Power Walk Ministries

Announcer: We welcome you to Power Walk, and we're excited to share this time with you. We want you to know that your presence is a blessing to us, so be sure to join us again Monday through Friday at this very same time. We're studying from our series, Returning to Our First Love. Today we begin our broadcast with the question, why do we come to Jesus? Is it for the blessing, to look good, for religious power, or perhaps just so he can get us out of our present problem? Or do we come to Jesus for Jesus? Can you say that you love him for who he is? Are you willing to take a stand for him, suffer for him, or even give your life for him?

How does our heart describe us? That's the title of our lesson today, and let's keep that thought in mind as we listen to Dr. Paul Cannings.

Dr. Paul Cannings: My son came home one day and he said to me, "Dad, I need to find a wife now." I said, "Why? Why? I mean, that's, we need to talk about what that means and let's spend some time. If a man finds a wife, not a woman, a wife, she, he finds a good thing. So she has to have the nature of a wife. Dad, dad, dad, dad, slow down, slow down, dad, dad. Listen, listen me out. He, I'm going out for football and college is coming towards an end and I want to go play professional football. You've given me 3 to 4 years to work that out, and I've got a plan. And the reason why I want to do this is before I ever be- get into that contract, that major contract, I want to know that the person that I'm going to marry, before all the goody stuff comes, if I make it that far, actually loves me or what I bring to the table.

I hugged my son that day, and I said, oh my goodness, you're growing up. Matter of fact, you're grown up, son. You're getting it. He says, Dad, I've always been getting it. You see, folks, sometimes when the glow and the lights and the whistles and the bells are blowing, and we are hearing all this and we see the glamour and the glory, is our heart for what the issue is, or is it what it brings? Many times when I look at people today, it seems like as a church, generally speaking, it seems like we want God to bless us in the fields, bless us in the city, bless us when we come and when we go. I don't see the heart to serve the same way.

I don't see the passion to learn his word the same way. I don't see when there's conflict between what we think and the sacrifices we would have to make to do what he says is automatic. What we see is complaining, desertion, moving someplace else, going to some other thing. It seems like our heart is more for what God can do rather than become who we need to be for his glory. That's what he's after, isn't it? Didn't he say, I came to make you into a new creation, to bring God's glory? Didn't he say that the only reason that man exists in Revelation chapter 4, verse 11 is to bring God glory? Why?

Who is greater than God? Who's more powerful? Who's more righteous? Who's more holy? Who is omniscient, omnipotent? So who can be better? Is it God being so up in himself that he says, become like me? No, there there's no other person that has the completeness that he has and gives us eternal life in heaven forever. It is about him. It's not because he's all into himself. It's because he himself is everything. Oh, folks, do we come to him to become who he wants us to be, or do we come for things that really don't matter? Really doesn't matter what car we drive at the end of the day. We can drive it out of the showroom and wreck it.

We can love our house, but, when we pass away, they sometimes just create more squabbles in the family. I mean, we can believe and love our bodies, but you know what? Gravity will take its effect. What is the point sometimes? I must say, I sit back and think, what is the point loving anything else? When we look at this whole concept that we've been working on all week, returning to our first love, the first thing that grips my heart is, why do we chase Jesus? I mean, think about it for a minute. You have lots of people chasing Jesus Christ while he was on earth, lots. They were coming to him, heal me, heal my son, do this.

Who's going to be on the right, who's going to be on the left, was the question one mother brought to Jesus Christ about the disciples. They're coming into Jerusalem, and they want to know who's going to take over now. We're going to run this thing, and we're going to take, push back the Romans and push away taxation and reestablish this, and this is the best person to do it. So we need to follow this Christ. Oh yes, put down the palm leaves. Let's do this thing. But at the cross, that's where it all starts, it all ends and begins. There's one man and four women that believed him, and two soldiers.

Oh, how could that be? Think about it, folks. All the blessings came. Man born blind, healed. People see Jesus Christ manifest himself powerfully in that he, Lazarus was raised from the dead after four days. Phenomenal. That's why they're putting palm leaves down when he comes into Jerusalem. So when we look at this situation, we see all of this gratification, all this excitement, and so they want to give Jesus Christ all these accolades, but the same people said, crucify him. So how could it be? Did they come for Christ or did they come for what he offers? Is the always the question as to why we follow him.

Do we follow him for things that don't matter, or do we follow him for he who is everything? Do we follow him for him, or do we follow him because of what he brings to the table? Oh, folks, here's a second thing that I want us to just reflect on today. Following him, how does our heart describe us when we follow him? In the story of Mary and Martha, I love the story, okay? The thing I wanted to focus on is that both women love him. Both women love him. Nowhere in the Bible does it say Lazarus loved them. I mean, he said he loved Lazarus in chapter 11. He said Lazarus is somebody he loves. So that's not an issue for Christ in John chapter 10.

It says that Jesus loved Mary and Martha and Lazarus. And the demonstration we find of Mary, Martha is that they respond to that love. They respond to the love of Christ. Lazarus is a different story. Even though Jesus Christ rose him from the dead, when he raises him from the dead, now after 4 days, somebody raises you from the dead, why is Mary the one at Jesus' feet, wiping his feet and putting nard on his feet and creating confusion among the disciples about how she's spending the money? Why isn't Lazarus? The Bible is clear to say Lazarus is sitting next to Jesus. No, no, no, no, no. If Jesus woke me from the dead after 4 days, I'm the one at his feet.

