Wisdom Of Life

Honor God Because You Belong to Him: My body is an instrument of worship  1 Corinthians 6:19-20 NIV. "Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your bodies." . When I was a teenager, one of my father’s hardest jobs with me was to get me to think about others, to think in advance about the impact that my words and actions would have on other people. As a father myself and when my children were teenagers, I had the joy of helping them to learn that they are not sovereign and independent entities. They are connected to family, friends, school, church, and employer. And to God. The God who created us and redeemed us has adopted us into his family. His Spirit now dwells within us as his temple. He claims us, and that means he also has high expectations of us. St. Paul writes, “You are not your own; you were bought at a pri...

Proverbs 16:24 NIV. " Gracious words are a honeycomb, sweet to the soul and healing to the bones. " Every couple faces communication challenges in their marriage. I’ve faced my own challenges, taught on the subject for many years, and learned there is one element necessary for success—caring. That’s right. It doesn’t matter what communication techniques you may know and understand—if you don’t care, it won’t make a difference. The actual breakdown of communication in marriage typically begins when attitudes begin to change. For instance, when you first began dating, you had long conversations about your lives, future, expectations, etc. And things were great! Why? Because you cared! You worked to understand each other and affirm the importance of what the other person had to say. This is one reason you fell in love and became willing to commit in a deeper way to the relationship. Fast forward into the marriage when communication begins t...

Romans 15:4 NIV. "For everything that was written in the past was written to teach us, so that through the endurance taught in the Scriptures and the encouragement they provide we might have hope. " Paul highlights one of the sources of the spiritual power we need — the Word of God. Tapping into this power enables us to be the kind of parents God designed us to be. We can try so hard to be empathetic or understanding and yet find ourselves frustrated and discouraged. That is when we need to spend some quiet time with God and His book, praying and looking for the direction only He can provide. Bible study has many values, but this verse promises that the Scriptures will encourage us. Haven't you found that to be true in your life? Studying the Bible through the lens of parenting can sustain you through those trying parenting moments. Disciplined Bible study will prepare you for the parenting challenges ahead. Stay prepared!  God Bless.

1 John 4:4 NIV. "You, dear children, are from God and have overcome them, because the one who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world." Whatever you're facing in life, or whatever is coming in your future, God has already given you the faith for it. It may not look like it, and you may not feel like you have what it takes to overcome, but faith in God isn't based on our circumstances or how we feel. The enemy would like for you to believe that you don't have a chance in life, that you're too weak, too poor, too whatever. But God has a different view of you. God sees you through the eyes of love. He sees not what you can be, but what He has invested in you, not what you or others may see. Seeing yourself the way God sees you leads to a life of overwhelming victory. But it takes faith. You can't just hear that God loves you and sees you as His child, you have to believe it. It takes faith to move forward and overcome the challenges of l...

"Yet the news about him spread all the more, so that crowds of people came to hear him and to be healed of their sicknesses. But Jesus often withdrew to lonely places and prayed.". Luke 5:15-16 Parenting puts tremendous demands on our time and energy. These demands can start before our kids get up in the morning and last long after they've fallen asleep. In addition we often find ourselves meeting the needs of others in our family, people at work, and friends. Jesus knows the extent of your weariness. Many people besieged Him when they discovered He could heal the sick and perform miracles. There was no end to the ingenious ways they devised just to touch Him or get His attention (see Luke 5:18-19). He recognized the huge demand for His time. But, Jesus also knew the only way He could deal with the demand for His time was to spend time alone with His Father to rest, pray, and recharge His batteries. It wasn't selfish; it was the most loving thing He could do for ...

Honor God Because You Belong to Him: "My body is bonded to the body of Christ ." "Is not the cup of thanksgiving for which we give thanks a participation in the blood of Christ? And is not the bread that we break a participation in the body of Christ?"  (1 Corinthians 10:16 ) When we see people making fools of themselves in public or doing something embarrassing or illegal, our first response is to dissociate ourselves. “I’m not with them!” One of the most wonderful things that Jesus Christ our Savior does for us is to choose to be identified with us. Not only did he take on human flesh just like ours and then stay human, he takes particular delight in bonding himself to us and us to him, soul and body. In the Sacrament of the Lord’s Supper, Christ forms a communion (participation) with the bread and wine, and then when we eat and drink the feast, he forms a communion with us. “Is not the cup of thanksgiving for which we give thanks a participat...

