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KEY PRINCIPLES FROM THIS MESSAGE:
So much of our temporal deliverance is tied to our perspective of the future.
“set your minds” – from phroneo – means:
- to exercise the mind, i.e. entertain or have a sentiment or opinion
- (by implication) to be (mentally) disposed (more or less earnestly in a certain direction)
- (intensively) to interest oneself in (with concern or obedience)
This means that your actions are directed by your inner self (what you earnestly believein).
You are blessed when you submit to the authorities in your life.
While a pastor is responsible for delivering the Truth, he is not responsible FOR it.
My confidence comes from the Word. I am fully aware of my weaknesses, and I know that the closer you get to me, the more you will become aware of them. But I do not preach on the merits of Ed Collins, I preach on the merits of God’s Word, and I do so on the authority that God has granted me. While I may need to apologize for my own failures to you from time to time, I will never apologize for representing the Truth.
Nothing good ever comes from you being miffed by a God-given confidence that you THINK is “self-confidence” when it’s not. What you see in any godly pastor is God-confidence, which is confidence in the Bible & confidence in God’s choice of him as an instrument of righteousness.
“shepherd” – from poimaino – means to shepherd, to care for (protect) the flock; is distinct from “feeding”; focuses on “tending” (“shepherding”), which includes guarding, guiding, and folding the flock and is only provided (ultimately) by Jesus Christ – the Shepherd, who calls under-shepherds (such as elder-overseers) to guard and guide His people by His direction; usually occurs as a figurative sense of “shepherding (tending) God’s flock.” This provides Spirit-directed guidance (care) conjunction with feeding His people (teaching them Scripture).