Created Content

One of Kendall's passions is creating engaging and deep content to help people grow closer in their walk with Christ. Here you will find some of the content that he has created.

Thirty pounds. That’s how much weight I shed in a matter of months by simply changing my diet and working out. It started with cutting out sweet tea (being from the South, that was no easy task). Then, I had to cut back on my favorite dessert, mint chocolate chip ice cream. While the diet helped, it wasn’t until I began working out that I saw significant weight fall off. In six months, I had lost thirty pounds! 

If you are like me, you have been around church a long time. I have sat through hundreds of Bible studies and sermons. However, I continue to notice the unbalanced ratio of Bible knowledge to Bible application. I have heard time after time about the importance of sharing the Gospel, but I still don’t do it very often. According to Lifeway Research, 55% of churchgoers have not shared their faith in the past six months. The abundance of resources such as Bible studies, Bible apps, and social media has increased Bible intake. At the same time, there has not been an increase in Biblical application, such as sharing one’s faith. This has led to spiritual obesity. Just like eating a ton of sugar and not working out (like my life before), a lot of us find ourselves consuming more than we are burning off when it comes to the Bible. Whether we like to admit it or not, we are spiritually obese. What is the fix? How can we get to work to shave off that “fat?” Here are a few suggestions for living out God’s word.

#1 IT STARTS ON THE PERSONAL LEVEL

As you read God’s word, evaluate how you are applying it. Take notes or journal about what the passage is saying and what action steps you can take to be obedient. I have dreamed of many small business ideas for my family but have never acted on them. The knowledge of what and how to do it is in my head, but my lack of follow-through has caused nothing to grow.  If we are going to grow closer to Christ and truly understand God’s word, it starts with the simple step of doing what God teaches in His word. James 1:22 tells us not just to be hearers of the Word but also doers. “Doing” the Word helps knowledge of the Bible take root and stick in our lives. The more we practice the Word of God, the deeper we understand God’s Word. 

#2 IT IS SUSTAINED THROUGH ACCOUNTABILITY

Doing God’s Word is the start, but it can sometimes be hard to live the Word obediently. That is why finding others to help keep us accountable for doing God’s Word is essential. Living out God’s word can be difficult at times, but having a person or group of people who can ask us hard questions and keep us accountable to God’s word is vital to helping us shed the weight of spiritual obesity. If you have ever made that New Year’s Resolution to lose weight, it goes well for a few weeks, and then you slowly stop working out. Having even one other person to workout with will significantly increase your chances of continuing to workout. The same is true spiritually. When we involve others, we can encourage and help one another (Proverbs 27:17). 

#3 IT IS SUPPORTED BY THE LOCAL CHURCH

Find opportunities in your church to serve. God has given every believer spiritual gifts and talents for the Kingdom of God (1 Corinthians 12:1-31). As you seek to use those gifts, the church is a great place to exercise them. Churches not only provide opportunities to serve within the walls of the church but also provide opportunities to share your faith on mission trips and outreach endeavors. The local church is meant to allow believers to grow and encourage one another to live out God’s Word. If you don’t have a church home, start by trying to find a local body of believers to get involved with. Being a part of a local church is a game changer when it comes to doing God’s Word. 

#4 IT IS LIVED OUT IN THE MARKETPLACE

No matter how long an athlete trains, there comes a time when they have to perform. They no longer talk about competing; they simply do what they have been training for. As we seek God personally, find accountability, and get plugged into a local church, we follow Jesus’ commands in Matthew 28:19-20 to go and “make disciples.” Find ways to engage with lost people around you! One of the great things about the workout group I joined was the fitness benefits and the relationships I established with non-Christians. The more you engage with the lost people God has put around you, the more opportunity you will have to share the Gospel. The more we put ourselves in situations to obey God’s Word, the more likely we are to live a life of obedience to God’s Word. 

CONCLUSION

In high school, I spent a whole summer playing a college football game in my room. Throughout that summer, I won 15 national championships! Before you start writing my name in the history books, I realize now how much of my life I wasted that summer. There was so much more I could have done with my time. Contrast that to the following summer in high school; God had begun to get my attention and do some incredible things in my life. Instead of playing video games that summer, I spent time in God’s word three times a day. It is from that summer that I still can remember the verses I memorized, the stories I read, and the things that God spoke to me that summer. I began to have a quiet time, share my faith, and treat my family nicer. The Word of God truly began to affect my life, and it started when I began taking active steps of faith. 

If we are going to shed the weight from our spiritual obesity, it starts with action. What can you do today to live out what you already know God is calling you to? Even if you only know one thing about the Bible, you have one thing that you can obediently live out. The more we do God’s word, the more God’s word will stick with us, and the more we will experience the joy and greatness of our God.