Tag: imitation

How To Be A Disciple

Carl Pollard

The other week at our graduation party at the Scottsville church of Christ I was introduced to candied pecans. A lady gave me the leftovers and they were incredible. Sadly, they don’t sell those in Scottsville so I looked up a recipe. While I was at the store grabbing ingredients, I made my way to the baking section to look for vanilla. Problem was, I would have to get a mortgage to buy real vanilla. I didnt realize how expensive it was! Luckily I found a substitute called “imitation vanilla.” It’s way cheaper, and it tastes the same (to me), it looks the same, and it’s the same consistency.

We will never be Jesus, but we should try our best to imitate Him. Being a disciple means being a follower. A follower is, “someone who imitates another.” Ephesians 5:1 says, “Therefore be imitators (followers) of God, as beloved children.” Little kids tend to look to the older and imitate what they see. We are to act this way with God.

Why did God save us and add us to His family? So that we would be imitators and followers of God. Doing so takes submission and humility. Every person is a follower of something. You can submit to and imitate anyone or anything. God saved us so that we would choose to follow and imitate Him in everything. 

Being a follower takes submission. Are we meek enough to accept the title of slave? God saved us so that we would be slaves to Him and work for the master. That’s how we can truly be disciples! I would rather be a slave in God’s house, than the master of my own. 

If we wear the name Christian, we should be willing to follow Christ. His example is worth imitating! 

Facebook Fact-Checking

Thursday Column: Captain’s Blog

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Carl Pollard

 
Back in 2016 Facebook created their “fact-checking program.” The focus of the program is to “address viral misinformation and false claims, particularly those that have the potential to mislead or harm.” Since 2016 hundreds of thousands of posts have been flagged as “misleading” or containing “false information.” While this program has been met with mixed reviews and opinions, there is a valuable lesson we can learn from fact-checking and that is to, well, check your facts.
 
Powerade is the sports players elixir. It’s refreshing, it replenishes electrolytes, and gives you 34 grams of beautiful sugar. It’s got potassium, sodium, and 35 grams of carbs. But Blue Powerade bears a striking resemblance to Windex. At a glance this window cleaner may seem like Powerade. It’s blue, you could easily put it in an empty Powerade bottle and call it Powerade, but it isn’t. Windex is Windex, no matter how you try and label it. Many times something may quack like a duck and walk like a duck, but it isn’t a duck.
 
Galatians 1:6 says, “I am amazed that you are so quickly deserting Him who called you by the grace of Christ, for a different gospel; which is really not another; only there are some who are disturbing you and want to distort the gospel of Christ.”
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Paul warns us that as Christians we will encounter misinformation. Those who spread it may have a way with words. What they teach is convincing and appealing. But upon closer examination, their Powerade is actually Windex. These people will claim that you can receive salvation with just a prayer, that God approves of homosexuality, that every person has their own truth. We need to start Bible fact-checking the claims and teachings of those around us.
 
So many Christians are led astray by false teaching. It’s our job to test what is taught with scripture because on the day of judgment each person will be held accountable. Be noble-minded and search the scriptures. Don’t drink the Windex just because it’s in a Powerade bottle. Look at the content and compare it to God’s Word.
 
As Christians we must keep the church pure and free of misinformation. Let’s all start fact-checking our spiritual sources using God’s infallible Word.