Proverbs 15:4

Christianity can sometimes get a bad rap due to professed Christians being insincere. They say one thing, yet do another. And it results in one of the biggest excuses people have for not going to church: "It’s full of hypocrites."

The word hypocrite means one who simply acts like a Christian, or one who wears a mask. Many people try to convince the world that they are Christ followers only to turn around and take the mask off when they think no one is looking.

True sincerity, though, is seen when no one is watching. How do you behave behind the scenes when no one you know is watching? Make sure you are sincere in all that you do, even when you think no one is watching—because God always is. And His opinion of you is truly the only one that matters.

Class of 91`

Pastor Todd Bush is in the opening scene and the ending scene...

Pure...

"But the wisdom that comes from heaven is first of all pure..." James 3:17

When you wake up in the morning, one of the first things you do is look in a mirror. You brush your teeth and comb your hair. But no matter what, people don’t typically leave the house until they’re confident that all basic grooming behaviors have been covered. The goal is to have that polished look—clean, spotless, pure.

It’s ironic that we can spend so much time trying to perfect our outward appearance, yet neglect our most important feature - our hearts.

No matter how well put together we may be on the outside, we will constantly find our lives in disarray if we lack God’s wisdom and guidance in our hearts. Without that, our hearts become dusty, dirty, unkempt, creating a less than desirable living space for the things that matter most.

Spiritually, God is the only one who can make us clean. And when we seek His wisdom, the "wisdom that comes from heaven," we are seeking the one thing that can truly make us pure — inside and out.

True or ...

"Set a guard over my mouth, O Lord; keep watch over the door of my lips. Let not my heart be drawn to what is evil, to take part in wicked deeds with men who are evildoers; let me not eat of their delicacies." Psalm 141:3-4

Armed guards and No Access Allowed signs seem to accompany celebrities, high-ranking government officials and professional athletes in order to ensure their safety. But did you know that we need that same type of protection for our mouths?

Saying we have faith in Jesus is a step in the right direction, but true power comes when you’re able to put substance behind those words. When you become a follower of Christ, God calls you to display an authentic faith. And one of the ways you do that is by guarding the words that come out of your mouth.

In the above passage, King David asks God to put a guard over his mouth because he knew that the words he spoke did more than just communicate what was on his mind. The words we choose communicate the truth about our faith in God.