Posts from 2022 (Page 2)
Jesus is Worth Everything
45 “…the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant looking for fine pearls. 46 When he found one of great value, he went away and sold everything he had and bought it. Matthew 13:45-46 (NIV) Jesus is worth the price. No matter how high it is. Once you see Jesus and he comes in to change your life, there is nothing worth more. Jesus sacrificed everything for us. He thinks we are worth the cost too. Jesus is worth great value and offers…
Thou Shalt Not Judge
30 But the Pharisees and their teachers of religious law complained bitterly to Jesus’ disciples, “Why do you eat and drink with such scum? [tax collectors and sinners]” 31 Jesus answered them, “Healthy people don’t need a doctor—sick people do. 32 I have come to call not those who think they are righteous, but those who know they are sinners and need to repent.” Luke 5:30-32 (NLT) Jesus came to save everyone, not just the ones who considered themselves holy. The religious elite…
Levi Left Everything
28 So Levi got up, left everything, and followed him. 29 Later, Levi [Matthew] held a banquet in his home with Jesus as the guest of honor. Many of Levi’s fellow tax collectors and other guests also ate with them.Luke 5:28-29 (NLT) Levi (Matthew) left everything to follow Jesus. That is how strongly he felt about Jesus. We know Tax collectors were known as traitors and sinners. The worst of the worst. When Jesus came, He saw Matthew and all He had…
Offended by Others
27 Later ,as Jesus left the town, he saw a tax collector named Levi [Matthew] sitting at his tax collector’s booth. “Follow me and be my disciple,” Jesus said to him. Luke 5:27 (NLT) Tax collectors at the time period were not liked. They were known to be sinners. Nobody wanted to be around them. Jesus saw past that. He saw people who needed His help and He didn’t hold their mistakes against them, he sought them out to help them. NO matter what…
Requires of You
He has shown you, O mortal, what is good. And what does the Lord require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God. Micah 6:8 (NIV) We can easily feel as if we can’t live up to God’s expectations for us. We may view him as an overbearing parent or someone sitting in heaven waiting for us to make a mistake so He can discipline us. But that is not the case. …
Witnesses
But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth. Acts 1:8 (NIV) A witness shares what they heard or saw with others. Each of us has a testimony. God has done multiple things in our lives that we can share with others. He has touched us and changed us in ways that can be used to…
Make Disciples
Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age. Matthew 28:19-20 (NIV) We have been assigned a task to accomplish on the earth. We are to go out into the world and teach them to obey God’s commands. As we…
Keys of the Kingdom
“And I will give unto thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt bind on earth shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.” (Matt. 16:14–19) The world around us is full of brokenness. Things can go wrong in big and small ways. But we have been given authority to bind on loose things in Christ because of his work on the cross. If things need to…
Do Whatever
His mother said to the servants, “Do whatever he tells you.” John 2:5 (NIV) Jesus wasn’t quite ready to perform his first miracle but his mother asked him to help. He made the best wine at the end of the wedding when almost everyone was already drunk. To perform the miracle, people only needed to do whatever Jesus told them. We can make changes in our lives and the lives of others just by listening and doing what we are…
You Live In a Placed Theology
14 “You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. 15 Nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house. 16 In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven. Matthew 5:14-16 (ESV) City set on a hill in the Greek…
You have a Sent Identity
21 Again Jesus said, “Peace be with you! As the Father has sent me, I am sending you.” John 20:21 (NIV) Jesus was sent to be with sinners. Now we are sent. Everywhere we go we are light in the darkness. Jesus comes to us and illumines our heart, mind, and character. We are to shine in all the places we go. Just think, “This person in front of me does not know Jesus, yet here I am with them. How…
Final Last Words
18 And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19 Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.” Matthew 28:18-20 (ESV) These are the final last words Jesus spoke right before…
Lead the Way
10 Jesus said, “For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost.” Luke 19:10 (NIV) Jesus called Himself the “Son of Man.” He was declaring Himself the Messiah. The audience of these words understood Jesus was the One they long waited for thousands of years.Jesus was sent by God the Father to earth to reach lost people. God’s people in this time were looking for a rescuer, for someone they hoped for, someone who would restore…
To the Outsiders
