Category: Example (Page 1 of 2)

Unlimited Time Awaits us in heaven if we choose to follow Christ

Spiritual Edification

March 8, 2026 / Wayne Johnson / 0 Comments

Before my wife’s illness interfered, the following was my typical schedule for planned edification each month in Bible classes and worship with the Church.

1 hour – Sunday bible class
1 hour – Sunday Worship
1 hour – Sunday eve worship
1 hour – Wednesday bible study
1 hour – 1st and 3rd Thursday for a men’s bible study.

The time adds up to around 22 hrs. per month, yet this is only about 6% of my awake hours in a year. Does this number surprise you? It surprised me. I thought it would be much more than 6%.

Is God getting our best effort or a minimum effort? In the story of the rich young ruler, the ruler asked Jesus, “What must I do to receive eternal life?”

When Jesus heard this, He said to him, “One thing you still lack; sell all that you possess and distribute it to the poor, and you shall have treasure in heaven; and come, follow Me.” But when he had heard these things, he became very sad, for he was extremely rich.” Luke 18:22-23 Apparently, he was unwilling to give up all he had to follow Jesus.

Jesus doesn’t ask us to give our life savings, but; Would we be willing to if He did?

(Especially if we think giving Him a few hours each week is inconvenient.)

It’s a matter of our hearts!

You and I, every person on earth, are so important to God that He gave us His only son as our pathway to eternal life. “For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life.” John 3:16

Jesus, “who gave himself for our sins to deliver us from the present evil age, according to the will of our God and Father,” Galatians 1:4

How much are we willing to give to Him?

Rhetorically:

What example are you giving to those you love by your effort?
Is God getting your best or your minimum?

God First!

Let us try!

March 7, 2026 / Wayne Johnson / 0 Comments

We will each stand in judgment before God.

Let us stand ready to say, “We tried,” rather than, “We did not think we could make a difference.”

Let’s NOT be like the servant who was rebuked and lost everything for not trying in the parable of the talents. (Mat. 25:14-30)

Let’s have God judge us for our efforts rather than our lack thereof.

Let us sow God’s Word
Let us study and learn God’s word
Let us try
Let us pray
Let us believe and demonstrate our faith

Let us plant and water the seeds of truth, knowing and trusting that God will supply the increase. even if we never see it with our own eyes.

Let us do our best to follow God according to God’s Word.

“Come to Me, all who labor and are heavily laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you, and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy, and My burden is light.” Matthew 11:28-30

God First!

Flaxseed and Scripture

March 5, 2026 / Wayne Johnson / 2 Comments

I have friends who set family goals to read 1,000 books in a year. Personally, I’m a slow reader, so this goal is truly impressive to me. In fact, when I ordered the book in this picture, “The Utterance of God,”

I ordered it based on my interest in the topic and a friend’s recommendation. This book identifies and demonstrates numerous biblical proofs (many of which I was unaware of); which prove that what we read in the Bible is indeed the actual Words of God.

The Bible claims this fact in 2 Timothy 3:16, where God tells us, “All Scripture is God-breathed…”.

Recognizing, understanding, and comprehending these many proofs found in Scripture proves God as the creator of everything we know and understand; therefore, we should do all within our power to follow Christ according to what we find in God’s Word.

This book of proofs has a nice-sized font, but when I bought it, I did not realize it was over 500 pages. Likewise, the Bible has over 1,000 pages and 750,000 words. Although large books seem daunting to me, I have learned to take the Flaxseed approach to my reading.

Flaxseed was recommended to me for its several health benefits. When I ordered the Flaxseed, and it arrived, I thought, wow, that’s a lot of Flaxseed; how will I ever get through all this? Yet by using just a teaspoon at a time, I have now consumed several containers and am healthier for it.

I am proud to report that I have read every word in this book, “The Utterance of God.” Parts of it were challenging for me to comprehend, but the largest percentage was very easy and extremely informative and interesting. Moreover, I gained considerably by persistently consuming just a few pages at a time over months.

