June 18, 2016
Abram gave all credit for His victory to God, signified by his giving a tithe of the spoils to Melchizedek. He didn’t take anything for himself. He never said, “What’s in it for me?” No, he would rather take nothing so as to protect God’s good name.
June 5, 2016
By giving Lot his choice of territory and accepting the outcome, Abram had a humble perspective on his prosperity. He knew that all he had acquired had come from the Lord. Abram was content in his faith and it freed him to be generous.
May 28, 2016
Fear is the enemy of faith. And when we let fear control us rather than trust, it can lead us to do some pretty questionable things.
May 21, 2016
Our forgiveness of others is what makes us most like Jesus. That’s why Jesus wants us to pray this way. He wants us to treat others the same way He has treated us. Think of it this way:The price God paid to forgive you is the same price He paid to forgive the person who wronged you.
May 2, 2016
if we are honest with ourselves, to ask God that His will be done, means that our will is done. It means that we want what He wants more than what we want. And let’s face it. We are willful people. We want what we want. We want life to revolve around us. We’d rather create the life we want and ask God to bless it, rather than seek the life God wants for us, and trust Him to deliver it.
May 2, 2016
What is he saying here? Jesus is saying that relationships matter more than religion. And when we look at his relationship with us and this Samaritan’s relationship with this helpless man, we begin to see what matter most to Jesus: It’s mercy. It’s mercy that led him to come to us. It’s mercy that led Jesus to lay down his life for us. And it’s mercy what makes us a neighbor.
April 24, 2016
We forget that people are looking for an alternative way of life. The way of life that our culture presents often leaves us weary and empty. So they are looking at those who follow Jesus. You may be the only real Christ follower your neighbor has ever met. So what are they seeing? Do they see patience in the face of adversity? Do they see goodness and generosity in your actions? Are they experiencing grace? The idea is that God doesn’t want us to live our faith in isolation, but in public. In this sense we get to be missionaries right where we live, in the everyday ordinary stuff of life.
April 24, 2016
As the Divine Craftsman, Jesus fits us into His household: Every one of us is precisely cut to fit snugly, strongly, and beautifully with every other part. Nothing is out of place, defective, misshapen or inappropriate. Because it is Christ’s building, the church is perfect, spotless, without defect of blemish. And what this means is incredible: There are no misfits in His family! Every misfit actually does fit in with Jesus!
April 14, 2016
This is why everything changes when you meet the risen Jesus. Because when you meet Him and believe in Him, He changes you forever. He breathes His new life into you. He gives you His Spirit, the Holy Spirit. His Holy Spirit comes to indwell in you, to guide you, help you, and empower you to live as His sent one. And this changes everything. For when the Spirit of Christ lives in you, He will help you begin to live like Jesus.
April 13, 2016
This is how Abram is to be a blessing to the nations. Salvation will come through the Jews. Abram was blessed to be a blessing. He is the original sent one of God. And his story is our story. For just as Abram was blessed to be a blessing so are we!