Bayse "Bud" Reedy: YOUR "WANT TO" WILL CHANGE

Stillmeadow Sermon September 13, 2015

For the next several weeks - right up to Advent - we are going to look carefully at what the Bible reveals about Salvation. In my sermon today we will discuss the word "Conversion". Our key Bible Verse is Matthew 18:1-3

"At that time the disciples came to Jesus and asked, “Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?” He called a little child and had him stand among them. And he said: “I tell you the truth, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven."

We will see that at conversion, "Old things pass away and all things will become new." EVERYTHING changes! I will share 7 basic things that must take place after conversion.

1. Love Jesus (I John 4:19) “We love because He first loved us.”

2. Hate Sin (Romans 12:9) “Love must be sincere. Hate what is evil; cling to what is good."

3. Prayer (Philippians 4:6-7) "Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God."

4. Bible (James 1:22) "Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says."

5. Turn (Galatians 5:19-21) "The acts of the sinful nature are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God."

6. Fruit (Galatians 5:22-23) "But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law."

7. Faith (Galatians 2:20) "I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me."