Dec 15
2024
Joy To The World
Joy, in part, involves self-forgetfulness. Circumstances have little bearing on true joy, because God's sovereign plan is more important than the immediate comfort and clarity of a humble servant.
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Gentle Grace
A gentle, gracious spirit can be elusive when a contentious, even angry, world finds the message of the cross foolish. Yet the message of Paul and the life of Jesus call us to selflessly illustrate the wisdom of God and the beauty of the cross.
Keep ReadingThe Crossover
Crossing over gendered, cultural, racial, and religious differences to share Christ can be a daunting and scary task, yet that is what Jesus did throughout His ministry and via His atoning work.
Keep ReadingSong of Joy
Joy can seem illusive in a constantly changing world. Yet the scripture is filled with commands that we are to choose joy. How? Psalm 100 gives two wonderful motivations based on God's actions and character.
Keep ReadingRejoice In The Lord Always
In a world filled with sin, heartache, and loss the scripture's repeated refrain to rejoice can often seem incongruous. Yet the Lord calls us to always rejoice, because we have an unchanging God whose promises are true and whose love endures forever.
Keep ReadingBe Like-minded
Unity and harmony can be elusive. Even the fellowship of believers is sometimes beset by squabbles and disagreements threatening to weaken her testimony. The members of God's family must jealously guard the unity of the church!
Keep ReadingTwo Roads Diverged
There are two paths in life: one of God's choosing and one of our own choosing. God's way leads to a life that flourishes, while our way results in a life of emptiness. Which path will you choose to follow?
Keep ReadingWhen In Rome
A believer's true citizenship is not in an earthly kingdom. His or her allegiance is not to an earthly government. Paul tells the Philippians that "our citizenship is in heaven, and from it we await a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ" (Phil 3:20). Stand firm and long for your true home!
Keep ReadingOur Keeper
The journey through daily life is often an uphill climb. Various hardships, trials, and obstacles require help. It is good to know that our God is our Guide, our Guardian, and our King.
Keep ReadingChrist, the Exalted
Following Jesus' humiliation, the Father exalts the Son, re-elevating Him to His rightful place. God bestows on Him a name that stands above all others, that requires all of creation to bow its knee and acknowledge His identity.
Keep ReadingChrist, the Example
The humility of Jesus, the Son of Man, is a shocking lowering. From glorious splendor, to a roughly hewn manger, a towel and a basin, a criminal's cross, and a borrowed tomb - Jesus humbled Himself. All for the glory of the Father and the rescue of His people. What selfless love! He is our example in putting others first.
Keep ReadingJoy and Humility
Grace is truly amazing. It enables born-again believers to act in ways that they would never be capable of on their own. By nature sinful, they have the capacity to live righteously. Inclined to selfishness, they are able to humbly put others first. Tuning into the the grace of God brings joy and harmony among believers.
Keep ReadingJoy and Unity
In a broken and hostile world, the church is to function as a safe haven for its flock. This requires unity among the sheep. According to Paul's words to the Philippians, nothing binds the church together more securely than its union with Christ, encounter with the Father's love, and its Spirit-given purpose.
Keep ReadingThe Gospel and Suffering
We naturally avoid heartache and pain. Our instinctive response is to turn and run when it comes to suffering. Yet suffering and the gospel are inseparable. We walk in a long line of suffering saints who have trod in the footsteps of the Savior.
Keep ReadingLiving Worthy of the Gospel
Believers are to live a life that is worthy of the gospel. It is to be their aim to live in such a way that their life is "in balance" with its life-changing message and power. A worthy testimony is evidence supporting the transformative power of the good news to a lost world.
Keep ReadingServing For Something Greater
In a culture that celebrates the rugged individualist and emphasizes looking out for number one, putting Christ first and serving others sacrificially is a glorious departure from the norm and the great calling for every believer.
Keep ReadingI Love The Lord
God is worthy of unrivaled love and devotion. Yet how can the stone cold hearts of sinful humanity show affection? The only way for our heart to be changed and love to be formed in us is if God first demonstrates His love toward us. He acts for our good and His glory so we might exclaim, "I love the Lord!"
Keep ReadingPressed Between Two "Goods"
Paul claims that for him , "to live is Christ and to die is gain." A Christian's life is to be spent knowing Christ and making Him known, while death is to be sweet release that finds rest in the presence of Jesus. Yet navigating the tension between these two realities is what we, like Paul, must learn to balance and appreciate.
