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Published 9/25/19 Read "So Jesus said to the Jews who had believed him, 'If you abide in my word, you are truly my disciples, and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.' " John 8:31-32 Reflect Is your vision a bit fuzzy? Have you been deceived by worldly philosophies? Are you willing to be set free by the truth? A hush falls over the synagogue as a fiery Jew stands before the crowd. Today's speaker: a powerful Pharisee named Saul--the persecutor. It's no

Published 9/24/19 Read "In this you rejoice, though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been grieved by various trials, so that the tested genuineness of your faith--more precious than gold that perishes though it is tested by fire--may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ. Though you have not seen him, you love him. Though you do not now see him, you believe in him and rejoice with joy that is inexpressible and fille

Published 9/23/19 Read "A man with leprosy came to him and begged him on his knees, 'If you are willing, you can make me clean.' Jesus was indignant. He reached out his hand and touched the man. 'I am willing,' he said. 'Be clean!' Immediately the leprosy left him and he was cleansed." Mark 1:40-42 Reflect What healing touch do you need in your life? "I am willing--be clean!" These are some of the greatest words spoken in the Bible. Through Jesus, people can have peace with

Published 9/20/19 Read Psalm 46:10 “Be still and know that I am God. I will be exalted among the nations; I will be exalted in the...

Published 9/19/19 Read 1 Peter 1:3-5 “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! According to his great mercy, he has...

Published 9/18/19 Read Psalm 71:1-3 “In you, O LORD, do I take refuge; let me never be put to shame! In your righteousness deliver...

Published 9/17/19 Read Psalm 27:4-5 “One thing have I asked of the LORD, that will I seek after: that I may dwell in the house of the...

Published 9/16/19 Read 1 Samuel 12:24 “Only fear the LORD and serve him faithfully with all your heart. For consider what great things...

Published 9/13/19 Read Jeremiah 29:11 "For I know the plans I have for you," declares the Lord, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future." Reflect • How can we know the plans God has for us? With movies and novels, we know how long the conflict will last, right? All we have to do is glance at our watch or check the number of pages left in the book. But life is not like this. The real world doesn't always provide us with a last-minute so

Published 9/12/19 Read Isaiah 45:3 "I will give you the treasures of darkness, riches stored in secret places, so that you may know that I am the Lord, the God of Israel, who summons you by name." Reflect • What's the key to following God's will? Imagine receiving the "riches stored in secret places"! Does God tell you secrets? Has He ever whispered knowledge into your spiritual ear--a secret that gives you special wisdom about a situation? Perhaps He has spoken to your hea

Published 9/11/19 Read Proverbs 16:1-9 "To man belong the plans of the heart, but from the Lord comes the reply of the tongue. All a man's ways seem innocent to him, but motives are weighed by the Lord. Commit to the Lord whatever you do, and your plans will succeed. The Lord works out everything for his own ends--even the wicked for a day of disaster. The Lord detests all the proud of heart. Be sure of this: They will not go unpunished. Through love and faithfulness sin is

Published 9/10/19 Read James 4:13-17 "Now listen, you who say, 'Today or tomorrow we will go to this or that city, spend a year there, carry on business and make money.' Why, you do not even know what will happen tomorrow. What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes. Instead, you ought to say, 'If it is the Lord's will, we will live and do this or that.' As it is, you boast and brag. All such boasting is evil. Anyone, then, who knows

Published 9/9/19 Read Hebrews 12:1-3 "Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us. Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider him who endured such opposit

Published 9/6/19 Read 2 Corinthians 7:1 "Since we have these promises, dear friends, let us purify ourselves from everything that contaminates body and spirit, perfecting holiness out of reverence for God." Reflect • How can you perfect holiness in your life? Holiness. It's one of those words that conjures up images of uptight church ladies in floral dresses. It even brings to mind a long list of rigid, narrow-minded rules that are out of touch with reality--not to mentio

Published 9/5/19 Read Matthew 25:34-36 "Then the King will say to those on his right, 'Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.' " Reflect

Published 9/4/19 Read Matthew 20:26-28 "Whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first must be your slave--just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve." Reflect • Do you strive to be a servant leader? As popular author Henry T. Blackaby points out, "He will take whatever time is necessary to grow your character to match His assignment for you. . . . Character-building can be long and painful. It took 25 years b

Published 9/3/19 Read Luke 15:20, 22-24 "But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion for him; he ran to his son, threw his arms around him and kissed him. . . . 'Quick! Bring the best robe and put it on him. Put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet. Bring the fattened calf and kill it. Let's have a feast and celebrate. For this son of mine was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.' " Reflect • Do you sense Go

Published 9/2/19 Read Colossians 3:15-17 "Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful. Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom, and as you sing psalms, hymns and spiritual songs with gratitude in your hearts to God. And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him."

Published 8/30/19 Read Job 27:2-6 "As God lives, who has taken away my right, and the Almighty, who has made my soul bitter, as long as my breath is in me, and the spirit of God is in my nostrils, my lips will not speak falsehood, and my tongue will not utter deceit. Far be it from me to say that you are right; till I die I will not put away my integrity from me. I hold fast my righteousness and will not let it go; my heart does not reproach me for any of my days." Reflect

Published 8/29/19 Read Job 26:14 "Behold, these are but the outskirts of his ways, and how small a whisper do we hear of him! But the thunder of his power who can understand?" Reflect • What help will you boldly ask God for? • Difficult situations can wear us down and can convince us that we can't do anything to make things better. Why is this untrue? (Please explain.) • Focusing on God's majesty and past miracles soothes feelings of helplessness. How do you think this help

Published 8/28/19 Read Job 25:4 " How then can man be in the right before God? How can he who is born of woman be pure?" Reflect • How will accepting yourself as you are help you overcome your hurt? • The myth of perfection assumes God's grace depends on us and traps us in a cycle of anxiety and guilt. What steps can you take to work through this way of thinking? • We must never forget that God's grace is a free gift through Jesus. What are some ways that you can remind you

Published 8/27/19 Read Job 24:23-24 (NLT) " They may be allowed to live in security, but God is always watching them. And though they are great now, in a moment they will be gone like all others, cut off like heads of grain." Reflect • How do you keep from being discouraged when evil goes unpunished? • Healing is difficult when evildoers seem secure in their evil. Are you able to release these issues to God? Why or why not? (Please explain.) • As Christ-followers, we know th

Published 8/26/19 Read Job 23:10 " But he knows the way that I take; when he has tried me, I shall come out as gold ." Reflect • How do you know God is still there when you can't "feel" him? • Most Christ-followers experience times when they are spiritually stuck and feel far from God's presence. What kinds of circumstances triggers these feelings for you? • When we're stuck, we must remind ourselves that feelings are not the foundation of our faith. How do you think this c

Published 8/23/19 Read Job 22:21-22 "Agree with God, and be at peace; thereby good will come to you. Receive instruction from his mouth, and lay up his words in your heart." Reflect • How should a Christ-follower respond to false accusations? • False accusations from others can compound our pain. What should you do during these moments? • When we feel attacked, we must slow down and carefully choose a response that honors God. Sometimes that will be no response at all. Why