The result: Studying this information strengthened my understanding of God’s Word, highlighted several passages I was unaware of, increased my confidence, and encouraged and emboldened my faith.

Reading good books can provide several benefits for the health of our minds, and reading God’s Holy Word nourishes both mind & soul; it is life’s best guide!

Following God’s Word according to God’s Word is to follow Jesus, and Jesus is our only way to spend eternity with God. (John 14:6, Acts 4:2, 1 Timothy 2:5, John 10:9, John 1:14)

I encourage anyone reading this writing to set aside time to read the Bible.

Don’t predetermine it’s too hard to understand; instead, be persistent with yourself and commit yourself to at least a spoonful of reading per day. Before you know it, just like with the Flaxseed or this book I now recommend, you will have consumed the whole book. It’s a blessing!

Grace: – Ephesians 2:8, Romans 3:24, Titus 2:11, Acts 15:11
Hearing the Gospel:- Romans 10:17, John 8:32
Belief/Faith: – Hebrews 11:1, John 8:24, Romans 10:17, Acts 3:19
Repentance: – 2 Cor. 7:9-10, Luke 13:3-5, Acts 17:30
Confession: – Romans 10:9-10, Matthew 10:32-33, Luke 12:8-9
Baptism by immersion for the forgiveness of sin: – Matthew 16:15-16 1 Peter 3:21, Acts 2:38, Mark 16:16, John 3:5, Matt 28:18-20, Ephesians 4:5, Romans 6:3-4, Colossians 2:12, Acts 8:36-39, Mark 1:9-10, John 3:23
Live Faithfully: Revelation 2:10, Philippians 2:12

God First!

Study and live God's Word as if your soul's eternity depends on your choices.

Study Is Worth the effort

February 26, 2026 / Wayne Johnson / 1 Comment

When we send our kids to school, we intend for them to learn to study and understand the basic curriculum. In college, they pursue degrees, and throughout it all, we will hear them complain, “It’s boring to study, it’s boring to listen, it’s boring to sit through lectures,” yet with effort, they become fluent in new terminology and the details of their chosen professions. In the end, they have accumulated all those boring hours, and it’s worth it!

Reading and studying God’s word can seem boring and daunting. I understand the mindset; It once seemed that way to me.

I looked for answers in what others understood or simply in my reasoning. I had good reason to trust what I was being told. However, it was not until I began studying on my own and attending Bible classes, worship services, and study groups that an accurate understanding of God’s Word began to sink in.

As a result, my once skin-deep faith grew into an all-consuming zeal to share the message of Christ.

Why?

Because our souls’ eternity is decided by our choices.

It’s more important than anything worldly. I need to be able to explain and defend why this is true. (within the pages of scripture), In other words, by sharing God’s Word “as written,” not my words or my ideas.

Regarding God’s word, my boredom with study has become an engaging excitement, with the purpose of sharing. A continuous thirst to grow closer to God with an ever-growing understanding of God’s intent for me and all disciples of Jesus, His commands, His Forgiveness, Mercy, and how we accept His Grace by keeping Jesus’s commands.

I encourage everyone to make a similar effort to grow, as All Truth is in God’s Word.

My quest is to explain, with certainty and boldness, the joy and hope that are in me, with gentleness and respect. Just as we are directed in 1 Peter 3:15-16 and Ephesians 6:20

OUR SOULS ARE WORTHY OF EVERY EFFORT!

John 5:39 (Eternal life)
2 Timothy 3:15-17 (study)
John 13:34 (A new command)
Luke 10:27 (Love God with all)
John 14:15 (Keep Jesus’s commandments)
Matthew 19:17 (If you want to enter)
Ecclesiastes 12:13 (Whole duty)
Revelation 22:18-19 (Caution)
Matthew 7:22 (I never knew you)

God First!