"A gentle answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger. " (Proverbs 15:1, NIV) "to make her holy, cleansing her by the washing with water through the word, "  ( Ephesian 5:26,, NIV ) One time Karen and I were having a fight. I remember how frustrated I was. I kept trying to tell her how I felt and convince her that she was wrong. I wasn’t making any progress, which only made me more frustrated. At one point in the conversation, I remember Karen saying to me, “Jimmy, I wish I had an audio recording of how you talk to me. You wouldn’t believe how harsh you are.” I immediately reacted to what she said. “I’m not harsh with you!” I insisted (with my voice raised). Several days later I was praying about what Karen had said. I was reading in Ephesians where it says that Jesus washes His Bride “with the washing of water by the word” (Ephesians 5:26). Immediately, in my mind, I saw myself standing before Jesus, filthy ...

" Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, especially to those who belong to the family of believers ." Galatians 6:10 I believe that one of the greatest opportunities we have as Christians is to make a profound difference in the lives of others. Throughout my life of ministry, God has given me the opportunity to help many people who need guidance. But I don't believe this is a special opportunity that God made just for me. Everyone, you included, has the ability to influence someone. When you take the time to reach out to others and invest in someone's life, you are impacting the world...yours and theirs. Galatians 6:10 tells us to "be mindful to be a blessing" to everyone God brings across our path. We are called to be a blessing and build up others in their faith, to not be afraid to reach out and to speak the truth in love. I don't believe God wants us to be mere spectators in life. He wants us to be people who really l...

Honor God Because You Belong to Him: "My body is God’s workmanship.". Psalm 139:13 NIV. "For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb." One of the annual rites of spring all around America is the sight of clusters of grade school children trooping through zoos and museums on field trips. There they will find “helpful” information about the origin of the universe and of mankind itself. They will learn about billions of years of evolutionary development, the Paleozoic era, and Cro-Magnon man in the natural history displays. What they will not hear is anything about creative design, about a guiding mind and power that put the universe together. In museums and zoos, all the beauty and complexity of animal and human life is assumed to be coincidental and spontaneous, undesigned and meaningless. David, king and poet of Israel, had better information: “You created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb....

" A man has joy by the answer of his mouth, and a word spoken in due season, how good it is!"  (Proverbs 15:23) Communication is a huge issue in marriage. It is the first point of contact when you initially meet, and it provides the foundation for relational growth. Because it is so important as a foundation, there are some things to remember. First of all, a wise master builder never overbuilds on a foundation. You simply cannot establish a superstructure on a foundation that is either too small, too thin, or too weak. Likewise, your marriage cannot grow beyond the foundation of communication. Regardless of how long you’ve been married, communication can never become a secondary issue. In other words, sex, money, children, houses, or any aspect of marriage cannot take the place of communication as the primary base of your marriage. When you have a house with foundation problems, the problems are typically more visible in other areas than with the foundation. Cracks in ...

Acts 6:2-4 NIV. So the Twelve gathered all the disciples together and said, “It would not be right for us to neglect the ministry of the word of God in order to wait on tables. Brothers and sisters, choose seven men from among you who are known to be full of the Spirit and wisdom. We will turn this responsibility over to them and will give our attention to prayer and the ministry of the word.” In the early church, it was quickly becoming impossible for the apostles to do everything that was expected of them. They were overwhelmed by the many requests for their service. Recognizing they were being stretched beyond the limit, they delegated some of their responsibilities to Godly men able to handle those demands. They chose Stephen and others to perform day-to-day service, so they could create the "margin" needed in their lives to devote "to prayer and to the ministry of the word" (Acts 6:4). How often do you forsake prayer and ministry to attend to the demands of ...

Proverbs 17:22 NIV . "A cheerful heart is good medicine, but a crushed spirit dries up the bones. " Want to hear a funny story? I've got a lot of them, and they come from things that happened in my ordinary, everyday life. Now, I wasn't laughing when those stories were in the making, but I'm glad I can laugh about them now. For example, I didn't think it was funny when I couldn't get my hair to stay in place, but if you'd seen what I did about it, you certainly would have laughed. It wasn't amusing when I tried to make clothes, especially for the people who had to wear them. And I was so irritated when Dave threw paper towels over the grocery store aisle at me, but I realize now, he just knew how to have a little fun no matter what he was doing. I'm glad I've learned to look at times like these and see the humor in them. Now I know that not everything in life is necessarily enjoyable, but I think we all need to learn to have more fun i...

