Do you find yourself wanting to show God’s love only to other believers? Jesus addressed this discrimination, the restriction of God’s limitless love, in The Parable of the Good Samaritan (see Luke 10:25-37). Who is my neighbor? (see Luke 10:25-29). An expert of the law wanted to test Jesus, so with impure motive, he asked […]
Have You Built a Box Around God’s Love? (Luke 10:25-37)
Delayed Obedience is Better than Disguised Disobedience (Matthew 21:31-32)
Is God asking you to take a risk? Jesus taught that saying “No,” then doing, “Yes” with God is better than saying, “Yes,” then doing, “No.” Delayed obedience, saying, “No,” then doing, “Yes,” has a relationship with our heavenly Father. Jesus taught the chief priests and elders: “I tell you the truth, the tax collectors […]
The Parable of the Two Sons (Matthew 21:28-30)
Delayed Obedience is Better than Disguised Disobedience Do you respond to God with good intentions and, yet, do not do what He asks? Do you say, “Yes,” then do “No.” The Jewish leaders had questioned Jesus’ authority (see Matthew 21:23-27). It was most likely Tuesday of Holy Week under one of the Temple porches. Jesus […]
Love, Learn, Live the Word (1 Peter 4:10)
“Each one should use whatever he has received to serve others, faithfully administering God’s grace in its various forms” (1 Peter 4:10). Love the Word Would those closest to you describe you as greedy or generous? We were designed to be generous with our gifts of time, talent, and treasure. God desires that we use […]
Love, Learn, Live the Word (Colossians 3:13)
“Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you” (Colossians 3:13). Love the Word Have you had the opportunity to forgive someone who has wronged you? Jesus likened withholding forgiveness to a prison (see Matthew 18:21-35). The irony is that the person who will […]
Love, Learn, Live the Word (Matthew 11:28)
“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest” (Matthew 11:28). Love the Word Do you ever feel weary from sin? Has too much license increased your desire for more and more of your fix of choice in order to feel new again? This is the loose and […]
Love, Learn, Live the Word (Matthew 7:12)
“So, in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you, for this sums up the Law and the Prophets” (Matthew 7:12). Love the Word Everyone wants to be heard, forgiven, loved, and understood, but the irony is that few want to listen, forgive, love the unlovely, or take time to understand. […]
Love, Learn, Live the Word (Jeremiah 29:13)
“You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart” (Jeremiah 29:13). Love the Word Have you ever done anything halfheartedly? How did it make you feel in the end? Unfortunately, due to our sinful nature, we often find ourselves in tasks where we do not give our all, even […]
Love, Learn, Live the Word (Ecclesiastes 12:13-14)
“Now all has been heard; here is the conclusion of the matter. Fear God and keep his commandments, for this is the whole duty of man. For God will bring every deed into judgment, including every hidden thing, whether it is good or evil” (Ecclesiastes 12:13-14). Love the Word Have you encountered God, yet continue […]
Love, Learn, Live the Word (Proverbs 9:10)
“The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom, and knowledge of the Holy One is understanding” (Proverbs 9:10). Love the Word When conflict arises, do you respond wisely? Would those closest to you characterize you as an understanding person? The Bible offers us wisdom for managing conflict, including understanding that only our loving […]
Love, Learn, Live the Word (Psalm 139:23-24)
“Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting” (Psalm 139:23-24). Love the Word Is your heart in need of restoration? David, a man after God’s own heart, penned his prayer of renewal […]
Love, Learn, Live the Word (2 Samuel 14:14)
“Like water spilled on the ground, which cannot be recovered, so we must die. But God does not take away life; instead, He devises ways so that a banished person may not remain estranged from Him” (2 Samuel 14:14). Love the Word Do you devise ways for those outside Christ to find life with God […]
FOCUS (Part 2)
We were designed to be satisfied through an intimate relationship with Christ. He is the satisfying focal point of our desires. As with a magnifying glass, the focal point of our eyes is magnified, and all that surrounds it is fuzzy. When temptation of the eyes comes, we stand at a 180-degree pivot-point to either […]
FOCUS
What is the focal point of your eyes? With the advent of summer comes girls who wear less clothes and guys who do more looking. The apostle John referred to this when he described the three ways that we desire life apart from God. He called it sin, namely the lust of the eyes, wanting […]
The When, Why, and How of Wise Confrontation
When should you wisely confront someone during interpersonal conflict? Timing is everything, so your confronting should not take place too early, too late, or in the heat of the battle. Solomon penned: “A man finds joy in giving an apt reply, and how good is a timely word” (Proverbs 15:23). The wise king warned of […]
Who, What, Where, When, Why, and How of Wise Confrontation
During interpersonal conflict, do you struggle with confrontation? Confront literally means “face to face.” Only after first taking your conflict to God, ignoring insults, turning the other cheek, and overlooking an offense, can you wisely and lovingly confront another person. Who should you confront? Examine the relationship you have with the person involved in your […]
Desires Are For Our Transformation – Live a Holy Life in the Spirit (1 Thessalonians 4:6-8)
How can we honor God with our longing for sexual intimacy? Paul taught that desires are for our transformation: “And that in this matter no one should wrong his brother or take advantage of him. The Lord will punish men for all such sins, as we have already told you and warned you. For God […]
Desires Are Not For Our Elimination – Control Your Body (1 Thessalonians 4:4-5)
The electrical current of sexual temptation travels from our world’s images straight to our desires, equipped with enough voltage to kill. However, this is nothing new. When Paul wrote to the Thessalonians, the Greek sex culture was perverted, especially in Thessalonica, even at its religious sites. Marriages were arranged between girls 13 to 14 years-old […]
Desires Are Not For Our Gratification: Avoid Sexual Immorality (1 Thessalonians 4:1-3)
The apostle Paul likened marriage to the relationship between Christ and the church, teaching that a husband desires respect from his wife, and a wife desires to be loved by her husband (see Ephesians 5:31-33). Still, our culture is performing an all-out assault on this covenant, exploiting the desires of both genders. Since a man […]
The RSVP (Matthew 22:11-14)
In Jesus’ Parable of the Wedding Banquet, during the celebration, the king observed the guests who had jammed the wedding hall. To his dismay, he had found someone without proper wedding clothes. The king treated him in similar fashion to those who had rejected his invitations by ordering his death sentence. At first glance, the […]