Join host Rick Hughes on this motivating episode of The Flatline as he discusses the essence of being a consistent Christian and the importance of sticking with God’s plan for our lives. With references to key biblical scriptures, Rick emphasizes faithfulness and the dangers of spiritual fatigue, offering insights into how believers can guard against discouragement by maintaining their focus on Jesus and utilizing spiritual problem-solving techniques.
Welcome to the Flatline with your host Rick Hughes. For the next 30 minutes you’ll be inspired, motivated, educated, but never manipulated. Now your host, Rick Hughes.
SPEAKER 01 :
Good morning and welcome to another episode of the Flatline. I’m your host Rick Hughes and for the next few minutes stick around. Just about 30 minutes of motivation, some inspiration, some education and And always with no manipulation, no con games, not trying to trick you. We’re not trying to solicit money or sell you anything. Just want to give you something, give you the word of God. And hopefully, if I can do that, if I can verify and identify God’s plan for your life, then maybe you will be able to orient and adjust to the plan. I hope so. But it’s a great honor that you would give me a few minutes of your time. Please listen today. This is Splatline Show 1067 Sundays we’ve been on the air. Almost 130 radio stations right now. So thank you for listening. As we drive into 2026, we’re seeking many, many opportunities. As many as possible to lift up the Lord Jesus Christ. Right now, as I said, we’re broadcasting about 130 cities every Sunday morning. But you know, my desire is to be in many more. Only God’s grace can make that happen. But you can pray. Pray with us for the Lord to open doors so that we can expand into new markets. Again, we don’t sell anything. We’re not hustling money. We buy the time, pay for the time ourself. But it’s our opportunity to glorify the Lord Jesus Christ and lift up God’s plan. Hopefully finding people like yourself that are hungry. Over the last 20 years of broadcasting, we’ve seen many people come to a saving knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ. We’ve distributed thousands of our books to those who request them, both for personal use and sometimes to distribute them to others with whom they study the Bible. Many people have written expressing thanks for how much they’ve grown and are now studying under a well-qualified pastor. A few weeks back, I started a small series on what type of Christian to avoid and what type of Christian you should become. We studied the cosmic Christian, the cosmic recruiter. We studied the carnal Christian. We studied the confused Christian. And now today, we want to take a look at the consistent Christian, the consistent Christian. I want to kick it off with a verse in Galatians 6, verse 9. This verse says, let us not be weary. There’s our key word right there. Let us not be weary in well-doing. For in due season we shall reap if we faint not. Conditional clause. If we hang in there, if we stick with it. And that’s always what I’m talking about, being consistent or sticking with the program that God has designed for you and I. In 1 Corinthians 15, 58, another verse says, Therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, be unmovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, for as much as you know that your labor is not in vain in the Lord. So there’s two key verses you should write down and remember them. Galatians 6, 9, don’t be weary in well-doing. 1 Corinthians 15, 58, be steadfast and unmovable. That’s what it means to be a consistent Christian, to be the type of person that hangs in there. Let’s start off with Apostle Paul telling the believers in Galatia not to be weary in their well-doing. What exactly was he saying in that verse in Galatians 6, 9? Don’t be weary in your well-doing. Well, do not, it was a small particle in the Greek, it’s the letter M-E, may. It’s actually a strong rebuke. May is linked to the word, let us not grow weary, which is the verb, egkakeo, egkakeo, E-K-K-A-K-E-O, egkakeo. That’s a verb, and it’s a present tense verb, meaning there is a time that the believer has to be weary. The active voice says the believer has to commit this action, but the subjective mood says, It means that he can be recruited to be weary. It doesn’t mean he doesn’t. It means he’s subject to have it done to him. So the believer should be continuously consistent or faithful. That’s the key word, faithful, because consistency is faithfulness. Faithful to guard against what? Discouragement. Discouragement. But the potential is real, so you can, I guess Paul used the subjective mood, meaning this is something you can receive, not something you produce. It means to be discouraged. The word weary means to be discouraged. And there are many difficulties that discourage believers continuing their advance to spiritual maturity. I don’t know about you, but I’ve been through discouragement with circumstances and situations in my life like you have probably. In Philippians chapter 4 verse 11, the Apostle Paul told his friends in Philippi that he did not let circumstances dictate his attitude. What a great thing. He did not let the circumstances dictate his attitude, which meant he never had a bad day. How about that? How would you like to never have a bad day? Regardless of what side of the bed you get up on, never have a bad day. He said in Philippians 4.11, I have learned to be content. This attitude reminds me of a very simple statement that I remember from many years ago. Listen to it carefully. Blessings come and blessings go, but the source remains the same. Blessings come and blessings go, but the source remains the same. It’s true that adversity in your life is inevitable, yes, but