Examine yourselves to see whether you are in the faith.  2 Corinthians 13:5

True faith in Christ is lived out by the things we do each and every day. And by our example, we can either push someone away from God, or bring them closer to knowing the life-changing truth of Jesus Christ.  Because of the eternal importance of our example, we have to regularly revisit what’s right and what’s wrong in our behavior. We have to make sure that our moral compass is dialed into the clear standards of God’s word, and not the murky gray version of right and wrong that the world has created. 

As you walk through each day, take some time to take an honest look at your actions and investigate the level of influence your faith has on others. Are you doing all that God has asked of you? Are you truly in the faith?

Dear God, As I go through life each day, help me to properly examine my actions and motives. Help me to increase my faith in you and my influence on the lives of others. And help me discover what it truly means to live out my faith in you. In Jesus’ name I pray, Amen.

But in your hearts set apart Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect. 1 Peter 3:15

To recognize opportunity is the difference between success and failure. When opportunity knocks, we have to get up and answer the door. And we never know when it will knock.

If we as Christians are going to obey the Lord’s command to go into all the world and preach the gospel, then we must know what we believe and how to present it. Sadly, many Christians are unable to do that. They have little to no understanding of why or what they believe. The Bible warns that “we should no longer be children, tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, in the cunning craftiness of deceitful plotting” (Ephesians 4:14). When we don’t know what we believe, we are vulnerable. And because of this spiritual deficiency, we are ineffective witnesses for the Lord.  In Acts 7, we read about a man who was prepared for a significant moment in his life—which turned out to be a defining moment for the young church of Jesus Christ. When Stephen was hauled before the Sanhedrin, he was ready for the opportunity God dropped in his lap. He seized the moment and made a difference.

You can do the same…because you never know when those golden opportunities will come your way. As they would say in the 19th century, “Trust in God and keep your powder dry.” Be ready for that opportunity, because you never know when the Lord will drop it in your lap.

But as for me, I trust in You, O LORD; I say, “You are my God.” My times are in Your hand. (Psalm 31:14-15)

I have to admit that I’m sometimes a little amused when I read obituaries in the newspaper or hear what’s said at some peoples’ funerals. Whoever the deceased was, he or she was the greatest person who ever lived. There was never a person more compassionate, more loving, or more caring. This is because when someone dies, we want to say the best about him or her.  But what if we told the truth at funerals? What if someone stood up and said, “This guy was a jerk, right? He squandered his life. How many people did he rip off—including those of us right here in this room? Let’s face it, he was selfish. He didn’t care about others. All he cared about was himself. And quite frankly, I’m kind of glad he’s gone, aren’t you?”  Of course we would never say that. Instead, we might even stretch the truth about how wonderful a person was.  If someone were to sum up your life, what would they say you lived for? What will they remember you for? That will be your legacy. Wouldn’t you like it to be honestly said of you, “This person loved God. She cared about the things of God. He really cared about other people. This person really lived for the Lord.”

The ultimate waste is to throw your life away, to squander it. Yet so many people do. One day, you will breathe your last breath. One day, you will make your last statement. One day, you will eat your last meal. What will you be remembered for?

Live a life that matters. Live a life that makes a difference. Live a life for Him, and you will never regret it.

We prayed to our God and posted a guard day and night to meet this threat. Nehemiah 4:9

Nehemiah and his people were undertaking a huge challenge: to rebuild the walls of Jerusalem that had long been neglected and in disrepair. God’s people began to work diligently, as the Bible says, “with all their heart.” The work angered their enemies, so much so that they plotted to fight the Jews. God’s people could have responded with fear or despair. Instead, they did two things: they prayed and they posted a guard. They did not just pray; they did not just take action. But they combined the two measures, and that captured my attention as I read.

At times I have been discouraged because I felt that God had not answered my prayers. Maybe, though, the problem is that I have not done my part. It’s fine to pray about losing weight or getting a job or growing closer to God. However, if we don’t exercise or send out resumes or spend time with God, is it reasonable to expect the results we are seeking?

What desire or situation pulls at your heart today? Besides praying, what action does God want you to take in this matter? As Nehemiah 4 tells us, God’s people discovered that prayer plus action yields results.

Lord, thank you for answering our prayers. Please show us what steps we can take to deal with issues in our lives. Amen.

“Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.” Luke 6:38

Many believers who have known the Lord for years face spiritual stagnation. They say, “I’ve been a Christian for so long. I know the Bible so well. I go to church every week. What’s wrong with me?”

I can tell you what’s wrong. They need an outlet for their inlet. If you don’t have an outlet for what you are taking in, then you will stagnate. The truth of God’s Word was not designed to be hoarded, but to be shared. And the more you give out, the more God gives to you.

Proverbs 11:25 says, “The generous soul will be made rich, and he who waters will also be watered himself.” The Bible is saying that if you want a full soul and a rich life, then give freely of what you have…be it time, talent, or treasure.

It’s a radical thought, and it flies in the face of what we hear today—especially in our touchy-feely, narcissistic culture in which we’re all trying to help our wounded inner child and build our self-esteem.

