“As they sailed, he fell asleep. A squall came down on the lake, so that the boat was being swamped, and they were in great danger.” Luke 8:23 (NIV) Why does God allow storms to come into our path? God is more concerned about our character than our comfort. His passion is for us to […]
Category: Faith
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Living The Dash (2)
“The LORD had said to Abram, ‘Leave your country, your people and your father’s household and go to the land I will show you.’” Gen 12:1 (NIV) Leave room for mystery. How would you respond if God told you to leave everything familiar and go to a land that He would show you? What if […]
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When Storms Come
“The LORD is my rock, my fortress and my deliverer; my God is my rock, in whom I take refuge.” Psalms 18:2 (NIV) Who are you relying upon? What is your faith anchored to? Where do you run when the storm comes? Where do you go when life doesn’t make sense? Can you affirm these […]
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When Storms Come
“The LORD is my rock, my fortress and my deliverer; my God is my rock, in whom I take refuge.” Psalms 18:2 (NIV) Who are you relying upon? What is your faith anchored to? Where do you run when the storm comes? Where do you go when life doesn’t make sense? Can you affirm these […]
“I have been reminded of your sincere faith, which first lived in your grandmother Lois and in your mother Eunice and, I am persuaded, now lives in you also.” 2 Tim 1:5 (NIV) Does your faith come across to others as sincere? Do others detect the genuineness of your faith? That kind of faith is […]
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Finishing Strong
“I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Now there is in store for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day–and not only to me, but also to all who have longed for his appearing.” 2 […]
“Therefore, my dear friends, as you have always obeyed–not only in my presence, but now much more in my absence–continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you to will and to act according to his good purpose.” Phil 2:12-13 (NIV) How does faith work? Faith […]
“Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.” James 1:4 (NIV) How does faith work? Faith works in you. God’s desire and design for you is to bring you to a point of maturity and completion. You are still in the process of becoming who you are […]
“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.” Hebrews 11:6 (NIV) How does faith work? Faith works for you. God is always at work to bring us to the point of recognizing our need […]
“You foolish man, do you want evidence that faith without deeds is useless ? Was not our ancestor Abraham considered righteous for what he did when he offered his son Isaac on the altar? You see that his faith and his actions were working together, and his faith was made complete by what he did.” […]
“You believe that there is one God. Good! Even the demons believe that–and shudder.” James 2:19 (NIV) Believing in God will not get you to heaven. God has revealed Himself generally through nature and specifically through the incarnate Word, Jesus. To say that you believe in God is not sufficient for salvation. James asserts that […]
“Suppose a brother or sister is without clothes and daily food. If one of you says to him, ‘Go, I wish you well; keep warm and well fed,’ but does nothing about his physical needs, what good is it? In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead.” […]
“What good is it, my brothers, if a man claims to have faith but has no deeds? Can such faith save him?” James 2:14 (NIV) You can profess Christ and not possess Christ. What does it take for a person to be saved? Is it possible to have saving faith without deeds? Will my faith […]
“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 […]
“Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance.” James 1:2-3 (NIV) Without a test, there is no testimony. God allows trials to come into our lives in order to prove the authenticity of our faith. We are like a […]
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Real Trials (2)
“If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him.” James 1:5 (NIV) View your trials from God’s perspective. Knowledge is needed to take things apart. Wisdom is needed to put things back together. When your life is coming apart, […]
“The goal of this command is love, which comes from a pure heart and a good conscience and a sincere faith.” 1 Tim 1:5 (NIV) Your reputation is based on what others say about you. Your character is based on what you really are when no one is looking. Nothing neutralizes your witness faster than […]
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Sincere Faith (6)
“But as for you, continue in what you have learned and have become convinced of, because you know those from whom you learned it, and how from infancy you have known the holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus.” 2 Tim 3:14-15 (NIV) Make good on […]
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Sincere Faith (5)
“‘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 6:2-3 (NIV) One way to honor your parents is to learn what they know. Recently I visited my dad on the front porch of the nursing […]
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Sincere Faith (4)
“Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right.” Eph 6:1 (NIV) Are your parents still alive? Have you inherited their faith? Maybe they modeled sincere faith before you consistently or maybe they did not make those kinds of deposits in your life. It could be that one of your parents faithfully handed […]
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Sincere Faith (3)
“What you heard from me, keep as the pattern of sound teaching, with faith and love in Christ Jesus. Guard the good deposit that was entrusted to you–guard it with the help of the Holy Spirit who lives in us.” 2 Tim 1:13-14 (NIV) As you seek to impart your sincere faith, expect opposition. As […]
“Don’t let anyone look down on you because you are young, but set an example for the believers in speech, in life, in love, in faith and in purity.” 1 Tim 4:12 (NIV) Did you know that you will multiply what you model? Now that is convicting! That means that it truly does matter how you […]
“I have been reminded of your sincere faith, which first lived in your grandmother Lois and in your mother Eunice and, I am persuaded, now lives in you also.” 2 Tim 1:5 (NIV) Would those who know you best say that you have a sincere faith? Is your faith genuine? Are you the real deal? […]
“So they took away the stone. Then Jesus looked up and said, ‘Father, I thank you that you have heard me. I knew that you always hear me, but I said this for the benefit of the people standing here, that they may believe that you sent me.’” John 11:41-42 (NIV) Jesus prayed. When you […]
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Living the Life (4)
“Jesus said to her, ‘I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me will live, even though he dies; and whoever lives and believes in me will never die. Do you believe this?’“ John 11:25-26 (NIV) The value of life seems to go up when you come face to face with death. If […]
“Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego replied to the king, ‘O Nebuchadnezzar, we do not need to defend ourselves before you in this matter. If we are thrown into the blazing furnace, the God we serve is able to save us from it, and he will rescue us from your hand, O king. But even if he […]
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Bridger Generation (5)
“‘And whoever welcomes a little child like this in my name welcomes me. But if anyone causes one of these little ones who believe in me to sin, it would be better for him to have a large millstone hung around his neck and to be drowned in the depths of the sea.’” Matt 18:5-6 […]
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Something Great for God (4)
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, […]
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Doing Life (1)
“Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.” James 1:2-4 (NIV) My dad has had a life of trials. His parents were alcoholics and a […]
Religion is like a vaccination. It will give you just enough to keep you from getting the real thing. Religion is our attempt to reach up to God. God desires relationship. Relationship is demonstrated by God coming down to us. The Creator coming down to His created ones. Though we are fallen, flawed, and fall short, […]