“For if you live according to the sinful nature, you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the misdeeds of the body, you will live.” Romans 8:13 (NIV) Have you noticed the two roads available to you? One road aligns with your sinful nature and seeks to gratify the desires resident […]
“Forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors.” Matthew 6:12 (NIV) Forgiveness is always the best decision. The Bible teaches us multiple facets of forgiveness. We have the privilege of receiving God’s forgiveness provided by the atoning work of Jesus on the cross. This vertical forgiveness initiated by God allows us to be in a right relationship with God. […]
“‘For I know the plans I have for you,’ declares the LORD, ‘plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.’” Jer 29:11 (NIV) God has plans for your life. Where are you currently in relation to God’s plans? Have you had some bumps along the way? […]
“All these people were still living by faith when they died.” Heb 11:13 (NIV) It’s not how you start; it’s how you finish. Commit to finish well. When you study the Hall of Faith found in Hebrews chapter eleven, you will discover great men and women who chose to finish well. They were still living […]
“And we pray this in order that you may live a life worthy of the Lord and may please him in every way: bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God, being strengthened with all power according to his glorious might so that you may have great endurance and patience, and […]
“One day Jesus said to his disciples, ‘Let’s go over to the other side of the lake.’ So they got into a boat and set out.” Luke 8:22 (NIV) God will get you to the other side. His plan for you is personal. God designed you with His purpose in mind. You are not an […]
“And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him.” Heb 11:6 (NIV) God has doors for you to walk through, bridges for you to cross, and experiences for you to embrace. Faith is the key […]
“Therefore, brothers, we have an obligation—but it is not to the sinful nature, to live according to it.” Romans 8:12 (NIV) Think back to the moment of your conversion. Where were you and how did you come to know Jesus personally? In that moment, a divine transaction took place that changed your forever. In that […]
“It was just before the Passover Feast. Jesus knew that the time had come for him to leave this world and go to the Father. Having loved his own who were in the world, he now showed them the full extent of his love.” John 13:1 (NIV) When do you feel most loved? Have you […]
“Then Moses stretched out his hand over the sea, and all that night the LORD drove the sea back with a strong east wind and turned it into dry land. The waters were divided, and the Israelites went through the sea on dry ground, with a wall of water on their right and on their […]
“For this reason, since the day we heard about you, we have not stopped praying for you and asking God to fill you with the knowledge of his will through all spiritual wisdom and understanding.” Col 1:9 (NIV) One of the most profound prayers you can pray for others is for them to know God […]
“By day the LORD went ahead of them in a pillar of cloud to guide them on their way and by night in a pillar of fire to give them light, so that they could travel by day or night.” Exodus 13:21 (NIV) The GPS navigational system in the Old Testament for the children of […]
“Then Saul dressed David in his own tunic. He put a coat of armor on him and a bronze helmet on his head.” 1 Sam 17:38 (NIV) As you can imagine, King Saul had the latest in warfare technology. His armor was the best of the best and fit for a king. Yet, Saul tried […]
“‘Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I set you apart; I appointed you as a prophet to the nations.’” Jer 1:5 (NIV) Before you were born, God existed. God is eternal. That means that God has always been and God will always be. God was never born […]
“As Jesus and his disciples were on their way, he came to a village where a woman named Martha opened her home to him. She had a sister called Mary, who sat at the Lord’s feet listening to what he said. But Martha was distracted by all the preparations that had to be made. She […]
“Moses’ father-in-law replied, ‘What you are doing is not good. You and these people who come to you will only wear yourselves out. The work is too heavy for you; you cannot handle it alone.’” Ex 18:17-18 (NIV) Do you have margin in your life? Margin is the space between your load and your limit. […]
“So I say, live by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the sinful nature. For the sinful nature desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the sinful nature. They are in conflict with each other, so that you do not do what you want.” […]
“Without warning, a furious storm came up on the lake, so that the waves swept over the boat. But Jesus was sleeping.” Matt 8:24 (NIV) Trials have a tendency to sneak up on us like weeds in a flowerbed. We can be living in the land of the familiar and enjoying our daily routine when […]
“Finally, all of you, live in harmony with one another; be sympathetic, love as brothers, be compassionate and humble.” 1 Peter 3:8 (NIV) Families that resolve conflict together stay together. If the devil came to you for counsel on how to destroy families, what would your advice entail? Perhaps you would recommend the weapon of […]
“The LORD God said, ‘It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make a helper suitable for him.’” Gen 2:18 (NIV) God created us for relationship. The first “not good” in the Bible is connected to aloneness. God created us for companionship. We do better together. God designed us to be […]
“My dear brothers, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry, for man’s anger does not bring about the righteous life that God desires.” James 1:19-20 (NIV) Communication is vital for the home and family to operate in a way that pleases God. Relationships deepen […]
“Follow my example, as I follow the example of Christ.” 1 Cor 11:1 (NIV) Your home should be a place to run to, not run from. God wants your home to be an oasis. Your home should be the safest place on earth to be yourself. Trust is essential. In fact, without trust there is […]
“You said in your heart, ‘I will ascend to heaven; I will raise my throne above the stars of God; I will sit enthroned on the mount of assembly, on the utmost heights of the sacred mountain. I will ascend above the tops of the clouds; I will make myself like the Most High.’ But […]
“Those controlled by the sinful nature cannot please God.” Rom 8:8 (NIV) Pleasing the Creator of the universe seems impossible. God is omnipotent, omniscient, and omnipresent. God is holy, perfect, immutable, and eternal. God is infinite. How can finite man please God? The vital ingredient to pleasing God is living according to the Spirit by […]
“The mind of sinful man is death, but the mind controlled by the Spirit is life and peace; the sinful mind is hostile to God. It does not submit to God’s law, nor can it do so.” Rom 8:6-7 (NIV) We have God-given desires that are natural and are vital to life. For example, we […]
“Those who live according to the sinful nature have their minds set on what that nature desires; but those who live in accordance with the Spirit have their minds set on what the Spirit desires.” Rom 8:5 (NIV) Every believer is living in two worlds: the world of the Spirit or the world of the […]
“For what the law was powerless to do in that it was weakened by the sinful nature, God did by sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful man to be a sin offering. And so he condemned sin in sinful man, in order that the righteous requirements of the law might be fully […]
“Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit of life set me free from the law of sin and death.” Rom 8:1-2 (NIV) Have you ever walked through a season of bondage? In those times, you begin to feel an overwhelming […]
“Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.” Rom 8:1 (NIV) The Bible presents the bad news of condemnation for sin. We are born in sin and bear the marks of the sin nature that can be traced throughout our family tree all the way back to our beloved relative, […]
“And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” Phil 4:7 (NIV) Choose to replace your anxious thoughts with intentional prayer. Your focus will shift from the gravity of your circumstances to the enormity of God’s power. You will gain God’s perspective on the obstacles […]