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Published 3/4/20 Read 2 Peter 3:17-18 "You therefore, beloved, knowing this beforehand, take care that you are not carried away with the error of lawless people and lose your own stability. But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To him be the glory both now and to the day of eternity. Amen." Reflect How do you grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord? Jesus must begin a painful work in us. It won't happen overnight--and it will come with a

Published 3/3/20 Read Romans 5:6-8 "For while we were still weak, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. For one will scarcely die for a righteous person--though perhaps for a good person one would dare even to die-- but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us." Reflect How does it make you feel, knowing that Christ died for you? After years of trying to live like the "model Christian," God was gone. What now? How can I resus

Published 3/2/20 Read Romans 12:11-13 "Don't burn out; keep yourselves fueled and aflame. Be alert servants of the Master, cheerfully expectant. Don't quit in hard times; pray all the harder. Help needy Christians, be inventive in hospitality" ( The Message ). Reflect What helps you grow spiritually? God wants our desire: " 'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength' " (Mark 12:30). How about you? Does

Published 2/28/20 Read Hebrews 6:1-2 "Therefore let us leave the elementary doctrine of Christ and go on to maturity, not laying again a foundation of repentance from dead works and of faith toward God, and of instruction about washings, the laying on of hands, the resurrection of the dead, and eternal judgment." Reflect What does it mean to " go on to maturity" ? What helps you to grow spiritually? And for that matter, exactly what does it mean? For some clues, we could bre

Published 2/27/20 Read Job 1:12 "And the Lord said to Satan, 'Behold, all that he has is in your hand. Only against him do not stretch out your hand.' So Satan went out from the presence of the Lord." Reflect How does the Holy Spirit help you resist temptation? We have hope in spite of our tendency to sin. And while the enemy is striving to veil our eyes, he is nothing more than an annoying mosquito compared to God's power. The Bible gives us some clues about Satan's limited

Published 2/26/20 Read Romans 12:2 "Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect." Reflect How are we transformed by the renewal of our mind? Even though sin is not our master because we have the power of the Holy Spirit on our side, Paul also knew that another force is at work in our lives; it's a force that's seeking to destroy our relations

Published 2/25/20 Read Romans 6:13-14 "Do not present your members to sin as instruments for unrighteousness, but present yourselves to God as those who have been brought from death to life, and your members to God as instruments for righteousness. For sin will have no dominion over you, since you are not under law but under grace." Reflect How does it make you feel, knowing that sin has no dominion over you? Even though we still wrestle with sin in this life--and won't exper

Published 2/24/20 Read Philippians 3:20-21 " But our citizenship is in heaven, and from it we await a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, who will transform our lowly body to be like his glorious body, by the power that enables him even to subject all things to himself." Reflect What does Paul mean when he says, "our citizenship is in heaven"? While maintaining an accurate picture of his humanity, Paul made it his goal to live a changed life. While this is by no means easy, our r

Published 2/21/20 Read Philippians 3:13-14 "Brothers, I do not consider that I have made it my own. But one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus." Reflect How do you press on toward the goal? Paul recognized something that we all need to consider: He had never and would never attain perfection in this lifetime. He wrote, "Not that I have already ob

Published 2/20/20 Read 2 Timothy 1:6-7 "For this reason I remind you to fan into flame the gift of God, which is in you through the laying on of my hands, for God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control." Reflect How does the Holy Spirit help you resist temptation? Whenever I examine my own behavior, I quickly realize that I, too, fight a win-lose battle with temptation. While I strive to live by the Spirit, there are moments when sin and self get

Published 2-19-20 Read 1 Corinthians 10:13 "No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man. God is faithful, and he will not let you be tempted beyond your ability, but with the temptation he will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it." Reflect How has God given you a "way of escape"? (Please explain.) Face it, we're all spiritually sick. (That's why some refer to God as the "Great Physician," right?) Yet as Christ is transforming and he

Published 2-18-20 Read James 1:13-15 "Let no one say when he is tempted, 'I am being tempted by God,' for God cannot be tempted with evil, and he himself tempts no one. But each person is tempted when he is lured and enticed by his own desire. Then desire when it has conceived gives birth to sin, and sin when it is fully grown brings forth death." Reflect What are the steps of temptation and where can they lead us? Whether or not we are willing to admit it, a majority of us a