Starting conversations with a gift of love

February 23, 2026 / Wayne Johnson / 2 Comments

Virginia and I walked along a nearby circular, wooded path, doing our thing, saying hello to everyone who passed. We greeted one man, probably in his early 30s, exchanged pleasantries, and continued walking, seeing him again about halfway around the circle. Only this time, we all stopped and chatted for a moment.

His name was Mitch, and during our conversation, I asked if he believed in God. He responded, “Yes,” then said he was about to ask me a similar question because he felt the love of Jesus in us earlier. While speaking, I reached into my backpack, told him I wanted to give him something, and began retrieving a God First cup with its messages. While doing so, explaining, “I don’t want to give this gift to someone who won’t appreciate it, which is why I asked if you believed in God.” As Mitch took the cup of inspiration, he was extremely appreciative.

We spoke briefly about some of the responses I have received sharing these cups with others, and how I have been saddened by the percentage of people who state they don’t believe, maybe as high as 25%. I mentioned one seemingly bitter lady who recently responded: “No, I don’t, and I DON’T WANT TO BE PREACHED TO EITHER!” (She later wanted to know why I asked)

During our very brief conversation, we covered a few topics. Mitch mentioned love and the Holy Spirit a few times, emphasizing his understanding of the Holy Spirit’s role in our lives.

I mentioned how we receive the gift of the Holy Spirit by baptism (citing Acts 2:38) and emphasized the importance of studying and learning God’s Word, according to His Word, that we might truly understand and not be swayed from the truth.

How Scripture states, “… each one of us will give an account of himself to God.” Pointing out that I will not be held accountable for his actions, nor will he be for mine; however, we can certainly help each other out along the way.

We mutually agreed that it was important to share God’s word with love, as scripture commands, rather than in a spirit of condemnation.

We discussed that the word ‘Belief’ is often used too loosely. How scripture points out. Even the demons believe—and shudder! So, just saying, “I think there’s someone up there” isn’t enough.

As an example, I mentioned some state: that baptism is not essential to salvation, yet scripture plainly states, “Baptism now saves us.” Though the conversation was short, I also invited Mitch to visit our local congregation, The Buford Church of Christ, where the emphasis is on study and worship that’s modeled on the practices of early Church worship, rather than on entertainment so prevalent in many churches today., so, along with the God First cup, I also gave him a card with the location, Worship and Bible study times, etc.,

(I wrote this synopsis from memory and a few notes made as we walked away from Mitch. Although I did not quote word for word all the verses below in our conversation, I did refer to most of them and explained if we had time, I could find and show him all the scriptures I was referring to.)

Maybe we will meet Mitch again one day and have further discussion, or, better yet, he will visit our Buford Church of Christ congregation, feel the love of Christ so prevalent in the members, and embark on learning more.

Scripture references made:

• Romans 14:12 (each will give account)
• Acts 2:38 (receive the gift of the Holy Spirit)
• Mark 16:16 (believe and be baptized)
• 1 Peter 3:21 (Baptism now saves us)
• 2 Timothy 2:15 (study to Shew thyself approved)
• Matthew 7:21-23 (Not everyone)
• James 2:19 (Even demons believe)
• 1 Peter 3:15 (Share with love)
• Ephesians 6:16-20 (share boldly)

“For to set the mind on the flesh is death, but to set the mind on the Spirit is life and peace.” Romans 8:6

God First!

*AI generated photo

Shouting from the rooftops!

February 10, 2026 / Wayne Johnson / 0 Comments

I will never regret doing so; in fact, I cherish having expressed my love both privately and publicly. One close to me teased that I was making other men look bad by posting this mushy stuff. In teasing, they said, “I told my wife when we got married that I loved her; if anything changes, I’ll let her know.

However, in my mind, this occasional public display of affection may have been slightly embarrassing for both of us, but I treasured her smiles and appreciation of my efforts more than what people might think, and shouted our love from the rooftops of social media.

Our Anniversary is approaching this coming Saturday, Feb 14th. I will probably remind her of the day’s significance, get her some flowers, a card, and some chocolates to enjoy. I will probably write and share something on that day, then read it to her, and she will enjoy all these efforts only in the moment.

