July 30, 2019
When you see the big picture of how God is uses adversity to form Christ in you, then you’ll begin to understand why God doesn’t always protect you from hard things. God is not a helicopter parent. He’s not interested in growing soft, mamby-pamby Christ-followers. He doesn’t protect you from trials, but allows them in your life so you won’t lack in anything.
July 23, 2019
Moses’ heart was with pleasing God. He would rather live for Christ, then be the richest man on earth. His value system was a kingdom value system, and it was this kingdom value system that dictated his choices. Can we say the same? Do we make our choices in light of the rewards of eternity or in light of what they can do for us today? There’s a tension here and we can all feel it: we are constantly being pulled toward the treasures of the world or the treasure of God’s smile. But choices based on faith choose eternities rewards over the rewards of earth.
July 16, 2019
Noah is a remarkable model of what it means to live by faith. He believed God’s Word concerning judgment about things not yet seen, so he responded in obedience and built the ark. But he didn’t build the ark out of fear of judgment, but out of his reverential fear of the God he knew. And he kept at it for 120 years even though no one else believed. He lived by faith. And so God rewarded him.
June 30, 2019
Faith, at the end of the day, is not about us, but about Him. Our faith in God alone is what pleases God. Nothing else does that. God is not looking for you to impress Him with your resume of good works. God’s not looking for you to prove to Him how moral you are or how religious you are or how great a humanitarian you are. He’s very clear on that. For He says right here: “Without faith it is IMPOSSIBLE to please God.”
June 25, 2019
So his team prayed with this purpose: that every believer would be filled with this knowledge of God’s will for us in Christ. This is a prayer God wants to answer. So this may the most important prayer we can pray for one another. For when we have complete certainty that Christ is all we need, then we will be free to live a life worthy of our Lord and please Him in every way. Do you pray this way for others? This is raising the bar in prayer.
June 19, 2019
God knows what you need. He doesn’t want you to worry, but simply ask Him to provide what you need for today, “Give us today our daily bread.” God is our provider. It is a misconception to think that we provide for our needs ourselves. If you have all your basic needs met today, then God has been very good to you. God has blessed you. He is the one who gave you the opportunity to get a good education, to do well in your career, to put food on the table and to provide a decent nest egg for retirement. Let’s not forget that “Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of heavenly lights.” James 1:17. If anything, if you have all you need, then you should be thankful.
June 10, 2019
Jesus gave us access to the Father so we could speak to Him as His child. This is our great advantage. For we have a great Father who loves us. We have a Father who is greater than anything in this world that’s weighing on us. And we have a Father who wants to change our world through us. And all we need is to come to Him in prayer. This is our privilege!
May 27, 2019
I don’t know of anything more discouraging than life without hope. And God’s Word gives us hope in spades! Hope to change. Hope that no matter what chaos is swirling around us, God is in control. Hope for help in whatever we are facing. Hope for encouragement when our souls are downcast. Hope for forgiveness when we blow it. Hope in the truth that God will never let you go. Hope in the face of suffering and death. And hope for the day when we see Jesus face to face. God’s Word can give you hope.
May 21, 2019
Each biblical writer was moved by the Holy Spirit to write what God wanted them to write. How that benefits us, is that God used their personalities, their writing styles, their perspectives, and their cultural distinctives to show us God’s truth in everyday situations.
May 16, 2019
The Bible, God’s Living Word, is not a book of rules, but a roadmap to a relationship with God. That’s what the Bible is all about. God wants you to know Him, God wants your life to thrive and bear fruit, God wants to include you in His story. That is why God has spoken through His Son; and why the Bible is God’s love letter to you.