Sheep Food

  True, genuine ‘repentance’...will always produce legitimate ‘fruit’, which is the result of a transformed heart that has made a ‘change in direction’ and begins to follow Jesus. Repentance is not just ‘feeling sorrow’ or ‘feeling bad’ for ‘messing up all the time’ or for being a ‘wretched sinner’. Paul describes that as ‘worldly sorrow’ which is lacking, and will never produce any kind of ‘life’ that we were all in need of finding (John 10:10). “For the kind of sorrow God wants us to experience leads us away from sin and results in salvation. There’s no regret for that kind of sorrow. But worldly sorrow, which lacks repentance, results in spiritual death.” (2 Cor. 7:10-NLT) In yesterday’s message (which I hope you read) I left off asking you from what are we actually ‘repenting’ of, or from; and since we know that to repent means ‘to turn’, and have a ‘new way of thinking’...what is it that we are ‘turning from’? If you said ‘sin’ (anything related to the 'flesh nature' Gal...

  Jesus began His earthly ministry shortly after undergoing a ‘test’ to make sure His heart was totally surrendered to the Father, as we read about in Luke 4:1-14. Only after He ‘passed that test’...did He receive ‘power’ to begin the work His Father had for Him. (Acts 10:38). And do you recall what His first ‘message’ was? “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.” (Matt. 4:17; Mark 1:15). This was then followed up with “follow Me” (4:19). It was not long after that His disciples then “went out and preached that people should repent” (Mark 6:12). You would be hard pressed to find a subject or topic that was preached more in the New Testament than the message of ‘repentance’. It was the message that defined the ministry of John the Baptist who came preaching: “Who warned you to flee from the wrath to come? Therefore bear fruits worthy of repentance, ... And even now the ax is laid to the root of the trees. Therefore every tree which does not bear good fruit is cut down an...