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Jordan Whittington 11/17/25 Jordan Whittington 11/17/25

Words Matter

James 1:26
If anyone thinks he is religious and does not bridle his tongue but deceives his heart, this person's religion is worthless.

Words matter.

While it is natural to compartmentalize our life, it is not biblical. Just as James taught that we cannot cherry-pick which laws to follow and which to ignore, we cannot speak without thought. James connects integrity of life to integrity of speech because both expose the heart.

BIG IDEA: Are you undoing your witness with your words?

Is your choice of words unfit for a follower of Jesus? Do you need to change the language you use each day? We must move from the question of “Can I say that?” to “Should I say that?” It is less about the freedom of word choice and more about the wisdom of how we use our words.

More than specific words, are you undoing your witness in the way you use your words? Are you quick to judge, susceptible to slander, greedy to know the gossip? Are you trustworthy with information? Are you constantly critical or quick to gripe?

Words matter.

James is clear in 1:26 that a failure to contain and control our words will refute our religion.

What step do you need to take today to combat the thoughtlessness with which you have handled your words?

Pray this:
God, help me be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to anger.

Jordan Whittington 11/14/25 Jordan Whittington 11/14/25

Pursue Gentleness

1 Timothy 6:11–12
11 But as for you, O man of God, flee these things [love of riches and dissension]. Pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, steadfastness, gentleness. 12 Fight the good fight of the faith. Take hold of the eternal life to which you were called and about which you made the good confession in the presence of many witnesses.

Pursue Gentleness

Hear John MacArthur’s description of gentleness: Gentleness, better translated as meekness, is a humble and gentle attitude that is patiently submissive in every offense, while having no desire for revenge or retribution. In the New Testament, it is used to describe three attitudes: submission to the will of God, teachability, and consideration of others.

Be honest: What do you think of gentleness?

Most of you are not a fan of this attitude and have very little desire to pursue this. Gentleness feels weak and wimpy. It seems as though it gets taken advantage of and fails to do what is necessary, and yet we are called to pursue gentleness.

Nearly everything within me wants to fight against this concept of gentleness until the Holy Spirit begins to convict me. For me, gentleness is synonymous with weakness until God shows me a better way. Sanctification is the process of God the Spirit making me more like God the Son. As I look at the life of Jesus, I see a man who embodied the gentleness described above. Jesus did not seek retribution or revenge. Jesus did not take vengeance on those who harmed Him. Jesus endured.

The life that God calls us to live is a life that looks different than the world. We are to live questionable lives, and one way in which our life is questionable is when we live out gentleness. Gentleness is displayed:

When we do not slander those who take advantage of us.
When we do not take revenge on those who take from us.
When we forgive those who have harmed us.

When we choose gentleness, we choose to look like Jesus.

Practical Ways to Pursue Gentleness:

Release a grudge today.
Pray for someone who frustrates you.
Pause before reacting.

Jordan Whittington 11/13/25 Jordan Whittington 11/13/25

Pursue Steadfastness

Following Jesus is hard.
It is hard to die to self.
It is hard to be humble, meek, and selfless.
It is hard to love your neighbor as yourself.
It is hard to trust God in the chaos of life.

Enter Steadfastness.

Steadfastness is to be firm, faithful, and committed to God no matter the circumstances. Steadfastness is not wavering in the waves of life. It is to be resolute in your commitment.

Paul encourages his protégé Timothy to pursue steadfastness. Words like perseverance, endurance, and allegiance pop to mind when I think of this pursuit.

Why does this matter today?
First, because life is hard. Trials come. Temptation is tempting. Obedience is challenging.

Another reason steadfastness matters is in our present situation. We live in a day of redefinitions of long-held concepts. A battle over truth is raging in the public arena and is infiltrating churches as well. The phrase “my truth” is being thrown around as a legitimate concept when the very phrase is oxymoronic. Truth is truth. “My truth” turns the objective into a subjective concept.

So pursue steadfastness. Pursue fidelity to the truth. Pursue allegiance to what God says even when the world disagrees. Stand strong in the Word of God and do not be swayed by the “wisdom of the world.” Give no ground to the new ideologies that directly contradict what we have been taught from the Bible.

We are not being loving by simply being accepting. In fact, as we condone lies, we are doing more harm than good. We are approving what should not be accepted.

Pursue steadfastness. Fight the good fight. Remain committed to the convictions of Scripture.

Jordan Whittington 11/12/25 Jordan Whittington 11/12/25

Pursue Love

Pursue Love

Over the last few months, I have thought a lot about what it means to please God and honor Him with your life. As a pastor, this is probably a natural thought as I have dedicated my career to godly things. Honestly, this should not remain a pastoral pursuit, but the pursuit of all believers everywhere. Pleasing God is living in the way of love.

Today, we focus on Pursuing Love.

It seems simple — but simple doesn’t mean easy. I could have just written those two words and everyone would have an idea of what to do.

Here is the simple thought I want to share with you this morning. It comes straight from Jesus’ mouth on the night He was to be betrayed. John 13:35 — By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.

The disciple of Jesus is known, seen, noticed, confirmed by his or her love. How you love reveals who you are.

When many of us are busy, fearful, stressed, overwhelmed, confused, disappointed, discouraged, and unsure, love may be the furthest thing from our mind.

The mantra does not change: Pursue Love.
Keep loving.
Love when it is easy… and when it is hard.
Love those who love you… and those who do not.
Love those who return love… and those who deny love.

If we want to make an impact in this world, it starts with love.

Practical Ways to Pursue Love:

Send a text/note/prayer to a friend.
Perform an act of kindness.
Encourage someone today.
Ask God to help you see a need in which you can help.

Jordan Whittington 11/11/25 Jordan Whittington 11/11/25

Pursue Faith

Pursue Faith

At first thought, the phrase pursue faith does not make sense. Don’t you either have faith or not have faith? How can we pursue something that we claim to have?

As believers who trust in the saving work of Jesus, we need to grow in faith each day to follow and trust our God. I need faith today to speak boldly about God. I need faith to combat temptation. I need faith to be humble. I need faith to trust in God’s provision.

You and I are called to pursue faith because we are called deeper into a trusting relationship with God where we are more dependent upon Him for our every need and desire. Pursuing faith means actively placing more and more of your life under God’s care — choosing to trust Him where you normally trust yourself.

I am reminded of the man with a sick son who comes to Jesus for help in Mark 9. He asks Jesus, “If you can do anything, have compassion on us and help us.” Jesus calls out his qualifying phrase “If you can,” to which the man replies, “I believe; help my unbelief.”

Like that man, our faith is real, yet incomplete. We believe — and yet we need help believing in the places where trust comes slow.

I believe that Jesus is the Son of God who saves sinners by standing in our place of judgment.
I struggle to believe that living according to God’s rules is better.

I believe that God created the world and holds it all together.
I struggle to trust God to provide for my needs.

I believe that God is good and is working for my good.
I struggle to wait on God’s plan and attempt to do it all my way.

I believe. Help my unbelief.

Practical Ways to Pursue Faith:

Identify places you trust self over God.
Think back over God’s goodness to you.
Combat the fear that comes up with an opportunity for faith.