"Practice, Practice, Practice

Practice Practice Practice Christianity Ephesians 4:17-32, 5:1 -3

• There's an old story about golf champion Ben Hogan. After Hogan had won a major tournament, a reporter asked him: "How is it that, under pressure, you're able to hit so many miraculous shots?” After reflecting for a moment, Hogan answered, "I guess I'm just lucky.” But, Mr. Hogan," the reporter came back, "you practice more than any golfer who ever lived." "Well," Hogan said, "the more I practice, the luckier I get."

A. The more you practice Faithfulness the more faithful you are

B. The more you practice praying the more prayer becomes normal part of life

C. The more you attend the places of presences the more the presence you feel

D. The more you practice attendance at church the more church becomes Church

E. The more you practice a life of Christianity the more your life exhibits Christianity

• Paul tells us that the Heathen are practicing a life that is frustrating, useless, and meaningless Paul says do not live this way. They are darkened in there understanding vs 17-19

A. The reason they have lost understanding is because they do not know God.

B. They have lost all sensitivity (They are without feeling no sympathetic response

C. They have indulged in every kind of impurity and continually lust for more.

D. Matthew 24:12Because iniquity abound, the love of many shall wax cold, but he that endure unto the end, the same shall be saved.",

E. Paul basically says, “don't practice that life style Practice this life style”

• Paul says Practice Putting away lying and speak the truth

God said in Numbers 23:19 "God is not a man that he should lie"

• Psalmist 89:35 God said, "I will not lie to David."

• One of the commandment "Thou shalt not bear false witness"

• Jesus said, I am the way the Truth and the Life

• The lord said the following about Satan He was a murderer from the beginning and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him ,when he speaketh a lie he speaketh of his own for he is a liar and father of it.

• all liars shall have there part in the lake of fire.

1. Paul says to Practice Letting God Arise when anger arises.

Vs 26 "Be angry and sin not and do not let the sun come down upon your wrath"

2. Paul wants the believers to Practice saying useful words for others

Vs. 29 Words that are not corrupt, words that edify, words that minister grace to the hearer

• 29Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen. vs 31 Let all bitterness and wrath, and anger, and clamor, and evil speaking, be put away form you, with all malice

3. Paul says Practice Being a follower of God

• Be imitators of God, therefore, as dearly loved children 2and live a life of love, just as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.

• Practice being a Follower of God Because

Eph 21 you were dead in your transgressions and sins, when you followed the ways of this world. We once, craved the sinful nature and we

• Followed its desires and thoughts continually. We were by nature objects of wrath. 4But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, 5made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions--it is by grace you have been saved

4. You Have Reasons To Practice a life of Christianity Consider some of the Following:

A. Practice for your Faith

• Heb 11. 6And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who

B. Practice for Your Friends so they will not be lost that they might see the Christ in you

• Four friends brought there friend on a mat let him down in the crowd where Jesus was They had faith Jesus would heal

C. Practice for Your Family

• Gen 35: Jacob told his family Jacob said to his household and to all who were with him, "Get rid of the foreign gods you have with you, and purify yourselves and change your clothes. 3Then come, let us go up to Bethel, where I will build an altar to God, who answered me in the day of my distress and who has been with me wherever I have gone."

D. Practice for your Future

• Psalm 37:37Consider the blameless, observe the upright; there is a futureB for the man of peace.