Categories
Grace Jonah Mercy

Second Chances

“And the Lord spoke to the fish, and it vomited Jonah out upon the dry land.” Jonah 2:10 (ESV) Where would you be if God were not the God of second chances? You would be without hope and without a future. God will not only pursue you with His redeeming love, but He also gives […]

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Choices Forgiveness Grace

Choosing to Forgive

“For I will be merciful toward their iniquities, and I will remember their sins no more.” Hebrews 8:12 (ESV) God, in His omniscience, has the capacity to remember our sins no more. God is infinite and we are finite. We do not have the capacity to forgive and forget. Of course, it seems at times […]

Categories
Grace Jonah Mercy

Second Chances

“And the Lord spoke to the fish, and it vomited Jonah out upon the dry land.” Jonah 2:10 (ESV) Where would you be if God were not the God of second chances? You would be without hope and without a future. God will not only pursue you with His redeeming love, but He also gives […]

Categories
Grace Naomi Ruth

Restorer of Life

“Then the women said to Naomi, ‘Blessed be the Lord, who has not left you this day without a redeemer, and may his name be renowned in Israel! He shall be to you a restorer of life and a nourisher of your old age, for your daughter-in-law who loves you, who is more to you […]

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Abraham Compassion Grace

God’s Grace

“And the child grew and was weaned. And Abraham made a great feast on the day that Isaac was weaned. But Sarah saw the son of Hagar the Egyptian, whom she had borne to Abraham, laughing. So she said to Abraham, ‘Cast out this slave woman with her son, for the son of this slave woman shall […]

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Grace Paul Transformation

Authentic Christianity

“And I was still unknown in person to the churches of Judea that are in Christ. They only were hearing it said, ‘He who used to persecute us is now preaching the faith he once tried to destroy.’ And they glorified God because of me.” Galatians 1:22-24 (ESV) Think about someone you are acquainted with that […]

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Faith Grace Works

Salvation That Works

“Do you want to be shown, you foolish person, that faith apart from works is useless? Was not Abraham our father justified by works when he offered up his son Isaac on the altar? You see that faith was active along with his works, and faith was completed by his works.” James 2:20-22 (ESV) Your […]

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Faith Grace Works

Obvious Faith

“What good is it, my brothers, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can that faith save him?” James 2:14 (ESV) 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 be […]

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Atonement Grace Righteousness

Grace for the Race

“I do not nullify the grace of God, for if righteousness were through the law, then Christ died for no purpose.” Galatians 2:21 (ESV) You need grace for the race called life. In Christ, we have experienced the mercy of God in that God did not give us what we deserved. We deserved separation, alienation, and punishment for our […]

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Divorce Forgiveness Grace

Protect Your Castle

“It was also said, ‘Whoever divorces his wife, let him give her a certificate of divorce.’ But I say to you that everyone who divorces his wife, except on the ground of sexual immorality, makes her commit adultery, and whoever marries a divorced woman commits adultery.” Matthew 5:31-32 (ESV) Jesus affirmed the value of marriage. […]

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Enemies Grace Love

Love Your Enemies

“‘You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven. For he makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends […]

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Grace Irresistible influence Jesus

Go the Extra Mile

“And if anyone forces you to go one mile, go with him two miles.” Matthew 5:41 (ESV) The Roman law in Jesus’ day gave a soldier the right to force a civilian to carry his equipment for a mile. It did not matter if the civilian had other plans or was going in the opposite […]

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Forgiveness Grace Mercy

Choosing to Forgive

“Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you.” Eph 4:32 (ESV) Extending forgiveness is intentional and perpetual. The words “just as” are powerful. In our key verse above, they mean to imitate and to emulate God’s forgiveness. We are to forgive each other just as in Christ God forgave us. Let’s […]

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Grace Jesus Revenge

Redefining Retaliation

“You have heard that it was said, ‘An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.’ But I say to you, Do not resist the one who is evil. But if anyone slaps you on the right cheek, turn to him the other also.” Matthew 5:38-39 (ESV) The religious leaders Jesus confronted during His earthly ministry had […]

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Grace Humility Pride

Receiving Grace

“But he gives us more grace. That is why Scripture says: ‘God opposes the proud, but shows favor to the humble.‘” James 4:6 (ESV) Grace is getting what we do not deserve. We do not deserve God’s forgiveness, salvation, reconciliation, favor, blessing, and heaven. But God demonstrates His love by gracing us with that which […]

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God's Provision Grace Joining God

