1. Verify your standing with Christ.Has your heart been reborn and made new by Christ’s Holy Spirit? Apart from God, Scripture makes it clear that we’re spiritually dead and have hard, stubborn hearts that are opposed to God’s will. When we trust in Christ for salvation, however, God gives us a removes our “stony, stubborn hearts” and replaces them

“If you don’t listen, you’re never gonna learn.” Frank Iero, musicianMost of us have spent at least 12 years in school with the majority of that time listening. The purpose wasn’t to talk, but to listen and to learn. I paid for another six years of schooling for an opportunity to listen to additional instructors with the hopes o

Pray: Suggested model: Heavenly Father, we accept Your Word as our standard and judge for living righteously. We confess our sins so that Your Holy Spirit will teach us Your love, forgiveness, power, and Word during this family time together. In Jesus' name we pray, Amen.Discuss several truthful actions that you have observed recently. (Do inclu

Search me, O God, and know my heart;Try me, and know my anxieties;And see if there is any wicked way in me,And lead me in the way everlasting.Finally, the ever-present danger of self-deception should keep us running to Jesus Christ as the great Shepherd of our souls. We desperately need Him to secure our standing and our walk. We need His protectio

(Adapted from john darby's synopsis of the new testament, hebrews 12)A Thought to KeepChristians are not called to walk alone, nor bear their burdens alone. We should find encouragement as we see the Holy Spirit upholding those around us. That same Spirit supports us as well. 

1. Praying the BibleThis method is just what it sounds like: Take a passage of Scripture and read it, line by line, pausing in between to pray its truth for specific people and situations in your life. The psalms are great for this, since they’re written as prayers. (Even the ones where David wishes death to his enemies can be turned into prayers a

1. Jacob began as a selfish deceiver...… but went on to trust the Lord without having to manipulate people or things.Do you feel you must control the things and people that are around you? So much that you feel the need to lie and scheme? Wrestle it out with God, but ultimately surrender to His plan. It is better than yours anyway. Photo credit: ©T

"And the king sent, and they gathered unto him all the elders of Judah and of Jerusalem. And the king went up into the house of the Lord, and all the men of Judah and all the inhabitants of Jerusalem with him, and the priests, and the prophets, and all the people, both small and great: and he read in their ears all the words of the book of the cove

Since then we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus, the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession. For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin. Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, t

The gospel of Jesus Christ, in other words, is not just some pleasant message that says, "Go and do anything you like; God loves you. It will be all right at the end. Receive all these blessings, and there's no more to say." God does not stop at that. "Ye that love the Lord," says the psalmist, "hate evil" (Psalms 97:10). If you want to love God, t

I believe the doctrine of election, because I am quite sure that if God had not chosen me I should never have chosen him; and I am sure he chose me before I was born, or else he never would have chosen me afterwards; and he must have elected me for reasons unknown to me, for I never could find any reason in myself why he should have looked upon me

I don't know what I'm going to face next year. But there's one thing I know, He will never leave me. Are you a child of God? He will never leave you either. Isn't that wonderful!(Adapted from Four Reasons to Face the New Year without Fear.)A Thought to KeepAre you dreading the new year? Remember that our contentment doesn't depend on how much we h

At a fourth level, the terms wisdom and wise apply to men and women who represent a way of thinking and conduct that is orderly, socially sensitive, and morally upright. Thus, the major thrust of wisdom in the Old Testament was a code of moral conduct. This is especially represented by the Book of Proverbs, which gives instruction on personal behav

Memorize God's Word TogetherBible how crucial it is to know the His Truth and the freedom it brings to our lives.1. God’s great love for us.John 3:16-172. Truth about sin.Romans 3:233. The greatest gift of God.Romans 6:234. Christ died for us.Romans 5:85. What salvation means.Romans 10:9-106. Truth about forgiveness.1 John 1:97. Assurance that God

Last week you encountered the world as it really is: broken. How did you do? Did you long for a better world? Did you seek and celebrate the grace that is yours until that better world is your final home? Paul Tripp is the president of Paul Tripp Ministries, a nonprofit organization whose mission statement is "Connecting the transforming power of J

Faith in Yahweh was rooting itself deep in Abram's heart, and his character was being shaped to look more like God. He was experiencing the attributes of God which were later revealed clearly to Moses in the giving of the Law, as Yahweh proclaimed Himself "the compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness, mainta

It is not 'I can do all things,' but "I can do all through him who strengtheneth me." It is a strength which continually flows from a relationship with Christ, a connection with Him maintained in the heart. Neither is it only 'One can do all things.' This is true; but Paul had learnt it practically. He knew what he could be assured of and reckon on

When we read a verse like Malachi 4:1, we have a tendency to persecute God for His proclamation of judgment. We wonder why He is so harsh. But there is always more going on than we understand.When reflecting on Malachi 4:1, consider the entire context of Malachi. Would you be friends with someone who treated you like God’s people treat Him? Would y

Do we need to "defend" the gospel?Surveying a variety of sermons online, blog posts, and recent books (mine included!), one might get the impression that evangelicals are so worried about the future that we have gone into all-out "defense" mode when it comes to the gospel. The true gospel is under attack. The good news of Jesus Christ is being mali

1. Hannah is infertile, and she prays desperately for a son.Hannah was the unfortunate barren second wife, ridiculed and humiliated by the wife who easily bore children. So Hannah pleaded with God for a son, promising to give him back to the Lord: “O Lord Almighty, if you will only look upon your servant’s misery and remember me, and not forget you