Not everyone needs to write the mushy stuff or shout it from the rooftops, but while our loved ones are still here in mind and body, whether spouses, parents, grandparents, etc. It’s a valuable time we each have to lift up our loved ones in praise and love.

It’s been 10 years now since I wrote the following and posted it on Facebook. This was pre-Alzheimer’s, and Virginia loved and appreciated it.

“Your smile is my sunshine

Your voice is my song

Your mind intrigues me and baffles me some

Your laughter, my ocean

Your eyes are my stars

Your love is my heartbeat and a gift from above.

I love you, babe, and don’t mind shouting it from the rooftops of Facebook.

Oh… and happy Valentine’s Day, Wayne.”

“Be devoted to one another in love. Honor one another above yourselves.” – Romans 12:10

“Therefore, encourage one another and build each other up, just as you are doing.” – 1 Thessalonians 5:11

“Dear children, let us not love with words or speech but with actions and in truth.” – 1 John 3:18

“Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. – Philippians 2:3

Ephesians 5:25, 1 Corinthians 13:4-7, 1 Peter 3:7, 1 John 4:19,

God First!

The 20-year battle within – Part 2

February 6, 2026 / Wayne Johnson / 0 Comments

We have now been together for 41 years, not long after we married on Feb 14th 2003, I told Virginia I wanted to go back to Church. This literally scared her, and she bawled. In her mind, my desire equated to me not thinking she was good enough. I assured her this was not the case. When I attended, I would arrive late for Worship and leave immediately. I thought that if people got to know too much about my life, they would try to change it, so I stayed very private at first. However, I remained consistent in my efforts to attend and learn, and eventually began attending all the Bible classes and evening services.
I was also a friend of Jimmy Miller, the minister at the time, whom I had known when I was a faithful teenager, so at that time, I mostly only talked with Jimmy.

Though we had corrected the marital part of our lives, there were other parts of my life that, in light of God’s Word, I thought conflicted with a selfless pursuit of following Christ; however, as my faith and understanding grew through study and application, so did my desire and efforts to address or replace those issues with better choices and habits as well.

Although few knew of my past at the time, I decided to repent publicly and move forward, asking the Church for forgiveness for those wayward years. As I attended, I would invite my wife, but only occasionally, as doing so constantly would irritate her. One Sunday morning, Virginia said yes and went with me. She then began attending with me sporadically, but over time, she came with me to every service and Bible study. Jimmy had some one-on-one Bible studies with us, and Virginia concluded she needed to be baptized into Christ.

My wife had been raised Catholic; she had adopted atheism from her previous husband, who was killed in a motorcycle accident, and on March 23, 2010, about 7 years after our marriage, she was immersed in the waters of baptism for the forgiveness of her sins and became a disciple of Christ, a Christian. During her immersion, it was noticed that her elbow did not go underwater, so they baptized her twice. I then teased her that her sins were so bad she had to be double dunked. There is nothing that could make me waver again!

I pray that anyone reading this who may be in a similar situation will begin now, set it right, and never waver again. It’s comforting to have certainty in our souls’ condition, knowing we will spend eternity with Jesus. 1 John 5:13

God’s Grace: Ephesians 2:8, Romans 3:24, Titus 2:11, Acts 15:11
Hearing the Gospel:– Romans 10:17, John 8:32
Belief/Faith: – Hebrews 11:1, John 8:24, Romans 10:17, Acts 3:19
Repentance of sin: – 2 Cor. 7:9-10, Luke 13:3-5, Acts 17:30
Confess Christ: – Romans 10:9-10, Matthew 10:32-33, Luke 12:8-9
Baptism by immersion for forgiveness of sin: – Matthew 16:15-16, 1 Peter 3:21, Acts 2:38, Mark 16:16, John 3:5, Matthew 28:18-20, Ephesians 4:5, Romans 6:3-4, Colossians 2:12, Acts 8:36-39, Mark 1:9-10, John 3:23

God First!