Jesus Christ, could I be one of your disciples that follow you? I go wherever you want me to go. Don't see that from Lazarus. You never do. You see it from Mary and Martha. So, folks, here's a person who received the greatest gift of all, not just the presence of Christ in the house that builds a relationship with people who supported his ministry. You're seeing a Lazarus receiving the greatest benefit, but has the least response. That's why, folks, the heart, when it is actually touched and becomes like Christ's heart, can't help but give a response. If you were barefoot on naked concrete, and there's a wire coming out of the wall, and there's 4,000 watts of electricity on that wire, and you touch it, I guarantee you, you will not be the same.

There'll be a massive change that takes place. The Holy Spirit comes into us at the point of salvation. The Holy Spirit that makes us a brand new creation. How in the world there can be a new person walking around when the Holy Spirit, the very nature of God, the very being of God is inside of us? Well, folks, there's something different that takes place. When Paul met Jesus on the road to Damascus, Paul says, I count all things loss. He was not into the stuff anymore. He had learned to be content. If following Christ means I can't talk about being a Pharisee, a Pharisee anymore. If following Christ means I'm broke and I got to make tents.

If following Christ means I got to have, I'm going to be whipped 5 times 39 lashes, because he told him that at the beginning. If you follow me, this is what's going to happen to you. He still said, I'm still going to do it, Christ. If you told you at the beginning you're going to have a tough ministry, will we still do it? Paul would say, I will rather enjoy the sufferings of Christ so that I can experience his nature, I can experience this fellowship with him, and to enjoy the pleasures of this world and not know him. That's the heart I'm speaking of. See, in major cities of Africa is just like America.

It's not any different. I don't know why when people go to Europe, they show all the wonderful things. When they go to Africa, they go to the countryside. I don't really get that. But in Africa, in the countryside, going for a meal at the pastor's house, the bishop's house, and sitting there, being entertained, I learned how much work it takes to make a meal. They had to get the chicken, kill the chicken, pluck the chicken, put the chicken on the table fresh. Everything in the fields, like I said, look around the house of this bishop. There are fields that he's planting stuff. That's where you eat.

It took us a while. Why? And it wasn't a big deal. Why? Fellowship was more important than the meal. Understand, they were glad to bring Jesus in. They were glad to have time with Jesus Christ. Why? Because he had to sit there, and it took a long time. That's why Martha would complain. You got to go kill the animals, set up the animals, do it's work to get all of this done, it's work. That's why she complains. But complaining that Mary wouldn't help, she's not complaining that I don't want to really do anything, and Mary needs to do it, and she wouldn't do it. No, she's complaining for help because she's committed to serve, because she is passionate about Christ.

That's why when people are passionate about Christ, their heart describes them because they want to serve him. They're not looking for accolades, they're not looking for money, they're not looking for anything. They're looking to just the opportunity to bless the name of Jesus the Christ because their heart describes them loud. When a person loves God, worship is huge. That's where Mary comes in. He's telling us the heart. He's saying, they love me. I love them. Why? And he speaks of Mary and Martha more than he ever says Lazarus. Read chapter 11 of John. So when he looks at that, he's saying, hey, she worships.

When she comes to worship, is money the issue? No. Is her hair an issue? No. Is getting to his feet an issue? This woman was well-to-do. She's at his feet. She wasn't a peasant. She was a well-to-do woman, which means she fixed her hair. She had people fixing it, and she's there at his feet. She's crying, and she is wiping his feet. She listened to the fact that he's going to die. She heard him. She listened to his teachings. His teachings led to worship. Her worship led to just self-neglect, just selflessness. If you love me, you will deny yourself, pick up the cross and follow me. She fell in love with him.

That's why she was at his feet. She loved him. It didn't matter about herself. It didn't matter who said what. Did you hear her respond to Judas? No. Did you get her get involved in the argument? No. She didn't care about the argument. Her entire focus was Jesus the Christ. Folks, that's a heart that we're talking about, that today we lack. That's the heart I'm talking about. That is the heart that moves and makes a difference and changes the world. Oh, folks, do we have the heart of Christ? Are we just here for the benefits? Do you love your job or are you just there for the benefits? Oh, folks, what does our heart say about us when we walk with Christ?

Stay focused.

Announcer: Wow. Thank you, Dr. Cannings, for such a powerful message. Friends, we're grateful to God for you, and thank you for tuning into our broadcast. If you've been touched by the ministry of Power Walk, we hope that you'll help us make a difference in the lives of others. We want to offer our thanks for your financial support so far, but we need your continual financial support for our ongoing training, outreach, and teaching programs. God is using us in the US and many parts of Africa, so please prayerfully consider joining hands with us as a Power Walk partner.

Guest (Male): Please save the date December 5th, 2026, as Dr. Paul Cannings will be hosting a fundraiser luncheon. Dr. Tony Evans, founder and president of the Urban Alternative, will be our guest speaker. The luncheon will be at 11 a.m. at Crown Plaza in Shenandoah, Texas. Please visit us online at powerwalkministries.org for reservation and further details. We hope you'll be with us this December 5th to join our host, Pastor Paul Cannings, at 11:00 AM for the luncheon and for a message from God's Word by Dr. Tony Evans. December 5th, get your reservation, PowerWalkMinistries.org. We hope to see you there.

Announcer: To reach us, call us at 281-260-7402. That's 281-260-7402 or log on to powerwalkministries.org. Again, that's powerwalkministries.org. Thanks for listening, and remember, we experience a purpose-driven life when we come to Jesus and become all that God wants us to be.