But the angel said to her, "Do not be afraid, Mary, you have found favor with God. You will be with child and give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his father David, and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever; his kingdom will never end." "How will this be," Mary asked the angel, "since I am a virgin?" Luke 1:30-34 Hebrews 11 says that faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see. Our culture pushes us in a […]
Worldview
586 posts
Yet I am always with you; you hold me by my right hand.You guide me with your counsel, and afterward you will take me into glory. Whom have I in heaven but you? And earth has nothing I desire besides you. My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever. Those who are far from you will perish; you destroy all who are unfaithful to you. But as for me, it is good to be near God. I have made the Sovereign LORD my refuge; I will tell of all your deeds. Psalm 73:23-28 Psalm 73 shows the danger that lurks for […]
If in Christ we have hope in this life only, we are of all people most to be pitied. I Corinthians 15:19 Then the angel showed me the river of the water of life, bright as crystal, flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb 2through the middle of the street of the city; also, on either side of the river, the tree of life with its twelve kinds of fruit, yielding its fruit each month. The leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations. Rev. 22:1&2 Do we think about giving the gift of heaven to our children? It is impossible, of course, to wrap up even a small piece of heaven in a […]
Jesus said to them, "I tell you the truth, the tax collectors and the prostitutes are entering the kingdom of God ahead of you. For John came to you to show you the way of righteousness, and you did not believe him, but the tax collectors and the prostitutes did. And even after you saw this, you did not repent and believe him. —Matthew 21:31b-32 Expectations play a vital but often misunderstood role in our relationships with teenagers. One of the main sources of discouragement and frustration with teenagers (actually, for all relationships) is their failure to behave as we expect them to in a particular situation. Among other things, we expect that good judgment will be exercised; we expect […]
For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. 1 Corinthians 1:18 Umm… what does God have to do with ANYTHING about the financial sector of this or any country? You Jesus freaks are all the same… "money is bad, if you lose everything, god will still love you, blah blah blah" When will people wake up and realize we can't keep falling back on a false deity when things go bad? God has become a defense mechanism. Wake up! there is no God! and if there is, he doesn't care how much money you just lost! quit trying to make yourselves feel […]
But whatever was to my profit I now consider loss for the sake of Christ. What is more, I consider everything a loss compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. Philippians 3:7&8 The law from your mouth is more precious to me than thousands of pieces of silver and gold. Psalm 119:72 Knowing Christ is a great thing. That is easy to say but challenging to live. Just how great is it? Taken at face value, Paul’s words in Philippians are stunning. So is the verse from Psalm 119. Nothing compares to knowing Christ and loving his words. These are two themes from the Gospels that are […]
The law from your mouth is more precious to me than thousands of pieces of silver and gold. Psalm 119:72 NIVThe law of your mouth is better to me than thousands of gold and silver pieces. Psalm 119:72 ESV This verse in Psalm 119 presents a challenging question to you as a Christian parent. Is this truth something that influences you more than your bank balances? The psalmist proclaims the word of God is of such value that gold and silver pale in comparison. Take some time to consider this reality. Is this your testimony? Would your children say this verse speaks accurately of you and what you value? Give this some thought. Let me know what you think. We […]
Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying, "Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to men on whom his favor rests." Luke 2:13&14 "Do not suppose that I have come to bring peace to the earth. I did not come to bring peace, but a sword. For I have come to turn " 'a man against his father, a daughter against her mother, a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law – a man's enemies will be the members of his own household. Matthew 10:34-36 The Advent of Jesus Christ has become the season where political correctness and materialism combine to obfuscate the purposes of God. This […]
Be joyful always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus. I Thessalonians 5:16-18 Gratitude for Christ In less than two weeks it will be Thanksgiving Day once again. That day begins four weeks stuffed full of events, culminating on Christmas Day. Then, ironically, many will be thankful that the busy holiday season is over. The holiday season places a rather conditional spin on the theme of Thanksgiving. We hope that we will be thankful—assuming that everything works out the way we have anticipated. We will be thankful if the major meals and events of the season go off without a hitch. We will be thankful if that certain annoying relative […]
He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will rest in the shadow of the Almighty. I will say of the LORD, "He is my refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust." Psalm 91:12 Yesterday we saw God at work, and we can declare that God is good. As yesterday’s post noted, God is always at work doing good for his people, but sometimes we need a uncommon event, such as a presidential election, to remind us of this truth. Parents, you have a powerful message to give to your children this week. God has shown his power and care for the church in wonderful, though perhaps unexpected, ways. Here are just a […]