What Are You Pursuing in Life?

James 4.3-4 claims, you want only what will give you pleasure. You adulterers! Don’t you realize that friendship with the world makes you an enemy of God? I say it again: If you want to be a friend of the imagesworld, you make yourself an enemy of God.

What do you think, is what we really want only what gives us pleasure? I’m thinking that God is correct, what I want most and most often is what will bring me pleasure.

God’s description of this malady? Adultery! (more…)

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The Reason for God’s Empowerment

2 Timothy 1.7-8 explains, God has not given us a spirit of fear and timidity, but of power, love, andimage self-discipline. So never be ashamed to tell others about our Lord.

A lot of Christians know the first verse but don’t understand its connected to the second verse. The purpose of the promise is to equip Christians for their mission.

The work of God is the bringing of His Kingdom to earth as it is in heaven. Step one is for every knee to bow and every tongue confess that Jesus is Savior and Lord of all. (more…)

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Living Like Jesus

John 20.21 defines the Christian destiny, as the Father has sent Me, so I am sending you.images

Jesus, God, left His message and work of reconciling the world to Himself through Jesus the resurrected Savior, in the hands of His followers.

What are Christians supposed to give their lives to? Making disciples. How are Christians supposed to do this work? As Jesus did. What does this look like? We are to live as Jesus lived while He lived with us on the earth. How did Jesus live? Simply, humbly and purposefully. (more…)

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Discipline is the Key to Successful Relationships

Proverbs 1.3 teaches that their purpose is to teach people to live disciplined and successful lives, to help them do what is right, just, and fair. This teaching refers to the purpose of the Proverbs, the wiseimages sayings written predominantly by the wisest person to ever live.

What is the key to wisdom? The key to living a wise life is to live a life of discipline. A simple answer really to a simple question. The doing of the answer is what we find immensely difficult. (more…)

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The Power of Weakness

1 Corinthians 2.3 observes, I came to you in weakness—timid and trembling.image

Weakness is a despised attribute in the world even among Christians. We try and pretend its not something God honors but it is.

We turn this godly virtue on its head when we quote the Bible’s promise, ‘when we are weak then we are strong.’ We like that ending strong part pretending we are never really weak. But the verse really means when we are really weak that’s when we are really strong in the eyes of God not man.

The problem is our God models for us weakness and humility over and over but we try and try to ignore it. (more…)

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Who Desires to be Great?

Matthew 20.23 says, I have no right to say who will sit on My right or My left. My Father has preparedimage those places for the ones He has chosen.

Men want to be great, and recognized as such, for as long as possible. Imagine being the number two or three person in an eternal kingdom.

Forever recognition of personal greatness. Its sort of what we have in a hall of fame except we can enjoy the recognition without ever dying! (more…)

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End Times or Bad Times?

Matthew 16.4 describes a wicked and adulterous generation looks for a sign, but none will be given itimage except the sign of Jonah.

There are many in the Christian camp who believe we are close to the ‘end times.’

This belief has been prevalent in Christianity since its inception almost, the Apostle Paul discusses this issue in his letter to the Thessalonians who seemed to have quit working so they could stand around and watch for Jesus to return. Paul rebuked such behavior. (more…)

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A Player’s Greatest Asset

1 Samuel 16:7 observes the Lord does not look at the things people look at. People look at the outwardth appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.

Its football season, my favorite sport and my favorite time of year. I am always amazed how fast and how big the players are in this game. The hits they deliver upon each other make me wonder if its really a good idea to play this sport. In football size and speed matter but not as much as heart. Every team has big and fast guys but not every team is filled with guys with great hearts. (more…)

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Living Counter Culture

Jeremiah 2.19 observes “your wickedness will punish you; your backsliding will rebuke you. Consider imagethen and realize how evil and bitter it is for you when you forsake the Lord your God and have no awe of me,” declares the Lord, the Lord Almighty.”

“How’s it workin for you?” is a sarcastic question asked to those who keep doing the same thing with the same poor results. We might ask the Church the same question as we have ignored God and His commands repeatedly these past sixty years instead reaping a culture that is growing increasingly more hostile to traditional values or the free exercise thereof. (more…)

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Love not Violence is God’s Way

Matthew 11.12 observes from the days of John the Baptist until now, the kingdom of heaven has been imagesubjected to violence, and violent people have been raiding it.

Since the arrival of God on earth a battle has been taking place for the hearts and minds of people. The One True God is a loving God Whose desire is intimacy with His creation and so He invites us all to call Him Father.

This God seeks to reveal Himself to us and remove all confusion about Who God truly is and what God truly requires from us. (more…)

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