“And to put on the new self, created after the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness.” (Ephesians 4:24, ESV) Once upon a time, in the home of special friends, lived a very determined four-year-old girl. She had definite likes and dislikes, and no one had any difficulty in…
“Beware that you do not forget the LORD your God by not keeping His commandments, His judgments, and His statutes which I command you today, lest—when you have eaten and are full, and have built beautiful houses and dwell in them, and when your herds and your flocks multiply, and your silver…
So when Jesus looked up and noticed a huge crowd coming toward him, he asked Philip, “Where will we buy bread so that these people can eat? ” . . . Philip answered him, “Two hundred denarii worth of bread wouldn’t be enough for each of them to have a little.” (John…
“Only let each person lead the life that the Lord has assigned to him, and to which God has called him. This is my rule in all the churches.” (I Corinthians 7:17, ESV) When we think about the calling of God, our thoughts often go to pastors, perhaps some well-known Bible…
“But who are you, O man, to answer back to God? Will what is molded say to its molder, “Why have you made me like this?” (Romans 9:20, ESV) The word why contains only three little letters, but, oh, the emotion behind that short word. Our human mind wants (demands)…
“Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil.” (Ephesians 6:11, ESV) Remember the old children’s song “I’m in the Lord’s Army”? We’d march in place, arms swinging, as we loudly sang, “I may never march in the infantry,…
“You spread out our sins before you—our secret sins—and you see them all.” (Psalm 90:8, NLT). A friend of mine was never very good at following doctor’s orders. When appointment time came, his guilty conscience kicked in. On that day, he would sleep a little longer and eat a lot…
“Fervent in spirit; serving the Lord.” (Romans 12:11) Pop quiz: “What are you most passionate about in life? What excites you and stirs up your enthusiasm?” Many of us will quickly respond, “God,” “family,” “soul winning,” or some other worthy pursuit. Next question: “On what activity do you spend the…
“Turn my eyes from looking at worthless things; and give me life in your ways.” (Psalm 119:37, ESV) Have you ever been drawn in by a fancy ad and suddenly you want that! Advertisers realize how often we want what we see. That’s why a few months ago a company…