MORE

Scribed by Tammy Phillips
December 31, 2024
(Lesson taken from Pastor Scott Sheppard 12/29/24)

As we end 2024, do you want more? The way to more is Jesus Christ. He is the way, the truth and life.

MORE is the 2025 word for Cornerstone Church in Athens, Ga. Pastor Scott Sheppard preached an excellent word on Sunday, December 29, 2024. I encourage you to listen through this link. (More- Why the Fast? )

Following are brief notes from the sermon to encourage you to listen….

If we want more, we need more of God in our life. If we want more of God in our life, more of God in family, more of God in our finances, more of God in our relationships, and career, we have to make room for God. We have to make room for more. We have to purge. We have to empty ourselves and get rid of the dirt.

If we want more, we have to seek God.

“But without faith [it is] impossible to please [Him], for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and [that] He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.” (Heb 11:6 NKJV)

He rewards those who diligently seek Him. God’s rewards are more. He is more.

If we want more of God, more of life, we must  ask, seek, and knock.

“Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you.” (Mat 7:7 NKJV).

Nothing moves God like diligently seeking and pursuing God. We have to make room for God if we want more of God. One way to make room for God is to fast.

“So, we fasted and entreated our God for this, and He answered our prayer.” Ezra 8:23 (NKJV)

Each year for many years, I have begun the year with a fast to the Lord. I have sought Him, and I have found Him. More always comes from the fast… more of Life, Truth, and the Way.

More of God, more of life, only comes from emptying ourselves.  Fasting is emptying ourselves.   We cannot be filled until we have first  been emptied. We cannot ask for more until we have made room for more.  When we attack our flesh with the fast, the dirt comes out, physically.  When we attack our flesh with the sword of the spirit, the word of God, the dirt comes out, spiritually.

The path to more is emptying ourselves. We must EMPTY ourselves to allow more of God. To be filled of God, we have to empty ourselves of our ourselves.

You might say, “I do not have a lot of dirt.”

DIRT can be…

Disobedience to God.  Not honoring parents, not loving our enemies, not being self-controlled.  If God tells us to do it and we don’t….it is disobedience.

Ignorance.   Ignoring the word of God.  Not knowing, because if you do not know, you do not have to deal with it.

Rebellion. Refusing to do what we know is right.

Tongue and Temper: Not controlling our tongue by what we say or eat. And not controlling of temper.

Dirt can be pride, doubt, fear, unbelief, unforgiveness, ego, jealousy, greed, unforgiveness, bitterness…it is in all of us. Got dirt?

Tammy thought: Have you ever prayed ? “I want to be more like Jesus. I want to love more like Jesus. Fill me, Jesus!” If we want to be MORE like Jesus, we have to empty ourselves of ourselves, so He can fill us up with MORE of Himself. We have to make room for Him. He cannot fill us until we empty us.”

We fill ourselves with things of the world, food, alcohol, entertainment, shopping, golfing….

Tammy thought: Look at your screen time tonight on your phone. How many hours have you spent filling yourself with the things of the world…traveling (by following maps), talking on the phone, sports, news, entertainment, social media, shopping, exercising, listening to music, or reading that does not bring glory and honor to God? How many hours have you spent searching?

I am embarrassed to tell you how much time my hand is connected to my device. Some of that time IS spent seeking God, but is the major percentage? We must seek Him more to get more of Him.

Fasting is tasting. “Taste and see that the LORD is good. Oh, the joys of those who take refuge in him!” (Psa 34:8 NLT)

So many times, we have lost our taste for God. We eat bread, but do we taste of the bread of Life? We go to church, but we get nothing from the sermon. Are we too spiritually fat and full of crap?

Jesus replied, “I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never be hungry again. Whoever believes in me will never be thirsty. (John 6:35 NLT)

Think about this…Jesus, the bread of life,  was born in a feeding trough in the city of Bethlehem which means, “House of Bread.”  The Bread of life was born in the house of bread so that he could bring life to all that would feed on him.  Taste and see that the LORD IS GOOD. Fasting is putting away what flesh desires to taste of King Jesus.

Sinus infection takes away your taste. The dirt causes us not to taste of the goodness of God. If you feel nothing, the dirt has taken away your taste. Want to taste more? Get rid of the dirt. Sin scorches the heart like hot fluid scorches the tongue.

I enCOURAGE you to prayerfully enter the fast. If you want MORE, more of life , the only way is to have more of God. The only way to more of God is less of you. “But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you. (Mat 6:33 KJV). I can attest this word to be true.

Join Pastor Scott (and me) who ended His sermon by praying : Father, I am asking you to give me the strength and the courage to empty myself from the dirt for You. Empty the DIRT. I empty myself, so you can fill me. Help me to take in Your word so I can taste and see that You are good. Help me to take in your presence so I can taste and see how good you are. I want MORE. In Jesus name I pray. AMEN