stress is optional. So you and I must simply keep our focus. What do I mean by keep our focus? Hebrews 12.2 tells you what it means. Looking unto Jesus. There’s your focus right there. Looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross. It doesn’t mean he had a good time, but it means that something God gave him. And there’s no greater joy than to know you’re fulfilling God’s plan. And he knew exactly what God’s plan was. He knew why he came. So for the joy that was so set before him, He endured the cross, despising the shame, yes, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. This particular passage in Hebrews 12 too is proof that our Lord kept his eyes on the mission in spite of the difficulty. So I’m telling you to be consistent. You and I must follow his example. We cannot let circumstances dictate our attitudes. So relax. Put the day in the Lord’s hands by using the Faith Rest Drill, problem-solving device number three. Remember, the Flatline is 10 unique problem-solving devices and the mentality of your soul. And if you don’t have a list of those 10, contact me through my website. We’ll send you the book, Christian Problem Solving. But this is problem solving device number three, the faith rest drill. So you put things in the Lord’s hands by using faith. Faith rest drill. And you stay occupied with Christ. Problem solving device number 10. Looking unto Jesus. Hebrews 12. See how simple it is? By using the faith rest drill and staying occupied with Jesus Christ, you don’t have to let circumstances dictate your attitude. The Father is aware of what you and I are going through. He’s on top of our needs, and he’s not going to throw us under the bus, I promise you. Isaiah 40, 28. Have you not known? Have you not heard that the everlasting God, the Lord, the creator of the ends of the earth, fainteth not? Neither is he weary. Neither is he weary. There’s our word again. He’s not weary. There is no searching of his understanding. I assure you, God never gets tired of handling our difficulties. And he never gets discouraged or disappointed. He’s our God. He loves us. He sent his son to die for us. So here’s the principle. Listen carefully. God is never discouraged because what? His faithfulness endures forever. Did you hear the verse? Have you not known, have you not heard that the everlasting God, the Lord, the creator of the ends of the earth fainteth not? Neither is he weary. There’s no searching of his understanding. His faithfulness endures forever. So let’s make a few principles here I think you’ll enjoy. One, what does it take to be a consistent believer? One, consistent believers are faithful believers. Consistent believers are faithful believers. And two, they can be counted on to do the right thing at the right time. And three, Christian combat, that’s war with the flesh, war with the world, and war with the devil. Christian combat can be discouraging unless you have a flat line in your soul’s mentality. If you don’t have a flat line, a main line of resistance, you’re going to be overrun in your soul’s thinking. And you’re going to get full of self-pity, you’re going to get full of anger, you’re going to get full of jealousy. You don’t have to live like that. Four, The weary believer, the weary believer, the one that’s not the overcomer, he’s lost his objective optimism. That means he doesn’t have an attitude of expecting deliverance with favorable outcome. He does not have the attitude of expecting deliverance with favorable outcome. That’s what the faithless drill gives you, expectation of God delivering you. And number five, the weary believer is self-centered always, and he has abandoned his faithful, consistent walk with the Lord. And that’s easy to do. Yes, you got saved. Yes, you’re going to heaven. But yes, you’ve been distracted from growing in grace and knowledge of your Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. So you’ve got a battle going on for your thoughts. Sixth, patience is a great spiritual virtue that produces strength by trusting in the Lord. Trusting in the Lord. This virtue of patience is produced by the filling of the Holy Spirit and using the faith rest drill, problem solving devices number two and number three. And number seven, the spiritual consistency of the foundation for spiritual growth. Spiritual consistency is the foundation for spiritual growth. You will never grow spiritually if you’re not consistent to grow in the grace and the knowledge of your Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. And that will not happen if you’re not filled with the Holy Spirit, if you’re not taking in God’s word on a consistent daily basis. And number eight, drifting in and out of fellowship with God is an indication of no momentum, spiritually speaking. And that’s what a lot of people do. They’re in fellowship today and out of fellowship tomorrow. In other words, today they confess their sins and tomorrow they don’t. Tomorrow they let sin build up. Sin gets them angry at 8 o’clock in the morning. 9 o’clock they’re still angry. 10 o’clock at night they’re still angry. They go to bed still out of fellowship. Get up the next day out of fellowship. And it goes on for a week before you realize it. You’ve lost your momentum. Drifting in and out of fellowship with God. You’ve got to stay in fellowship with God 24-7. The only way you can do that is to name your sin consistently when you know you’ve committed a sin. And that allows the Holy Spirit to keep us in fellowship with God so that we can grow and learn God’s Word and apply it into our life and be consistent believers. Point nine, the consistent believer can be counted on to do the right thing in the right way at the right time. You hear that? Right thing, right way, the right time. Remember that a right thing done in a wrong way is still wrong. And a right thing done in the right way is right. So let’s expand on that statement. Do you consistently name your sins when you commit them, using Rebound to recover fellowship with God? Do you consistently make an effort to study God’s Word on a daily basis under the qualified ministry of a pastor teacher? The reason this is important is so that fellowship with God is maintained and spiritual growth is achieved. Remember, you can do a right thing in a wrong way. And when that happens, it does not glorify God. It’s what we call human good. And it will be burned up at the judgment seat of Christ. 