Continue in what you have learned and have become convinced of, because you know those from whom you learned it, and how from infancy you have known the holy Scriptures.   2 Timothy 3:14-15

I have a Doctor friend that is the proud owner of an antique medical book, The Practice of Surgery. It was written by Sir Ashley Cooper, “Surgeon to the King,” and published in 1828. The book was a gift from another close friend, and he keeps it in a prominent place in his office. He makes sure it is easily visible for people to see when they visit. He said he doesn’t often read it, and certainly doesn’t follow its recommendations in his practice of medicine! It is out-of-date; he keeps it only for show.

Many of us treat our Bible the same way. Though the Bible may be the greatest best-seller of all time, it is perhaps the least read book on our shelf. We like to display our Bible in a prominent place, but we don’t necessarily follow its recommendations. Many people feel it is out-of-date. The Bible was written by human hands but under the inspiration of God. It proclaims eternal truths. When we read the Bible, God will speak to us through its pages — as to countless others before us.

Lord, help us to read the Bible daily, discovering food for our soul and guidance for our journey. Amen.

Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful. And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds. Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching.  Hebrews 10:23-25 

Something special happens when individuals gather together to hear the life-changing truths of the Bible. During this incredible time of intimate activity, God disseminates his truth in a way that shapes and strengthens the body. The leader of the church acts as God’s mouthpiece because they have been chosen by God to proclaim his message to the masses. 

The church is not a place where you forfeit your individualism. Instead, God’s House is a place where your unique design is displayed while working in harmony with many other uniquely designed believers to accomplish one common goal. We are the individual parts of the body that create a wholeness that is impossible to achieve when we are apart from each other.  When you choose to travel the road of your spiritual journey alone, you are missing out on being a part of the best thing in the world—the local church. God uses corporate worship to reach us in unique, awe-inspiring ways that we cannot experience in any other place. So, take some time to examine your commitment to the church, and encourage yourself and others to be more involved. 

Lord, I know that getting involved in the local church is the best thing that I could ever do to enhance my relationship with you. Help me to keep a stronger commitment to the church and encourage others to get involved so that we can experience you in a unique way. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

God did not give us a spirit of cowardice, but rather a spirit of power and of love and of self-discipline.   2 Timothy 1:7

I worked in social work for a while, where I sometimes found it intimidating to openly express my Christian beliefs. Once, a colleague told me about some health problems his daughter was experiencing. Instead of telling this man that I would pray for his daughter, I told him I would “think a good thought.”  That evening at home, as I remembered what I’d said, I felt ashamed for not expressing my faith. I knew that my shallow words grieved God.  The following day, I went back and told him I was sorry for not saying what I’d really wanted to say, that I would pray for his daughter. To my surprise the man smiled, telling me that he too was a believer!  What a blessing I would have missed had I not confessed my beliefs! Now not only do I know the peace of having taken a stand for my faith; I also have the joy of fellowship with another believer.

Heavenly Father, give us the courage today to speak about our faith in you. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.

Jesus said, “I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly.”   John 10:10

Children have fun blowing the seeds off dandelions and watching them float away in all directions. Sometimes the children are disappointed when the fun is over; they want the heads back in one piece so they can experience it all again. But no amount of glue could put a dandelion together again in the way it was created. This dispersal of the dandelion head occurs for a reason: it maximizes the chances of one of the seeds finding a suitable place to set down roots and continue the life cycle. The simple act of letting go and allowing the forces of life to propel it is an integral part of the life process for dandelions.

When life blows us in new directions or propels us into a new stage, we often become uneasy. We may try to cling to the familiar rather than holding on tightly to life and allowing change to carry us along new paths. Fear of the unknown overwhelms many of us, preventing us from enjoying life in all its abundance. However, God calls us toward new horizons, new adventures, and new paths.  We may feel at times as if we are being blown apart, just like the dandelion head. God, however, already has a place prepared where we can put down roots and bloom afresh.

Lord, as our paths change, help us to seek your guidance. Help us to put our trust in you, wherever we may be. Amen.

Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus: who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness.  Philippians 2:5-7

Shaquille O’Neal is one of the tallest, most powerful players in professional basketball. His 7-foot, 325 pound body overpowers the biggest and strongest professional athletes in the game. But imagine what would happen if Shaq took his game to a pee-wee basketball league. I think it’s safe to say it would be a lopsided contest.

If you view Jesus as a Shaquille O’Neal presence in a pee-wee world, then you have the wrong idea of who our Savior was. Jesus did not face the challenges of this world as God. He faced them as a man. Some of you may be thinking, “Sure Jesus was sinless; he was God. If I were as powerful as God, I’d be able to resist sin, too!” But even though Jesus was God, he was also fully human. He was limited in his divinity, and he was not above everyday struggles.

The evil one tries to make us feel alone and isolated whenever we’re going through difficult times so that we don’t go to the one person who can help. But always remember that we can go to Jesus, because he’s been there and has experienced our pain. Through him, we will find the guidance we need to navigate the obstacles in our lives.

Lord, thank you for coming to this earth and living a very human life so that you could relate to the pressures I face every day. And I know that because of your life’s purpose, you are able to help me with any situation I may face. Help me learn to fully rely on you. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

In all these things we are more than conquerors through [God] who loved us.  -Romans 8:37

AS a child, I tried to imitate comic-book heroes; I was ready to wage battle armed with a wooden sword, a cork shield, and a vivid imagination. After I heard a bit about the book of Revelation, my curiosity drove me to read it. I made it to the third chapter. The fantasy aspects of the book grew and grew in my mind as I realized that the conqueror always received the prize.

