I’ve been reading Ephesians 3 every day and this verse has caused me to pause every time: “[that I may] …know Christ’s love that surpasses knowledge, so that I may be filled with all the fullness of God” (Ephesians 3:19). To know the love of Jesus is to be filled with all the fullness of God Himself. I want to ...
Everything we’ve been learning is only knowledge unless we apply it. James 1:22-24 says, “Don’t fool yourself into thinking that you are a listener when you are anything but, letting the Word go in one ear and out the other. Act on what you hear! Those who hear and don’t act are like those who glance in the mirror, walk ...
Have you seen the movie Awakenings with Robin Williams? The movie came out in 1990 and is based on a true story about victims of an encephalitis epidemic that left people in a catatonic state. In the 1970’s, Dr. Oliver Sacks tried a new drug regimen that offered the prospect of reviving these people from their unconscious condition. One thing ...
Edith Wharton once said, “There are two ways of spreading light: to be the candle OR the mirror that reflects it.” Her words remind me that before you can ever truly reflect Christ to others, you must first see Christ in you. Colossians 3:10-11 says, “You’ve become a new person. This new person is continually renewed in knowledge to be ...
I’ve said it before: Salvation isn’t a one-time event. Not only did God’s mercy save us in the beginning, it daily saves us. The Bible says, “When the kindness and the love of God our Savior toward man appeared, [it was] not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy He saved us” (Titus 3:4-5). ...
One of my favorite quotes ever is: “The wheel’s still spinning, but the hamster’s dead” (author unknown). I think it speaks to me because my early Christian life was a vicious cycle of trying to do good, failing, trying to do better, etc, etc. — all because I was trapped in my own unforgiveness. I tried to reach God through ...
Does the Bible say we’re just sinners saved by grace? No, it actually doesn’t. No-fault religion has taught men to say that. The Bible says, “For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest any man should boast” (Ephesians 2:8). In other words, we were sinners ...
I have good news for you: Righteousness is never based on your feelings. It’s a tough pill to swallow, but we need to admit we are carnal people (Romans 7:14). What do I mean? To be carnal means to be motivated by the things of the flesh, such as passions and appetites. It’s basically the opposite of being spiritual. One ...
I’m not much of a roller coaster gal, but I’ve been to plenty of amusement parks in my life (mostly for the food!) and I’ve noticed how many rides have a height requirement at the entrance. Many times you’ll see a child approach the measuring stick with hesitancy in hopes they grew a little taller since the year before, and ...
Victor Hugo said, “You can give without loving, but you can never LOVE without giving.” Isn’t this so true? Giving can come in all forms: out of obligation, required (like a staff party), out of guilt, etc., so love isn’t always the motivator to giving (in other words, you can give without loving). But… you can never LOVE without giving. ...
Satan knows how we see ourselves is a key element to our relationship with God. His goal is to get us to re-think EVERYTHING about God, about life, about everything. He wants to hinder us from walking in the fullness of God’s plan as we’ve already learned from 2 Corinthians 2:11, “Lest Satan should take advantage of us, we shouldn’t be ...
I recently told you righteousness is God’s RIGHT SYSTEM. The real definition of righteousness is right-standing with God; the ability to stand before Him without guilt or inferiority as if you had never sinned. What’s interesting about this definition is, if righteousness means to stand before God without guilt, it’s easy to see why the devil wants to feed us ...
So let’s talk about condemnation. Number one, it’s a mean trick of the devil. Number two, it’s a self-pronounced sentence of guilt (meaning, it’s fed to you by the devil). And hopefully the obvious number three is (just to be clear), God’s not the author of it. CONVICTION IS HOW GOD CORRECTS US.CONDEMNATION IS HOW THE DEVIL DEFEATS US. To ...
If your car doesn’t have a built-in GPS, your smart phone probably does. It’s your map or guidance system (to keep you on the right course). And now that paper maps are a thing of the past, we need a GPS. Why? Because it’s easy to get lost on our own. In other words, we need directions and help. Life ...