1 Corinthians chapter 3. It’s a very hard principle to understand. Since it seems it’s spiritual, sounds spiritual. It looks spiritual. It sounds spiritual. Smells spiritual. But in reality, what it is, it’s only glorifying yourself and not God. Our Lord Jesus Christ said, my Father is glorified by this, that you produce much fruit and prove to be my disciples. That’s how God gets glorified. No other way. So the consistent Christian is a faithful disciple or a learner of what Jesus taught. And this relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ gives you the ability to reproduce by winning other people to him. That’s exactly why you’re left here, so you can reproduce and through you other Christians. So Hebrews 10, 23, let us hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering. Let us hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering, without getting weary. A famous football coach once said that talent alone is not what produces a winner. He stressed that the winners on his team had to be consistent in the little things, not just sensational in the big things. He stressed showing up on time, finishing the drills, don’t quit when the going gets tough. And what about you? Do you have that type of mindset? Or have you allowed the details of your life to distract you from your spiritual momentum? 2 Thessalonians 3.13 warns you, But you, brethren, be not weary in well-doing. You’ve got to be consistent. And that’s what God expects out of you, consistency. Therefore, I’m challenging you to be consistent in your spiritual growth. Be consistent in glorifying God through the filling of the Holy Spirit and reproducing Jesus Christ through your lifestyle. Okay, now let’s move to another situation. We just studied the consistent Christian, now let’s study the conquering Christian. The conquering Christian. What exactly do I mean by that when I say conquering Christian? What is that? Listen to Romans 8, 37. Nay, in all of these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us. We are more than conquerors through him that loved us. The word conquerors is an English translation of the Greek word hupernikao. Hupernikao. And the word actually means to be an overcomer or a winner. You know, it’s all throughout the book of Revelation. And we’re going to talk about this for just a minute here now this morning. Listen carefully as I read these passages to you. Listen for the word overcomer. All right, Revelation 2, 7. Maybe you should mark it in your Bible. To him that overcometh. There it is. He’s a conqueror. He’s an overcomer. To him that overcometh what I give to eat out of the tree of life, which is in the midst of the paradise of God. So you’re going to have a special place to have lunch. The tree of life in the midst of the paradise of God. In Revelation 2.11, he that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says unto the churches, because he that overcometh, there it is again, shall not be hurt in the second death. Also found in Revelation 3, 5, he that overcometh, the same shall be clothed in white raiment, and I will not blot out his name from the book of life, but I will confess his name before my Father and before his angels. Can you imagine that? The Lord Jesus Christ, when they call you front and center, and the Lord Jesus Christ says, Heavenly Father, let me introduce to you one of my overcomers. This is whatever your name is. And all the angels give you a round of applause. And you hear those words, well done, my good and faithful servant. And you have a white uniform to wear. A winner’s jacket. Again in Revelation 3.12, him that overcometh, I will make a pillar in the temple of my God. So your name will be inscribed in the hall of judgment. And he shall go no more out. And I will write upon him the name of my God and the name of the city of my God, which is new. These are all things that are promised to you if you overcome. If you’re the winner believer, if you’re the conquering believer, Again, I’ll read that verse to you in Revelation 3.12. Him that overcometh will I make a pillar in the temple of my God, and he shall go no more out. And I will write upon him the name of my God and the name of the city of my God, which is New Jerusalem, the one which cometh down out of heaven from my God, and I will write upon him my new name. You’re going to have a new name in heaven as an overcomer. Maybe you’ll be knighted. These eternal guarantees that I just read to you from Revelation starting in 2.7 and going through 3.12. These eternal guarantees are given to the conquering Christian. So who exactly is the conquering Christian? Because not every believer will attain these statuses. Those people I’m talking about are individuals who are occupied with Christ, problem-solving device number 10, and represent him by replicating his thinking. Christ overcame the world in John 16, 33. Listen, I have overcome the world as the overcomer, the conqueror, and so will the Christian conqueror, you. which from now on we’re going to designate the conqueror as a winner believer. A winner believer, not a loser, but a winner. He’s also the one who overcomes Satan. In 1 John 2.13, I write unto you, young man, because you have overcome the wicked one. John recognized that. Overcome the wicked one. The ability to become conquering Christian is available. Why? Because of 1 John 4.4. This is why you can be a conquering Christian. Listen to this carefully. 