Jesus said in the Gospel of Luke, “In the same way, therefore, every one of you who does not renounce all his possessions cannot be my disciple.” – Luke 14:33. There’s nothing wrong with owning things. The problem is when things have us. As Christ-followers, we must love Jesus more than any personal possession. If…
If we aren’t careful, it’s possible to make an idol out of our comfort. The Bible tells us to carry our cross for Christ daily. That means we are guilty of the crime of being His, committed to Him – no matter the cost. It is to be so identified with Jesus that when they…
What difference would it make if we approached our spiritual disciplines as a means of drawing closer to Jesus? I mean, if we read our bibles, pray, and attend worship occasionally just because that’s what good Christ-followers do, we seem to be missing the point of our efforts. We should be in the Bible more…
Following Jesus isn’t just about abundant life, but how we are being transformed daily through spiritual maturity to be more like Jesus. By God’s grace and the work of the Holy Spirit, we are supplied with whatever we lack to get us where God wants us to be. In the book of Titus, Paul reminds…
All scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting, and training in righteousness. 2 Timothy 3:16 My attempts at fixing things around the house or church usually end up with me paying someone to come and undo the damage I’ve created – not to mention the unscheduled trips to the emergency room! In…
5 But if anyone obeys his word, love for God is truly made complete in them. This is how we know we are in him: 6 Whoever claims to live in him must live as Jesus did.1 John 2:5-6 Tony Evans says, “Obedience rooted in love is the requirement for ongoing, developing, ever-deepening, fellowship with the Lord.” When we walk in His…
In our prayer group last night we prayed about the need to be still and let God speak. That made me reflect on the breath of God. When God breathes on us, wonderful things happen. Here are just a few from scripture: God breathed creation into existence. By the word of the Lord the heavens…
Modern culture is quick to teach that there are many paths to God – but that isn’t true. The Bible says of Jesus, “There is salvation in no one else…” (Acts4:12) This passage makes clear that Jesus is the only way to salvation. For mankind to be saved, God had to be the Savior. There is only one way, one truth, and…
“Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says.” James 1:22 Technology seems to be taking over the world. I’m experiencing this first hand as we install a new computer to run our services. I used to be on the cutting edge. However, I feel like I’ve been pushed…
Jesus is our advocate – someone who helps. He represents us in God’s courtroom. He diverts the wrath of God and takes the punishment we deserve. Understanding that Jesus took the penalty for our sins should influence our love for Him and serve as motivation to obey Him. He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to…