The 20-year battle within – Part 1

February 5, 2026 / Wayne Johnson / 0 Comments

“I really need to go back to church,” I carried this thought in my mind for over 20 years; however, after my first marriage failed, I made destructive choices, destructive to my soul and my example to others. Choices that pulled me away from the teachings of God’s word. I met the woman who would one day become my wife, and though we were not yet married, we moved in together with my three-year-old son, who was in my custody.

I knew enough of God’s Word to recognize my choice was wrong, but I ignored God and spent the next 20 years living in direct opposition to Christ’s teaching. Arrogantly and foolishly thinking that if I died, I could claim ignorance, or use the perceived loophole of justification, that since we had the commitment of marriage, we didn’t need the paper. In my arrogance, I thought that if I came before Christ at Judgment, I’d be able to explain the circumstances that led to my situation, and Jesus would make an exception for me and respond: Oh, that makes sense and not hold me eternally accountable, yet Scripture points out that Jesus will and must treat everyone equally. “Peter opened his mouth and said: “Truly I understand that God shows no partiality, but in every nation anyone who fears him and does what is right is acceptable to him.” Acts 10:34-35.

I was not doing what I knew was right, and by following my own desires, I was dismissing God’s Word, which means I was dismissing God.

There are no words to truly express how sorrowful I am today for these ungodly decisions, and my example during those years, nor for how grateful I am that I lived through them to the point of correction and repentance.

During this time, I deliberately stopped laying claim to the name “Christian” or attending services, thinking that my absence somehow made me less of a hypocrite. I look at these words now and think HOW SAD, how could I have been so foolish? I then avoided Christian friends, influences that might prompt my repentance or lead to any conversation about my salvation. By doing so, I ignored everything I knew to be true about my soul’s condition. I even prayed occasionally that it would not take a major heartache to prompt my return home, thinking I would set things right. However, if I had lost my life during those years, Jesus would have had no choice but to say, “‘I never knew you; depart from me, you worker of lawlessness.’ See Matt 7:21-23

Although I thought, in those early years, that I had faith and believed, my understanding was built on sand; I was no better than the demons mentioned in James 2:19, who believed and feared.

Had I truly understood, as I do today, the gravity of my decisions and the destructive power of my example, I would never have allowed myself that first inch into such a lost position so far away from hope.

Jesus’s message of love and forgiveness does not grant me special privileges in the name of forgiveness. I had no right to ignore His teachings and live as I wanted. Those commands, those teachings we find in Scripture, are there for a reason. I thought I knew God’s Word, but after I returned to the fold, I attended every class I could and discovered how little I truly understood.

I pray that anyone reading this who may be in a similar situation will begin immediately, set it right, and never waver again. It’s comforting to have certainty in our souls’ condition, knowing we will spend eternity with Jesus. 1 John 5:13

Acts 3:17-19, James 4:17, 1 Corinthians 10:11, Matthew 12:36, Acts 2:38, Luke 13:3, 2 Peter 3:9, 2 Chronicles 7:14, Ephesians 5:5, 1 Corinthians 6:18, 1 Corinthians 6:9, Matthew 15:19

God First!

Update on God First Cup efforts,

January 7, 2026 / Wayne Johnson / 0 Comments

I have now given several cups to strangers and invited them to visit the congregation I attend. In doing so, I have noted what they can expect during their visit, stating: we are not an “entertainment church,” but rather we are a Church that focuses on teaching and studying God’s Word.

This point is made because I have been invited by others to visit their church with the preludes, “It has a great band,” “You will love the band, “The lead singer in the band is awesome,” and so forth. So, I want people to understand that I am not inviting them to be entertained, but rather to worship and learn.

Before giving away a mug with its message, I generally ask one or two questions

Do you believe in God? These answers have been: Yes, No, sort of, I believe in a higher power, and I am a Buddhist. If they are Believers, I often ask, do you go to Church somewhere? Yes, No, I’ve been looking for one, not yet, I’ve been thinking about it, and I don’t believe in God.

