He was handed over by God’s set plan and foreknowledge, and you, by the hands of the lawless, put Him to death by nailing Him to the cross. But God raised Him from the dead, releasing Him from the agony of death, because it was impossible for Him to …
See, I have engraved you on the palms of my hands. Isaiah 49:16a NIV The hands that made the universe and stretched out the heavens became the hands of a newborn baby. Isaiah 45:12 Those same hands touched blind eyes and they could see. Mark 8:25 When placed on those …
I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. Galatians 2:20 NIV As we approach Easter and focus …
Then he told this parable: “A man had a fig tree growing in his vineyard, and he went to look for fruit on it but did not find any. So he said to the man who took care of the vineyard, ‘For three years now I’ve been coming to look …
“Work out your salvation with fear and trembling” Philippians 2:12b NASB We’d like to believe that the Christian life is an easy one, but that’s not the way I see it presented in the Bible. Life, even as a Christian, and maybe even more so, can be a battle! But …
Whoever is pregnant with evil conceives trouble and gives birth to disillusionment. Psalm 7:14 NIV Why disillusionment? Because sin never delivers what it promises! Satan is very good at making us believe we’ll receive a benefit worth pursuing, but in the end, sin always leaves us worse off than before …
“What is more, I consider everything a loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them garbage, that I may gain Christ and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes …
“So I say, let the Holy Spirit guide your lives. Then you won’t be doing what your sinful nature craves. The sinful nature wants to do evil, which is just the opposite of what the Spirit wants. And the Spirit gives us desires that are the opposite of what the …
This is my command: Love each other. John 15:17 NLT God clearly desires that we love each other, but how does the Bible define love? Love is patient and kind. Love is not jealous or boastful or proud or rude. It does not demand its own way. It is not …
“I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” John 16:33 NIV I find three helpful takeaways form this verse: Long before you or I were born, Jesus declared that …
When Pilate heard this, he was even more afraid, and he went back inside the palace. “Where do you come from?” he asked Jesus, but Jesus gave him no answer. “Do you refuse to speak to me?” Pilate said. “Don’t you realize I have power either to free you or …
If your right eye causes you to sin, gouge it out and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to be thrown into hell. And if your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off and …
“Paul had decided to sail past Ephesus to avoid spending time in the province of Asia, for he was in a hurry to reach Jerusalem, if possible, by the day of Pentecost.” Acts 20:16 NIV11 Like Paul, we all need to map out the best course to get us where we …
So Elijah went from there and found Elisha son of Shaphat. He was plowing with twelve yoke of oxen, and he himself was driving the twelfth pair. Elijah went up to him and threw his cloak around him. Elisha then left his oxen and ran after Elijah. “Let me kiss …
…”I have had enough, LORD” … 1 Kings 19:4b NIV Most of us, at one time or another, have felt like Elijah felt when he spoke these words in prayer. God had brought him through so many difficult circumstances and had demonstrated His faithfulness to Elijah so many times, but …
“Enter through the narrow gate; for the gate is wide and the way is broad that leads to destruction, and there are many who enter through it. For the gate is small and the way is narrow that leads to life, and there are few who find it.” Matthew 7:13-14 …