Stretch…God will help you. “Besides, in my devotion to the temple of my God I now give my personal treasures of gold and silver for the temple of my God, over and above everything I have provided for this holy temple: three thousand talents of gold (gold of Ophir) and seven thousand talents of refined silver, […]
Put your heart into it…because God knows. “Besides, in my devotion to the temple of my God I now give my personal treasures of gold and silver for the temple of my God, over and above everything I have provided for this holy temple…” 1 Chron 29:3 (NIV) What are you passionate about? What makes […]
Do your best…God is worth it. “With all my resources I have provided for the temple of my God–gold for the gold work, silver for the silver, bronze for the bronze, iron for the iron and wood for the wood, as well as onyx for the settings, turquoise, stones of various colors, and all kinds […]
Think big…because God is a big God. “Then King David said to the whole assembly: ‘My son Solomon, the one whom God has chosen, is young and inexperienced. The task is great, because this palatial structure is not for man but for the LORD God.’” 1 Chron 29:1 (NIV) Have you ever been invited to […]
Be an irresistible influence for the glory of God. You were made by God to make an impact for His glory. God has impacted you by providing the gift of eternal life through the atoning work of Jesus upon the cross. God has impacted you by filling you with His Holy Spirit. Now it is time […]
“I urge, then, first of all, that requests, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for everyone–for kings and all those in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness. This is good, and pleases God our Savior, who wants all men to be saved and to come to a […]
“As Jesus was on his way, the crowds almost crushed him. And a woman was there who had been subject to bleeding for twelve years, but no one could heal her. She came up behind him and touched the edge of his cloak, and immediately her bleeding stopped.” Luke 8:42-44 (NIV) Often God makes His greatest […]
“‘Be careful not to do your “acts of righteousness” before men, to be seen by them. If you do, you will have no reward from your Father in heaven.’” Matt 6:1 (NIV) You will make no Kingdom impact if you are serving yourself. If you are displaying acts of kindness to be applauded by others, you […]
“Then Moses and Aaron fell facedown in front of the whole Israelite assembly gathered there. Joshua son of Nun and Caleb son of Jephunneh, who were among those who had explored the land, tore their clothes and said to the entire Israelite assembly, ‘The land we passed through and explored is exceedingly good. If the […]
“That night all the people of the community raised their voices and wept aloud. All the Israelites grumbled against Moses and Aaron, and the whole assembly said to them, ‘If only we had died in Egypt! Or in this desert! Why is the LORD bringing us to this land only to let us fall by […]
“Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen.” Eph 3:20-21 (NIV) What kind of impact will you make […]
In my walk with God, I have discovered that God will cultivate the fruit of the Spirit that is lacking in me. If I am lacking in the area of patience, God will provide me with opportunities to develop patience. If I am giving little evidence of the fruit of the Spirit known as joy, God […]
“‘You have heard that it was said, “Eye for eye, and tooth for tooth.” But I tell you, Do not resist an evil person. If someone strikes you on the right cheek, turn to him the other also. And if someone wants to sue you and take your tunic, let him have your cloak as […]
“Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them.” Matt 5:17 (NIV) Jesus is more than enough. In His earthly ministry, Jesus brought clarity to the Law and the Prophets. He was more than the summation of the Law […]
“‘What good will it be for a man if he gains the whole world, yet forfeits his soul? Or what can a man give in exchange for his soul?’” Matt 16:26 (NIV) Jesus establishes the value of a soul. On one side of the scale is the world including achievements, acquisitions, and accolades. On the […]
“‘For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me will find it.’” Matt 16:25 (NIV) Jim Elliot served the mission field of Ecuador trying to reach the Aucas for Christ. He and his missionary partners where killed by the ones they were seeking to reach. As a […]
“Then Jesus said to his disciples, ‘If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me.’” Matt 16:24 (NIV) Are you a fully devoted follower of Christ? Do you obey what you already know? To follow Jesus is to obey His commands. Obedience is a true mark of being […]
“Then Jesus said to his disciples, ‘If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me.’” Matt 16:24 (NIV) Life without Jesus doesn’t make sense. You can spend your life succumbing to the current of busyness and end up weary and depleted. You can slither down the […]
“Then Jesus said to his disciples, ‘If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me.’” Matt 16:24 (NIV) While driving down the interstate, I discovered a billboard advertisement that had this phrase in large gold letters with a dark background, “It’s all about you.” That phrase captures the ebb […]
“Then Jesus said to his disciples, ‘If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me.’” Matt 16:24 (NIV) Does life make sense to you? Are you clear about why you exist and why God has placed you right where you are? Do you understand where you fit in […]
“Jesus turned and said to Peter, ‘Get behind me, Satan! You are a stumbling block to me; you do not have in mind the things of God, but the things of men.’” Matt 16:23 (NIV) Peter deeply cared for Jesus. Peter had just spoken the powerful words given by God to affirm that Jesus was […]
“Make it your ambition to lead a quiet life, to mind your own business and to work with your hands, just as we told you, so that your daily life may win the respect of outsiders and so that you will not be dependent on anybody.” 1 Thess 4:11-12 (NIV) Where there is order there […]
“May the Lord make your love increase and overflow for each other and for everyone else, just as ours does for you.” 1 Thess 3:12 (NIV) How do you make your love for others grow? You place the same value on others that God does. If we could ever fully embrace God’s perspective on people, then our love […]
“And we also thank God continually because, when you received the word of God, which you heard from us, you accepted it not as the word of men, but as it actually is, the word of God, which is at work in you who believe.” 1 Thess 2:13 (NIV) How do you view the Bible? […]
“The Lord’s message rang out from you not only in Macedonia and Achaia–your faith in God has become known everywhere. Therefore we do not need to say anything about it, for they themselves report what kind of reception you gave us. They tell how you turned to God from idols to serve the living and […]
“You became imitators of us and of the Lord; in spite of severe suffering, you welcomed the message with the joy given by the Holy Spirit. And so you became a model to all the believers in Macedonia and Achaia.” 1 Thess 1:6-7 (NIV) Are you a model for others to follow? Think about the […]
“Trust in the LORD forever, for the LORD, the LORD, is the Rock eternal.” Isaiah 26:4 (NIV) God is eternal. God was not born and will not die. God will not become something; He is. God is above time. He is not limited by our space and time constraints. God is perpetual and everlasting. God has […]
“I have seen you in the sanctuary and beheld your power and your glory.” Psalms 63:2 (NIV) God is all-powerful. There is nothing God cannot do. Someone once asked me, “Can God make a rock so large that even He cannot lift it?” My response is that God would not make a rock that He […]
“O LORD, you have searched me and you know me. You know when I sit and when I rise; you perceive my thoughts from afar. You discern my going out and my lying down; you are familiar with all my ways. Before a word is on my tongue you know it completely, O LORD.” Psalms 139:1-4 (NIV) God is […]
“Where can I go from your Spirit? Where can I flee from your presence? If I go up to the heavens, you are there; if I make my bed in the depths, you are there. If I rise on the wings of the dawn, if I settle on the far side of the sea, even there your […]