Keep ReadingUsing Your Gift
God has provided every believer talents and gifts for the good of the church and the advancement of the Gospel. Therefore, every believer is necessary and indispensable.
Keep ReadingThe Unstoppable Gospel
Suffering, others' ill intentions, and the certainty of death - Paul considers all three to be powerless and no match for the gospel. As a matter of fact, they are simply means a sovereign God uses to advance the good news.
Keep ReadingPraying Like Paul
Prayer connects us to God and to fellow believers. It shows a deep bond shared through a common Savior, common partnership, and common care. Most importantly, it is a product of love that pleads for growth in one another.
Keep ReadingTrust the Process
God always finishes what He starts. He is doing a good work and is faithful to complete our full transformation, because He is the Justifier, Sanctifier, and Glorifier of His children.
Keep ReadingThe Joy of Partnership
Partnering together for the advancement of the Gospel unifies a community of believers. It connects them in shared joy and gratitude.
Keep ReadingGreetings to the Saints
Paul's epistle to the Philippian church is a letter that communicates great joy, genuine friendship, and the hope for spiritual transformation. The first church planted on European soil is testament to the fruit that God can produce even in the harshest of environments.
Keep ReadingLet Everything That Has Breath ...
God deserves praise, now and forevermore. The Bible gives testimony to His character and works, and is filled with the rightful responses of man's praise for the one who is worthy.
Keep ReadingJoy To The World
Joy, in part, involves self-forgetfulness. Circumstances have little bearing on true joy, because God's sovereign plan is more important than the immediate comfort and clarity of a humble servant.
Keep ReadingWhen Faith Meets Fulfillment
The Old Testament is filled with promises to be fulfilled in the long-awaited Messiah. If these promises are trusted and the Messiah's sacrificial work is believed, you can be saved.
Keep ReadingDoubt In the Face of the Unbelievable
Doubt should not be surprising in the face of unbelievable announcements and events. The news of the arrival of the forerunner, John the Baptist, fits this description. God meets broken people in the midst of their doubt and says, "Watch Me work!"
Keep ReadingMission Possible
The resurrected Jesus fulfills Old Testament prophecy and confirms God's promises. He also invites us to be heralds of a glorious message. Every believer is called by the authoritative commission of King Jesus to proclaim salvation to the world.
Keep ReadingChrist or Criminal
In the trials prior to His crucifixion, Jesus' actions were in no way incriminating. Rather, it was who He claimed to be that was most damning in the eyes of the religious elite. In their eyes, He was guilty as charged - a blasphemer alleging to be the Messiah and the Son of God. Consider the evidence. Who do we say that Jesus is?
Keep ReadingIt's Covered!
The atonement brings God and man together. As Jesus gives new significance to the Passover meal, it is a reminder that the atonement covers and removes transgressions completely and is sufficient to save even the weakest of faith.
Keep ReadingThe Days Will Come
The condition this world finds itself in is not going to improve. Humanity will not pull itself up by the proverbial bootstraps and usher in an era of love and peace. What was longed for by Israel in the days of Jesus and is now hoped for by the Church will be realized at the coronation of Christ, the King. Redemption is coming!
Keep ReadingSpotless
Jesus is the Lamb of God that takes away the sin of the world. When He entered Jerusalem at the Passover week, He was strictly examined by the pious religious elite. Jesus' answers to their probing questions demonstrated His supreme authority, His heavenly allegiance, and His transcendent knowledge. Jesus passed the examination, confirming that He is the final Passover Lamb - perfect - without blemish or spot.
Keep ReadingZacchaeus, Come On Down
Jesus is Savior of the lost. He brings righteousness to even the most self-centered, self-sustained sinners as they are gripped by conviction and come to Him in repentance. Jesus is a friend to sinners.
Keep ReadingPrecious Declarations
The goodness of God is most attractively displayed in the goodness of the Good News. Jesus beckons the weary and heavily burdened to come to Him for rest. He declares that they can find rest in Him - the Savior who offers mercy, riches, restoration, and welcome.
Keep ReadingA Kingdom Heart
Presently God's kingdom is a kingdom of the heart. Nevertheless, there will come a day when Christ will physically reign in glory and might. Until that day, prayer is the essential lifeline for all exiles living in a foreign land, longing for their true home.
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