After 67 years, some things life and God’s Word have taught me are lodged in my mind and regularly demand my attention and application. I’m convinced that the following ten statements pass the test of truth.
If you want this post to make a difference in your life, read the Bible verses that accompany each point. Then ponder the implications for your walk with Christ, ministry, relationships, and choices.

1.God will exist after I die. (1 Timothy 1:17) I know what you’re thinking: “You earned a Ph.D. to discover this!?” But if you often push down too hard on the ministry accelerator, mull over its implications.

2.Cemeteries are filled with indispensable people. (Psalm 39:4-6, 49:8-12, 90:9-12) As John Wesley put it, “God buries His workmen, but His work goes on.” Have an extended prayer time in a cemetery and a realistic perspective will soak in.

3.No matter what you hear on so-called “Christian” television, God does not exist for your sake; you exist for His sake. (Isaiah 43:7) How should this maxim change the way you pray? Your reaction to affliction?

4.“Spiritual experience begins in the mind.” (Romans 12:2) This remark from Stuart Briscoe reminds me that you can have theology in your head without it being in your heart, but it cannot change your heart unless it is first in your head.

5.A call from God to teach the Bible is a call from Him to study it. (2 Timothy 2:15) No amount of so-called “anointing” supplants the need to prepare before we teach or preach. If “anointing” refers to dependence on the Holy Spirit for fruit, of course it’s necessary. But apart from study, it is not sufficient.

6.If you teach or lead children, you communicate “likeness,” not just Bible content. (Luke 6:40) Some old clichés are around a long time because they’re true: “More faith is caught than taught.”

7.Bitterness is a poison we drink in an effort to hurt someone else. (Ephesians 4:32; Hebrews 12:15) After reading the verses, ask: What have I experienced that makes forgiving another person possible?

8.“You can be in love with the Lord’s work without being in love with Him.” – Ron Dunn (Micah 6:8) I ponder: When my ministry becomes an idol, in what ways does it show?

9.Christians are not too heavenly-minded to be of any earthly good. Most of us are too earthly-minded to be of any heavenly good. (Matthew 6:19-34; Colossians 3:1-4; 1 Timothy 6:7-10) How does excessive earthly-mindedness show?

10.Let’s revel in the forgiveness of sin. The more grievous our sin, the more we celebrate His grace and unconditional love. But a preventive measure when it comes to disobedience is realizing this unhappy secret of the Christian life: Even forgiven sin may have painful, life-altering consequences. (2 Samuel 12:1-14) Who will instill a healthy fear of God through preaching a sermon titled, “The Consequences of Forgiven Sin”?

What is something you have learned for sure? Who could benefit by hearing you share it?