A Killer of Spiritual Lives

“Offer unto God thanksgiving; and pay thy vows unto the most High: And call upon me in the day of trouble: I will deliver thee, and thou shalt glorify me.” Psalms 50:14-15

Our instinct as humans is to develop rituals or routines.

This instinct can be helpful in sports and other daily activities, but it’s death to our spiritual life.

• Sinful living feels justified when they submit to certain rituals like going to church.
• Daily rituals of reading the Bible can fill us with pride without affecting the heart.

Going to church, reading the Bible, or engaging in any other spiritual discipline is not wrong, but when the act of doing it isn’t accompanied by the heart of doing it, we become deceived.

So, what is the remedy for this ritualistic way of Christianity?

These verses give us three: Thankfulness, Faithfulness, and Dependence. (Wish that rhymed.)

In a recent sermon I preached at our church, I discussed this chapter more in-depth, and you can listen here, but here’s a short overview.

Thankfulness - a thankful heart keeps the right perspective on who we really are and what God has done for us.

Faithfulness—A faithful follower understands what God has done and commits to aligning his steps with God’s Will.

Dependence—To do God’s Will, we need God’s power. Even then, life gets difficult, and trials arise. In those moments, we have a direct line to God, and he promises to deliver us!

When he does…don’t forget the last part. We then need to glorify him.

Coming Soon...

I know it feels like the podcast has been nearing its end recently, but it hasn't.

Well, it depends on how you look at it.

Pulpit to Pew and bradmcclure.org will be retired in 2025, but I am starting a new podcast under a new name.

Why?

Well, it's complicated to explain, but I'll try on the podcast in a few weeks. I'll also announce the "new" platform where all the blog posts will be stored and where these emails come from.

Will the style of the podcast change? Nope, and it won't be a fishing podcast!

It will be brand new Bible studies and devotionals like before, with the potential of video Bible studies in the future.

I'm excited to roll this out in the new year (maybe before), but until then, please be prayerful and watch for some instructional podcasts/videos/emails to ensure you know where to find the new material.