Walking in the Living Way

Weekday Posts
Written By Dean Collins

By Dean Collins

God’s message, delivered by Jeremiah, was ratcheted up a notch in chapter seven. In chapter six, the people of God were told to stand and look at the ancient paths and to choose their path accordingly. Now, in chapter seven, the message was even more specific: 

- Obey my voice, and I will be your God, and you shall be my people.

- Walk in the way that I command you, that it may be well with you.

Reviewing and evaluating previous decisions and behaviors is a good exercise. Knowing what previous generations did when faced with challenges is important and can be helpful. The life of discipleship is not only about assessing and reviewing. Our discipleship includes obedience, and obedience requires taking steps of faith and doing the things that Jesus modeled and told us to do.

God’s desire was that his people would remember both his covenant with them and that when they obeyed the covenant, things went well. It is still God’s desire that those of us who believe in his Son would walk in the ways of Jesus and not simply gather to talk about his ways in our Bible studies and worship gatherings.  

We are invited daily to walk in the ways of Jesus. Unfortunately, we often treat scripture as just another book with some good ideas and not principles and beliefs to utilize in our daily walk. But we have so much more! Consider this:

We serve a risen, living Lord,

Have in our possession the living and active word of God, 

and the Holy Spirit literally lives inside of us!

So, today I pray that we would trust that we might receive God’s living truth in a fresh way. Lamentations tells us that the steadfast love of the Lord never ceases, and his mercies are new every morning. May we obey and walk in the freshness of God’s love today and turn from our tired, stubborn patterns of reading and forgetting all that God has done for us and for all of his creation.

Father, today we ask that your Holy Spirit awaken us to your word, that we might obediently follow you wherever you lead us. In Jesus’ name, amen. 

Your Time with God’s Word
Jeremiah 7:23-26; Deuteronomy 6:17-18, 23-25 ESV

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Dean Collins

Pastor, campus minister, counselor, corporate employee, Fortune 500 consultant, college president—Dean brings a wide range of experiences and perspectives to his daily walk with God’s Word. 

In 1979 he founded Auburn Christian Fellowship, a nondenominational campus ministry that still thrives today. In 1989 he founded and became executive director for New Directions Counseling Center, a service that grew to include several locations and counselors. In 1996 he became vice president of human resources for the CheckFree Corporation (3,000 employees) till founding DC Consulting in 1999. He continues part-time service with that company, offering executive leadership coaching, organizational effectiveness advice, and help with optimizing business relationships.

His latest pursuit, president of Point University since 2006 (interim president 2006-2009), has seen the college grow in enrollment, curriculum, physical campus, and athletic offerings. He led the school’s 2012 name change and relocation from Atlanta Christian College, East Point, Georgia, to Point University in West Point, Georgia. Meanwhile, he serves as board member or active volunteer with several nonprofits addressing issues ranging from global immunization to local government and education. 

He lives in Lanett, Alabama, with his wife, Penny. He has four children (two married) and five grandchildren. He plays the guitar, likes to cook, and enjoys getting outdoors, often on a nearby golf course. 

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Eternal Kingdom, Passing Kingdoms
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