1 John 4, 4. You are of God, little children, and you have overcome them. There it is, overcomer. Because greater is the one that is in you than he that is in the world. But we know that Satan is the God of this world, and we know that the Lord Jesus Christ lives in us. And so the victory is ours. So our prayer here at The Flatline is very simple. We pray that you will be a winner believer, an overcomer, a conquering Christian. So let’s wrap it up with who is the winner believer? Just who exactly is he? Well, first of all, number one, he’s the believer who learns and applies and glorifies God by using the unique spiritual life of the church age. People in the Old Testament didn’t have what we had. They didn’t have the filling of the Holy Spirit. They didn’t have the gift of pastor, teacher. They didn’t have a printed canon of scripture. They didn’t have those things. Their spiritual life ended with a faithless drill. That’s about all they had, the faith. But we have so much more. We are members of the royal family of God. We are in the dwelling and the sealing of the Holy Spirit. The spiritual gifts that God gives to us, so many things are ours. So if we learn and apply and glorify God by using our spiritual life, we will be a winner believer. Who is the winner believer? He fully executes all the advantages, number two, of his salvation, and he attains the overcomer status. That’s what I want you to do. I want you to be an overcomer, a winner believer. And number three, he applies divine viewpoint to his life. And he comes to personal love for God. Personal love for God is problem-solving device number seven. It’s the greatest virtue you can have. That’s the greatest momentum you can have, to be in love with your God. And produces maximum divine good. So the winner believer applies divine viewpoint to his life. He thinks like Christ thought. Philippians 2.5. And he comes to personal love for God. And that’s clear in 1 John 5, 3. Comes to personal love for God. And he produces maximum divine good. He’s known in the Bible as a certain individual. I’ll read it to you here in Ephesians 3, 19. He’s described as having the fullness of God. Ephesians 3, 19. And to know the love of Christ which passes knowledge so that you might be filled with all the fullness of God. This is number five, the invisible hero. He may remain anonymous to the world and yet be honored and rewarded by God for his life as a conquering Christian who overcomes the world, overcomes Satan, overcomes his sin nature. What a wonderful thought that is. Who is the winner believer? He will have blessings throughout all eternity. Point six. Blessings that are both material and intangible. That means they have no physical appearance. And these blessings will be tailor made for him by God. Number seven, the winner believer has the surpassing riches. Listen to Ephesians 2, 7. And in the age to come, he might show the exceeding riches of his grace and his kindness towards us through Christ Jesus. The blessings that he receives in eternity are beyond the normal blessings of heaven. These blessings include crowns of righteousness and crowns of life and the privilege of ruling with Jesus Christ in the millennium. Listen to 2 Timothy 4.8. Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give me on that day, and not to me only, but unto all of them that love his appearing. and the privilege of ruling with Christ in the millennium. Where did I get that from, Revelation 3.21? To him that overcometh the winner believer will I grant to sit with me in my throne, even as I also overcame, and have sat down with my Father in his throne. To sit with me in my throne. And number eight, the winner believer will wear for all eternity the decorations of his spiritual victory, earned by standing firm on God’s word throughout his life. Revelation 3.5, he that overcometh, the same shall be clothed in white raiment. That’s your uniform of glory. You’ll wear it over your resurrection body. Okay? What do you think? You want to be the conquering believer, the winner believer? This concludes my study on the conquering Christian. And I pray you have learned what awaits you if, if, if you press towards the prize. If you have the spiritual desire to be an overcomer. Paul put it this way in Philippians 3.14, I press towards the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus. It’s going to take some effort on your part to be the consistent believer and to be the conquering believer, but it is possible. God has made it available for you. And it’s our prayer here at the Flatline Radio Show that we will motivate you to be that particular individual, the one that brings maximum glory to God, maximum glory to the Lord Jesus Christ. Solid, sound doctrine, and you don’t stray from the course. You stick with it. You’re consistent. You don’t get discouraged. You don’t get the give up attitude. You hang in there in spite of the adversity that you face. Okay? I hope you’ve learned something here today. I’ve given you a lot of scripture and backed it all up. It’s been a challenge. I hope you enjoyed it. I look forward to seeing you next week. Same time, same place. Until then, this is your host, Rick Hughes, saying thank you for listening to The Floodline.
SPEAKER 02 :
Thank you for listening to The Floodline with your host, Rick Hughes. If you’d like to contact Rick, please write to him at P.O. Box 100, Cropwell, Alabama, 35054, or online at www.rickhughesministries.org.
