Tuesday, December 31, 2013

Fresh Start


Tomorrow is the first day of a brand new year. If you've got regrets, be encouraged! You can start over! 

Philippians 3:13-14
My friends, I don’t feel that I have already arrived. But I forget what is behind, and I struggle for what is ahead. I run toward the goal, so that I can win the prize of being called to heaven. This is the prize that God offers because of what Christ Jesus has done.

2 Corinthians 7:10
For godly grief produces a repentance that leads to salvation without regret, whereas worldly grief produces death.

1 J0hn 1:9
If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. 

Tuesday, December 10, 2013

Fearfully and Wonderfully Made



Psalm 139:13-18


                                                    For you created my inmost being;
    you knit me together in my mother’s womb.

I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made;
    your works are wonderful, I know that full well.

My frame was not hidden from you
    when I was made in the secret place,
    when I was woven together in the depths of the earth.

Your eyes saw my unformed body;
    all the days ordained for me were written in your book
    before one of them came to be.
 
How precious to me are your thoughts, God!
    How vast is the sum of them!

Were I to count them,
    they would outnumber the grains of sand—
    when I awake, I am still with you.

Thursday, November 28, 2013

Give Thanks


Psalm 107:1

Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good; his love endures forever.

Saturday, November 23, 2013

Thanksgiving: a way of life, not a season.


1 Thessalonians 5:16-18

Be joyful always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances, for this
is God's will for you in Christ Jesus.

Tuesday, November 19, 2013

Ask The Birds


Job 12:7-10

But ask the animals, and they will teach you.
    Or ask the birds of the air, and they will tell you.
Or speak to the earth, and it will teach you.
    Or let the fish in the sea tell you their wisdom.
Everyone knows that the Lord made these things.
Every animal that lives and everyone who breathes—
    they are all under God’s power.

Monday, November 18, 2013

Did you know?


Rain is a witness of God!

Acts 14:17

 Yet he did not leave himself without witness, for he did good by giving you rains from heaven and fruitful seasons, satisfying your hearts with food and gladness.


Sunday, November 17, 2013

One Thing





Psalm 27:4-5 

One thing I ask of the LORD,
this is what I seek:
that I may dwell in the house of the LORD
all the days of my life,
to gaze upon the beauty of the LORD
and to seek him in his temple.
For in the day of trouble
he will keep me safe in his dwelling;
he will hide me in the shelter of his tabernacle

and set me high upon a rock.

Monday, November 11, 2013

Goals


Romans 12:12

 Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer. 

Sunday, November 10, 2013

What is the truth?


John 14:6

Jesus answered, "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me."

Friday, November 8, 2013

God Answers Prayers


1 John 5:14-15

This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us.  And if we know that he hears us—whatever we ask—we know that we have what we asked of him.

Thursday, October 31, 2013

Are you trustworthy?


Luke 16:10
Whoever can be trusted with very little can also be trusted with much, and whoever is dishonest with very little will also be dishonest with much.

Are you dependable? When you volunteer to do a job, can people be assured you will do what you said you would do? I just read a blog by Neil Pollard about being dependable. Sometimes things happen that are beyond our control. We get sick, our car breaks down or we can't leave work on time. But do we realize that when we say we will do something and then just don't do it, for whatever reason, we are not trustworthy?

Colossians 3:9-10
Do not lie to each other, since you have taken off your old self with its practices and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge in the image of its Creator.

Wednesday, October 30, 2013

What is your soul worth?


Mark 8:34-37


And when he had called the people unto him with his disciples also, he said unto them, Whosoever will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me. For whosoever will save his life shall lose it; but whosoever shall lose his life for my sake and the gospel’s, the same shall save it. For what shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? Or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul?


Friday, October 25, 2013

Mercies In Disguise


James 1:2-4
Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds,  because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance.  Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.

Have you heard the song Blessings by Laura Story? If not, be sure to use that link and listen. If you have, listen again. That song is really speaking to me these days. Life is hard. But this life isn't the end. It's just the beginning. Because of Jesus, the best is yet to come! 

Blessings 
by Laura Story

We pray for blessings 
We pray for peace 
Comfort for family, protection while we sleep 
We pray for healing, for prosperity 
We pray for Your mighty hand to ease our suffering 
All the while, You hear each spoken need 
Yet love is way too much to give us lesser things 

'Cause what if your blessings come through raindrops 
What if Your healing comes through tears 
What if the thousand sleepless nights are what it takes to know You're near 
What if trials of this life are Your mercies in disguise 

We pray for wisdom 
Your voice to hear 
We cry in anger when we cannot feel You near 
We doubt your goodness, we doubt your love 
As if every promise from Your Word is not enough 
And all the while, You hear each desperate plea 
And long that we'd have faith to believe 

When friends betray us 
When darkness seems to win 
We know the pain reminds this heart 
That this is not, this is not our home 

What if my greatest disappointments 
Or the aching of this life 
Is the revealing of a greater thirst this world can't satisfy 
What if trials of this life 
The rain, the storms, the hardest nights 
Are your mercies in disguise

Thursday, October 24, 2013

Revenge Or Not


Matthew 5:38-45

 “You have heard that it was said, ‘An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.’ But I tell you not to resist an evil person. But whoever slaps you on your right cheek, turn the other to him also. If anyone wants to sue you and take away your tunic, let him have your cloak also.  And whoever compels you to go one mile, go with him two. Give to him who asks you, and from him who wants to borrow from you do not turn away.
 “You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I say to you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you, that you may be sons of your Father in heaven; for He makes His sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust.

