Here is a brief application from Romans 8 that teaches Christians do not have to be controlled by fear. Christians need not fear condemnation. verse 1 Christians are not controlled by the flesh but by the Holy Spirit. verse 9 Christians are not slaves to fear, but to the Holy Spirit. verse 15 If you rely only on what is seen you will be controlled by fear. verse 24 If you rely on what is unseen, you have hope. verse 24 Even in your weak moments of worry and fear, the Spirit intercedes for you. verse 26 Your deepest fears have been searched out by God and are known to him. verse 27 The Holy Spirit, intimately aware of your […]
Monthly Archives: May 2015
18 posts
You should not be surprised when people are irritating. Actually, you should expect them to be. It is time to stop being shocked that people sin. Isn’t that negative thinking? No, this is realistic thinking that is in line with God’s commands. Here are a few examples: Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love. Ephesians 4:2 Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you. Ephesians 4:32 Do not be overcome by evil, but evil with good. Romans 12:21 A gentle answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger. Proverbs 15:1 These are four of many commands about how to address irritating behavior. […]
Flowers and gifts on Mother’s Day are good things. But there is more. When we read the exhortation of Proverbs 31:31 to honor mothers and wives for all that they have done, we are not rating their performance, but instead, we are honor them with gratitude simply for who they are. Motherhood is part of the plan of God to bring glory to himself. For Christians, we have the additional blessing of honoring our mothers for who they are in Christ. Your mother, like any other mother, has not been a perfect mom. However, she is living out her role in bringing new life to the earth and nurturing it. She provides warmth and encouragement to her family when no one […]
Sometimes, the most compelling reasons to believe in God’s creation of the Universe and human life are the ones that can’t be measured by scientific theory. Mothers are the creation of God. This truth simply is, just as God simply is. When God sent Moses to lead the children of Israel out of Egypt, he told Moses to tell the people that I AM has sent me to rescue you. The proof of God lies in the reality that he exists. There is no human test that can prove God. He is who he is! Mothers were created by God. They did not evolve. Mothers as mothers do not become better over the course of history. They are what they […]
The gospel is about what God has accomplished for you. It is not about what you did for God. If you make the gospel about others serving you, you distort its message. If your children see that you are upset because you are not being served, you distort the gospel message. When you and I distort the power of the gospel we fail to show its power and we fail to show the beauty of Christ! Mark 10:45 For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.”
The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field, which a man found and covered up. Then in his joy he goes and sells all that he has and buys that field.The gift of heaven is a gift anticipated with trembling, but received with peace. Matthew 13:44 It is a gift seldom planned for, but is given according to the most loving of plans. It is a gift that exposes our faith, but is given in faithfulness. It is a gift that we are tempted to exchange for the treasures of this life. It is a gift looked upon with doubt, but, once given, removes all doubt. It is a gift we wanted to avoid, but then embraced with […]
The most important goal for you and your family is to grow closer to God in every area of your life. Below Tedd and Margy Tripp hold out three key passages to build upon. Reflect deeply on what Joshua 24, Psalm 48 and Psalm 73 have to say to you this day! Strive to grow into a mutual relationship of living and working together for Christ’s kingdom. The Christian life is lived in a community. Throughout redemptive history God’s people have witnessed God’s awesome deeds and gloried together in his protection and provision. Future generations are also in view. We must have the same sense of expectation as we talk of God’s faithfulness and provision for our physical family and […]
Politicians and elected officials constantly offer rest from the troubled policies of the “other guy”, even if they were once “the other guy”. Relationships offer rest, but too often they result in expectations that offer rest only when you make someone else happy. You offer to help, but when your efforts fall short, once again, rest becomes elusive. As parents, children, employees, citizens and friends, even as church goers, we are all looking for rest. Yet rest doesn’t come. We make it okay financially, and illness comes and drains rest away like the drip line of a medical delivery kit. You keep looking for a way to find rest in yourself, rest in your soul, to figure things out! But […]