Spiritual PrioritizingOnce you have accepted Christ and made changes to your previous way of life, the next step will be bringing Christ more into your life through prayer, Bible study, worship, and service.Prayer allows you to unite with Jesus in quiet times of solitude, opening your heart to Him by sharing everything on your mind: good, bad, and

1. Psalm 100 This Psalm encourages us to worship the Lord. We are invited to “Enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise; give thanks to him and praise his name” (Psalm 100:4). The basis of our praise and gratitude is the Lord God. He is our Creator who is good and loving (Psalm 100:3, 5). Once we know the character of the Lord, a

In doing so, our senses are sharpened in our souls, enabling us to narrow in on God in a clear and perfect way.As Psalm 19:14 says, “May these words of my mouth and this meditation of my heart be pleasing in your sight, Lord, my Rock and my Redeemer.”4. Memorizing Scripture Helps Us When We Are Talking to Other People in Need of a Word from God Hav

1. Our Identity in ChristWe act from our identity. Therefore, much of life consists of finding out who we are or trying to define ourselves. Apart from God, our identity becomes unstable and easily challenged. The Gospel gives us a secure identity in God. Romans 8:17 declares that we are “children of God, and if children, then heirs — heirs of God

Pro 1 – SalvationWhen someone trusts in Jesus’ death and resurrection, they receive the gift of salvation. This is a gift because we do nothing to earn or merit salvation (Ephesians 2:8-9). Rather, God graciously gives us salvation based on what Jesus did for us (Titus 3:5-7).Some people may wonder, though, what it means to “be saved” and what they

12. Peace Bible verses – In so many ways, our world (and many times our inner world, too) seems so very far from peace. Turning to Scripture to ground ourselves in God’s peace can help still the storm.13. Protection Bible verses – We pray God’s protection over our loved ones, our travels, new endeavors, and everything in between. The Psalms was the

Peter’s escape from prisonIn Acts 12, we read the story of Peter’s miraculous escape from prison when an angel came and led him out of the prison. In this passage, there are two things we know. The angel appeared suddenly and left suddenly. He showed up suddenly, by God’s command, to help Peter. Once Peter was safe, the angel suddenly left him. Ple

1. Meditate“This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate in it day and night, that you may observe to do according to all that is written in it.” (Joshua 1:8)When we read the Bible, our spirits are saturated with the truths of God. Meditating on God’s Word shows us how to live and where to keep our focus. The world

1. Unrealistic Expectations God intended sexual intimacy to be a bond between husband and wife, built on love in action and commitment with self-sacrifice, not emotion (Ephesians 5:25-28). Porn appeals to the immediate lusts, and therefore, the industry uses extreme fantasy to draw viewers to content. The type of sex life that satisfies is based in

The first century Jews and Jesus would have considered the Septuagint the complete revelation of God, and an idea of canon accepted as normal. This Septuagint, however, was in some ways incomplete. It promised a future king-priest, a supernatural Messiah. In this context, Jesus arrived. When Was the New Testament Written?With the Septuagint and a H

I was stumbling my way through this test, all the way to the end — when I was prompted to read the instructions at the beginning. In those instructions I was informed that I didn’t have to take the test. Had I read the instructions, like the teacher wanted me to, my little green blob could have died of dysentery on the Oregon Trail. All that to say

Jesus Models the Breastplate of RighteousnessJesus models the breastplate of righteousness in so many ways. He was fully human, but without sin. He spent intentional time in prayer (Matthew 14:23), He was honorable in His lifestyle, and He lived to always glorify the Father. Jesus guarded His heart on a daily basis because He lived a holy life.Warr

Way to Enjoy Reading the Bible #1: The “Why?”There are millions of books in existence, including books about the Bible, so why read the Bible itself? Simply put, it’s the gift of love that God gave to us so we would know who He is, His character, and His plan for eternity. In it, we get to know His Son, who offers us salvation from our sins and a p

Faith without Action Is DeadSo, it’s all pretty easy to talk a good game. It’s all well and good to go about our lives, professing our faith and how much we love the Lord. But are we truly living that faith in our actions? Are we giving but not doing for others? Well, perhaps it’s time.My wife’s dad had an expression when she was growing up. “Eyes

Each of these groups must vote according to their personal values and beliefs. Of course, that means Christians. Even more so, we have an obligation to fulfill our duties as citizens, to ensure that we vote and that our vote reflects our Biblical values regarding the sanctity of life and sanctity of marriage.2. Lack of GraceAs followers of Christ,

Abundance begins with sacrifice. God offers us abundant life through the sacrifice of Christ’s blood. In God’s upside-down kingdom, giving leads to a miraculous and holy sort of multiplication. Opening our hands up to our Savior leads to a full life.God’s Abundant Provision Looks Different Than Worldly RichesJames 1:17 says, “Every good gift and ev

Dancing is another biblical and vibrant expression of joy. King David exemplifies this when he dances before the Lord with all his might as the Ark of the Covenant is brought to Jerusalem. 2 Samuel 6:14-15 describes the scene: “Wearing a linen ephod, David was dancing before the Lord with all his might, while he and all Israel were bringing up the

“Speed the spoil and hasten the booty” came to pass at the hands of the Assyrian army in 732 B.C. The ruthless king of Assyria, Tiglath-Pileser, intended to conquer Damascus, the capital of Aram, but his sights extended to Israel and Judah. The Aram-Israel alliance failed, and the Assyrians invaded Samariah.Ultimately, the Assyrian conquest affecte

2. Holy Monday“It is written, ‘My house shall be called a house of prayer,’ but you make it a den of robbers” (Matthew 21:13).Lord Almighty,In what ways do I turn your house into a “den of robbers”? What do I take from you? Show me who I have influence over and how I am leading them. Do they see you and start walking towards the temple; do I act in

His rules of valuation and of double-payment in the event of a deception were also supposed to deter individuals from defrauding their neighbor. “If the man who dedicated this field attempts to negate his vow by selling this property to another (apparently without the knowledge of the purchaser), the property would then revert to the Lord in the ju