“For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved” (John 3:16-17).
Virtually no one skates through life trouble-free. Surprises, sorrow, setbacks, stress, strife, struggle — no one is exempt! One of the countless advantages for the Christian in times of turmoil is having specific promises, given by God Himself, for specific problems — promises that come to pass every time! Fact is, there is not even … Read more Struggles and Scripture
Frankly, most of us are average, modestly gifted lovers of the Lord, kingdom servants who come and go almost without notice, at least in a public way. Sometimes it’s discouraging when we see extraordinarily gifted, charismatic, extroverted, winsome personalities who, are touted as godly, giants of the faith, and kingdom greats! Don’t misunderstand me: Some of God’s giants have been/are phenomenal, shining, powerful, and profound workers for the Lord. But let’s not forget this: Gifts have little if anything to do with godliness; godliness is a choice, not a conferral!
David, mighty in faith and deed, was nonetheless much like any one of us; a human being with precisely the same needs, desires, and weaknesses we all share. As we emulate him, the theme of Psalm 25 will come to pass in our lives: Those who fear the LORD will be led by the LORD!
People were created to have fellowship with God; but because of our stubborn self-will, we chose to go our own independent way, and fellowship with God was broken. This self-will, characterized by an attitude of active rebellion [defying God] or passive indifference [I don’t know — and I don’t really care], is what the Bible calls sin.
As believers in Jesus Christ, we’re to abstain from anything that harms our body or makes us ineffective for Christ (I Corinthians 6:19-20). Food, drink, tobacco, or just plain laziness — nothing is to control us except the Spirit of God
Worship at our church is usually powerful! The instruments, the voices, our worship leader’s direction under the Holy Spirit — wow, what mornings as we stand and lift our hearts to God in praise and adoration; indeed, we are celebrating the goodness of our loving God. The dictionary would call us celebrants — folks who participate in a celebration.
What is God calling you to do, to become? Unsure? In Mark 1:17 we read of Jesus calling Peter and Andrew: “Come, follow Me.” Not only is He direct, notice the important implication: To say “follow Me” assumes He’ll show the way! The application for us today is simply this: The serious seeker will not be left in the dark. Wait upon the Lord if you are uncertain. When God is clear, go for it!