Just Do It: Be Doers of God's Word

``Our acting out on the word of God or doing God's word is not what saves us. God's grace is what saves us and his mercy and grace fills us so much that we want to act on God's word that has been planted within us. We act it. We act it out. We live it. We do what it says because of God's love. We don't need to interchange those principles. God loved us first. [00:34:48] (34 seconds)  #GraceFirst

God's grace is what saves us and his mercy and grace fills us so much that we want to act on God's word that has been planted within us. We act it. We act it out. We live it. We do what it says because of God's love. We don't need to interchange those principles. God loved us first. And then we follow in our love toward him by acting out, living out God's word. [00:34:56] (34 seconds)  #ActFromGrace

Our words can lift up, can give strength, can demonstrate love, can communicate, and they also can tear down, break apart, betray, injure, harm because words are so powerful. It doesn't take long to tear down something that has been built up by the way we speak. The image is about a bit that's put in a horse's mouth. And with that little tiny bit, a horse can be controlled. [00:35:55] (34 seconds)  #PowerOfWords

In 1976, a man by the name of Gary Gilmore, late in the spring, went on consecutive nights and shot two BYU male students, killed both of them. A few days later, he was arrested and charged, and that fall, he went to trial. He waived most of his rights. He admitted to his crimes, and he wanted his deserving punishment for him. The court found him guilty and sentenced him to death. [00:29:22] (38 seconds)  #GaryGilmoreCase

James then goes on and he gives us two examples. Two more examples of what it means to act out on the word of God. And let me be clear. Our acting out on the word of God or doing God's word is not what saves us. [00:34:38] (19 seconds)  #JamesOnAction

To look after the neglected, the marginalized, the forgotten. In God's eyes, that is pure religion. To look after those who have been forgotten. That is our calling to look after those who have the world has put on the back burner or the world ignores or the world mocks. That is our calling. [00:37:25] (35 seconds)  #ServeTheMarginalized

Do not deceive ourselves and let's do it. Let's be a church that is centered on looking after those who are forgotten and marginalized. Not only with our language in church, not only with our gifts from our pocketbooks, but by word and deed. The word of God speaks to us. [00:38:00] (28 seconds)  #ChurchInAction

He waived most of his rights. He admitted to his crimes, and he wanted his deserving punishment for him. The court found him guilty and sentenced him to death. Just a few months later in January 1977, Gary Gilmore was executed by a firing squad. What is note noteworthy or what is most remembered about, his death is that this was the first death in more than a decade that the Supreme Court had allowed, and so it was followed greatly. [00:29:47] (35 seconds)  #ExecutionMoratoriumEnds