We tend to be excellent at things that will not last forever such as our jobs, our families, or even our sin. Some of those things are not bad things to be skilled at, but we need to make sure that we are putting in all that it takes to be excellent in our spiritual lives rather than settling for being so-so.
When we choose to follow Jesus, we begin to learn the sound of His voice so that we walk in obedience to what He calls us to do. Our relationship with Him grows the more that we stay in two-way communication with Him and not just hear what He says but actually do it.
As Christians, we may face push back from people anywhere but when we take a stand no matter what it may cost us, it brings glory to God and we fulfill our ultimate purpose. Just as David was able to defeat Goliath because He had God on His side, we have God in us to protect us and be with us no matter what we face.
God did not have to create things so intricately, so beautiful, or even pleasure-filled, yet every bit of His creation speaks of His love for us. All we have to do is look around at the ways that He has blessed us, even in such a small thing as popcorn that is a seemingly silly treat.
Too often, we hold onto the life we have, no matter how hard or consequential, because we’re more afraid of the unknown. God promises a future that is better than we could ever imagine, but the first step to getting there is letting go of all that we know to put it in His hands and see what He can do.
God has already done the work for so many people in the world and calls us to gather His harvest. Instead of hesitating because of our own insecurities, we need to listen to His leading, step out in obedience and gather His harvest.
While we all desire independence to avoid vulnerability, we can learn to trust God as our rock and strength when we finally come to a place of admitting that we need Him. Knowing that we are secure in Him brings us peace beyond understanding in the midst of all adversity.
Even after accepting salvation, we often remain in our cell of bondage. That bondage could be to a number of things such as sin, religion, guilt, etc. Until we come to a full realization of God’s love for us and His gift of freedom to us even in this world, we will remain in our cell. However, living in freedom does not mean that we should do whatever we want. God’s grace still covers us, but there are consequences. Rather than falling on either side of the spectrum, God teaches us to live in fr...
We can choose to wait around and do nothing for the Kingdom while waiting for the end of the world to come or we can serve as soldiers in the Army of God fighting for the souls of others. We need to focus on the work God has given us to do, and when He comes back we will be ready.
A sign of a mature believer is one who is involved in a biblical community. The Christian life was not meant to be lived alone, but instead God designed the Church to be His Body that supports each member through the struggles of life.
God had designed each unique person to accomplish His work in the world. When we discover what it is that we are passionate about, we can use that passion to help grow the Kingdom of God.
Once we are saved, there is nothing that we can ever do or that can ever be done to cause us to lose our salvation. When we accept Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior, we become children of God, and there are various “DNA” tests that we can check to make sure that He lives in us. We need to pray to God, proclaim that Jesus is Lord, ask for forgiveness of our sins, begin a relationship with Him and move forward in that.
Many people see Christians as hypocrites, and that is because we proclaim one thing and do another in secret. If we’re going to actually win anyone over to Christ, it is essential that we are vulnerable with them, showing them how Christ has redeemed us from our own sin and be transparent about how He is currently working in our lives and hearts.
God may not always give us the things we ask for, but He wants us to keep asking. As we grow in our relationship with Him, He begins to put things on our hearts to ask for that are according to His will and we see Him provide those things over and over.
Putting aside the influences that we may have been raised around when it comes to people who are different than us, Jesus unites us together and asks us to love one another. God’s family does not differentiate by race, economics, social standings, or anything else that our culture uses to distinguish people. We are all invited into salvation, and we can equally love Him, be loved by Him, and love each other.
When we experience consequences for the sin that we are partaking in, we need to respond in worship, thanking God for loving us enough to discipline us. The Bible is never supposed to be used as a weapon against us but rather as the Good News that there is forgiveness for those who believe and repent.
The Bible is full of stories of God using people who committed their lives fully to trusting and obeying Him. Once we receive Him into our lives and give ourselves completely to Him, He dwells in us and can do amazing things through us.
Too often we find ourselves reacting in the battles in our lives rather than acting only as God leads. When we worship God in the midst of our battles, our focus is on Him rather than the dangers we face and we can follow Him as He leads to overcome all that is in front of us.
The story of Samson shows us a man who continually made the same mistakes and ended up paying severe consequences. If we are watchful, we can see warning signs when we are approaching sins that we’ve paid consequences for in the past so that we can avoid it this time around.
Even though God is a big God who watches over everything, He also cares about every single detail in our lives. He watches over and protects us, and so therefore we can have peace knowing that we are safe in His hands.
Jesus was known for spending time with sinners and tax collectors, and it was the religious people that looked down on Him for it. Just as Jesus was sent to seek and save those who were lost, we have been given the same mission and need to be in the world spreading the Gospel.
Living in God’s family involves putting our fears aside and letting people see us for who we really are, struggles included, so that we can get help and then help others. Growth in our relationship with God will only happen when we begin peeling back our layers and letting Him and others in.
In today’s society it is easy to be swayed from what the Bible calls sin and begin believing that certain sins are okay. We, as Christians, need to be careful of this and stand firm in what Scripture says, while at the same time proclaiming the love and forgiveness that God has for everyone who believes and repents.
Without Christ working in us we are all bound to a life of sin and consequences that could’ve been avoided had we heeded wise instruction from Scripture. Rather than living childish lives that run after the pleasures of the world, we need to submit to God and allow Him to change us from the inside out.
Jesus modeled a life yielded to the will of the Father, no matter what sacrifice it called Him to make. Because Jesus obeyed, we now have access to receive the free gift of salvation and become children of God. As His children, we are called to submit our lives to His will and follow Him.
Jesus is the Son of the virgin, Mary, and God the Father Himself, making Jesus’ blood directly from the Father. It was that blood that was spilt when Jesus sacrificed His life for us so that we can be washed clean and be given a new life, eternal life with Him forever. There is not one person who cannot receive this blood and be forgiven.
The reality is that we are in a spiritual battle, and the devil attacks us where he knows us to be weak. It is crucial that we put on the full armor of God and surround ourselves by our brothers and sisters in Christ so that we can help protect each other from temptation and the attacks of the devil.
The Bible is very clear in the simple instructions it gives us to repent, follow Christ and do what He says. No matter if we see how something is possible, if God tells us to do something we must respond in obedience, trusting that He can even do what seems impossible.
The Bible is very clear when it comes to sin that we, as believers, must abstain from when we choose to follow Christ. God disciplines those He loves, and we need to respond to His discipline with gratitude, repentance, and worship for His forgiveness.
God wants us to pursue Him because when we do that our hearts begin to change and He places specific desires in us to pray about. When we pray with persistence about these things that He has put on our hearts, He promises that He will give us those desires.
