Devotionals Archives - Page 7 of 12 - Focal Point Ministries

Respect the Elderly

There is a little verse tucked away in the book of Leviticus that reveals an oft-neglected value among those making a claim to godliness. We often miss these seemingly obscure biblical insights because we read much of the Old Testament as wholly obsolete for our new covenant Christian lives. While it is true...

Sickness and Sin

Clearly not every health crisis or sickness is a result of someone’s specific sin (cf. Jn.9:1-3; Job 1:1; et al.). On the other hand, sometimes they are. According to Hebrews 12, God’s protective and parental love is demonstrated...

The Tongue

The Bible says that if you can control what you say, everything else is a snap (cf. Jms.3:2). When it comes to our fallen humanity, nothing is more depraved than our mouths. The Bible says that our tongue is “a fire” and “a world of evil among the parts of the body” (Jms.3:6a). God says...

Strength Amid Discouragement

In the pages of Scripture, even the most godly people periodically grapple with discouragement. Circumstances inevitably lead to feelings of hurt, loneliness and dejection. God’s people are not immune to these kinds of bitter feelings, but what godly people provide is...

Pain and Suffering

Like any good parent, there are times when God brings difficulty, pain and loss to the lives of his children. The biblical reasons vary, but the hurt is always real. And when those times come it is good to remember

Rejoice

In Philippians 4:4 we are commanded to “Rejoice in the Lord always!” That is quite a remarkable command given that we had already been warned by Christ that life won’t always feel good (cf. Jn.16:33). But the directive is given and our response is expected...

Laziness

In the Book of Proverbs God poignantly underscores the harm associated with laziness. Even the word translated in our Bibles to describe such people carries a stinging admonition. God calls us “sluggards” when we fall into patterns of being undisciplined, idle or unduly lethargic...

Fresh Start

Embedded in the Jewish calendar of the Old Testament is the ultimate “reset button.” Every fiftieth year, after a perfect set of seven “seventh years,” the ram’s horn was to sound and everything was to start afresh. (See Leviticus 25.) In the “Year of Jubilee,” as it was called, all debts were cancelled...

Real Pleasure

As the people of this world perpetually chase after good feelings by doing whatever their selfish impulses dictate, God has called his children to take hold of profound joy and lasting gratification by cultivating a deepening relationship with their Maker. Sin is deceptive and...

Suffering and God’s Plan

So often we are surprised that God “would allow” suffering, pain and death. But actually, these unpleasant realities are the promised outworking of God’s response to sin in Genesis 3. Our Creator has clearly and consistently maintained that the wages of sin is death – and all the painful

Resurrection

Without the historic and bodily resurrection of Jesus Christ, we have no hope. The Bible contends that without the veracity of this single event recorded in the four biographies of Christ, we’d be wise to walk away from this entire movement we call Christianity. In the New Testament we are told...

Trinity

he Bible presents us with a mathematical dilemma when we study the nature of God. From the beginning we are told that there is only one God. That revelation became the doctrinal rally point of ancient Israel – “Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one” (Deuteronomy 6:4). And yet, also from the beginning, there has been a kind of uncontainable “plurality” to that one God. Not only do we find

Time for Prayer

Few would disagree that life is busy and cluttered with activity. Even so, it is imperative that we follow the pattern set for us by Christ, regularly shutting out everything to quietly spend time in communion and fellowship with God. This was the habit...

Handling God’s Word

As Christians we often feel wise and secure because we are familiar with God’s word. We acquire a sense of empowerment and feel justified in our actions because we have confidently applied this verse or that to the decisions we have made. However, God warns us...

Truth & Tolerance

The Bible, unlike some religious texts, calls its individual adherents to battle for truth with theology, not swords. In our daily lives Christians are called to fight ideas, not people. This proper understanding of New Testament Christianity has historically allowed...

Persistent Prayer

Most Christians are quickly stirred to guilt whenever the topic of prayer is raised. We all know we need to pray more often. And so we should. But as we increase our time in prayer, let us also remember to apply the words of Christ when he told us that we...

God’s Good Plan

Life can be arduous and exhausting—especially when we have to navigate some of the consequences of our own foolish decisions. Even so, as Israel faced the dark days of the Babylonian captivity, they were comforted by our merciful God when he reminded them...

Bible Critics

Many brash and outspoken people in our society take pleasure in criticizing, maligning and disparaging the Bible – most of them have very little knowledge of what they are attempting to disparage. When I happen to be present to hear such remarks...

Authority of Scripture

Without an unswerving resolve to affirm that God has inscribed his authoritative voice on the pages of Scripture we are hopelessly lost on...

Jealousy of God

Jealousy is generally perceived as a human weakness. Few would want to be described as “the jealous type.” Perhaps that’s why many choose to ignore the fact that our perfect God has revealed himself to be perfectly jealous. Consider Exodus 34...

Injustice & Vindication

The world is filled with injustice. Our lives at times seem to be filled with it too. While we should always seek to pursue justice for the sake of the One who embodies it (Ps.97:2), there are many times when equitable solutions are not attainable this side of heaven. Thankfully, God has promised...

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...

Faith and Fellowship

Fellowship with other Christians is more important than most realize. Even having the strength of an on-fire Apostle, Paul knew the importance of connecting with those who shared his commitment to Christ. He longed for time with other Christians. He saw the...

Fickle Feelings

Our feelings are fickle but God’s word is unchanging. There may be several factors, righteous and otherwise, which will influence our emotions, yet the Bible stands as our unalterable source of divine information providing eternal clarity regarding God’s values and priorities. This is why the Bible must...

The Great Exchange

The Bible tells us that “the wages of sin is death” (Romans 6:23). Jesus came to solve both problems – sin and death! Sin was paid for at the cross on that dark Friday afternoon. Death was conquered at the empty tomb early on Sunday morning. The point of the gospel is to have the payment of the cross applied to your...

Making a Difference

We cannot afford, nor should we ever be content to live unmotivated and unproductive Christian lives. God has endowed every one of his children with gifts, opportunities and resources to make a difference each day for the advancement of his kingdom and the good of his people. Many of our fruitless days have to do with a deficiency in...

The Sting of God’s Word

Some naively presume that good preaching should leave the congregation feeling good. But most seasoned Christians have come to realize that the best, most meaningful and effectual sermons usually sting, if not wound. God warned that the Scriptures are...

What’s Required?

Many have sought to discover the minimal Christianity required of them to “still be Christian”. “How much of the world can I love, or how much of my agenda can I pursue and still be okay with God?” they ask. Or, “Just how sinful, casual, or lukewarm are we allowed to be and still be saved?” Of course the Bible isn’t much help in answering these questions. The whole tenor of Scripture disallows...

Blessings and Faith

God’s blessings are great – God loves giving them and we certainly enjoy receiving them. But, one caution frequently underscored throughout the Bible is that we are to be careful that our hearts don’t learn to trust in them. When God graciously grants us...

Revenge and Faith

Trusting God may sound relatively easy when it is framed theoretically, but when there are real life pains and injustices that provoke our hearts to personal revenge and retaliation, then reliance on God gets tough. Our faith is always tested in the...