News (Page 4)
Will We Honor God Or People?
Will We Honor God Or People?We are surrounded by people trying to appear to be something they are not. Honesty and integrity stand out because there is so much hypocrisy in our culture today. Authenticity is what God is asking of us and not just with each other but also with Him.Do we desire God’s approval more than the approval of people? Hypocrisy is an old acting term that means pretending to be what you’re not. So often we want…
Life Transformation Starts With Our Thoughts
Life Transformation Starts With Our Thoughts Colossians 2:8 See to it that no one takes you captive through hollow and deceptive philosophy, which depends on human tradition and the elemental spiritual forces of this world rather than on Christ. We tend to make a few resets in our lives when we want to make a new start. We experience justification at salvation, but we continue to be transformed in our sanctification. The Journey we are on, while working out our…
The Costs Of Misplaced Anger In Your Life
Road rage is out of control. Someone beeps at a car, and they end up in the hospital. Uncontrolled anger has a painful price tag. We’ve all seen too many examples of stupidity unleashed in anger. Proverbs 29:22 An angry person stirs up conflict, and a hot-tempered person commits many sins. The Bible is very clear on the cost of anger. The one who gives in to anger creates a multitude of sins. Anger usually gets a response. It grows…
The Power Of Scripture
The Power Of Scripture It was the summer of 1984, and I was at Lakeside Bible Camp. I had just accepted Jesus Christ as my Lord and Savior the previous day. For the first time in my life, the word of God was important to me. The verse I was challenged to memorize in my devotional time was from the book of Galatians that day. Galatians 2:20 I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ…
Who Will You Trust Most Today?
Who Will You Trust Most Today?Proverbs 3:5-6 Trust in the Lord with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding. 6 Seek his will in all you do, and he will show you which path to take. Who do you trust? The answer to this question can bring heartache or peace of mind. Whether your life has purpose or you whether you’re just spinning your wheels.One of the biggest mistakes we make is trusting ourselves. The problem with…
Trust God To Be Your Defender
Trust God To Be Your Defender Most of us waste a lot of time and energy worrying about what could happen if things don’t go as we have planned. Anxiety can take its toll as we strive to defend our plans, decisions, and failures. How can we find peace of mind when things go sideways, and our efforts come up empty? Psalm 25:1-5 In you, Lord my God, I put my trust. 2 I trust in you; do not let…
Evaluating The Direction And Health Of My Spiritual Life
1) Am I being directed by God’s Word?2 Timothy 3:16 All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.All of us tend to be controlled mostly by what we want. After we trust Jesus in faith, those things change and we desire to be directed by His will. The only place we can turn to for God’s truth is His…
The Power and Importance Of Mercy From God
The Power and Importance Of Mercy From God Psalm 25:6 Remember, Lord, your great mercy and love, for they are from of old. Grace means getting what we don’t deserve, and mercy means not getting what we do deserve. Both are true of God’s love for us, and we need both in our lives. We don’t deserve God’s mercy and we definitely can’t earn it, but whenever we turn to God in prayer, we can take comfort in knowing He…
Responding To Criticism And Persecution
2 Timothy 3:11-12 11 You know how much persecution and suffering I have endured. You know all about how I was persecuted in Antioch, Iconium, and Lystra—but the Lord rescued me from all of it. 12 Yes, and everyone who wants to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution. These are three cities that Paul visited on his first missionary journey. Suffering was a major part of all of Paul’s work and in Lystra he was stoned and left for dead.…
God Equips Us For His Challenging Path
God Equips Us For His Challenging PathEphesians 3:16-2116 I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you withpower through his Spirit in your inner being, 17 so that Christ may dwell inyour hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and establishedin love, 18 may have power, together with all the Lord’s holy people, to grasphow wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, 19 and to knowthis love that surpasses…
Blessings The Hard Ward Way
Blessings The Hard Ward Way I had only been in Uganda for about ten months. As Missionary Matthew, I had all those romantic ideas about what it meant to serve the Lord deep in the jungle. I was prepared for everything, or so I thought. Rose was an older lady who was under eighty pounds and in a wheelchair. She was dying slowly and was in excruciating pain. On Sunday, after our church service, she had asked to pray with…
Worship God In The Storm
Matthew 8:23-27 23 Then he got into the boat and his disciples followed him. 24 Suddenly a furious storm came up on the lake, so that the waves swept over the boat. But Jesus was sleeping. 25 The disciples went and woke him, saying, “Lord, save us! We’re going to drown!” 26 He replied, “You of little faith, why are you so afraid?” Then he got up and rebuked the winds and the waves, and it was completely calm. 27…
Preparing For Victory
Preparing For Victory1 Peter 5:8-98 Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like aroaring lion looking for someone to devour.9 Resist him, standing firm inthe faith, because you know that the family of believers throughout theworld is undergoing the same kind of sufferings.The best way to be successful in not giving into temptation is preparingbeforehand for victory. If you’re struggling with alcohol, ministering topeople in a bar is not you’re calling. If gossip is an…
Building Healthy Relationships
Ephesians 4:29-3229 Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only whatis helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefitthose who listen. 30 And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, with whom youwere sealed for the day of redemption. 31 Get rid of all bitterness, rage andanger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice. 32 Be kind andcompassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in…
Spiritual Warfare: Love Is A Battlefield
A spiritual battle is taking place all around us. This battle is unlike any other.There are no tanks or battleships, guns or spears to be seen, but it hasclaimed more victims than all other battlefields before. In this series we willbe looking at the weapons of our spiritual warfare, pulling down thestrongholds of our enemy, and experiencing freedom by bringing ourthoughts are under the protection and direction of Christ our Lord. Join us as we dive into 2 Corinthians 10…
Satan Uses Your Emotions To Cause Conflict
Satan Uses Your Emotions To Cause ConflictI love climbing, although the older I get I realize the consequences of a baddecision. The key to rock climbing is to use your legs more than your arms.Every gifted climber knows how to get a good foothold. Satan is alwayslooking to get a strong foothold in our lives. Through relationships, baddecisions, fear, and guilt. He will use whatever he can to lie his way into agood foothold in our lives. The question is,…