Getting a Second Chance

“And the Lord spoke to the fish, and it vomited Jonah out upon the dry land.” Jonah 2:10 (ESV) Where would you be if God were not the God of second chances? You would be without hope and without a future. God will not only pursue you with His redeeming love, but He also gives […]

Categories
Atonement Grace Justification

Justification

“Consequently, just as the result of one trespass was condemnation for all men, so also the result of one act of righteousness was justification that brings life for all men. For just as through the disobedience of the one man the many were made sinners, so also through the obedience of the one man the […]

Categories
Grace Power Soulwinning

Divine Enabling

“With great power the apostles continued to testify to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, and much grace was upon them all.” Acts 4:33 (NIV) How is resurrection power evidenced in your life? The apostles demonstrated resurrection power as they testified of the bodily resurrection of the Lord. They combated immense opposition to share the […]

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End Times Grace Judgment

Motivation to Share

“By these waters also the world of that time was deluged and destroyed. By the same word the present heavens and earth are reserved for fire, being kept for the day of judgment and destruction of ungodly men.” 2 Peter 3:6-7 (NIV) Sin infected the earth God created. In Noah’s day, man’s wickedness had become […]

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Abiding Relationship Grace Legalism

Conduit of Grace

“Indignant because Jesus had healed on the Sabbath, the synagogue ruler said to the people, ‘There are six days for work. So come and be healed on those days, not on the Sabbath.’” Luke 13:14 (NIV) Legalism bypasses relationship. Instead of operating out of an abiding relationship with Christ, it is possible to embrace an […]

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God's Love Grace Prodigal

Celebration or Rejection

“The older brother became angry and refused to go in. So his father went out and pleaded with him. But he answered his father, ‘Look! All these years I’ve been slaving for you and never disobeyed your orders. Yet you never gave me even a young goat so I could celebrate with my friends. But […]

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Dignity Grace Prodigal

Dignity on Display

“But the father said to his servants, ‘Quick! Bring the best robe and put it on him. Put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet. Bring the fattened calf and kill it. Let’s have a feast and celebrate. For this son of mine was dead and is alive again; he was lost […]

Categories
Grace Moses Romans

Fullness of God’s Grace

“And we know…” Romans 8:28a (NIV) What do you do when your world is falling apart? Sometimes you are surprised by the circumstances of life. Living in a fallen world generates unpredictable situations that require your response. How will you respond? Remember that God is working. God is always at work in the midst of […]

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Grace Jesus Mercy

Dispensing Mercy

“But for that very reason, I was shown mercy…” I Tim 1:16a (NIV) During my fourth grade year in elementary school, I made the decision to ride on the handle bars of the bicycle my friend was pedaling to transport us home. The front tire was compressed by my weight and caused my friend to […]

Categories
Grace Jonah Mercy

Second Chances

“And the Lord spoke to the fish, and it vomited Jonah out upon the dry land.” Jonah 2:10 (ESV) Where would you be if God were not the God of second chances? You would be without hope and without a future. God will not only pursue you with His redeeming love, but He also gives […]

Categories
Grace Naomi Ruth

Restorer of Life

“Then the women said to Naomi, ‘Blessed be the Lord, who has not left you this day without a redeemer, and may his name be renowned in Israel! 15 He shall be to you a restorer of life and a nourisher of your old age, for your daughter-in-law who loves you, who is more to you […]

Categories
Abraham Compassion Grace

God’s Grace

“And the child grew and was weaned. And Abraham made a great feast on the day that Isaac was weaned. 9 But Sarah saw the son of Hagar the Egyptian, whom she had borne to Abraham, laughing. 10 So she said to Abraham, ‘Cast out this slave woman with her son, for the son of […]

Categories
Atonement Grace Justification

Justification

“Consequently, just as the result of one trespass was condemnation for all men, so also the result of one act of righteousness was justification that brings life for all men. For just as through the disobedience of the one man the many were made sinners, so also through the obedience of the one man the […]

Categories
Grace Power Soulwinning

Divine Enabling

“With great power the apostles continued to testify to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, and much grace was upon them all.” Acts 4:33 (NIV) How is resurrection power evidenced in your life? The apostles demonstrated resurrection power as they testified of the bodily resurrection of the Lord. They combated immense opposition to share the […]

Categories
End Times Grace Judgment

Motivation to Share

“By these waters also the world of that time was deluged and destroyed. By the same word the present heavens and earth are reserved for fire, being kept for the day of judgment and destruction of ungodly men.” 2 Peter 3:6-7 (NIV) Sin infected the earth God created. In Noah’s day, man’s wickedness had become […]