” 39 A second is equally important: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.”......... We are instructed above “all else” Matthew 6:33 “Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need.”

How important is the Church to Jesus? Does this scripture sound familiar to anyone? Hebrews 10:25 “ And let us not neglect our meeting together, as some people do, but encourage one another, especially now that the day of his return is drawing near.” Of course it does! Psalm 122:1 “I was glad when they said to me, “Let us go to the house of the Lord.”......... Each time we miss church, we cast a vote to close it.

Paul focuses on our Christian character again in…1 Corinthians 13:4 “Love is patient and kind. Love is not jealous or boastful or proud.”.......Do we know any “braggers or boasters” in our lives? Real love is kind. It forgets the mistakes and failures of others. We need to fellowship with Christ and other Christians in the MOST loving way. Listen to this scripture church:.........John tells us:

1 John 1:7 “But if we are living in the light, as God is in the light, then we have fellowship with each other, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, cleanses us from all sin.”

What about telling others about The Compassion of Jesus? Jeremiah tells us: Jeremiah 20:9 “But if I say I’ll never mention the Lord or speak in his name, his word burns in my heart like a fire. It’s like a fire in my bones! I am worn out trying to hold it in! I can’t do it!”.......Despite Jeremiah’s suffering, he could not keep quiet, He kept telling others about the goodness of God. AMEN!

ARE WE AVOIDING EXAMINING OUR LEARNING BECAUSE OF NON COMMITMENT?

Jesus’ words tell all of us in Matthew 11:29 “Take my yoke upon you. Let me teach you, because I am humble and gentle at heart, and you will find rest for your souls.”

Are We doing any Work? Ecclesiastes 9:10 “ Whatever you do, do well. For when you go to the grave, there will be no work or planning or knowledge or wisdom.”........... A good Christian will work hard, He also commits to working hard for God and His Kingdom.

Are we paying close attention to how we Worship Jesus? John 4:24 “For God is Spirit, so those who worship him must worship in spirit and in truth.”, not revenge or payback or get even..... Worship God in spirit and truth. What is our mindset and heart set when driving to Church, to Worship, To Fellowship? Is it to get even? Is it to “belittle” someone? Is it to “get to the bottom of this?” Don’t we know when our heart is good and don’t we know when our heart is bad? Of course we do.........

Are we praying for a heart that will constantly be doing God’s Will Psalm 143:10 “Teach me to do your will, for you are my God. May your gracious Spirit lead me forward on a firm footing.” Romans 12:1–2 , “1 And so, dear brothers and sisters, I plead with you to give your bodies to God because of all he has done for you. Let them be a living and holy sacrifice—the kind he will find acceptable. This is truly the way to worship him. 2 Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect.”

1 John 2:17 “ And this world is fading away, along with everything that people crave. But anyone who does what pleases God will live forever.”