#connerfolger

[walkthesame]

God is Bigger (#wtsdevo forgiveness)

“To be a Christian means to forgive the inexcusable because God has forgiven the inexcusable in you.” –C.S. Lewis

We all judge others. It is mostly a subconscious part of our being to do so. Yet, we as Christians cannot allow this. We are called to love people in order that they may see a glimpse into the love of Jesus. That is our purpose as Christians: not to save people, but to love them, all of them. This not only means those that are different from us, but also the ones that slander and hate us. If we receive persecution for our faith through the spiteful words of others and return with that same spite, they have already won the battle. The way we win is to show them the constant love of Jesus through our actions towards them and others. Take it from someone that’s been there. I promise it works. God is always bigger.

“Great is our Lord, and abundant in power; his understanding is beyond measure.” -  Psalm 147:5

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Devotional Series: Forgiveness (#wtsdevo forgiveness)

Posted by: Conner Folger \ Personal // Walk the Same

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This is Us (#wtsdevo truth)

The truth of the Gospel is this:

We we’re fallen to sin. We we’re lost in darkness. The Father then sent His Son, Jesus Christ to earth in the form of a man. He faced every trial and tribulation we could ever face and more, he performed miracles of many kinds, and taught us the Word of God. He died on a cross, carrying the whole of our sin on his shoulders so that we no longer had to carry that burden. He lay in the grave for three days, and on the third, rose back to life. This was done so that through God’s Son, we could live free from the guilt of our sin and rest in His holy presence.

This is the story of Christ. This is our story of rebirth. This is our story of hope. This is us.

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Devotional Series: Truth (#wtsdevo truth)

Posted by: Conner Folger \ Personal // Walk the Same

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A Renewal of the Heart (#wtsdevo grace)

"Repentance was never yet produced in any man's heart apart from the grace of God. As soon may you expect the leopard to regret the blood with which its fangs are moistened,—as soon might you expect the lion of the wood to abjure his cruel tyranny over the feeble beasts of the plain, as expect the sinner to make any confession, or offer any repentance that shall be accepted of God, unless grace shall first renew the heart." - Charles Spurgeon 

Before we ever see repentance realized, we must first realize the extent of the free grace of our savior, Jesus Christ. - 2 Corinthians 12:9

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Devotional Series: Grace (#wtsdevo grace)

Posted by: Conner Folger \ Personal // Walk the Same

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The Gift of Freedom (#wtsdevo gratitude)

“Rejoice always, pray continually, and give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.” -1 Thessalonians 5:16-18

Our lives as Christians are not always easy or comfortable. Being a follower of Christ is hard, just as He told us it would be in the Gospels. However, the foundation we can always fall back on during these tough times is the everlasting joy found in the name of Jesus. Paul reminds us of this in his letter to the Thessalonians. We have to remember that the war has already been won for us through the cross! The most comforting and joyous part of Christianity is that we move FROM the victory of the cross, not to it. This freedom alone should give us reason to “rejoice always… and give thanks in all circumstances”.

Now what we cannot miss here is the “pray continually” section of the verse. Prayer is the basis of our personal, intimate relationship with our heavenly Father. Without prayer and God’s word, we fall apart at the seams of our faith. Lastly it says that completing all of these things every day is God’s will for us in life. Praise Him, for in Him we can forever rejoice in the victory of the cross.

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Devotional Series: Gratitude (#wtsdevo gratitude)

Posted by: Conner Folger \ Personal // Walk the Same

[walkthesame]

The Hard Road (#wtsdevo righteousness)

“But even if you should suffer for what is right, you are blessed. ‘Do not fear their threats; do not be frightened.’” - 1 Peter 3:14

A lot of times we as Christians forget the hard, painful side of our faith. Never once in scripture does it say that following Jesus would be easy. In fact it says the exact opposite.

“Do not be surprised, brethren, if the world hates you” - 1 John 3:13

We come into this race knowing we will be scorned and hated for the sake of our Savior, but this is actually our best way to witness. When we are hated for our faith in the Lord, we have an immediate opportunity to show that person the love of Christ by not responding out of anger or spite, but with kindness and listening ears.

“Faith is what unites us with Christ and all that God is for us in him. When God sees faith in Christ, he sees union with Christ. And when he sees union with Christ, he sees the righteousness of Christ as our righteousness. So faith connects us with Christ who is our righteousness and, in that sense, faith is counted as righteousness. Faith sees and savors all that God is for us in Christ, especially his righteousness. That's what faith does.” - John Piper

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Devotional Series: Rightousness (#wtsdevo righteousness)

Posted by: Conner Folger \ Personal // Walk the Same

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Whoa is Me (#wtsdevo humilty)

Humility is a loaded topic for me. It’s something I personally have struggled with for the entire extent of my life. Whether it be through sports, relationships, school or anything in between, I have always wrestled with a large, selfish ego. So where can this be fixed? How can I get out of this trap that is rooted in my fallen human flesh and the lies of the Enemy?

One of the most popular verses amongst believers would without a doubt be Philippians 2:3 which says: “Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves.” The root of our lack of humility comes from our innate selfish desire. We cannot conquer this selfish desire on our own. The one and only way it can be beaten and overcome by humility is through the realization that it’s not about us. It never has been, it never will be. We get so caught up always looking around us and at everyone else or at ourselves that we forget the one direction we should be looking: up. Our eyes should never be fixed on earthly things, but on God and God alone. (Heb. 12:2)

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Devotional Series: Humility (#wtsdevo humility)

Posted by: Conner Folger \ Personal // Walk the Same

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The Ultimate Sacrifice (#wtsdevo  sacrifice)

The Scriptures teach that "Christ died for sins once for all, the righteous for the unrighteous, to bring us to God" (1 Peter 3:18). Done once, that efficacious sacrifice can never be repeated.

The death and resurrection of Christ has settled the sin question. In believing the good news, we are now forgiven and cleansed—purified from our sins.

-A.W. Tozer

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Devotional Series: Sacrifice (#wtsdevo sacrifice)

Posted by: Conner Folger \ Personal // Walk the Same

[walkthesame]

Isaiah’s Commission (#wtsdevo humility)

In the year that King Uzziah died, I saw the Lord, high and exalted, seated on a throne; and the train of his robe filled the temple. Above him were seraphim, each with six wings: With two wings they covered their faces, with two they covered their feet, and with two they were flying. And they were calling to one another:

“Holy, holy, holy is the Lord Almighty; the whole earth is full of his glory.”

At the sound of their voices the doorposts and thresholds shook and the temple was filled with smoke. “Woe to me!” I cried. “I am ruined! For I am a man of unclean lips, and I live among a people of unclean lips, and my eyes have seen the King, the Lord Almighty.” Then one of the seraphim flew to me with a live coal in his hand, which he had taken with tongs from the altar. With it he touched my mouth and said, “See, this has touched your lips; your guilt is taken away and your sin atoned for.” Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying, “Whom shall I send? And who will go for us?”

And I said, “Here am I. Send me!”

Until we see the unparalleled glory of the King and are wrecked by the mercy He shows us by still allowing us in His presence, we will forever be caught in the day to day routine of an earthly life. But, when our eyes are opened, we realize our purpose, our calling: to go forth for His renown.

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Devotional Series: Humility (#wtsdevo humility)

Posted by: Conner Folger \ Personal // Walk the Same