matthew 7-8

Three things jumped at me this morning:
1. Don't look for shortcuts to God. The way to life -- to God -- is vigorous and requires total attention. I'm a shortcut guy, so this challenges the way I do things. Loving God and loving others with no strings attached isn't just going to happen in my life. It takes time.

2. Don't be impressed with charisma; look for character. Wow. We are an entertainment-oriented society and are trained to follow people with charisma. God is more interested in character.

3. But if you just use my words in Bible studies and don't work them into your life, you are like a stupid carpenter who built his house on the sandy beach. Knowledge doesn't lead to the Kingdom. We can know a lot about God and His word and still not know Him.