I remember the last weeks of my pregnancies like it was yesterday. Each time our days were filled with hope and love. With our firstborn, we moved, remodeled, and redecorated our first house during the last two months. And with our second, well, I never got used to the astonished look on people’s faces as…
What does it mean that God is your “Abba, Father?” Jesus called God “Father” and invited you and me to call Him “Father” too. He invited us to pray to “Our Father in heaven.” The Apostle John wrote… But to all who believed [Jesus] and accepted Him, He gave the right to become children of…
You’ve heard the phrase “preaching to the choir” before. This is one of those times when I’m “writing for the writer.” God knows I need this, so I’m humbly sharing it with you. The words, surrender your thoughts, make me squirm. I’m not very good at it. I want to be, and I pray I’m…
Do you KNOW, LOVE, and TRUST Jesus? If you do, you have been declared NOT GUILTY and carry within you life’s most wonderful blessing. Romans 8 is full of favorite verses for Jesus’ followers, and it’s easy to understand. It begins with the following… So now there is no condemnation for those who belong to…
Happy Independence Day! I thought we’d take a moment to look at the definition of independence… 1. Not subject to control by others: self-governing.2. Not requiring or relying on someone or something else.3. A country or region gaining political freedom from outside control. Some synonyms for independence include being self-sufficient, self-reliant, self-supported, self-sustaining, and having the…
I want to obey God! But it seems that no matter how hard I try, life still gets in the way and I fail to live my faith the way I want. Today’s example: During my morning prayer time, I asked the Lord to help me become more intentional about praying without ceasing. I want…
The enemy of our souls has forever tried to convince us that we can be independent and have complete self-sovereignty over our own lives. However, the truth about freedom and independence is that the enemy is a liar. Paul wrote… Don’t you realize that you become the slave of whatever you choose to obey? You…
How would you like to defeat sin in your life? Imagine how wonderful it would be to embrace your life while enjoying the freedom you have in Christ Jesus. Paul wrote… We know that our old sinful selves were crucified with Christ so that sin might lose its power in our lives. We are no…
Do you ever think about what it means to be sanctified? It’s not a word we use often. But in His High Priestly Prayer, Jesus said… Sanctify them in the truth; Your word is truth. John 17:17 (ESV) So, what is this sanctification that Jesus wants for us? The blessing of sanctification is God’s act of making…
Adam and Eve sinned. Everyone person who has ever lived, except for Jesus, has sinned. I sin. You sin. Everyone has sinned; we all fall short of God’s glorious standard. God’s law was given so that all people could see how sinful they were. Romans 3:23 & Romans 5:20a We don’t like to admit it…
Is your church welcoming of people who appear rough around the edges? How well do the members extend God’s love to everyone? I’ve visited churches where individuals won’t make eye contact, and I’m generally clean and put together for Sunday services. One of the things I love about my current faith family is that so…
Do you have a list of challenging Bible verses you wish had not been included? Today’s verses fall into that category for me. I remember hearing them many years ago and thinking I don’t know how this can be true. I don’t even want to think about it. What are they? They begin with these…
Imagine yourself standing before a judge. You committed a crime against Him. You know you’re guilty. He knows you’re guilty. As He raises His gavel to pronounce judgment, He looks at you and says… Not Guilty!
Have you ever wondered what people commonly believe they need to be saved … to go to heaven? Here are a few replies I found through a brief internet search. This is what Jesus told His disciples before His ascension to heaven… “Go into all the world and preach the Good News to everyone. Anyone who…
Are you ready for the best news ever? We’ve spent the last few days addressing God’s Laws and our failure. Today, we will sit with Paul and let his words wash over us with the Gospel Truth about God’s grace. Now God has shown us a way to be made right with Him without keeping…
People have had questions about their sin and God’s righteousness since sin prompted the Garden eviction. Through the Old Covenant Law, God gave His chosen people a system of sacrifices and rules to follow, offering to forgive, protect, and bless them if they obeyed. Although many tried, Scripture tells us about the countless ways they…
What is the truth about obeying God’s Law? Before Jesus transformed Paul’s life on the road to Damascus, Paul was a proud law-keeping Pharisee. He understood the thoughts and ideas of the people to whom he wrote… You who call yourselves Jews are relying on God’s law, and you boast about your special relationship with…
We all wanted to be the favorite kid. I always believed I was my grandma’s favorite and told the family to keep any contradicting facts or opinions to themselves. I also believe that great teachers make their students realize that they are uniquely and wonderfully made, and for those reasons, they’re each a favorite. Good…
Why is it so much easier to point out the flaws and failures we see in others than admit the ones we need to work on ourselves? Let’s examine the impact of judgment… Jesus said… “Do not judge others, and you will not be judged.” “How can you think of saying to your friend, ‘Let…
Today’s verses are challenging in that they invite us to examine God’s righteous anger. Less than halfway into the first chapter of Paul’s letter to the Romans, he wrote… God shows His anger from heaven against all sinful, wicked people who suppress the truth by their wickedness. They know the truth about God because He…
Do you know followers of Jesus who exude so much love, joy, peace, patience, trust, and passion for Jesus and life that they make the people around them want to know more about Him? The Life Application Notes say that these character qualities show believers are created in God’s image. We were made to be…