I asked an adult, “Who is the enemy I need to vanquish?”

“Sin,” was the response.

How dangerous it must be, I thought, to confront this foe! I will have to use my sword, my shield, and if necessary, my fists.  Today, I continue to think about the word conquer. Over time, I have become convinced that the most subtle enemy is the one that, in a thousand ways, attempts to turn us away from being constant in prayer; from reading and meditating on the Bible, from attending church; and from rejoicing, praising, and adoring God. Let us be ever alert to invisible but powerful pressure to change our focus. And let us continually turn our gaze back to Christ, the author and finisher of our faith. See Heb. 12:2.

“Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy He saved us, through the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Spirit”        Titus 3:5

Today if you were to ask someone what a genuine Christian is, you might hear something like this: “They are someone who is at church every time the doors open. They serve on committees, teach Sunday school, sing in the choir, feed the hungry and pray for the needy. They never get discouraged, never doubt, but have little time for fun. They’re too busy working for the Lord.”  I think Satan has deceived us with the illusion that a busy Christian is a genuine Christian. It’s just not true.

Don’t misunderstand. I’m not saying these are not good things to do, but I fear we’ve turned our walk with God into a frenzied pace by adding to our faith a lot of extra baggage that we don’t need. We need to get back to real, genuine faith.  The trouble is we are no different than the Galatians. They started with faith, but then added works as well. In Galatians 3:3, Paul asks the people this question: “Have you lost your senses? After starting your Christian lives in the Spirit, why are you now trying to become perfect by your own human effort?”

Good question. I can’t tell you how long I lived doing that same thing. I tried to live for God by my own efforts instead of allowing Him to live in and through me by faith.  Genuine faith is not about doing. It’s about believing God. It’s a relationship between us and God that begins by faith, is lived by faith, and ends in faith. It’s that simple. Everything else – such as good works – flows from the source of this relationship.  However, some Christians fall into the trap of organized religion instead of practicing simple, genuine faith. This kind of oppression is growing in our world today because nothing is simple anymore, especially our faith. We do a lot of extra stuff for all the wrong reasons, such as impressing others or trying to win God’s approval. It’s not that we shouldn’t do good deeds, but we need to ask ourselves, “Why am I doing what I’m doing, and who am I doing it for?” We just might surprise ourselves with the answer.

 Life is heavy enough with the responsibilities God has given us. I’m finding that many today are burned out from trying to do it all and then feeling guilty because they can’t. I know. I was a lot like the The Little Engine That Could. Do you remember that children’s story? At some point in my life, I adopted the engine’s motto as my life’s purpose. “I think I can, I think I can…” Whenever someone asked me to do something – especially at church – I quickly responded, “I think I can!”  Only to discover, I can’t do it all.  I had the same problem that plagued the Galatians. I was practicing religion instead of relationship.  Genuine faith is not a long list of performances we do to impress others. It’s about maintaining our relationship with God. This is the secret to the Christian life. 

Perhaps you’ve been trying to do all the work yourself. If you and I will daily stay connected to our source, then the natural outcome will be a simple life of genuine faith.

Dear Lord, I humbly lay all my works, efforts, and life before You today. I long to pursue You. Draw me closer to You, Lord. Teach me to live by simple, genuine faith in You alone. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

The Word became flesh and made his dweeling amoung us.  John 1:14 

Politicians want the public to believe that they are just like their constituents. But no matter how much they try, they will never truly understand the needs of their voters unless they actually share the same type of lifestyle and live in similar communities.

Unlike politicians, Jesus never gives us an illusion of identity. He knew that it would be hard to convince people that living a godly life was possible unless he became flesh and actually lived it himself. So that’s exactly what he did.

Just as he physically connected with people over two thousand years ago, he spiritually connects with us today on a level that we can understand. Jesus knows the things we struggle with in this life because he faced the same issues. He dealt with relationships and temptations—the same as we do today.  There will be times when you feel alone, and that no one understands what you are going through. But take comfort in knowing that Jesus has walked in your shoes, and understands exactly where you are. Trust in God as you deal with your daily struggles and allow him to help you walk through the storms.

 

Lord, thank you for coming to earth and experiencing the struggles of this life so that I can have my hope in you. Help me strengthen my connection with you so that through trusting you, I can be equipped to handle the storms of life. In Jesus name, Amen.

Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock.  Matthew 7:24

There is no disputing the fact that Jesus Christ was the greatest and most influential teacher to ever walk the face of the earth. And unlike many teachers today, his message was simple and easy to follow.  Jesus was so successful in his endeavors because he reached people where they were. He taught us how to love one another despite our differences and how to live a life that would be pleasing to God. More importantly, Jesus showed us that in order for us to get to God, we had to first go through him.

Jesus wasn’t just about teaching—he was a living example of everything he taught. So to simply recognize Jesus as a great teacher is not enough. We have to also acknowledge him as our Savior and live out those same lessons as well.

Take some time today to reflect on Jesus’ teachings. Become a student at the feet of the greatest teacher to ever walk the earth. And learn to be passionate about being this same kind of example to others.

Lord, your lessons of love and kindness have taught me what I need to do to live a life that is pleasing to you. As I reflect on Jesus’ teachings today, help me to put your words into action. In Jesus’ name, Amen.