Jesus was saying, “Want to find life? Then lose it. Deny yourself.” This means we stop focusing on ourselves and start thinking about other people and their needs. Then we will find what we’ve been looking for all along—not by searching for it, but as the byproduct of a life that is properly aligned with God

Jesus looked at them and said, “With man, this is impossible, but not with God; all things are possible with God.”  Mark 10:27

We loved to dream when we were children. Whether it was hitting a homerun in the bottom of the ninth inning to win the championship game, becoming the first female president, or being the first to travel to the farthest point of outer space, we had no limits to our dreams.  Sadly, though, somewhere along the road of life, many of us stop dreaming. We trade the imaginations of our childhood for the fears of adulthood. We’re afraid that if our dreams are too big or too grand, then they won’t come true. The reason we have those fears is because we rely on ourselves to accomplish those dreams.  Jesus, however, encourages us to leave the shallow waters of fear and enter into the deep waters of faith—the deep waters of big dreams. We cannot rely on any human, including ourselves, to accomplish our dreams. While other people may be vehicles to help our dreams become reality, it is ultimately up to God. God is bigger than anything you can ever dream. It’s time to step out on faith and allow God to show you what he can accomplish in your life! 

Lord, Thank you for making the impossible possible in my life. Help me to step out on faith and trust that you are bigger than my dreams. I don’t want to settle for the repetition of daily living; I want to live in the deep end and in the adventure that you have planned for my life. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

But in your hearts set apart Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect.  1 Peter 3:15

One of the greatest ways to experience the life God has in store for you is by sharing your faith with people who are completely clueless about Jesus. It’s what we’re all here to do. Yet, many people hesitate or do the push back because they think that talking about Jesus is reserved for the preachers and Bible teachers of the world. But sharing your faith isn’t about debating cold hard facts, historical dates or genealogical statistics. It’s simply about sharing your personal story.  Your story is something that has happened to you. If you are a Christ follower, then you have a “before I met Christ” and an “after I met Christ” story. That’s all you need to know in order to effectively share your faith. God allows us all opportunities to share our stories with people around us. Remember, you may be the only link that someone has to Christ. And your story may be the one thing they need to hear in order to turn to Jesus. Are you sharing that story? It’s time that you did. And leave the rest up to God.

Lord, Because of your grace in my life, I have a story that you want me to tell others about how I met your son. Help me to gain the courage I need to effectively share my faith, and please give me the words to say to help bring them closer to you. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

“Who despises the day of small things?” Zechariah 4:10

Faithfulness. That’s one consistent quality we can see in the lives of men and women God used in the pages of Scripture. We read in 2 Timothy 2:2, “And the things that you have heard from me among many witnesses, commit these to faithful men who will be able to teach others also” (italics added). And Jesus said, “He who is faithful in what is least is faithful also in much; and he who is unjust in what is least is unjust also in much” (Luke 16:10).

Right now, you may be at a place in life where nothing seems to be happening. You might be thinking, Lord, come on! Use me. Call on me. I’ll turn this world upside down for You. But the Lord may be saying, “My son, My daughter, you’re not ready yet. I have to prepare you first.” Be faithful to do what He has set before you today to the best of your ability.

That’s what Stephen did. Acts 6 tells us that his job was to serve tables. Notice the church leaders didn’t say, “Stephen, go out and do miracles and then go preach the gospel to the Sanhedrin. While you’re preaching, a guy named Saul of Tarsus will hear you. He ultimately will be converted, and will become the greatest preacher in the history of the church.” Instead, Stephen waited on tables. And as the Lord found him faithful in the little things, He gave him more responsibility.

You can never be too small for God to use; only too big. We need to be faithful in what God has set before us. Because if we’re not faithful in the little things, then we won’t be faithful in greater things either.

[Jesus] said to them, “But who do you say that I am?”  Matthew 16:15

Matthew 15:13-20 recounts an important conversation Jesus had with his disciples. He asks them who people usually say he is. Then Jesus directs the same question to the disciples: “Who do you say that I am?” He is pointing out that the disciples need to think for themselves. With Peter’s answer, he goes further: All who follow Jesus can have their thoughts renewed by divine revelation.

 Often we look to other people for guidance rather than turning to God. As a teenager, I attended Christian conferences where I met lots of young adults. I looked up to them as children look up to older siblings. They became examples for me. One day, though, God showed me that I couldn’t go on simply acting as I had seen others act. If I did, my first trial would show that my foundations were not right.  In each of our spiritual lives, we come to the point that we must look at what Christ means for us, personally. If the disciples had depended on what other people said, even good religious folks, they might not have seen who Jesus was. Like Peter, each of us can turn our eyes to God to see God’s revelation for us, individually. Living according to this revelation is what the Bible calls “walking by the Spirit.” (See Rom. 8:13, Gal. 5:16, 25.)

God, show us how to walk in the Spirit of Jesus Christ, the Messiah. Amen.                                                                                                                                                                   

[The criminal] said, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.” He replied, “Truly I tell you, today you will be with me in Paradise.”   Luke 23:42-43

I will never forget my first five minutes of prison ministry. I walked into the unit with a ministry team; the big iron gate swung closed behind us; and I thought, Lord, what have I done? In the prison’s maximum-security unit were people who had been convicted of some very bad crimes. But were they beyond hope? Would there be no place for them in heaven?

Before becoming involved in this ministry, I thought people who had committed serious crimes should be locked up forever. However, the more I went to visit and the better I got to know them, the more they resembled people from the Bible: David committed adultery, Moses committed murder; Rahab was involved in prostitution; Peter who, had he been under oath, would have committed perjury. The Bible is filled with stories of people who made serious mistakes. Yet in the end they found favor with God because God gives second chances. The first person Jesus promised heaven was a criminal. What does that say to us?

Loving God, help us to remember that you gave your son to die for all sins. Keep us from judging people, even those behind bars, and remind us what we have done that you have forgiven. Amen.