“You are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light” (1 Peter 2:9). Our entire country’s central emotional value, the central theme of our history, the central goal for which our ancestors paid a terrible price in blood and treasure is freedom. Ever since we were young, we have been taught that the early colonists were oppressed by the British government, and so they declared independence. Since we were young, we have been taught the evils of human slavery and how a brutal civil war was needed to end it in our country. Freedom from God, however, is spiritual suicide. How do you feel about being purchased? About belonging to Someone else? Is that a form of oppression? Or do you find it liberating and exhilarating that God should think you worth claiming? St. Peter wrote these words of encouragement, showing the great worth God finds in y...

" And they were both naked, the man and his wife, and were not ashamed." (Genesis 2:25) It is interesting that when God created Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden, He created them naked and without any shame related to it. The word “naked” in Genesis 2:25 means “to be exposed.” In other words, God created marriage to be a place where you could totally expose yourselves to each other—mentally, emotionally, spiritually, sexually, and physically—without shame. This is what makes intimacy on every level possible in marriage. When you are truly “naked” without shame in marriage, you can share your lives with each other. You have unhindered access to each other. You can talk about anything without fear. You can express your sexuality without inhibition. You can share your darkest feelings and brightest dreams with each other without a thought of future reproach. All of this is true under one condition—that the relationship remains pure...

Exodus 18:17-18 NIV "Moses’ father-in-law replied, “What you are doing is not good. You and these people who come to you will only wear yourselves out. The work is too heavy for you; you cannot handle it alone." Moses was going to work every day as the sole judge over all the tribes of Israel. The number of people demanding his time was so great he worked from dawn until dusk without making a dent in the workload. His father-in-law, Jethro, saw this and immediately recognized a man who could not say "no" to requests for his time. He suggested Moses focus on only two things — representing the people before God, and handling the most difficult of the disputes. The rest of the work could be delegated to capable men he appointed. Moses listened, delegated, and found himself doing far more than he had ever done before, but in much less time. If this advice worked for Moses, will it not also work for us? Appropriate boundaries are important for everyone in the family. ...

1 John 4:18 NIV "There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love. I want to talk to you about a four-letter word: FEAR! " Many of us can probably remember when we were kids, if we said a bad word, our mama threatened to wash our mouth out with soap. Well, if "fear" is a dirty, four-letter word, then faith in God's love is the soap! I'm not talking about wimpy faith. I'm talking about a powerful faith in God's unconditional, unlimited, unwavering, perfect love for us. First John 4:18 teaches that understanding God's love for us will deliver us from our fears. Now this doesn't mean we won't ever feel fear, but faith in God and His love will enable us to 'do it afraid' if we have to. God wants you to know that He is with you. He will lead and guide you, so you can put your confidence and faith in Him! Remember, His love is perfect...

Let the husband render to his wife the affection due her, and likewise also the wife to her husband. The wife does not have authority over her own body, but the husband does. And likewise the husband does not have authority over his own body, but the wife does. (1 Corinthians 7:3-4) When God created marriage, He created foundational laws for it to be guided and guarded. One of those laws is the Law of Possession. It is stated in Genesis 2:24: “They shall become one flesh.” Once you are married, you are no longer two but one. Certainly, this relates to the beauty of sexual intimacy that is unique within the marriage relationship. But it also goes far beyond that; in fact, it is a profoundly important concept to understand. The law of possession means that for marriage to work, you must share everything and possess nothing apart from one another. The words of the Apostle Paul in 1 Corinthians reveal how God created marriage to produce the deepest intimacy and bonding possib...

Romans 8:38-39 NIV. "For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord." The greatest gift you can give your kids is not the newest and best the world has to offer. It is the love of God through Jesus Christ. That is the gift that enables them to resist the creation's lures and live in the love of the Creator. Your kids are going to be bombarded with messages from the world, and those promises are extraordinarily difficult to resist. In fact, they are impossible to resist without the indwelling Spirit. Introduce your kids to the gift that keeps on giving — grace. Do you pursue God with the same fervor with which you pursue the things of the world? Your kids are watching!

J ohn 17:4 NIV. "I have brought you glory on earth by finishing the work you gave me to do." Several years ago I read a verse that caused me to weep before the Lord. In John 17:4, Jesus says, "I have brought you glory on earth by finishing the work you gave me to do." This is saying that following God means finishing what He's called us to do. Ever since reading that verse, it's become very important to me that I not just do what God has called me to do, but that I finish what He's called me to do. There are a lot of people who step out and begin a journey with God, but I don't think there are nearly as many who finish it. The apostle Paul said, '...If only I may finish my course with joy...' (Acts 20:24). I'm determined to finish God's call for me and enjoy every minute of it! That's what I want for you, too, to enjoy every single day of your life and finish what God's called you to do. But most of this is up to us. I...

