“I am the Lord’s servant,” Mary answered. “May your word to me be fulfilled.” Then the angel left her. Luke 1:38 NIV Before the angel appeared to Mary, then to Joseph in a dream, they were ordinary people living ordinary lives just like you and I. While an encounter with …
And she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no guest room available for them. Luke 2:7 NIV A year or so earlier, when Joseph and Mary pledged their love to each other and planned to …
Jesus entered Jericho and was passing through. A man was there by the name of Zacchaeus; he was a chief tax collector and was wealthy. He wanted to see who Jesus was, but because he was short he could not see over the crowd. So he ran ahead and climbed …
The path of the righteous is like the morning sun, shining ever brighter till the full light of day. Proverbs 4:18 NIV As we journey through life, each day we have to choose the path we will walk. If you’re looking for a roadmap, God’s word will light the way! …
Be thankful in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you who belong to Christ Jesus. 1 Thessalonians 5:18 NLT There’s always a reason to be thankful, even when things don’t go our way and circumstances are not ideal. 2020 has been that kind of year for all of …
The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full. John 10:10 NIV There is a difference between being alive and having life. Every one with a beating heart and breath in their lungs is alive, …
“Why do you call me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ and do not do what I say? As for everyone who comes to me and hears my words and puts them into practice, I will show you what they are like. They are like a man building a house, who dug down deep …
For God made Christ, who never sinned, to be the offering for our sin, so that we could be made right with God through Christ. As God’s partners, we beg you not to accept this marvelous gift of God’s kindness and then ignore it. For God says, “At just the …
“I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery.” Exodus 20:2 NIV We may have never walked in the land of Egypt but Christ has set us free! Sin is its own form of slavery, trapping us in unhealthy thought patterns, …
Eliashib the priest, who had been appointed as supervisor of the storerooms of the Temple of our God and who was also a relative of Tobiah, had converted a large storage room and placed it at Tobiah’s disposal. The room had previously been used for storing the grain offerings, the frankincense, …
“But about that day or hour no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father. Be on guard! Be alert! You do not know when that time will come. It’s like a man going away: He leaves his house and puts his servants …
But when Sanballat and Tobiah and the Arabs, Ammonites, and Ashdodites heard that the work was going ahead and that the gaps in the wall of Jerusalem were being repaired, they were furious. They all made plans to come and fight against Jerusalem and throw us into confusion. But we …
We, in the United States, are in the midst of a presidential election. Emotions are high and passion floods our society like an overflowing river in a torrential downpour. Families are divided, neighborhoods split, friends part ways and social media is steep with strong opinions for and against both candidates. …
Then I said to them, “You see the trouble we are in: Jerusalem lies in ruins, and its gates have been burned with fire. Come, let us rebuild the wall of Jerusalem, and we will no longer be in disgrace.” …They replied, “Let us start rebuilding.” So they began this …
Meanwhile, the people in Judah said, “The strength of the laborers is giving out, and there is so much rubble that we cannot rebuild the wall.” Nehemiah 4:10 NIV As the people worked to rebuild the wall of Jerusalem, they became discouraged. They were working hard but they were getting …
Therefore, my dear friends, as you have always obeyed–not only in my presence, but now much more in my absence–continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling. Philippians 2:12 NIV I’m glad God inspired Paul to tell us to “work out our salvation.” The relevance of that statement …