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Devotionals

Training

Accomplished athletes make their sport look easy. But for all of us who have tried to advance in a sport, we know there is nothing easy about reaching a level of proficiency in athletics. Some people can make godliness look easy. They seem to effortlessly love God and do what is right. But the Bible is clear that like athletics, reaching a level of proficient godliness requires a lot of hard work. Paul wrote, “train yourself for godliness” (1 Timothy 4:7). The word that

Cost of Discipling

The Bible is realistic in presenting us with the costs of having a godly impact on others. God compares this work to that of a soldier, an athlete, and a farmer in 2 Timothy 2:3-6. Farmers, of course, are known for...

Reading Good Books

It is hard to miss the connection between a growing body of Christ’s disciples and their love for reading theologically stimulating Christian books. Of course God’s people are to be a “people of the Book”, but thriving Christians and vibrant congregations have always been “people who ingest lots of books”! Remember Paul’s requisition to Timothy from prison:

Daily Struggle

While we would all love to imagine a Christian life that is tranquil and calm, the truth is it’s not. The Bible is clear that this side of heaven every Christian has been drafted

Bible Study

Second Timothy 2:15 records God’s call to “Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a workman who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly handles the word of truth.” This well-needed reminder shows us that...

Grace and Sanctification

Unfortunately, there are many these days who have come to believe that as it relates to our sanctification, God’s grace and personal effort are mutually exclusive. They unwittingly, and in some cases intentionally, conflate their understanding of justification with their practice in sanctification

Juicy Morsels

There is little debate that “there is not a righteous man on earth who does good and never sins” (Ecclesiastes 7:20). Even the most godly Christians are quick to concede that “we all stumble in many ways” (James 3:2). Thankfully, when it comes to imperfect people engaging in imperfect fellowship the Bible tells us “love covers a multitude of sins” (1 Peter 4:8). Unfortunately though

Sin and Reproof

We intuitively like to think that what we do is right. “Every way of a man is right in his own eyes,” the Bible says (Proverbs 21:2). But when we honestly reflect on our lives we know that we are not always right, and what we do is not always what we should do...

The Pursuit of Holiness

“The pursuit of happiness” is certainly our heart’s default position. Every day we, by nature, want to experience feelings of pleasure, gladness and enjoyment. Unfortunately, at the present time, we live in a corrupted world, encased in corrupted bodies, pitted against a very powerful corrupted enemy who is bent on

Disparaging Words

It is almost impossible to get through a week without hearing one Christian disparage another. Unless we are personally invested in the conflict, we usually stand by feeling uncomfortable, while passively allowing our friend to “vent.” But the Bible tells us...

Isolation

There is too much spiritual danger inherent in Christians choosing to be isolated. The New Testament model shows us Christians who are interested and involved in each other’s lives. Paul shared his joys and victories, as well as his hurts and struggles...

Courage

It takes increasing amounts of courage these days to stand up for what is true and right. Mocking Christianity and God’s commands is mainstream in the media, modern art and popular literature. This should not come as a surprise. God’s word foretold the escalating darkness and mounting...

Spiritual Endeavors

To the sympathetic reader, the last scene in Acts 15 (vv.36-41) appears to be an event brimming with high personal drama and raw emotions. Certainly language such as “sharp disagreement” (v.39) leads our hearts in that direction. But besides that single phrase, all the other words and phrases in the passage