Impact practices
The bible says, as a man thinks in his heart, so is he. This is a list of things to practice so that you may have a clean thought life. Remember, God has wired us so that we cannot think about two different things at one time. If we are thinking about things that we should, we cannot be thinking about things that we shouldn’t. The reason that people act wrongly is because they are thinking wrongly. We have all heard or been around people who act in ways that we know are not right and some of them are professing Christians. We need to wash out our minds with the truths of the word of God.
Entertainment – TV shows, radio, concerts, liberal news, reading material, movies are all forms of entertainment that can be harmful to our thought life. We are not advocation that you never watch TV nor listen to the radio, but to be choosy in what you listen to. Our practice should be to watch wholesome television, listen to Christian music, read good books and magazines with Christian writers. If
our entertainment has bad language, promotes illicit sex, shows nudity or partial nudity, promotes rebellion, we will not partake of it. Video games that glorify murder and killing, we do not play them. Do not watch liberal news which has an agenda of racial divide, fear, hatred for police and our country. If we are thinking rightly, we cannot be thinking wrongly.
Education – Read the bible, but also read good books written by solid biblical writers. Desire books that teach you solid doctrine rather than how you can get rich quick, or how to live your best life now. If you go to public school or college and they teach things that go against scripture, remember that the bible has priority over mans wisdom. Listen to good bible teachers on the radio, pod casts, or internet in your spare time. Listen on your commute to work or in equipment you run, or as you walk or exercise. Listen to the bible being read or audio books but fill your mind with what is good!
Environment – I do not believe that we are necessarily a product of our environment, because we can always choose differently, but our environment can help or hinder our Christian walk. The friends, associates, family that we spend time with should be people who encourage you and have a positive influence on you. Sometimes we cannot avoid being around certain people, but you can avoid spending prolonged time with them especially if they refuse to respect your Christianity. I am not saying that you cannot spend any time with those who do not know Jesus because that is the only way you can impact them. But your best friends should be other Christians. How can two walk together unless they be
agreed. If someone is telling dirty jokes or stories, cussing, gossiping, then walk away. Do not let them use your ears for garbage cans. Choose not to go to places with an unwholesome environment such as bars, night clubs, vulgar comedy shows, or any place where people are influencing you to compromise
your biblical convictions. If someone is flirting with you, be like Joseph and run away.
Impact policies
These are not a to do list for someone to go to heaven. Salvation comes by grace through faith in the Lord Jesus. We are not legalists demanding manmade laws added to your salvation. A person is in great error when he tries to add or subtract from scriptures. These are encouragements for the person who desires live a victorious Christian life and make an impact on others. This type of commitment may not be for everybody, and change will not happen overnight, but it is worth the effort so that one can have a positive influence on other Christians and on those who are not saved. Like a diet or going to the gym, we do not see results immediately, but this is a lifestyle change and change will happen gradually, but
you will change for the better as Gods Spirit uses the word of God to make a change in you. Discipleship is not a 3-month challenge that you sign on for a period of time and then stop. Like a diet, if you start eating healthy and exercising for 3 months, lose 20 pounds, and then go back to your old habits of laying
around and eating unhealthily, you will eventually gain that weight back. Discipleship is not to reach a goal of knowing a few scriptures and familiarizing yourself with some bible truths, this is a total surrender to the will of God. If one desires to make an impact in this world, he or she does so by being different from the world, not by imitating the world. This is accomplished by using the tools that God has given us – salvation, filling of the Spirit, God’s word, repentance from those things that God has spoken to your heart about. Like proper health, the victorious Christian life is a lifestyle change. There is an old saying that if you keep doing what you are doing, you will keep getting what you are getting. I believe that the average Christian can make an impact on others and be greatly used by God by
dedication, devotion to God, developing spiritually. We do not have to be a Billy Graham to make an impact. God will use the seemingly insignificant to impact the world. We can make a difference, because Christ has made you different.
Impact prayers James 5:13-20
Restoration – Keep short accounts with God. Pray for forgiveness for sin revealed to you by the Holy Spirit through the word of God. There are obvious sins we commit, there are times of disobedience, impure thought life, pride, selfishness, gossip, slander, and many more. We all sin in different ways, but we should not minimize them and ask God to forgive and cleanse you
Open doors – Let’s pray that God would open some doors for us to share the gospel, or maybe to be involved in some ministry that God has gifted you in, pray for wisdom in giving, pray that God would open hearts to receive the gospel, pray that God would send you into which ever mission He desires. God will use us if we are willing.
Authorities – Pray for the president, congress, senate, mayors, governors, pastors. Pray that God would bless them when doing right and chastise them when doing wrong. Pray that God would direct hearts according to His will. Pray that God would hinder attacks upon the righteous.
Fellowship – Seek to know God better, understand His word better, to be sensitive to God’s direction. Pray to be sensitive to the heart of God, that things that are important to God would be important to us also and that the things that break the heart of God would break our heart also.
Hinder the attacks of Satan – just like God, Satan uses people to carry out his agenda. Our battle is not with the lost people in this world, they are in bondage of Satan, but we are in a battle with Satan himself. We are no match for him so we must pray that God would stop or hinder his efforts.
