“But Jonah ran away from the LORD and headed for Tarshish. He went down to Joppa, where he found a ship bound for that port. After paying the fare, he went aboard and sailed for Tarshish to flee from the LORD.” Jonah 1:3 (NIV) Our natural proclivity is to do life our own way. We […]
“All the believers were together and had everything in common. Selling their possessions and goods, they gave to anyone as he had need.” Acts 2:44-45 (NIV) The moment you became of follower of Jesus Christ, you received the imputed righteousness of Christ, you received the forgiveness of your sin, and you were adopted into God’s […]
“They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer.” Acts 2:42 (NIV) God formed you for fellowship. In the language of the New Testament, the word fellowship means communion, communication, partnership, or intimacy. Just as God called you into salvation, He also calls you into […]
“All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit enabled them.” Acts 2:4 (NIV) God accomplishes the extraordinary through ordinary people just like you. He gives you everything you need for life and godliness (2 Peter 1:3). Fulfilling God’s purposes requires God’s power. You cannot […]
“‘I am going to send you what my Father has promised; but stay in the city until you have been clothed with power from on high.’” Luke 24:49 (NIV) Just before ascending to heaven, Jesus instructed the disciples to stay in Jerusalem until they received what His Father had promised. Jesus affirmed that they would […]
“We have much to say about this, but it is hard to explain because you are slow to learn. In fact, though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you the elementary truths of God’s word all over again. You need milk, not solid food!” Heb 5:11-12 (NIV) How […]
“From inside the fish Jonah prayed to the LORD his God.” Jonah 2:1 (NIV) If you spent three days and three nights inside a great fish that God provided, you would probably place that in the category of a life changing experience. Your entire life would be marked by that one experience with God. You […]
“For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the likeness of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers.” Romans 8:29 (NIV) We take comfort in knowing that in all things God works for the good of those who love Him and are called according to His purpose (Rm. […]
“Then we will no longer be infants, tossed back and forth by the waves, and blown here and there by every wind of teaching and by the cunning and craftiness of men in their deceitful scheming. Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will in all things grow up into him who is the Head, […]
“It was he who gave some to be apostles, some to be prophets, some to be evangelists, and some to be pastors and teachers, to prepare God’s people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of […]
“Jesus answered him, ‘I tell you the truth, today you will be with me in paradise.’” Luke 23:43 (NIV) The thief on the cross received the greatest gift of all, the gift of eternal life. In our vernacular, we would say that he was in the ninth inning with two outs and a full count. […]
“Large crowds were traveling with Jesus, and turning to them he said: ‘If anyone comes to me and does not hate his father and mother, his wife and children, his brothers and sisters–yes, even his own life–he cannot be my disciple.’” Luke 14:25-26 (NIV) Idolatry is a word we seldom use. Whenever you allow someone […]
“Then Jesus said to him, ‘Get up! Pick up your mat and walk.’ At once the man was cured; he picked up his mat and walked. The day on which this took place was a Sabbath, and so the Jews said to the man who had been healed, ‘It is the Sabbath; the law forbids […]
“But those who hope in the LORD will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.” Isaiah 40:31 (NIV) God never intended for you to live the Christian life in your own strength. Joining God in His activity requires […]
“As the deer pants for streams of water, so my soul pants for you, O God.” Psalm 42:1 (NIV) Are you growing in your daily intimacy with God? It takes time to develop intimacy. Your private worship is vital to having an ongoing vibrant love relationship with Christ. You may say that you just don’t […]
“‘The man who loves his life will lose it, while the man who hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life. Whoever serves me must follow me; and where I am, my servant also will be. My Father will honor the one who serves me.’” John 12:25-26 (NIV) Why did you […]
“‘I tell you the truth, unless a kernel of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains only a single seed. But if it dies, it produces many seeds.’” John 12:24 (NIV) Are you dying to live? God has placed within you unlimited potential. God created you to share His love and to shine […]
“Jesus replied, ‘The hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified.’” John 12:23 (NIV) Victory comes through surrender. Our culture teaches you to take control of your life. Be the best! Give it your all! Get all you can! Be happy! Win at all costs! Reality shows have glamorized the self-centered life. […]
“Be on your guard; stand firm in the faith; be men of courage; be strong.” 1 Cor 16:13 (NIV) Spiritual warfare is a reality in the life God has for you. Get on your toes and be aware, be alert, and be armed. The devil is real. This is not a time to embrace spiritual […]
“Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.” 1 Peter 5:8 (NIV) As you live the life God has for you, you will combat your flesh, the world around you, and the enemy beneath you. Satan’s mission is to disrupt and to dismantle God’s […]
“Do not love the world or anything in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For everything in the world–the cravings of sinful man, the lust of his eyes and the boasting of what he has and does–comes not from the Father but from the world.” […]
“I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do.” Romans 7:15 (NIV) Sometimes your greatest obstacle is you. Paul gave us insight into the civil war within him. Though a seasoned believer and a mature follower of Jesus Christ, Paul wrestled […]
“The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.” John 10:10 (NIV) Living the Christian life involves learning to live with opposition. Motion causes friction. When you choose to follow Jesus and move in the direction of the narrow path, […]
“The angel said to the women, ‘Do not be afraid, for I know that you are looking for Jesus, who was crucified. He is not here; he has risen, just as he said. Come and see the place where he lay.’” Matt 28:5-6 (NIV) Are you looking for Jesus? He has risen! Death has been […]
“For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are–yet was without sin.” Heb 4:15 (NIV) Jesus understands your trials from without and your struggles from within. In our contemporary vernacular: Jesus has been […]
“When he had received the drink, Jesus said, ‘It is finished.’ With that, he bowed his head and gave up his spirit.” John 19:30 (NIV) Jesus died so we could live. Our destiny was destruction. Our identity was diluted by sin. Our iniquity was placed upon Jesus (Is. 53:6). Jesus became sin for us so […]
“And when the centurion, who stood there in front of Jesus, heard his cry and saw how he died, he said, ‘Surely this man was the Son of God!’” Mark 15:39 (NIV) What was it about the final hours of Jesus’ life that made an eternal impact on the centurion who approved of the crucifixion […]
“For God did not call us to be impure, but to live a holy life.” 1 Thess 4:7 (NIV) Is it possible to stay clean while living in a dirty world? Every possibility for contaminating our lives is available to us. Sin is rampant. We face trials from without and temptation from within. The cultural […]
“My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me.” John 10:27 (NIV) You can live your life at a distance relationally and experience the absence of meaningful relationships with others. The relational deficit will soon erode your joy and remove your smile. God made us for relationships. The shepherd and sheep […]
“The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the One and Only, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.” John 1:14 (NIV) Why did Jesus leave the glory of heaven to come to earth? What motivated Him to leave an environment of […]