“Slaves, obey your earthly masters with respect and fear, and with sincerity of heart, just as you would obey Christ. Obey them not only to win their favor when their eye is on you, but like slaves of Christ, doing the will of God from your heart. Serve wholeheartedly, as if you were serving the […]
“‘I tell you the truth, anyone who will not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it.’” Mark 10:15 (NIV) What is the Kingdom of God? God’s people on mission with God to fulfill God’s purposes on earth! Where is the Kingdom of God? Wherever Jesus is King! Is Jesus […]
Who do you work for? Your answer to that question will quickly identify your motivation for waking up each morning. What if you decided that you work for Jesus? What if you allowed Jesus to become your boss? “Serve wholeheartedly, as if you were serving the Lord, not men, because you know that the Lord […]
“Fathers, do not exasperate your children; instead, bring them up in the training and instruction of the Lord.” Eph 6:4 (NIV) Parenting is a blessing from the Lord. The opportunity to mold and shape a child into a fully devoted follower of Christ is a high privilege and responsibility. God entrusts parents with the task […]
“Dear friends, now we are children of God, and what we will be has not yet been made known. But we know that when he appears, we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is. Everyone who has this hope in him purifies himself, just as he is pure.” 1 John […]
“Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right. ‘Honor your father and mother’–which is the first commandment with a promise–‘that it may go well with you and that you may enjoy long life on the earth.’” Eph 6:1-3 (NIV) God gives a clear word on the essentials for a peaceful home. A home […]
Do you like to go home? Think about your current home life. When you have finished up at work or school or running errands, do you like to go home? Is your home an oasis or a war zone? Do you look forward to going home or is it a daily dread? God wants you to […]
Take a look at your priorities and assess your life. See where you are allocating your time and energy. One of Satan’s most effective tools to diffuse a believer’s focus is busyness. Your life becomes consumed with keeping too many plates spinning. Before you know it, you have over-committed and over-scheduled your life. Jesus has the answer. “But […]
“Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more important than food, and the body more important than clothes? Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in […]
“‘Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be […]
“‘When you fast, do not look somber as the hypocrites do, for they disfigure their faces to show men they are fasting. I tell you the truth, they have received their reward in full. But when you fast, put oil on your head and wash your face, so that it will not be obvious to […]
Forgive instantly. You cannot live the Christ-centered life without instant forgiveness. Living in a right relationship with God and with others requires instant forgiveness. Think about where you would be without God’s forgiveness. Think about the alienation and the isolation and the rejection that would be your constant companion. But God came to your rescue […]
It is so easy to neglect prayer. One reason is because praying is such a private experience. Another reason is because we tend to be easily distracted during our times of prayer. Sometimes we have difficulty connecting with an invisible God. Prayer requires faith. Prayer requires patience and discipline. In fact, prayer is hard work. […]
“‘So when you give to the needy, do not announce it with trumpets, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and on the streets, to be honored by men. I tell you the truth, they have received their reward in full. But when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know […]
“However, each one of you also must love his wife as he loves himself, and the wife must respect her husband.” Eph 5:33 (NIV) The husband’s greatest need is respect. God created the man with the innate need to be honored and respected. Wife, your husband needs to know that you respect him. You may be […]
Marriage is God’s idea. He ordained it. He designed it. 1. God created us in His image. “So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them.” Gen 1:27 (NIV) 2. In marriage, the two become one. Satan attacks this spiritual union by seeking to […]
How would you define love? Is love a verbal expression, an act of kindness, or a gift extended to another? Is love being willing to do what you do not enjoy in order to benefit someone else? Is love a natural flow from a heart that is full? “‘A new command I give you: Love […]
Does your husband deserve your submission? Has he earned it? Does he treat you in such a way as to warrant your response of submission? Are you motivated to submit to your husband? These are painful questions if you bypass the intent of God’s revealed Word. “Wives, submit to your husbands as to the Lord.” […]
“Submit to one another out of reverence for Christ.” Eph 5:21 (NIV) Has your relationship to Christ changed the way you relate to fellow believers? If you have been adopted into God’s family, then all the Christ followers on the planet are now your family members. You may not be in close proximity to the multitudes of […]
Heaven is eternal life. Jesus has come to bring us abundant life on earth in the here and now. You don’t have to delay the reality of heaven on earth. Eternal life can be a present reality in your life. “The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they […]
Turn from sin and self. “But unless you repent, you too will all perish.” Luke 13:3b (NIV) What comes to mind when you here the words “about face?” It means to make a 180 degree turn. It means to turn around in order to go the opposite direction. When Jesus told the woman caught in […]
It is impossible for God to allow sin into heaven. God is perfect; we are imperfect. God is righteous; we are unrighteous. God is pure; we are impure. God is sinless; we are sinful. God is flawless; we are flawed. “Yet he does not leave the guilty unpunished…” Ex 34:7 (NIV) “All of us have become […]
Forgiveness is available to all. “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.” John 3:16 (NIV) One of my best friends died of cancer two months after we graduated from college. We had studied together, prayed together, and […]
We cannot have eternal life and heaven without God’s forgiveness. “In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins…” Eph 1:7 (NIV) All kinds of records are broken on a daily basis. Just when you thought a particular feat was impossible, someone attempts it and pulls it off. Years ago, I was watching […]
You become what you are committed to. Who is the object of your loyalty, passion, and energy? What are you giving your life to? How are you allocating your time? What are you committed to? “Then Jesus said to his disciples, ‘If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross […]
“Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day.” 2 Cor 4:16 (NIV) Is it possible to experience renewal in the midst of decay? It depends on your focus. If you spend your life focused on the externals, then discouragement awaits. However, if […]
Are you longing for simplicity in your world of complexity? Solomon understood a life filled with a mosaic of opportunities. His world was lavished with unlimited choices. Solomon enjoyed the pursuit of pleasure, wisdom, and wealth. Yet, he declared that it was all meaningless. He had it all and yet it did not deliver at all. At the end […]
“God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble.” Psalms 46:1 (NIV) God never intended for you to walk through adversity alone. Maybe you have heard someone say that God will never put more on you than you can handle. That’s not true. God will not put more on you than you can handle with His help. The Christian […]
“Do not get drunk on wine, which leads to debauchery. Instead, be filled with the Spirit.” Eph 5:18 (NIV) My eleventh grade Sunday School teacher took three of us boys snow skiing in Keystone, Colorado. We had an adventurous time navigating the slopes and conquering the moguls. One snowy night, we experienced the glide of a sleigh ride […]
“Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the Lord’s will is.” Eph 5:16-17 (NIV) Are you wrestling with God’s will? Do you want to know what He wants you to do next? So what does it take to know and do God’s will? Read the following verses and identify God’s revealed will as specifically stated […]