It's Time to Tie Your Own Shoes

God's word begins with "head knowledge."  We sometimes dismiss "head knowledge" as unimportant simply because we believe "heart knowledge" seems better.  However, "head knowledge" is essential to our faith.  You cannot have faith in something that you know nothing about.  The problem isn't "head knowledge," but problems do arise when all we have is "head knowledge."  Our faith begins with knowledge of God's word.

Where does it go from there?  Our "head knowledge" must then be moved to "heart knowledge."  Your meditation of Scripture will move God's word from "head knowledge" to "heart knowledge."  When we eat, we cannot simply chew our food and then spit it out and expect to gain nourishment.  We must consume the food.  It must move from our mouth to our stomach.  In the same way, when we read God's word, we cannot simply chew on God's word and allow it to remain in our minds.  When we meditate upon Scripture, it is the process of moving what we have placed in our minds into our hearts.  Biblical meditation is to fill your mind with Scripture and allow it to move to your heart.  When we fail to move "head knowledge" to "heart knowledge," then we become prideful.  The Bible teaches in 1 Corinthians 8:1 that "knowledge puffs up."

Interestingly, "heart knowledge" is not the final destination either.  Once God's word has become the meditation of our heart, it must move to our feet.  Pastor Christopher recently shared this quote, "Missions is really nothing but worship that tied its shoes.  It is worship that kept going, that continued to its logical conclusion."  We "tie our shoes" when we tithe.  We "tie our shoes" when we share the Gospel.  Here's the problem, many in our church pews have never learned to tie their shoes.  They depend on others to tie their shoes for them.  Just as "knowledge puffs up" when it fails to move from the head to the heart, our faith is dead when it fails to move from the heart to our feet.  James 2:17 declares, "Thus also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead."  What type of fruit does a dead tree produce?  Exactly!  It doesn't produce fruit.  We are called to produce lasting fruit for the Kingdom of God.  This task will never occur if we don't tie our shoes!

What step can you take to begin learning to tie your own shoes?  Here are six Spiritual HABITS that I have identified that can help you "tie your own shoes"...

Hang Time with God: Daily time reading God's word and in prayer.
Accountability in a Small Group: Join a group of like-minded believers who are committed to God's word.
Bible memorization: Meditate on God's word.
Involvement in Ministry & Mission: Every believer has a ministry in the church and a mission in the world.
Tithing: Biblical stewardship begins with giving God the first fruits of all your increase.  Have you trusted Him with 10% of the first fruits of your income?
Sermon Application: After each sermon ask, "What does God want me to do in response to hearing the word?"