Published 2/17/20 Read James 1:12 "Blessed is the man who remains steadfast under trial, for when he has stood the test he will receive the crown of life, which God has promised to those who love him." Reflect What does it mean to remain "steadfast under trial"? A busy Christian couple achieves the American dream ... at the expense of their family. A church leader is praised as a moral giant--at least in public. (As for his private life, it would score a "XXX" rating.) A lone

Published 2/14/20 Read John 15:12-13 "This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends." Reflect What does it mean to lay down your life for someone? Jesus is the Way, the Truth, and the Life, and when we encounter Him and see Him as He is, we can't help but be changed. Don't sink into guilt if you are more "Martha" than "Mary." Perhaps you've felt like a second-class Chris

Published 2/13/20 Read John 11:41-43 "So they took away the stone. And Jesus lifted up his eyes and said, 'Father, I thank you that you have heard me. I knew that you always hear me, but I said this on account of the people standing around, that they may believe that you sent me.' When he had said these things, he cried out with a loud voice, 'Lazarus, come out.'" Reflect Do you believe that Jesus has power over death? Do you believe that He can save you? He who had the key

Published 2/12/20 Read John 11:21-22 "Martha said to Jesus, 'Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died. But even now I know that whatever you ask from God, God will give you.'" Reflect Have you ever felt that God just wasn't showing up--no matter how often you prayed? How did you react? (Please explain.) For days Martha had labored over her brother's sickbed, wringing her hands in worry and watching at the window. Surely Jesus got the message. Nothing could

Published 2/11/20 Read John 16:33 "I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world." Reflect How does it make you feel knowing that Jesus has overcome the trials of this world? No matter how difficult the trial you may go through, you can expect that the Lord will ever guide you with His eye; will support you by His guardian hand; and will keep you from all evil. "The God of al

Published 2/10/20 Read 1 Peter 3:12 "For the eyes of the Lord are on the righteous, and his ears are open to their prayer. But the face of the Lord is against those who do evil." Reflect Do you believe God hears your prayers? (Why or why not?) If God can see you, He can hear you. He hears your prayers, and even if you can't get a word out, He understands your tears and sighs. If it's in the middle of the night and no one is around to care for you, God is there with you. H

Published 2/7/20 Read Psalm 139:1-6 "God, investigate my life; get all the facts firsthand. I'm an open book to you; even from a distance, you know what I'm thinking. You know when I leave and when I get back; I'm never out of your sight. You know everything I'm going to say before I start the first sentence. I look behind me and you're there, then up ahead and you're there, too--your reassuring presence, coming and going. This is too much, too wonderful--I can't take it al

Published 2/6/20 Read Psalm 34:15-18 "The eyes of the Lord are toward the righteous and his ears toward their cry. The face of the Lord is against those who do evil, to cut off the memory of them from the earth. When the righteous cry for help, the Lord hears and delivers them out of all their troubles. The Lord is near to the brokenhearted and saves the crushed in spirit." Reflect During times of trouble, do you draw close to the Lord ... or do you run? God graciously brou

Published 2/5/20 Read Psalm 73:23-26 "Nevertheless, I am continually with you; you hold my right hand. You guide me with your counsel, and afterward you will receive me to glory. Whom have I in heaven but you? And there is nothing on earth that I desire besides you. My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever." Reflect In what ways is God the strength of your heart? (Please explain.) When challenges hit, how do you respond? Ins

Published 2/4/20 Read Genesis 16:13-14 "So she called the name of the Lord who spoke to her, 'You are a God of seeing,' for she said, 'Truly here I have seen him who looks after me.' Therefore the well was called Beer-lahai-roi;it lies between Kadesh and Bered." Reflect In what ways is the Lord the "God of seeing"? With tears streaming down her cheeks, my friend Terri shared how she'd reached the end of her rope: "I want to just run away--far from the tense moments at home,

Published 2/3/20 Read Psalm 23:1-3 "The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. He makes me lie down in green pastures. He leads me beside still waters. He restores my soul. He leads me in paths of righteousness for his name's sake." Reflect In what ways is the Lord your shepherd? How do you perceive God? Is He a stern, unbending judge or policeman? Is He someone who, like your father, is looking to criticize your faults, or who might abandon you unless you straighten up and

Published 1/31/20 Read 1 John 4:13-17 "By this we know that we abide in him and he in us, because he has given us of his Spirit. And we have seen and testify that the Father has sent his Son to be the Savior of the world. Whoever confesses that Jesus is the Son of God, God abides in him, and he in God. So we have come to know and to believe the love that God has for us. God is love, and whoever abides in love abides in God, and God abides in him. By this is love perfected w