I ask these questions to avoid offending the disbeliever by giving them a cup they don’t want; however, for everyone else, my desire is to plant seeds by giving them this cup of inspiration that states, “the best life is a God First life.”

Recently, I talked with a young lady at the carwash who said she did not go to church anywhere and sort of believed in God. I still offered her a cup, pointing out the message of love on and inside the cup, while giving her a Buford CoC card with service times, address, website, and phone number, and invited her to visit and learn more.

Opportunities abound. I stopped and gave mugs to a family down the street with two small children. They are outside a lot and exchange waves with us when we drive by. As they received their cups, they told me they had been looking for a Church. We also have a new family across the street with three small children who currently attend a church. I gave them cups and invited them to visit. We’ve given cups to people on our daily park walks, and yesterday to the receptionist, where we had our dog Casper groomed, and invited her to visit.

It’s my hope that these gifts will inspire some of these people to attend and learn, but at the very least, this God First message is planting seed and being seen in their homes, cars, and hands, so I pray for open hearts and fertile soil.

If you’re interested in using the cups to help you plant seeds or invite others, reach out to me. Although I cannot afford to give all of them away, I am reselling them for pennies above my actual cost and including the paper message inside each cup. By having others purchase some of the cups, I can buy enough to get reasonable prices and do it over and over.

God First!

I was risking my soul; I could have lost it!

December 6, 2025 / Wayne Johnson / 0 Comments

In my mind, I began generating a list of people who have impacted my life. The list quickly became too long to count. Most were encouraging, loving, compassionate, and caring, while others were hateful, mean, threatening, and scary. Some vulgar, while others careful and thoughtful.

Some influencers were people users; some rejected friendships, while others worked to create them. Some were dishonest, greedy, and liars, with some constantly seeking their next high on drugs or alcohol. Thankfully, a few lived their lives striving to be like Christ, pursuing righteousness and working as disciples of Christ, believers in God, and students of Scripture. Simply put, our influencers throughout life contribute to who we become.

For many years, selfish desires guided me toward negative influences more than positive ones. I tried to straddle right and wrong, which led to more bad choices than good ones.

I didn’t want to think about my soul’s condition, yet I knew enough scripture to understand that unless I changed the direction of my life, Heaven WAS NOT my forever home.

I was risking my soul; I could have lost it!

I avoided, dismissed, ignored, and distanced myself from any conversation that might prompt me to think about the seriousness of my soul’s condition.

I had convinced myself I was a good person, and though I knew my lifestyle was against the teachings of scripture. I actually entertained the idea that I could plead ignorance before God; Now, that was sheer foolishness, and deep down, I knew it.

Twenty-two-plus years ago, circumstances beyond my control prompted me to rethink my path. First, small changes led to more noticeable ones, and then, in more recent years, many fundamental changes occurred.

The “old person” of my past is now gone, replaced with faith and trust in God. I no longer attempt to straddle fences and take comfort in knowing that my forever home will be in the mansions Jesus has prepared.

Jesus wants us all to hear and respond to the love of His message. God’s offer of forgiveness. He wants us all to believe and repent (change direction), confess Christ as His Son, be baptized into Christ for the forgiveness of our sins, and then walk through life as a “New person”, knowing our past sins are forgiven and forgotten by God.

Studying God’s word these last few years has significantly improved my understanding, as it can for anyone.

The question I now contemplate is: How can I help someone who is where I was 22-plus years ago?

How can I help others realize the need to make a change today?

How can I help others realize that by gambling their soul, “their influence” contributes to loved ones gambling with theirs?

How can I do my part to help others realize the seriousness of our choices?

Changing direction is easy when you replace your old desires with new ones and lean on the encouragement of your brothers and sisters in Christ.

Why gamble with eternity?

Why wait?

God First!

Category: Example (Page 1 of 2)

Spiritual Edification

The 20-year battle within – Part 2

The 20-year battle within – Part 1

I was risking my soul; I could have lost it!

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