We must understand some of the motives of those who react cynically and skeptically to the gospel, responding to them with gentleness and respect but never devoid of urgency.
We must remember that prayer is not an effort to overcome God’s unwillingness, but rather we pray persistently in faith to a good and generous God in hopes of advancing his good plans.
We must be prepared to incur the kind of rejection Christ and the Apostles regularly encountered, knowing that it is not our job to retaliate but to seek peace and entrust ourselves to a just God.
God is sovereign, always working out his good plans, in, through, and around our lives – our call is to trust him even when those plans surprise us with unexpected turns and painful experiences.
We must seek to be confidently assured regarding the truth about Christ regardless of the perennial religious confusion in our world due to its sin and rebellion.
We should learn from Christ’s compassion and selflessness, confident that he will provide what is needed when we sacrificially step up to face the challenges he providentially sets before us.
Christ will call us to positions and tasks for which we will feel inadequate, our job is to be faithful, trusting that he will supply all that is needed, bearing fruit through us in victories and setbacks.
Christ possesses all authority and all power over all things, yet for now, before he exercises that authority at the coming kingdom, we must learn to trust him implicitly amid a variety of troubles.
Those with real saving faith will, by God’s grace, be occupied with growing in their relationship with Christ without becoming preoccupied with the futile things this world has to offer.
We need a wholehearted reliance on all the promises of Christ, knowing that past experiences won’t be enough when trials come to test our faith.
When times get tough Christians need to rely on the unchangeable realities that are guaranteed to us because of the grace provided to us in Christ.
To be prepared for the arrival of Christ’s kingdom we must be sure that we have grappled with the gravity of our sin and are trusting exclusively in Christ for our forgiveness.
Christ is the Giver and Sustainer of all life and truth, and he promises to grant us all we need for eternal life and daily godliness if we genuinely and sincerely follow him.
Difficulties in life can tempt us to doubt Christ’s power, concern and sovereignty, but we must trust him, remembering the proof of his credentials which reassure us of his coming kingdom.
God has called us to love, trust, and pursue him not earthly wealth; in doing so we will find what real life is intended to be whether we have a little or a lot.
Christ can use us greatly as we learn to trust him, making sure our faith genuine, and exercising it ambitiously whenever fears regarding our past, present, or future tempt us to retreat.
We cannot afford to miss the eternally significant distinction between being simply being interested in Christ versus being truly converted to follow Christ.
We must be vigilant to the ways our legitimate desires are exploited to entice us to disregard God’s promised provision so we’ll pursue unbiblical means of satisfaction.
Instead of wasting any more time trying to find meaningful life in our sinful pursuits, we must repent and trust in Christ to reconcile us to the God for whom we were made.
God’s plan of salvation leaves no room for pride, self-promotion, or independence – the person and work of Christ should lead to profound humility and reliance on him.
God often prepares us to be useful through various trials which we must preserve with hope and resolve to parlay all he brings our way for the promotion of Christ.
While we will regularly feel inadequate for the things God calls us to do, we must boldly trust God to accomplish his will in us and through us as we humbly obey him.
God typically chooses to enlist faithful and obedient Christians to powerfully advance the cause of Christ, usually in ways they could have never imagined.
God wants to use your research and study of the claims of Christianity to boldly and lovingly persuade and convince others of its truthfulness.
We should always be mindful that our effectiveness in our employment and success in parenting is fully dependent on God’s gracious provision and merciful protection.
Life will feel uncertain and perilous at times, but as Christians we must fix our focus on God, affirming his love for us in Christ and his good promises regarding our future.
God’s promise of provision and his track record of care in our lives ought to be ample cause for us to confidently trust him no matter how difficult or painful life might be.
Like Nicodemus we need to realize our efforts are inadequate to prepare us for the afterlife, instead we must trust exclusively in the substitutionary work of Christ.
