Welcome Friends,
Some books in the Bible comfort us while others confront us.
But Romans? It wrecked me—in the best possible way.
It’s raw. It’s offensive.
It’s even been called the most despised book in all of Scripture.
Why? Because it tells the truth. Not the watered-down, feel-good version,
but the kind that exposes sin and pride and leaves us humbled, on our knees at the foot of the cross
I’ve had 41 years—more than four decades—to grow in my faith, to mature
and to reflect the love of God through my life.
But honestly, if someone who doesn’t know Jesus looked at me, they might not see much difference between my life and theirs
Talking about others behind their back- does not point to Jesus.
Always needing to “win” the argument-doesn’t point to Jesus.
Judging someone’s parenting choices behind their back-does not point to Jesus.
Judging someone’s lifestyle choices behind their back- does not point to Jesus.
Making my life all about me and my wants and needs- does not point to Jesus.
Complaining- does not point to Jesus
Reacting in anger-does not point to Jesus
Talking negative about one of my kids with their sibling-does not point to Jesus
Meddling in others business- does not point to Jesus
If I gave my own self a review on Yelp
It would be a 1 star
I owe a heartfelt apology—for calling myself a follower of the Lord when my life told a different story
I wanted Jesus as my Savior, but not as my Lord.
I wanted His forgiveness, but I didn’t want Him leading my life.
I wanted His love, His blessings, and a guaranteed place in Heaven
but I didn’t want Him telling me how to live.
Pastor: “Denise, have you accepted Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior?”
Me:-“Yes, I have.”
Pastor: “Based upon your profession of faith in Jesus Christ, I now baptize you in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.
To be completely honest, I never truly made Jesus the Lord of my life.
I wasn’t pursuing a real relationship with Him
I was just going to Him for what He could do for me.
It wasn’t love- it was one-sided relationship
Looking back, that’s exactly what it means to live as a carnal Christian
A carnal Christian calls Jesus Lord but refuses to surrender their throne.
A carnal Christian wants the cross for salvation but not the surrender that comes with it.
Every year, I go to our town’s Western Day parade—and there are always a lot of horses.
Which means, right behind them, come the guys with shovels.
For a long time, that’s how I treated Jesus
I just wanted to live my life, do my own thing—and have Him follow behind me, cleaning up my mess
My life took a dramatic shift when He made me realized He was Lord–not me
Like any good parent, when a child acts out, they’re corrected.
They’re often sent to their room for time out to think about their behavior.
That’s exactly what the Lord did with me.
He put me in a long-overdue time-out—a season of separation.
Because the way I was living, was not acceptable anymore and things had to change.
Every morning, He met with me —just the two of us. Bible open. laptop open.
He led me to the messages and teachings that I needed to hear.
Messages that stirred something deep inside me, brought me to tears
and spoke the kind of truth I couldn’t ignore, the truth I needed to hear.
And through it all, He showed me
Trying to be Lord of my own life was never going to work.
Thank You, Lord, for pulling me out
quietly removing me from the noise, the chaos, and the voices that were drowning You out.
For sitting me down, one-on-one, and patiently teaching me what I refused to learn on my own
humility, surrender, and the weight of true obedience.
You stripped away my pride and met me with mercy.
And now—by Your grace—I can say with a certainty of heart
Jesus is my Lord and Savior
Lord,
Make us people who don’t just wear Your name—but live it out.
Teach us to surrender, not just in word, but in our daily choices.
Strip away anything in us that doesn’t point to You
Let our lives reflect Your grace, Your truth, and Your power
so when the world looks at us
they see You.
In Jesus’ name, Amen.
Friends, I’m on this journey, one step at a time
I invite you to join me
Let’s stop asking Jesus to follow us, and start following Him
True change starts from within
Let’s open our hearts and allow God to shape us
so we can better impact the world around us
https://echosofmyfootsteps.com/
