Repentance is more than just saying “I’m sorry.” It means admitting we were wrong, and determining not to do it again. “I kicked myself for my stupidity” captures that concept pretty well! Scripture: Jeremiah, chapters 31-32; 1 John, chapter 4 Jeremiah 31:15-22 (NLT): This is what the Lord says: “A cry is heard in Ramah – deep anguish and bitter weeping. Rachel weeps for her children, refusing to be comforted – for her children are gone.” But now this is... Read more
Our culture tells us, “Follow your heart!” But God’s Word cries out: “Don’t follow your heart – follow Jesus!” Scripture: Jeremiah, chapters 28-30; 1 John, chapter 3 1 John 3:16-24 (NLT): We know what real love is because Jesus gave up his life for us. So we also ought to give up our lives for our brothers and sisters. If someone has enough money to live well and sees a brother or sister in need but shows no compassion –... Read more
Scripture: Jeremiah, chapters 21, 24, and 27; Psalm 118; 1 John, chapter 2 Jeremiah 21:11-14 (NLT): “Say to the royal family of Judah, ‘Listen to this message from the Lord! This is what the Lord says to the dynasty of David: “Give justice each morning to the people you judge! Help those who have been robbed; rescue them from their oppressors. Otherwise, my anger will burn like an unquenchable fire because of all your sins. I will personally fight against... Read more
It is very easy for us to put our trust in things and people who don’t deserve it. Jeremiah 2 refers to this as “trading our glorious God for worthless idols” and “digging cracked cisterns.” Scripture: Jeremiah, chapters 1-2; John, chapter 10 Jeremiah 2:10-13 (NLT): “Go west and look in the land of Cyprus; go east and search through the land of Kedar. Has anyone ever heard of anything as strange as this? Has any nation ever traded its gods... Read more
“Sacred texts” are at the heart of many faith systems. These faith systems believe that their sacred texts are “inspired.” For example, Christians accept the Bible as authoritative and inspired. But how do modern believers view these “sacred texts”? I will begin with a look at the article of faith from my denomination. Following that, I’ll discuss the relevance of Scripture to contemporary life. Finally, I’ll explain the way that Scripture and the Holy Spirit work together in the... Read more
When Jesus fed the 5,000, John says “they wanted him to be their king.” The key word is “their” king – they didn’t want to accept Jesus on his terms, but on their own. That’s the same deception Satan has been selling since the beginning! We come to God on his terms, not ours – and when we do, he welcomes us as his children. Scripture: 2 Kings, chapter 22; 2 Chronicles, chapter 34; John, chapter 6 John 6:1-15 (NLT):... Read more
We rejoice that God promises to forgive us when we confess our sins (1 John 1:9), but we need to remember that the tentacles of evil that spread from sinful choices go further and last longer than we might imagine. Scripture: 2 Kings, chapter 21; 2 Chronicles, chapter 33; John, chapter 4 2 Chronicles 33:10-17 (NLT): The Lord spoke to Manasseh and his people, but they ignored all his warnings. So the Lord sent the commanders of the Assyrian armies,... Read more
John 3:16 says that everyone who believes in Jesus has eternal life. But what does “believing in Jesus” mean? It means that we live like Jesus did! Scripture: Isaiah, chapters 65-66; Psalm 63; John, chapter 3 John 3:16-21 (NLT): “For this is how God loved the world: He gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life. God sent his Son into the world not to judge the world,... Read more
There are many “gods” that people serve – sometimes without even realizing it. Those who know God, though, proclaim: There is no other God like you! Scripture: Isaiah, chapters 63-64; Psalm 107; John, chapter 2 Isaiah 63:15 – 64:7 (NLT): Lord, look down from heaven; look from your holy, glorious home, and see us. Where is the passion and the might you used to show on our behalf? Where are your mercy and compassion now? Surely you are still our... Read more
Is it okay to have friends from other faiths? Is it okay to have friends from other faiths? I hope so! Given the increasing polarization of our culture, limiting our circle of friends to people who share our religious beliefs would just divide us even further! And if we’re to heed Jesus’ call for us to “make disciples as you’re going through life” (my paraphrase of Matthew 28:19), we can’t limit our contacts to people who already believe as we... Read more
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