Romans 12:17-19

Repay no one evil for evil. Have regard for good things in the sight of all men. If it is possible, as much as depends on you, live peaceably with all men.  Beloved, do not avenge yourselves, but rather give place to wrath; for it is written, “Vengeance is Mine, I will repay,” says the Lord. 

Chuck Webster's blog today is titled "Get 'em back" and deals with Jesus' command to turn the other cheek. As he points out, that's a phrase oft repeated but seldom practiced. Following Jesus isn't something that comes naturally. Most of the things we are to do as Christians conflicts with our natural instincts but as Chuck points out, Jesus never said it would be easy. He said it would be worth it!





Tuesday, October 22, 2013

Loving God


1 John 4:20-21

If someone says, “I love God,” and hates his brother, he is a liar; for he who does not love his brother whom he has seen, how can he love God whom he has not seen?  And this commandment we have from Him: that he who loves God must love his brother also.

Saturday, October 19, 2013

His Eye Is On The Sparrow


Matthew 6:25-27

“Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothes? Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life ?

Matthew 10:29-31

 Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? Yet not one of them will fall to the ground outside your Father’s care. And even the very hairs of your head are all numbered. So don’t be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows.


The song "His Eye Is On The Sparrow" is taken from the verses above. If God knows when a single bird falls to the ground we can be sure He watches over us.

Thursday, October 17, 2013

He Knows And He Cares


Psalm 56:8

You keep track of all my sorrows. You have collected all my tears in your bottle. You have recorded each one in your book.

(New Living Translation)

Thursday, October 10, 2013

He Is With Us


Isaiah 43:2

When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and through the rivers, they shall not overwhelm you; when you walk through fire you shall not be burned, and the flame shall not consume you.

Sunday, October 6, 2013

Our Refuge


Psalm 46:1

God is our refuge and strength,
    an ever-present help in trouble.

Friday, October 4, 2013

Raindrops


Matthew 5:45

He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous.

The context of this verse is Jesus telling us to be good to our enemies because God blesses everyone, the good and the evil. If you've never heard of Casandra Martin you'd be blessed to follow her blog. Her post today is about Prayers and Raindrops.

Tuesday, October 1, 2013

Love Your Enemies


Matthew 5:44-48

But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be children of your Father in heaven. He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous. If you love those who love you, what reward will you get? Are not even the tax collectors doing that? And if you greet only your own people, what are you doing more than others? Do not even pagans do that? Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect.

Sunday, September 29, 2013

Help In Hard Times


Psalm 46:1

God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble.

Saturday, September 28, 2013

Tempted


James 1:12-15

Blessed is the one who perseveres under trial because, having stood the test, that person will receive the crown of life that the Lord has promised to those who love him.
When tempted, no one should say, “God is tempting me.” For God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does he tempt anyone; but each person is tempted when they are dragged away by their own evil desire and enticed. Then, after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, gives birth to death.

Friday, September 27, 2013

The Patience of God


2 Peter 3:9

The Lord is not slow to fulfill his promise as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance.

Thursday, September 26, 2013

The Grace of God


Titus 2:11-14

 For the grace of God has appeared that offers salvation to all people.  It teaches us to say “No” to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in this present age,  while we wait for the blessed hope—the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ, who gave himself for us to redeem us from all wickedness and to purify for himself a people that are his very own, eager to do what is good.

Wednesday, September 25, 2013

Our Words


Matthew 12:36

"I tell you, on the day of judgment people will give account for every careless word they speak,"


Tuesday, September 24, 2013

Can anyone tell?


John 13:34-35

“A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.”

Monday, September 23, 2013

Straight Paths


Proverbs 3:5-6

Trust in the Lord with all your heart
    and lean not on your own understanding;
 in all your ways submit to him,
    and he will make your paths straight.

Sunday, September 22, 2013

Firm Steps


Psalm 37:23-24

The Lord makes firm the steps
    of the one who delights in him;
though he may stumble, he will not fall,
    for the Lord upholds him with his hand.

Thursday, September 19, 2013

Dare to be different!


Romans 12:1-2
I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.

1 Peter 2:1-3
So get rid of your feelings of hatred. Don’t just pretend to be good! Be done with dishonesty and jealousy and talking about others behind their backs.  Now that you realize how kind the Lord has been to you, put away all evil, deception, envy, and fraud. Long to grow up into the fullness of your salvation; cry for this as a baby cries for his milk. (TLB)

Forgiveness


Matthew 6:14-15
For if you forgive men when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you.  But if you do not forgive men their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins.

1 John 1:9
If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.

Matthew 26:28
This is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins.

Deceiving Ourselves


Jeremiah 17:9

The heart is deceitful above all things
    and beyond cure.
    Who can understand it?

 “First we deceive ourselves, and then we convince ourselves that we 
are not deceiving ourselves.”  Lewis Smedes

Psalms 86:11

Teach me Your way, O Lord;
I will walk in Your truth;
Unite my heart to fear Your name.