What if when life concludes, the question God asks us is not whether we abstained from sin. What if the question is “Did you enter into the joy that was available to you?” If there is anything that ought to characterize the life of a Christian, it is joy! Jesus spoke many times...
Often our struggle as followers of Jesus is not in deciding whether we should obey Christ but in following Him immediately. We may acknowledge our need to follow Christ and commit ourselves to do what He has told us. Yet when God reveals His will to us, that is the time to obey! No...
Only God knows the potential of each person. However, we make a first impression of a person and have a hard time releasing these assumptions. We can project what we think God might do in someone’s life, but we have no way of knowing. We see only outward appearances and behavior...
Understanding responsibility is key to continually developing our relationship with Christ. Adam and Eve did everything they could to avoid taking responsibility for their sin. Adam blamed his wife: “She gave me of the tree.” He even pointed an accusing finger at God, saying it...
Too often we settle for much less than what God wants to do through us. This could be that we deep down want to keep God into the margins of our life or maybe lack the faith that God can use us in a mighty way. When we read in Jeremiah 32:27: “I am the Lord, the God of all flesh. Is...
The world will tell us that the dominating influence in our life is our past. If we came from a difficult home, that will determine the direction of our life. If our culture was treated unfairly, that will dictate the condition of our life today. If we were hurt or abused or if our youth was...
In our zeal to please God and advance His kingdom, we can often take on responsibilities God never intended us to have. One of the great challenges of the Christian life is determining what God does not want us to do! Sometimes our good intentions cause more harm than good. The Holy...
The flesh, the world and the pride of life will cause us to be self-centered, shifting our hearts from God to self. Our default mode is self-centeredness. The Spirit guides us away from such slavery. The essence of salvation is an about-face from self-centeredness to...
God is love (1 John 4:16). His very nature is perfect love. Perhaps you were hurt by someone you loved, and your heart became hardened as a defense against further pain. You may love others but not know how to express your love in words or actions. You may feel frustrated because you have...
If you attend a Bible study will not give you eternal life. You could memorize the entire Bible and be able to discuss the smallest issues of biblical scholarship and yet fail to experience the truths found in its pages. It is a subtle temptation to prefer the book to the Author. A book will...