03 Apr 2025
A transformed life is an effective witness to the power of God’s word. Are you shining brightly, or are you clouded by complaining and arguing? Don’t let these habits or lack of unity in the body of Christ snuff out your light. Philippians 2:14-16.
Today’s Verse – 1 Corinthians 1:30
It is because of him that you are in Christ Jesus, who has become for us wisdom from God — that is, our righteousness, holiness and redemption. —1 Corinthians 1:30 Thoughts on Today’s Verse… God’s grace has brought us into a saving relationship with Jesus as our LORD and Savior. As believers, we recognize that Jesus’ sacrifice on the Cross was much more than a terrible miscarriage of justice and the murder of a good and decent man. Jesus is God’s Son. He is Immanuel, God with us. He is God’s lovingly wise way to show us of his love. Jesus is our righteousness. He took our sins upon himself and made us righteous through his death, the shedding of his blood. Jesus is our ongoing holiness. His blood cleanses us at the beginning of our salvation and continues to do so as we live for him. Jesus is our hope. His death means our atonement for our sins and our reconciliation with God. Jesus is our ransom. He paid to redeem us from sin, death, and hell. Jesus is our everything! My Prayer… Almighty and Abba God, thank you for your holiness. Thank you for your righteousness. Thank you for your gracious forgiveness. Mold in me a heart like your Son’s heart. Make from me a more usable vessel for your Kingdom work. Make me more JESUShaped. It’s in his name, I pray. Amen. All scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION. © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan Publishing House.
02 Apr 2025
It is God who can help us to live for Him. Our role is to surrender to His will and to allow Him to lead us. We need to train ourselves to think like He does. The Holy Spirit can help us do that. Philippians 2:13
Today’s Verse – 1 Corinthians 1:27
But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong. —1 Corinthians 1:27 Thoughts on Today’s Verse… The Cross is such an offensive symbol when viewed in its most basic and raw form (1 Corinthians 1:18-24). For God to allow himself to become human flesh and live among us is unbelievable enough. For God to be willingly subjected to the vagaries and rigors of mortality and human needs in Christ is unthinkable. For God in Christ to endure the indignities and inhumanities of the Cross is preposterous. That, however, is the gospel truth! What appears to be foolish, weak, and offensive has the power to remake us and inspire us to unparalleled faith in Christ. When we come to the Cross and Resurrection of Jesus, we come to the impossible, which was made possible and accomplished by God’s grace for us, and in us, in Jesus and his death on the Cross. Only God would bring us salvation in such a way. My Prayer… Holy and gracious Father, I know that the Cross may seem silly and foolish to some people. I know some people who wear the Cross as a symbol don’t honor Christ for what he did upon the Cross. But Father, I confess that for me, Jesus’ willingness to go to the Cross is powerfully convicting and amazingly reassuring. You have captured my heart with your sacrificial love in sending Jesus to redeem me. Thank you for your gift of grace and Jesus’ willingness to endure and suffer for me. In his name, I thank, pray, and praise you. Amen. All scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION. © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan Publishing House.
01 Apr 2025
A way of loving God is described in Philippians 2:12. Working out our salvation in fear and trembling is living like good Christians. It means doing the things expected of us which include believing in God, doing right, being united as the body of Christ, respecting others, being faithful, being fruitful, growing spiritually, etc.
Today’s Verse – Ephesians 3:17-19
And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the saints, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge — that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God. —Ephesians 3:17-19 Thoughts on Today’s Verse… Paul wants us to solidly connect with each other in love. More than being able to understand all the unfathomable mysteries of the universe or the deep teachings of Scripture, knowing and sharing the love of Christ enables us to bring God’s full blessing to others. While knowledge can be good, love is greater still. While power can be helpful, love is more helpful still. While experience can teach us many things, love teaches us to use what we know to bless others. Let’s be a people who live with love for each other (Romans 5:5; 1 Corinthians 13:1-13). My Prayer… O, Father, pour your love into my heart through the Holy Spirit and pour it out into the lives of those around me through me. Make me an instrument of your loving grace so that your love will be felt in clear and unmistakable ways by those my life impacts. In Jesus’ name, I pray. Amen. All scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION. © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan Publishing House.
Today’s Verse – Ephesians 3:16-17
For this reason I kneel before the Father… I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. —Ephesians 3:16-17 Thoughts on Today’s Verse… What’s the greatest thing we can do to bless those we love in Christ Jesus? What is the most helpful thing we can do when a brother or sister in Christ, or even a whole congregation of God’s people, faces major challenges from the Evil One? What is one of the greatest gifts we can give our children, parents, and close friends as they seek to live for Jesus today? In these verses, the apostle Paul showed us how to ask God to strengthen his people with the presence and power of the Holy Spirit in their inner being. Then, he told them what he prayed. We can pray this prayer for those we love, too. Then, we can let them know that we have prayed this prayer for them and will continue to pray until their storms are passed. My Prayer… Gracious God and Almighty Father, please bless… (mention several people specifically by name as you pray) with your power and presence through the Holy Spirit. I will continue to do all I can to encourage and strengthen them, but I believe that they need your Spirit’s power far more than anything I could do for them. Thank you for hearing my prayer in Jesus’ name. Amen. All scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION. © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan Publishing House.
28 Mar 2025
When one is not guided by the love of God, he/she can cause so much harm and pain. Hence, the importance of operating in God’s love. May we depend on God to help us love like He does. Psalm 55:1-23.
27 Mar 2025
One way of loving God is by embracing and inculcating into our lives, the values that are emphasized in His word. These include love, service, honesty, integrity, and prayer, which builds faith and fosters fellowship with Him and other brethren. Psalm 128.
Today’s Verse – Romans 8:16-17
The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God’s children. Now if we are children, then we are heirs — heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in his sufferings in order that we may also share in his glory. —Romans 8:16-17 Thoughts on Today’s Verse… Your older brother, Jesus, died and left you the family inheritance! I know it’s hard to believe, but the Bible does teach that Jesus is our brother (Hebrews 2:11-12), and Paul emphasizes in today’s passage that we are co-heirs with Christ. That’s the message here. Because we have God’s Spirit, we are God’s children. Since we are God’s children, we are heirs of all God offers us. We are co-heirs with Christ, whose death made our adoption into God’s family possible. So, if we have to face some hard times or painful difficulties, we will not despair. We know the time is coming when we will inherit all the blessings of heaven, and we will live with our Father in heaven because of the Son Jesus, by the power of the Holy Spirit. My Prayer… Father, thank you for your grace. Please pour out that grace more and more. Please help me bear the weight of my trials and the difficulties of my temptations with character and faithfulness. Please give me the courage to hang on through the tough times because I know I will eventually share heaven with you. Thank you for your Spirit, who is my assurance that I am your child and will share in all of your blessings forever. In Jesus’ name, I shout, “Hallelujah!” as I pray. Amen. All scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION. © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan Publishing House.