We live in two kingdoms with two sets of rules, Pastor Troy Murphy said during his message on Sunday, Sept. 20. You are either tethered to one or the other.

Our lives should be tethered to the kingdom of God, not the world we live in, and our lives should spin around our heavenly Father.

Here are key points from Troy’s message:

*Often the lives of Christians are tethered around something besides God’s kingdom, such as politics, money, power or security. Our heart must be tethered, or surrendered, to the Father. Have you tethered your heart to the Father?

*If I’m tethered to my own security, then I am going to tether to things on earth that keep me safe and my life will spin around those things.

*We need to remind ourselves daily to whom we give our allegiance. Our lives should reflect an allegiance to the spiritual kingdom. When we gather with other believers to worship we are reminded of where our true allegiance should rest.

*If you find yourself in a panic about an election, you might want to ask who you are tethered to. No matter who is elected, it won’t change who is on the throne. Horrible people have been elected and the throne of God still stands. To which kingdom are you tethered? Who are you serving?

*When you tether your life to Christ, you are called to get out of your chair and go and make disciples. Discipleship is not an option. 

*We’re not here by accident. It is God’s great strategy to put you in a place where you can carry out an earthly kingdom calling. That is how the gospel is spread, and the gospel is Jesus — not a certain pastor, teaching style or personality.

*We cannot sit in our chairs and wait for the perfect time to make disciples. The time is now. We are tethered to a calling. By all means listen to God through his word, let go of things that bring you down and move toward things that will grow you spiritually. But at the same time we’ve got to get out of our chair and go and disciple others.

*What does it look like to have a heart tethered to Christ?

Consider how you can give your home to God. That means loving your spouse, kids, siblings and family members as God does. Then our role in our home is to share the good news, which means to proclaim how Jesus has made a difference in your life. What does Jesus’ ministry look like in your home? (Acts 5.42)

To surrender your home means to take this attitude: “What I have is yours to use.” God has given all things to us. What we have is not our own. We can use what He has given us to make an impact for his kingdom.

Specifically you can choose to use your house for growth, prayer or outreach. Go to gbcc.me/homes for specific information on how to do that.