WALKING IN WISDOM- Authentic Christianity // Sunday, July 13, 2025 // Jeff Hines, Lead Pastor
/Sunday, July 13, 2025
Walking in Wisdom
God’s Guidance for Daily Living
Healthy People Grow
Growing People Change
Changed People, Change People
Real People
Living in the Real World
Loving the Real God
Ephesians 2: 8 - 10 (NIV)
For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith — and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God — 9 not by works, so that no one can boast. 10 For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.
Authentic Christianity is NOT
something you say.
James 2: 14 (NLT)
What good is it, dear brothers and sisters, if you say you have faith but don’t show it by your actions? Can that kind of faith save anyone?
Authentic Christianity is not
something you feel.
James 2: 15 & 16 (NLT)
Suppose you see a brother or sister who has no food or clothing, 16 and you say, “Good-bye and have a good day; stay warm and eat well” —but then you don’t give that person any food or clothing. What good does that do?
Authentic Christianity is practical!
1 John 3: 17 (NLT)
...if anyone has the world's goods and sees his brother in need,
yet closes his heart against him, how does God's love abide in him?
Authentic Christianity is generous!
2 Corinthians 9: 7, 10 & 11 (NLT)
7You must each decide in your heart how much to give. And don’t give reluctantly or in response to pressure. “For God loves a person who gives cheerfully.” 10For God is the one who provides seed for the farmer and then bread to eat. In the same way, he will provide and increase your resources and then produce a great harvest of generosity in you. 11Yes, you will be enriched in every way so that you can always be generous. And when we take your gifts to those who need them, they will thank God.
Luke 6: 32-33 (NLT)
“If you love only those who love you, why should you get credit for that? Even sinners love those who love them! 33 And if you do good only to those who do good to you, why should you get credit? Even sinners do that much!
Galatians 6: 8 – 11 (NLT)
Those who live only to satisfy their own sinful nature will harvest decay and death from that sinful nature. But those who live to please the Spirit will harvest everlasting life from the Spirit. 9 So let’s not get tired of doing what is good. At just the right time we will reap a harvest of blessing if we don’t give up. 10 Therefore, whenever we have the opportunity, we should do good to everyone—especially to those in the family of faith.
We’re better at verbalizing our faith than practicing it!
Authentic Christianity is not something you think!
James 2: 18 (NLT)
Now someone may argue, “Some people have faith; others have good deeds.” But I say, “How can you show me your faith if you don’t have good deeds? I will show you my faith by my good deeds.”
Authentic Christianity is visible, apparent… You can see it!
2 Corinthians 5: 17 (ESV)
...if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away;
behold, the new has come.
Authentic Christianity ALWAYS produces a changed life!
Authentic Christianity is not something you believe!
James 2: 19 (NLT)
You say you have faith, for you believe that there is one God. Good for you!
Even the demons believe this, and they tremble in terror.
Authentic Christianity is something you do!
James 2: 20 (NLT)
How foolish! Can’t you see that faith without good deeds is useless?
James 2: 21 - 26 (NLT)
Don’t you remember that our ancestor Abraham was shown to be right with God by his actions when he offered his son Isaac on the altar? 22 You see, his faith and his actions worked together. His actions made his faith complete. 23 And so it happened just as the Scriptures say: “Abraham believed God, and God counted him as righteous because of his faith.” He was even called the friend of God.
24 So you see, we are shown to be right with God by what we do, not by faith alone. 25 Rahab the prostitute is another example. She was shown to be right with God by her actions when she hid those messengers and sent them safely away by a different road. 26 Just as the body is dead without breath, so also faith is dead without good works.
Authentic Christianity is demonstrated by our actions!