Epaphroditus is one of the many unsung heroes of the Bible. His name means “attractive”. And while we don’t know anything about his physical appearance, when we read the New Testament we quickly discover that he possessed a beautiful character…
It is an honor and a solemn stewardship to represent Christ in our world—a task that brings profound satisfaction when done faithfully, even though it will not always be well-received.
Good health is good. It is certainly preferable to sickness and disease. Occasionally you’ll find some concern for it in Scripture (3Jn.2; 1Ti.5:23). But we should be careful not to cherry-pick from the few biblical passages regarding good health in order to justify today’s wide-spread obsession with it. Many godly and productive people in the …
We as Christians should understand the important role God has graciously allowed us to currently have in preserving, protecting, and improving the concentric spheres in which we live.
While most Christians are chasing a modern fantasy of an irenic and affable day-to-day Christian experience, may we recognize the truth that we cannot be godly without regularly feeling and periodically expressing righteous anger…
We must combat all anxieties about the future with a perpetual confidence in God’s provision and an obsession with Christ’s righteous agenda.
Knowing that God is the sovereign owner of all things who will personally come to reign over his creation should motivate us now to live in submission to the King of kings.
When we think of what it means to be a godly person, several virtues are likely to come to mind…
We can do a lot of self-serving and self-promoting in a cloak of religion, but true religion seeks to sincerely please God and will always drive us to give ourselves for the good of other people.
Because following Christ and living for him will inevitably give rise to criticism and slander, we must prayerfully discern when to respond and how to answer with wisdom and integrity.
Though in our fallen world we are not exempt from violent crimes and deadly persecution that will perennially threaten our well-being, the reliability of God’s good promises can enable us to renounce our fears.
We must understand the clear and repeated call to fear God, first in view of our need for salvation and then in view of his absolute and ultimate authority over every aspect of our lives.
Real Christians must fall into the same pattern as phony Christians, as though we will not face a day when our Father will thoroughly evaluate and call us to account for our actions and words.
As we consider Christ’s hatred of hypocrisy, we should at the same time consider the explicit and implicit benefits that are derived from living a Christlike life of integrity.
Not only must we choose our Christian leaders and spiritual mentors wisely, but we all have to accept the responsibility to lead in the spiritual growth of others with our words and by our example.
Jesus calls us to decide to sacrificially love others (as God himself does) without thought of what we might get or not get in return.
We must allow the benefits of standing with Christ and his people to overshadow the painful relational consequences that will inevitably come from doing so.
We must discern that there is no true or lasting satisfaction in any temptation to sin, knowing that every feeling of deprivation in doing what is right is always an investment that God rewards.
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.
We should recognize and celebrate God’s sovereign plans and the strategic preparation of his enlisted servants from their conception onward.
Closeness with God is more than being saved, it is a relational intimacy that grows as we learn to love and increasingly practice what is good, right and holy.
As we learn to think and live biblically we experience an increasing sense of joy in light of the security and significance that God grants us in Christ.
Because we are objects of God’s unmerited favor we ought to give ourselves fully to live for him completely in all we do, think and say.
Because we are not yet glorified, we Christians must work to achieve the joy and satisfaction of knowing God more intimately on a day-to-day basis.
We must be careful to recognize and obediently respond to godly and biblical desires that God promotes in our new hearts.
God would have us face the new year looking forward with a renewed and bold determination to know him better and fulfill his specific purpose for our lives.
When we encounter options in our planning or a crossroads in our lives we must prayerfully consider a series of biblical questions that will help us make the best possible choice – because God’s kids cannot afford to make thoughtless decisions!
As God’s Children (called by God to do good) we ought to be intentional about our lives, planning to do good while always distinguishing between God’s opposition and someone else’s.
Because of God`s incredible promises, you can be assured that if you are serious about getting right with God today, you can! He will quickly & faithfully respond.
God expects our lives to be characterized by joyful thanksgiving, because he deserves it and we need it.