We are God's Temple. Introduction “Who am I?” 1 Corinthians 6:19 NIV. "Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own;"  Certain times in people’s lives drive that question to the front burner. The teen years can be confusing to a young person’s self-image. People groping for a career, not just another job, can’t figure out what they’re good at (or good for). People who get laid off from their jobs or suffer breakup of their marriages have their self-image badly shaken. Middle-aged people have been known to break down in their ruts and routines and question their identity. Retirement can bring more stress than joy to people who don’t know what to do next. Are you secure and comfortable in your identity? It’s okay--you can be honest with me. What’s that? Sometimes you aren’t sure who you are anymore? Sometimes you don’t know i...

Philippians 3:10 NIV. "I want to know Christ—yes, to know the power of his resurrection and participation in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death," Relentlessly pursuing God is not necessarily easy, but it's definitely worth it. However, you can't really pursue God until you've first experienced real freedom. God is in the business of setting us free, and it's glorious to be free from guilt, condemnation, and always wondering what people are thinking of us. We're set free from the concern of failing when we know who we are in Christ. This brings us the courage to be able to step out and pursue God's promises. One of the greatest freedoms God has given me is the freedom to be me. For years I tried to be something I wasn't, feeling like I needed to be like this or like that, all the while knowing I wasn't like everyone else. Yet, I kept trying to be like others until I learned through my relationship with God who He created me to ...

Genesis 2:24 NIV. "That is why a man leaves his father and mother and is united to his wife, and they become one flesh." . This week we are going to talk about the second law of marriage—the Law of Pursuit. I underlined the words be joined in the Scripture above because these words are very important in understanding marriage. Even though the words look mundane on the outside—they are dynamic. They literally mean that a man is to “cling” to his wife for a lifetime. It also includes women in their relationships with their husbands. The Hebrew word for “joined” or “cling” is the word dabaq. It is a very energetic word that means “to pursue with great zeal.” In the very beginning God told us the truth about marriage—it is work! That’s right! Marriage is work, and it only works when you work at it. Couples fall in love because they work at the relationship. They try hard to impress each other, are careful to be sen...

Romans 8:24-25 NIV. "For in this hope we were saved. But hope that is seen is no hope at all. Who hopes for what they already have? But if we hope for what we do not yet have, we wait for it patiently." As Christians, we know how the story is going to end. Yet, the hope into which we have been saved is unseen. What we can see is the world and its demands. We must keep our minds focused on the unseen, or the pressure to live for today's culture will swallow us up. The world demands our attention all the time, from every direction. The ever-present media (TV, magazines, newspapers, internet) distracts us from the unseen and lures us with the false hope of instant gratification. Fortunately, God provides a defense: "the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you" (Rom 8:11). Demonstrate an eternal perspective for your kids. Talk about the messages the culture is sending and contrast them with the hope we have as followers of Christ.

"Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and they shall become one flesh." (Genesis 2:24) When God created marriage, He had a plan. In order to understand God’s plan, we must begin by realizing the importance of priority in our lives. The first thing God ever said in the Bible concerning marriage was that a man would have to leave his father and mother to be joined to a wife. Leaving our father or mother doesn’t mean that we can’t see them anymore or that they aren’t important to us. It simply means that they must be reprioritized in our lives and that our spouse must take the number-one spot—with the exception of our relationship with Christ. Marriage only works if it is first in our lives. In my book Marriage on the Rock, I call this The Law of Priority. God created marriage to operate as the most important human relationship in our lives, and it only succeeds on that level. It is more important than children, wor...

"Our love grows soft if it is not strengthened by truth, and our truth grows hard if it is not softened by love." -- John Stott. The essence of empathy is balancing truth and love. A rescuing parent leans heavily on love, but shies away from truth. A dictating parent leans heavily on truth, but mixes in little love. A counselor parent is able to express his love for the child no matter what they say or do, yet is strong enough to deliver appropriate consequences and to allow his child to struggle so that real learning takes place. It is a difficult balance, and our anxiety or anger often reveals where we fall on the continuum between rescuer and dictator. Is your love too soft, or your truth too hard? Striking a balance between truth and love models our heavenly Father's relationship with us.  Ephesians 4:15