For God’s power – Pray that God would empower us, filling us with the Spirit to accomplish all that God calls us to do. Allow yourself to be the hands and feet of Jesus and that he would enable you to do great things through His power.
Impact preferences
1 Corinthians 6:12 All things are lawful unto me, but all things are not expedient: all things are lawful for me, but I will not be brought under the power of any. There are many things that professing Christians do and sometimes claim Christian liberties or say it is my right or preference to do so. Some behaviors
that we do under the claim of liberties will tarnish our testimony or it may hinder the spiritual growth of another Christian. I would like you to consider refraining from certain activities so that you may be better able to influence others in a positive way. If you engage in some of these activities, I still invite you to sign on as a disciple of Jesus. Not everybody is on the same level spiritually and we are all in a
growing process and there are some things we may give up later in life. Many of these things I have done as a younger Christian but as I grew in Christ, I gave up these practices as the Lord dealt with my heart.
Language – Jokes, dirty words, lies, gossip, slander, are all ways of using our tongue to dishonor God. Having a habit of using God’s name in an unholy way to express disgust or excitement. Using words that sound like curse words, using them in the same way as you would a curse word. We think that we get a
pass from God because we are not saying the actual curse word. Let’s keep our language clean and wholesome.
Clothing – One may argue that it is my right to dress the way that I want, and you cannot tell me how to dress. Ask the question, did I choose this clothing because I like it or was it to get the attention of others. Is this outfit revealing? Is this shirt too low or this dress too high? Guys should choose not to go shirtless. Does my outfit have things written across the backside as to draw attention to my behind? Is there questionable writing on my shirt that may suggest a vulgar message? Do my cloths bring Glory to God? Remember, you represent the Lord Jesus.
Habits – Alcohol is one of those things which people have an argument for whether you agree with social drinking or you do not. Some questions to consider is how do I know when I have had too much, can I get addicted, what if I get impaired, can I bring glory to God while doing this, does this negatively affect my decision making. People will make bad decisions that they would never make when they are not impaired. Tobacco is more common with Christians. Is this affecting my health, is it a good testimony, does it hinder my testimony.
Gambling – Is God pleased with the use of the money He has blessed me with if I spend it on chances to win more or could I better invest it elsewhere. Is this money I’m spending supporting an industry of corruption, is this activity a positive witness to others or does it hinder my testimony.
Entertainment – There is nothing wrong with going to movies that are clean and wholesome. But, some Christians choose to go to movies with nudity, bad language, and an unwholesome story. Choose entertainment wisely. Comedy shows with dirty jokes and vulgar language is unwise. Everything you
allow to enter your mind through the ear gate will affect the way you think.
Impact Promises
If one is going to be a disciple of Jesus, it always comes at a price. We must discipline ourselves in different areas of our lives so that we may be the Christ-like example we should be. These are not demands on you, but as a disciple, you will want to have these habits so that the Spirit can use scripture to develop you.
Devotions – Have a quiet time every day with bible reading, prayer, and reading a devotional to start your day. Ask God to speak to your heart and reveal any sin you need to repent of, any promise you need to claim, and direction you need to go.
Memorizing scripture – Start a practice of memorizing scripture. These are scriptures that speak to your heart, scriptures about salvation, promises, or any passage that you find important.
Church attendance – Make it a practice to go to church, Sunday School, revival meetings so that you will be fill with the teaching of scripture and have the fellowship of other believers.
Repentance – We will all fail in different areas. Impure thoughts, words, anger, pride, lust, and more. Keep a short account with God and repent asking God to cleanse you and give you the strength to not repeat the offence.
Filling of the Spirit – Ask God to fill you with the Spirit every day. No body can live the Christian life on their own. We need the filling of the Spirit.
Impacting Price
- Love God exclusively Luke 14:26
- Sacrifice extremely – Luke 14:27
- Examine the cost – Luke 14:28-30
Impact positions
The Holy Scriptures – I believe the bible is the word of God revealed in both the Old Testament and the New Testament. The 66 books of both Old and New Testament are complete and do not need to be added to nor taken away from. They were written by holy men of God as they were moved upon by the Holy Spirit. 2 Timothy 3:16
Trinity – I believe that one God has revealed Himself in the 3 persons of the trinity which are Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. All 3 are co-eternal, co-identical in nature, co-equal in power and glory, and having the same attributes and power.
The person and work of Christ – I believe that the Lord Jesus, the eternal Son of God, became man without ceasing to be God, having been conceived by the Holy Spirit and born of the virgin Mary, in order to reveal God and redeem sinful man.
I believe that Jesus accomplished our redemption through His death on the cross as He died in our place and took upon Himself our sins, and that our justification is made sure by His bodily resurrection from the dead.
Salvation – I believe that salvation is by grace through faith, without works and is a gift from God Ephesians 2:8-10. One must be drawn by the Spirit and brought under conviction realizing that he is a sinner. We receive Him by faith asking Him to forgive us which cleanses us from all sin.
Creation – I believe that God created the heavens and the earth in 6 literal days.
Homosexuality – I believe that all forms of homosexuality is sinful and an abomination before God. All forms of sex outside the bonds of biblical marriage (one man, one woman) is sin and no Christian should practice these sinful activities.
Impact Ministries 