Resources
July 27, 2020
“Forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors” (Matthew 6:12). The line in the Lord’s Prayer that reads, “Forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors,” does not mean that we earn God’s forgiveness by forgiving other people (Matthew 6:12). If that were true, then salvation would rest on good works, and faith would be unnecessary. Paul says, “It is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—not by works, so that no one can boast” (Ephesians 2:8-9). Our eternal debt was paid on the cross once and for all. Nothing is outstanding. Forgiving others is not a payment toward our own forgiveness: It’s a sign of spiritual life. Once we have received God’s forgiveness in Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit lives in our hearts, it follows that we should become more forgiving of people. There are two sides to forgiving. The […]
July 20, 2020
“For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Romans 6:23). The spirit of the age that Paul warns us about also comes dressed in the form of moral tolerance. Today, this spirit declares that Jesus is ambiguous about sin and so must we be. This movement proclaims that Christ does not care how people behave morally. It declares that Christ is apathetic toward our decisions and lifestyles, but God loves us too much to let us live a life of sin. He wants us to follow Him on the only path to fullness of life. Read Romans 6:23. Paul tells us that sin has a price, and that price is death. Any sin we commit ushers decay into our lives. Sexual immorality kills intimacy. Lying damages integrity. Gossip destroys relationships. Every sin brings something corrupt and evil into our lives. The spirit of the age wants to keep […]
July 13, 2020
“Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship” (Romans 12:1). Our society tells us that the key to success is to acquire as much as we can—money, possessions, assets, friends, promotions. But this is the opposite of God’s formula for success: giving our all. When we fully comprehend the price of our salvation, we want to give back to God out of gratitude and thanksgiving. When we fully realize the mercies of God, we want to worship Him with our every breath. God’s love and sacrifice for us should motivate us to love and to sacrifice ourselves in return. “For Christ’s love compels us, because we are convinced that one died for all, and therefore all died. And he died for all, that those who live should no longer live for themselves but for him who died for […]
July 6, 2020
“These commandments that I give you today are to be on your hearts. Impress them on your children” (Deuteronomy 6:6-7). Another role of the godly parent is to cultivate compassion for others. Job trained his children to be generous, hospitable, responsible, kind, and considerate and to be leaders in building up others and the community in unity and harmony. This does not mean Job taught his children to compromise for the sake of agreement, but rather to hold strong principles and demonstrate genuine love. How do we develop compassion for others? We first must experience God’s love and then be challenged to pass on that love. Children first experience God’s love by experiencing the love of their own parents. The more their parents express love to them, the quicker they are to show compassion. Assure your children repeatedly of God’s love, even when they disobey. Be affectionate with them, hugging and kissing them and putting your hand on their shoulders […]
June 29, 2020
“. . . for everyone born of God overcomes the world. This is the victory that has overcome the world, even our faith” (1 John 5:4). As the voice of the Holy Spirit calls us to do courageous things for the Kingdom of God, we sometimes wonder if we are really hearing His voice. We may shy away from walking down a certain path in faith and boldness for fear of ruining God’s reputation when, in fact, it is His glory that rests at the end of the road. Paul found God’s grace in the unlikeliest of places—on a dusty road to Damascus. Yet, he was more than simply arrested by God’s splendor and glory. In a matter of days, as Paul regained his vision, he saw God’s vision for his life. Basking in the glow of God’s glorious grace, Paul found himself venturing into something that, less than a week before, no one would have thought possible. More than […]
June 15, 2020
“And who knows but that you have come to your royal position for such a time as this?” (Esther 4:14). The Bible gives us many examples of people embracing God’s vision, even when they may have felt afraid or unqualified. Let’s look at the life of Esther. Esther realized God’s vision when she was called to approach King Xerxes on behalf of the Jewish people. In Esther 4:14, Mordecai suggests that perhaps she has come to her royal position for such a time as this. Esther was afraid and unsure, but she still stepped up and accepted God’s vision for her life. At great personal risk, she met the need before her and saved God’s people. What if Esther had convinced herself she was not worthy of the task or had refused to carry it out for fear of the consequences? What a missed opportunity that would have been to glorify God by trusting in His sovereign will that flows […]
