Pass the Salt

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. …

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…

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…

“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…

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…

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…

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…

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…

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…

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…

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…

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…

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…

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…

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…