Turn my heart toward your statutes and not toward selfish gain . Psalm 119:36 NIV All of us have wants. I want a new car. I want a new job. Our wants become needs.I want this and I gotta have it. The root of every person is selfishness. I am selfish. You are selfish. It’s in every one of us. Our selfish nature is sin. We bring our selfishness even into the church. We make it about our needs. I…
Recap
From Monday; “You are the salt of the earth.” You are vital to others. A little bit of your faith and goodness goes a long way. From Tuesday; “You are the light of the world.” Your light shines on others. Don’t hide that light, make it shine bright for everyone to see. From Wednesday: “The light shines in the darkness” Even the smallest amount of light makes a difference. From Thursday: “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows…
Light of Life
12 When Jesus spoke again to the people, he said, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.” John 8:12 (NIV) We are reflections of Jesus. When we follow Jesus his light flows through us. Our good deeds matter in this world. We have that ability through Jesus to shine that light on others. We have the ability to show others God’s goodness. We can bring people out…
Light
5 The light shines in the darkness and the darkness can never extinguish it. John 1:5 (NLT) This passage is very important. Once you are the light, the darkness cannot extinguish you. Even in the darkest of places the smallest amount of light makes all the difference. There is a reason why light can dispel darkness but darkness does not dispel light. When you have that light in you, you can spread it like wildfire. Have you ever seen the shadow…
Shine
14 “You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden. 15 Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead, they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. 16 In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven. Matthew 5:14-16 (NIV) We have all had our dark times. Everyone knows how it feels to be in…
Salt Of The World
13 “You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled underfoot. Matthew 5:13 (NIV) On earth, salt is very important to life. Just for people, salt is needed in your body. It helps keep you hydrated and it helps balance electrolytes. A quick search can give you all the benefits salt can give. It gives…
Speak the Truth in Love
15Instead, speaking the truth in love, (the impact in our communities, the way the church should be) we will in all things grow up into him who is (here comes the visual aid) the Head, that is, Christ. 16From him the whole body, joined and held together by every supporting ligament, grows and builds itself up in love, as each part does its work. Ephesians 4:15-16 (NIV) This passage begins with two very important points. It tells us what to…
Grow in Christ
14Then we will no longer be infants, (the maturity of the believer in the church) tossed back and forth by the waves, and blown here and there by every wind of teaching and by the cunning and craftiness of men in their deceitful scheming. Ephesians 4:14 (NIV) In the previous verse (verse 13) it talks about becoming mature and “attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ.” Verse 14 begins by stating how we “will no longer…
Works of Service
12to prepare God’s people for works of service, so that (the reason for it) the body of Christ may be built up 13 until we all (“until” implies ongoing till the goal is met, and the goal is “all”) reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ.Ephesians 4:12-13 (NIV) The previous verse talks about how God called some to be apostles,…
Gifts Are for a Specific Purpose
7 But to each one of us grace has been given as Christ apportioned it. 11It was He who gave some to be apostles, some to be prophets, some to be evangelists, and some to be pastors and teachers, Ephesians 4:7; 11 (NIV) Every gift is given by God for a specific purpose. As we can see in the verse above, God called some to be apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors, and teachers (and He gives the ability to fulfill those…
You We’re Handcrafted by God
10 For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do. Ephesians 2:10 (NIV) This is a great verse that highlights God’s intentionality as it relates specifically to you. The Bible tells us that we are God’s “handiwork.” That literally means you were handcrafted by God. You are not some cosmic mistake. You were created on purpose, at this specific time, to fulfill a specific purpose. I imagine…
In The Moment
36 “Therefore let all Israel be assured of this: God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord and Messiah.” 37 When the people heard this, they were cut to the heart and said to Peter and the other apostles, “Brothers, what shall we do?” 38 Peter replied, “Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. 41 Those who accepted his message were baptized,…
Promises Kept
32 “God raised Jesus from the dead, and we are all witnesses of this. 33 Now he is exalted to the place of highest honor in heaven, at God’s right hand. And the Father, as he had promised, gave him the Holy Spirit to pour out upon us, just as you see and hear today. Acts 2:32-33 (NLT) Yesterday’s devotional focused on the resurrection of Jesus Christ. It is only when Christ is back with the Father that the Holy Spirit is given to…