Every once in a while, I like to give you something I’ve read that I believe is impactful. What I share with you today is definitely that but there is also a beauty in its simplicity.
Pastor Paul Chappell at West Coast Baptist College and Lancaster Baptist Church, Lancaster, California preaches, teaches, has a radio program, and administrates a college. On top of all that, he is a prolific writer with about 169 titles to his name.1
On January 9, 2024, he wrote a blog titled Principles for Retaining a Godly Testimony in the New Year. I know we are a little deeper into our new year but these principles are timeless. This is your warm-up sermon before church this morning. The article is written in bullet-point fashion, giving you things to study out later in full.
What are those principles for retaining a Godly testimony?
- Avoid an uncertian sound. Don’t engage in activities or associations that make your testimony for Christ unclear.
“For if the trumpet give an uncertain sound, who shall prepare himself to the battle?” (1 Corinthians 14:8).
- Let not your good be evil spoken of. Be willing to limit your Christian liberty to avoid causing a stumbling block to others.
“Let not then your good be evil spoken of” (Romans 14:16).
- Do not make a major decision without godly counsel.I have sought men who are my seniors to ask counsel of for significant decisions.
“Where no counsel is, the people fall: but in the multitude of counsellors there is safety” (Proverbs 11:14).
- To change the world, you must not let the world change you. The men and women who have changed the world have been the men and women the world could not change.
“Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye stedfast, unmoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labour is not in vain in the Lord” (1 Corinthians 15:58).
- Do all to the glory of God. There is no insignificant activity when it is done to the glory of God. And even seemingly insignificant activities can be done in a way that dishonors God.
“Whether therefore ye eat, or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God” (1 Corinthians 10:31).
- Remember that what you do in moderation, the next generation often does in excess. As you weigh a decision, remember the impact it could have on your children or grandchildren, and purpose to walk in such a way that you would be glad for them to follow your example.
Be ye followers of me, even as I also am of Christ. (1 Corinthians 11:1)2
1https://www.goodreads.com/author/list/788105.Paul_Chappell
2https://paulchappell.com/2024/01/09/principles-for-retaining-a-godly-testimony-in-the-new-year/
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