For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also.
(James 2:26)
I was raised near water and most of my life have been able to look out the windows of my house and watch families in their boats and people having fun on the water. Even now as I look out the window of my ministry office I can see the shoreline of a beautiful lake that has over 1,300 miles of shoreline. My family has been in the boat business since I was a teenager.
As a young man, the governor of our state, John Ashcroft, appointed me as the Naval Captain of Missouri’s Navy, which would have been a very important position except for one fact – Missouri doesn’t have a navy! But regardless of whether you are an expert at boating or a novice who is operating a boat for the very first time, the rules of the waterway do not change.
Your personal experience is irrelevant when anchoring a boat. If you throw out an anchor during a storm, and allow it to hook securely, the boat will not move. But if you do not anchor the boat, it will drift and be carried away by every wind and storm, regardless of how much knowledge and experience the captain has.
Your Christian life is much the same way. I have seen Christians who have studied the Word of God and become highly educated in scripture and verse. But when the storms of life or a wind of doctrine comes along, they are blown to a new location. This happens periodically throughout their life and in the end, they accomplish very little for the Kingdom because their ship was never anchored.
Throughout the Christian world, there seems to be one thing in common everywhere. There are people who have studied the Word of God and seem to know it well who drift from church to church. They appear to anchor. But that is in appearance only and their lack of being anchored becomes evident when the wind blows and the storms come. And they drift to the next church.
Of course, there are legitimate reasons why people change churches, but ultimately any change of ministry fellowship should be because God Himself has spoken to your heart and you listen and are obedient to what He says. But a word of caution here on this. Don’t use God as an excuse to justify doing what your flesh wants to do.
Now, of course, all of this brings us to the question, “How do I become anchored in my church? What is it that I can do that will throw out the anchor and secure it so that I will not be blown off course by every storm that comes along?” Well, the answer to this is so simple that most people miss it. It’s a very basic principle that where your heart is, that is where you will be. Where you make your investment is where you will stay. Your treasure and your time are valuable and where you put your treasure and your time is where you will desire to be.
Let’s be honest. If the only thing you are doing at your church is attending from time to time and listening to a sermon, there is no anchor. Your time is your most valuable asset, even more so than your money. In fact, time is what you use as an exchange for money – you invest 40 hours of your time, and you receive a paycheck.
The Bible tells us that without faith it is impossible to please God. (Heb. 11:6) The Bible says that anything not of faith is sin. (Rom. 14:23) And the Bible says faith is required in order to receive salvation. (Eph. 2:8) Faith is extremely important. But James wrote to his congregation and told them that unless faith had works with it, it was dead. Works are simply acting upon what God has said and you have decided to believe in your heart.
That raises another question. What is it that is important to you? Deep in your heart, what is your desire? Is it important that children learn about the things of God? Is it important that God’s house is clean? Is it important that new people be assisted in parking and finding their way into the house of God? Is it important that infants have proper facilities? The bottom line is this. Are you anchored in God’s house? Or ask yourself this question. “What am I investing in God’s house that would anchor me in any way?”
A ship that is not anchored will drift away at the slightest breeze. It doesn’t take a storm. But an anchored ship will not move. A Christian will drift away either to a church or to no church unless he is anchored. What anchors you? You’ve got to just do something, because faith without works is dead and profits you nothing.
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Dr. Larry Ollison is founder and Senior Pastor of Walk on the Water Faith Church and founder of Larry Ollison Ministries. With over forty years in the ministry, he is a very popular speaker nationally and internationally and ministers the Word of Faith through radio, television, Internet, and daily e-mail devotionals. As the author of twelve books (including The Power of Grace, The Practical Handbook for Christian Living, Breaking the Cycle of Offense, Life is in the Blood, and recently released The Paradise of God), he is in frequent demand for radio/TV interviews, book signings, and magazine publications.
Dr. Ollison was raised a Southern Baptist. While majoring in theology at Southwest Baptist University, he received the baptism of the Holy Spirit. For many years he traveled extensively speaking at Full Gospel Business Men's meetings and conventions. He later earned an M.A. in Theology and a Ph.D. and Th.D. from Life Christian University.
Currently President of International Convention of Faith Ministries (ICFM), Dr. Ollison is also Vice-President of Spirit FM Christian Radio Network, Missouri State Director of Christians United for Israel (CUFI), and a Trustee on the boards of several international ministries. He is also the host of The Cutting Edge Radio Broadcast and authors The Cutting Edge Daily Devotional.
As the owner of a marine dealership, his extensive business background brings a unique flavor to his teaching. He founded and served as chairman of the Missouri State Marine Board, President of the Marine Dealers’ Association, Vice-President of a bank holding company, along with holding several directorships in various corporations.
Dr. Ollison's strongest areas of teaching are the blood of Jesus, faith, relationships, the Hebrew language, the Holy Spirit, the end times, and heaven. During ministry, he operates freely in the gifts of the Holy Spirit. His use of humor and his ability to make a theological concept simple makes it enjoyable and easy for everyone to understand. Countless testimonies have been received from people who say their lives have been changed after experiencing Dr. Ollison's unique ministry.
Dr. Ollison is a pastor, pilot, teacher, and author. His number one goal is to meet the needs of the people through the teaching of faith in God's Word. He and his wife, Loretta, have two children and six grandchildren.