Latest / The Daily Word / March 26 – Who Are You Imitating?
Transcript
- Brandon Dirmann: Well, good morning and welcome once again to another episode of the Daily Word podcast. If you're not listening to this in the morning time, then I suppose it is good afternoon or good evening to you. But wherever you're listening to this from, whenever you're listening to it, so glad you're taking time today to join us as we just once again take time to open up the word of God and to allow the scripture to encourage us and to build us up and edify us today. My name is Brandon, one of the pastors here at our church. And today is March the 26th, by the way, big shout out. I don't know I'm allowed to do this on the pod, but big shout out to my sister, Brittany Kerwin, one of the worship leaders here at our church. Today is her birthday. And as a older brother, I'm not sure how old she is today, but however old she is, happy birthday to Brittany. I don't know if she listens to the podcast or not. And so this will be a great test to see whether or not she's a faithful subscriber and listener. Hey, on that note, really do want to encourage you today. Would you take time and just share this with somebody? Would you take time and would you send a text? Would you like it? Subscribe? Would you help us get the word out? We really do want to bless and encourage as many people as possible with this podcast. And we're hoping that this is a resource to people, not only to just bring a daily encouragement from the word of God, but to encourage them and remind them. ⁓ how to spend time with God and that God does want to spend time with them on a daily basis. That being said, we are using our Life Journal reading plan right now, just sticking in the New Testament. And today's reading in the Life Journal reading plan, March the 26th, is 1 Corinthians chapter 11. I want to read to you the first two verses. That's where I journal today. And it's a very basic, but I think a good reminder for us. Here's what it says. The apostle Paul's writing and he says, imitate me. just as I also imitate Christ. Now I praise you brethren that you remember me in all things and keep the traditions just as I deliver them to you. Here's the Apostle Paul. He is a pastor, leader, apostle, father in the faith. He's writing to this church at Corinth and he says, listen guys, I want you to keep imitating me just as I also imitate Christ. He says, also, I'm encouraged that you are, but I want to remind you to keep the traditions just as I deliver them to you. got three observations that I'm writing down in my journal today. Number one is this, it's a question. Who are you imitating? All of us, we are imitating and emulating somebody. Whether we know it or not, we are creatures, ⁓ human beings that have been created and designed as followers. And all of us, whether we realize or not, we're looking to somebody. We're allowing somebody, whether it's an individual person or it's a group of people or a ⁓ type of person that we have found in culture or in business or in spirituality or whatever it may be that subconsciously or maybe consciously, we're following them. We're imitating them. The way we think about how we dress and how we walk and how we talk and how we engage people on the things that are important and priorities of life and we're following somebody. It's just human nature. And my first observation is a question, who are you following? Who are you following? Because the Bible says, the apostle Paul right here, he goes, I want you to follow me, to imitate and emulate me, but it's not because I'm amazing. It's because I'm choosing to follow and emulate Jesus Christ. And so my first observation is that we should be following people who are setting a pattern or example that is a demonstration of who Jesus is. Second observation, it's a question, am I trying to imitate and emulate Jesus Christ? Because not only are we all followers, but all of us to a certain degree, we're leaders. Well, I'm not a leader, Brandon. Leadership is not title, position, authority. Leadership is influence. It's influence. And all of us, have influence with somebody. Maybe you're a stay-at-home mom. You got influence with your kids. You got influence with other moms that are in your neighborhood or your sphere. Maybe you're in college and just like, I'm just, I'm not leading anybody. No, you got friends. You got some, even if it's one person, we all have influence. which means we're all leaders. And so my question, the challenge to me is am I imitating or am I setting an example that is Christ-like? So who am I following? Who do I have my eyes on? And are they imitating Jesus? And as a leader, someone who has influence, am I trying to be more like Jesus so the people following me are more like Jesus? And then my third observation, another question, am I keeping the traditions as they've been delivered to me? All of us, whether it's parents or pastors or leaders or friends, all of us have had people in our life that have given to us, delivered to us, traditions. Let me say it this way, ⁓ habits, disciplines, ways of living, ways of thinking. I just can think back to my childhood and it's like, it was never like a teaching, but I just knew growing up, we go to church. No, no, no, like I don't, it's not an option. Our feet, our life, our family is planted in the house of God. Hey, we're people who are Bible people. We read our Bible, we spend time with God, we're living according to the scripture. Hey, we guard our heart. We're not just watching or listening to anything, no, we're guarding our heart and not allowing things to come in that are not beneficial to our life. I grew up watching my parents tithe, watching my parents be faithful and generous givers. Those are traditions that were handed down to me. Those were things that they were enforced and reinforced through church community and through pastors and leaders, but like they were traditions handed down to me. Am I continuing in them? The traditions, the spiritual values that have been handed down to me, whether from the pulpit or from a parent, am I continuing in them? And so my questions, my observations, they really just come as three like points that I wanna give you. And yes, This is the way that I write in my journal in case anybody's wondering. I often kind of preach in sermons to myself in my journaling. Here's just my three thoughts to encourage me but encourage you maybe to challenge. Number one, choose to follow people that are following Christ. Those that are giving you the example, they better be people that are following after and their number one aim is Christ. It's not money, it's not fame, it's not fortune, it's not pleasure, it's not sex. It's Jesus Christ. Number two, observation, point, challenge for you. Be someone who imitates Christ. Don't just follow somebody else, but give yourself to the ways in the word of God that you may follow and imitate and emulate Jesus Christ. Him crucified, a life lived following after his example. Number three, keep the tradition. All the values that you know that have been given to you, Keep those traditions. Keep your life when your family planted in God's house. Be someone who serves. Be someone who is a Bible person. I'm living according to the scripture. Be someone who faithfully gives and generously is tithing and saying, God, I trust you with my fine. Well, whatever it might be, keep and hold the traditions that have been handed down to you. I'm telling you that that's a solid way to live. I'm following people that are following Jesus. That's my influence. That's who's inspiring me. Also, I am ⁓ ensuring that I am ⁓ setting that example that I'm trying to be Christ-like and also I'm holding and keeping the traditions that have been handed down to me. I think that if we were to live that way, we would see so much of our life not only get better and brighter, but also we'd have so much more of an impact on the people around us. So Lord Jesus, help us to take these words today. Help us to apply them to our life and not just be hearers of the word, but be doers of the word. We thank you for it today in Jesus' name, amen and amen. Hey, once again, love you so much. Thank you for listening today. Like, subscribe, share, help us get the word out and we'll see you tomorrow on another episode of the Daily Word Podcast.