In Christ, we are accepted. Period. Now, what do we do when we try to flip this and once again find our approval through our own efforts? When You Try to Earn ItOne of the richest books on living the Christian life was written by Richard Lovelace many years ago, Dynamics of Spiritual Life. Lovelace had this to say about our propensity to go back to

He persisted to flee his father, crawled at a record pace and looked with pure intrigue and excitement as he found the room with the beloved mirror. He rushed towards it, and I would stop him just in time before he pulled it over. This happened close to seven times in the span of ten minutes. The part that I could not get over was the look on his f

Jesus took what the child had to offer and performed one of the greatest miracles of all time. We should not feel that we are too young nor too old for God to use us. When we come to Christ as a willing vessel for Him to use, wondrous things can occur.Verse 11 – AbundanceJesus blessed the food (1 Timothy 4:4-5), and it was passed around. There was

“The message of the cross is foolish to those who are headed for destruction! But we who are being saved know it is the very power of God” (1 Corinthians 1:18, emphasis added).Purpose and CallingAs citizens of Christ’s kingdom, we’ve been entrusted with a vital mission — spreading the gospel of the new King and inviting others to join his kingdom,

Peace should be easy, right? Of course not—particularly when our modern media seems titillated to report on, and sometimes fuel, new conflicts in the Middle East. BUT … Families still laugh and play in Jerusalem … Lovers still picnic by the sea … Children still learn happily at school … Friends still go to the theatre … Artists still create beauty

“Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other…” (Ephesians 4:32).Patience with Others“My dear brothers and sisters, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry, because human anger does not produce the righteousness that God desires” (James 1:19-20).Empathy Toward Others“Finally, a

“But Daniel resolved not to defile himself with the royal food and wine, and he asked the chief official for permission not to defile himself this way. At the end of the ten days they looked healthier and better nourished than any of the young men who ate the royal food. So the guard took away their choice food and the wine they were to drink and g

1. The People Who Freely ForgiveTake time to notice those who understand that they have been forgiven so much in Christ and need to freely forgive others. Colossians 3:13 expresses this well: “Forgive as the Lord forgave you.” We also see this in Ephesians 4:31-32, where Paul admonished Christians to forgive rather than give in to anger, bitterness

What Does Jesus Show Us about Community? The Lord always taught by word and by example. So looking at events in Jesus’ life on Earth will help us discover some of the deeper meanings and benefits of living in community.1. We Please GodFinding community has always been part of God’s plan for His people. And Jesus had this in mind when He chose 12 me

Gideon didn’t use such a large area—if he did, the Midianites would have discovered what he was doing. Instead, he used the smaller winepress, which symbolized the oppression he lived under. Wine also symbolizes Jesus’ blood, and as mentioned above, threshing grain produces bread. These combine in Communion, the bread and wine. Gideon suffered thes

What Bible Did Jesus Read?All the books in the Old Testament were already written by the time Jesus was born. The last one to be completed was Malachi. This book was completed over 400 years before the birth of Jesus. To preserve the Hebrew Scriptures, ancient scribes meticulously copied them. They did this numerous times, which means there were ma

1. The Word of GodHow often have we all heard it? “The Bible was written by men.” “The Bible is full of errors.” “The Bible has been translated so many times…” There are so many more.When given this, we must be prepared to counter these false arguments, lest our faith be empty. While there is certainly insufficient space here, there are ample resou

Furthermore, the people were relieved to be free of Athaliah’s leadership. With her reign of terror at an end, “all the people of the land rejoiced, and the city was peaceful” (2 Kings 11:20; emphasis added).What Can We Learn from Athaliah’s Story?Although Queen Athaliah's reign took place thousands of years ago, it has many lessons for us today. L

Still others have counselors who are not Christian at all but who still are able to help them recognize, release, or better manage pain and trauma, bringing to light all that was once in darkness. For, as John 1:5 proclaims, “The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.” And as Luke 8:17 offers, “For there is nothing hidd

Over and over, Jesus said: This opportunity is available to all. Believe in me. I have the authority to forgive. If you are in covenant with me, you are forgiven. But you must also forgive others just as you are forgiven.What Bible Verses Assure Us of Our Forgiveness?The disciples were clear about this when they started sharing the Gospel. Filled w

1. PraiseFather God,You formed us from nothing. Nothing! And You created a perfect man and a perfect woman. How wondrous are Your thoughts and Your works. I praise You as did King David when he praised You because he was fearfully and wonderfully made. Your kindness and patience overwhelms my heart to the point I have no words that are worthy of Yo

These statues were not meant to be gods themselves, just representations. But Yahweh cannot be represented by lifeless statues. Rather, in Genesis 1:26, God says, “Let us make man in Our image [tselem], according to Our likeness; and let them rule over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the sky and over the livestock and over all the earth,

3. Pray to Remain Calm in Heated DebatesAs the election draws near, it seems like everyone wants to voice their opinions on candidates and issues, which can also lead to heightened emotions. If you know of people you will be spending time with (family, friends, coworkers) who will want to discuss the election, pray before interacting with them that

At its core, wrath arises from uncontrolled and intense anger. When wrathful, people aren’t following the Spirit. They become enslaved to their feelings, seeking revenge against someone who has offended them. Our spiritual enemy can easily manipulate this situation to destroy everyone involved in the situation, leading to spiritual death. Or, in ex

Focus on how you are living.As we just saw in John, those who hope for Christ’s return live in a way that reflects the reality that he could return at any moment. That’s one reason we choose to live a holy life. As you think about Advent, realize it is as much about what is going to happen as it is about what has already happened. The hope of our C