May 17, 2020
“Jesus said, ‘It is finished.’ With that, he bowed his head and gave up his spirit” (John 19:30). How many times in the Gospel of John does Jesus talk about His hour? He regularly said, “My hour has not yet come,” or, “The hour is coming.” It was as if Jesus was hearing the chimes of a clock that nobody else could. The life of the Lord Jesus Christ—the sum total of His ministry and mission—was leading to this one, final cry, “Tetelestai,” or, “It is finished.” From His birth through His boyhood, manhood, and public ministry, Jesus’ focus was to finish the work His Father had given to Him—the work of redemption. From the very beginning, God’s plan for our redemption required Jesus’ death and resurrection. If you have never experienced the finished work of the cross of Christ, you can today. Right now you can say, “It is finished. Lord God, I come surrendering my life to You. […]
May 10, 2020
“Into your hands I commit my spirit; deliver me, Lord, my faithful God” (Psalm 31:5). As Jesus nears the end of His agony, we meditate on the sixth statement from the cross: “Father, into your hands I commit my spirit” (Luke 23:46). This cry was not the cry of defeat, but the cry of victory. It was not the cry of one conquered by death, but of one conquering death. It was not the cry of a victim of circumstances, but of one in control of His circumstances. As a commander would dismiss a servant from his presence, Jesus dismissed His own Spirit and went to be with God the Father, speaking the words of Psalm 31:5: “Into your hands I commit my spirit; deliver me, Lord, my faithful God.” When the centurion at the cross witnessed Jesus’ victorious cry, the officer recognized the difference between Jesus and every other dying man he had seen. It was in this moment […]
May 3, 2020
“Rend your heart and not your garments. Return to the Lord your God, for he is gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and abounding in love, and he relents from sending calamity” (Joel 2:13). When John showed up at the cross, Jesus did not say to him, “John, where were you? I was looking for you. I thought that, of all the disciples, you would be the one who would have stood by me during the trial. Where were you, John?” There was no rebuke. There was no “I told you so.” Rather, He looked at him, and He gave him the highest responsibility that our dying Savior could give anyone. He said, “Son, here is your mother.” The Lord was saying that He wanted John to substitute for Him. He wanted John to stand in His place to speak for Him—to care for His mother. Some of us have made promises to the Lord, promises that we are going […]
April 27, 2020
“Jesus answered him, ‘Truly I tell you, today you will be with me in paradise'” (Luke 23:43). As we continue looking at the statements of Jesus on the cross, today we look at His second: “Truly I tell you, today you will be with me in paradise” (Luke 23:43). In one of His final interactions before His death, Jesus compassionately extended eternal life. As He openly prayed for the forgiveness of His killers, Jesus sparked an internal transformation in the criminal next to Him. In humility, the criminal said to Jesus, “[R]emember me when you come into your kingdom” (v. 42). In the midst of great suffering and torment, our Savior did not allow His own pain and circumstances to distract Him from the cries of faith from a repentant sinner. Jesus knew that this was the very reason He was hanging on that cross. Just as He was not too preoccupied to minister to this criminal, He is never […]
April 20, 2020
“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here!” (2 Corinthians 5:17). Read 1 Corinthians 15:3-8, 20-26. Think about what it must have been like to arrive at Jesus’ tomb Easter morning, full of sorrow, only to discover the large stone in front of the tomb had been rolled away. Imagine being greeted by an angel with the incredible news that your Lord was no longer dead but alive! To witness the resurrection and experience it as a close friend of Jesus must have been something. But here’s the amazing thing: The Bible says we haven’t missed out. Though we are two thousand years late to the party, we can still experience the resurrection of Jesus Christ and bear witness to its power. How? you might ask. In his letter to the Ephesians, the apostle Paul says that when Christ comes into your life, when you truly surrender to Him, […]
April 13, 2020
“So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you” (Isaiah 41:10). Scientists and psychologists alike have researched different ways to overcome fear. Some believe they can develop drugs to combat phobias, while others believe we should just fake it until we make it. But there is a secret to courage that God reveals over and over again in Scripture. It is the same thing He told Moses after asking him to lead the Israelites out of slavery, and it is the same thing Jesus told us after giving the disciples the Great Commission (see Exodus 3:12; Matthew 28:19-20). In Haggai 1:13, God reveals the secret to courage once again. Once the Israelites recommitted themselves to the Lord, He responded, “I am with you.” The Lord knew they would need courage to continue His work and rebuild their faith. He knew they would need His […]