Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men, knowing that from the Lord you will receive the inheritance as your reward. You are serving the Lord Christ. Colossians 3:23-24 Paul’s words in these verses are so practical we may gloss over their radical nature. Serving Christ isn’t just about obvious […]
And Peter answered him, “Lord, if it is you, command me to come to you on the water.” He said, “Come.” So Peter got out of the boat and walked on the water and came to Jesus. But when he saw the wind, he was afraid, and beginning to sink he cried out, “Lord, save […]
But the hour is coming, and is now here, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for the Father is seeking such people to worship him. —John 4:23 John 4 includes some of the most influential verses regarding the discipline of worship – how better to understand whether or not […]
Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the wicked, nor stands in the way of sinners, nor sits in the seat of scoffers; but his delight is in the law of the Lord, and on his law he meditates day and night (Psalm 1:1–2, esv). Let’s take an informal survey. Question: […]
We all stumble in many ways (James 3:2a, esv). Maybe you’ve noticed one or two flaws in a few of the Christians around you. (Just maybe.) But that’s not really so surprising, right? After all, we’ve got a few flaws ourselves. If the church is supposed to be a place where hope abounds—even with sin […]
Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God (Philippians 4:6, esv). When Paul coaches us, “Do not be anxious about anything,” it’s easy to react with indignation. “Really, Paul?! Have you looked at my life lately? Don’t be anxious about […]
Do nothing from selfishness or empty conceit, but with humility of mind regard one another as more important than yourselves (Philippians 2:3, nasb). Are you having a tough day today? Been a little down in the dumps lately? There’s a way to fix that—but not by “working on it.” The way to increase your joy […]
He came to the disciples and found them sleeping. And he said to Peter, “So, could you not watch with me one hour” (Matthew 26:40, esv)? Most likely, you’ve read and heard the story so often, you could almost quote the narrative by heart. You’ve spent time trying to picture what Jesus was enduring, both […]
Remember Jesus Christ, risen from the dead, the offspring of David, as preached in my gospel, for which I am suffering, bound with chains as a criminal. But the word of God is not bound! (2 Timothy 2:8-9, esv). The ancient catacombs are six hundred miles of tunnels underneath Rome that were in use for […]
So to keep me from becoming conceited because of the surpassing greatness of the revelations, a thorn was given me in the flesh, a messenger of Satan to harass me, to keep me from becoming conceited (2 Corinthians 12:7, ESV). God allows bad things to happen to good people. The phrase “good people” is a […]