6 And now, just as you accepted Christ Jesus as your Lord, you must continue to follow him. 7 Let your roots grow down into him, and let your lives be built on him. Then your faith will grow strong in the truth you were...
1 So get rid of all evil behavior. Be done with all deceit, hypocrisy, jealousy, and all unkind speech. 2 Like newborn babies, you must crave pure spiritual milk so that you will grow into a full experience of salvation. Cry out for this nourishment, 3...
For us to have access to Jesus, we have to declare that we are in a state of emergency. Things are worse than what we can handle and we don’t have the resources to handle it. We need help....
I didn’t always love him. Pulling into the DSS parking lot that day, I knew that my life was about to change forever. I walked into the office and saw a little boy in grungy clothes that were too many sizes too big to even...
As a young child, I had this idea in my mind of what prayer looked like. It meant bowing your head, closing your eyes, and reciting “God is Great” before a meal. I’m thankful that is not all communicating with God is, a respectful recitation, because...
14 God says, “Rebuild the road! Clear away the rocks and stones so my people can return from captivity.” 15 The high and lofty one who lives in eternity, the Holy One, says this: “I live in the high and holy place with those whose spirits are contrite and humble. I restore...
11 Don’t forget that you Gentiles used to be outsiders. You were called “uncircumcised heathens” by the Jews, who were proud of their circumcision, even though it affected only their bodies and not their hearts. 12 In those days you were living apart from Christ....
21 “Not everyone who calls out to me, ‘Lord! Lord!’ will enter the Kingdom of Heaven. Only those who actually do the will of my Father in heaven will enter. 22 On judgment day many will say to me, ‘Lord! Lord! We prophesied in your...
In Ephesians 1:15-23, Paul gives thanks for the Ephesian church and prays that they may be made conscious of the hope to which God has called them. Hope is a central theme in Paul’s letters, and it informs much of the theology of the New...
As a twenty-something, the pressure to develop your own identity, to stand out of the crowd, seems to keep growing. The entire concept behind Facebook hinges on how you want to be perceived by others. You choose your profile picture, update your status, control what...
1 I cry out to God; yes, I shout. Oh, that God would listen to me! 2 When I was in deep trouble, I searched for the Lord. All night long I prayed, with hands lifted toward heaven, but my soul was not comforted. 3 I think of God, and I...
Paul praises God for the faithfulness that marked Christ followers in the city of Ephesus. He prays that the church will gain deep insight into the Lord’s powerful working and rich gifts in Christ....
3 A poor person who oppresses the poor is like a pounding rain that destroys the crops. 4 To reject the law is to praise the wicked; to obey the law is to fight them. 5 Evil people don’t understand justice, but those who follow the Lord understand completely. 6 Better...
Mentoring- it can seem almost too simple. You may wonder if it can make an impact at all. This letter from one child's teacher to his mentor tells a different story. Dear John, Thank you so much for your dedication to Michael each week. I know that it must at...
1 Then Hannah prayed: “My heart rejoices in the Lord! The Lord has made me strong. Now I have an answer for my enemies; I rejoice because you rescued me. 2 No one is holy like the Lord! There is no one besides you; there is no Rock like our God. 3 “Stop acting...