1. We Need Forgiveness, and it Only Comes by the Mercy of GodJacob was guilty of what he did to Esau—and he knew it. Up until this point, Jacob had relied on his own wits for his success, but now he didn’t know what would happen. His survival was dependent on his brother’s forgiveness of his wrongdoings. Jacob had no control over his brother’s hear

3. Psalm 32Key Verse: 5 “I acknowledge my sin to you, and I did not cover my iniquity; I said, ‘I will confess my transgressions to the Lord,’ and you forgave the iniquity of my sin.Another psalm commonly attributed to David, this psalm of forgiveness focuses on the experience and torment of the guilt of sin, compared to the mercy and joy of findin

A Prayer for My Children's Safety Father, This world is a terrifying place to raise a child. Help us to see the world through Your eyes and surrender our fears and anxieties to You daily. When we worry about our children’s safety at school, their friends’ houses, walking home, at their extracurricular activities, and once they're out into the world

What Are the Implications of God Being Immutable or Changeless?Knowing that the qualities of God are immutable or changeless gives clarity to discussions about whether God is different between the Old and New Testaments. God is always the same, but the teachers are different. Some teachers align with God’s precepts and others do not. This may sound

In essence, God wasn’t glorifying violence but rather destroying intolerable evil, a necessity, and, perhaps, a last resort.For instance, the Bible tells us God, struck by the rampant iniquity and malevolence filling the heart of every person on earth, was “deeply troubled” (Genesis 6:6) and resolved to wipe out the human race. But one man, Noah, G

Going to the Rock Elijah has fallen into a depression; he sees himself as a victim, who is hopeless. He then requests the worst for himself: death. But notice his words, he said, “I have had enough.” Elijah seems to be overwhelmed. What ought you to do when you are overwhelmed, and you feel as if you cannot take any more?“From the ends of the earth

1. Boast in the Cross of Christ “May I never boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, through which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world” (Galatians 6:14).We will not be able to live a transformed life without understanding the cross. It is the place where Jesus died for the sins of the world by His blood which paid the

4. Prayer of Physical, Mental, and Spiritual Protection Over Your Husband"But the Lord is faithful, and he will strengthen you and protect you from the evil one." 2 Thessalonians 3:3 NIV"Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the LORD your God goes with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you." Deuteronomy

The Story of Hagar The story of Hagar in Genesis 16 speaks of mistreatment and suffering. Hagar was a slave to Abram’s wife Sarai. As Sarai and Abram had no children, Sarai wanted Hagar to conceive with Abram so that their family line could continue. When Abram agreed, Hagar became his wife too and she became pregnant. This caused Sarai to look upo

MarkAll four of the Gospels (Matthew, Mark, Luke and John) record events from Jesus’ earthly life and ministry, but Mark, or John Mark as he is called in the book of Acts, omits Jesus’ ancestry and birth and starts his record with Jesus’ baptism and ministry, focusing more so on Christ’s humanity. “Then he called the crowd to him along with his dis

In Thyatira, the church was also having problems with false teachers. There was a woman in the church who claimed to be a prophetess, who committed sins of sexual immorality, and whose behavior was reminiscent of Jezebel, Ahab’s wicked wife, whose story is told in 1 Kings. Despite the church’s love, patience, and endurance, they tolerate this wicke

1. Matthew 1:23 In Matthew’s birth narrative of Jesus, he writes, “All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had spoken by the Prophet: ‘Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and they shall call his name Immanuel (which means, God with us)’” (Matt. 1:22-23). This Scripture fulfills some old prophecies we witness in the Old Testament.

While it is popular among many I know to view this as a physical city, at the beginning of the vision it is identified as the bride of Christ (Rev. 21:2, 9). Thus, it would appear not to be a literal city but rather the glorified church as Christ’s bride. I believe that the New Jerusalem represents all of God’s people throughout the ages. And that

The phrase “patience is a virtue” did not occur any time during the Old or New Testament. In fact, our first record of this phrase comes from the 1300s from William Langland in his poem Piers Plowman.We can trace a Latin version of this phrase back to the 4th Century AD in a work called Dicta Catonis, a Latin moral poem. But the phrase does not app

When considering the way the term “deadly sin” is used in common language, gluttony is deadly both spiritually and physically. Overeating can lead to bad health and diseases such diabetes and high-blood pressure that can lead to death. Studies show that too much screen time can cause eye-strain, back pain, and addictive behavior. Gluttony can lead

Joseph bolstered his courage (Mark 15:43), asked Pilate for, and received the body of Jesus after He died on the cross (Matthew 27:58 Mark 15:43, Luke 23:52, John 19:38). What greeted Joseph and Nicodemus at the cross would probably cause even the staunchest heart to falter. Isaiah describes Jesus as “having an appearance so disfigured as to not ev

What Does the Bible Say about Godly Leadership? The Bible is pretty clear about what Godly leadership looks like. There are portions of Scripture that talk about the qualifications of a leader in the church. There are also plenty of real-life examples of leadership in action. Since leadership happens inside and outside the church, these examples ar

What Is Sloth? The word used in Proverbs 19:15 for slothfulness means laziness, sluggishness, or indolence which is the avoidance of activity or exertion. The slothful person is one who not only doesn’t want to work but is one who avoids it as well. This person may even go out of their way to avoid doing work.I guess in modern English someone might

Hate as a Lack of Love It’s the second type of hate, a lack of love, that we are to reject as Christians. When we were still under the control of Satan, this is how we acted: “At one time we too were foolish, disobedient, deceived and enslaved by all kinds of passions and pleasures. We lived in malice and envy, being hated and hating one another” (

4. Meditate on Uplifting ScriptureReading and meditating on Scripture is another practical way to reconnect with God and God’s word. Whether you are a new believer or more seasoned, God’s word always speaks to us in relevant and refreshing ways. Psalm 119:105 states, “Your word is a lamp for my feet, a light on my path.” Find or re-read a Scripture