Do we expect God to come to us with His blessings and save us? He says, “Look to Me, and be saved . . . .” The greatest difficulty spiritually is to concentrate on God, and His blessings are what make it so difficult. Troubles almost always make us look to God, but His blessings tend to divert our attention elsewhere. The basic lesson of the Sermon on the Mount is to narrow all your interests until your mind, heart, and body are focused on Jesus Christ. “Look to Me . . ..” Many of us have a mental picture of what a Christian should be, and looking at this image in other Christians’ lives becomes a hindrance to our focusing on God. This is not salvation—it is not simple enough. He says, in effect, “Look to Me and you are saved,” not “You will be saved someday.” We will find what we are looking for if we will concentrate on Him. We get distracted from God and irritable with Him while He continues to say to us, “Look to Me,...

In Numbers 11, Moses gives us an example of what we can do when we're under stress. Talk about pressure, he was leading the Israelites through the wilderness on what should have been an eleven-day trip and instead ended up taking forty years! The people were depressed and weeping over their situation. In verse 14, Moses tells God, "I am not able to carry all these people alone, because the burden is too heavy for me." Like Moses, it's okay for us to say, "I've reached my limit." Yes, scripture says, "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me" (Phil. 4:13 NKJV), but that's really referring to times when we face various trials and situations that God will help us through. It doesn't mean we should take on so many responsibilities that we completely burn out, like the woman who is raising five kids, works full-time, serves on the church board, etc. Sometimes, it's all just too much...and it's okay to admit that. I...

Devotional content:  Matthew 6:9-13. - Marvin Williams Not long ago, I traveled to the Democratic Republic of Congo to lead a Bible conference. I took in the beauty of the Nyungwe Forest and Ruzizi River, which separates Congo from Rwanda. I experienced the amazing hospitality of the Congolese people, and I was moved by their sincere faith in God’s provision. Because unemployment, poverty, and malnutrition are serious problems there, the people often don’t know where their next meal will come from. So each time they sit down to eat, they thank God and ask Him to provide the next meal. Their prayer sounds a lot like Jesus’ prayer in Matthew 6:11, “Give us this day our daily bread.” The word bread refers to any food. The phrase “this day” indicates provision that came to them one day at a time. Many first-century workers were paid one day at a time, so a few days’ illness could spell tragedy. “Daily” could be translate...

Devotional content:  Ephesians 2:8 NIV. For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith— and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—  A major passage for understanding God’s grace, i.e., his kindness, unmerited favor and forgiving love. you have been saved. “Saved” has a wide range of meanings. It includes salvation from God’s wrath, which we all had incurred by our sinfulness. The tense of the verb (also in v. 5) suggests a completed action with emphasis on its present effect. through faith. See Ro 3:21–31, which establishes the necessity of faith in Christ as the only means of being made right with God. not from yourselves. No human effort can contribute to our salvation; it is the gracious gift of God. Taken from NIV Study Bible

" The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, selfcontrol."  (Galatians 5:22-23) There is an odd truth concerning love and marriage. Understanding it is an important key in making marriage and other relationships work. The truth is this: we don’t have the ability to really love without the power of the Holy Spirit working through us. Our capacity to love is based on God giving us that ability, supernaturally, as we surrender to Him. So how are people able to “love” when they don’t know God? They can’t. At least they are not able to love with God’s type of love. God’s love is a special love the Bible calls agape. It is a love that flows out of the will and does not change. It is the most stable and predictable kind of love and the only type that can provide a lasting foundation in marriage. Often, when people say they love someone, they are just talking about sexual desire (the...

When you are faced with disrespectful, disobedient, or rebellious behavior, it is natural to get angry. Unfortunately the natural response is least likely to uncover the heart issues that lie underneath the child's bad behavior. This is because the "anger of man" distracts us from a pursuit of righteousness. The anger of a parent confronted with a child's poor choice shifts the focus from the child's bad behavior to the parent's angry response. These verses tell us to be quick to listen and slow to speak. Listening carefully, speaking little, and helping your child explore the motives behind his behavior can lead to the sort of insight that points the child toward the righteousness of God. Replace anger with empathy, and see what happens. Responding to disobedience with empathy rather than anger is difficult, but the reward is great.  James 1:19-20

Am I as spontaneously kind to God as I used to be, or am I only expecting God to be kind to me? Does everything in my life fill His heart with gladness, or do I constantly complain because things don’t seem to be going my way? A person who has forgotten what God treasures will not be filled with joy. It is wonderful to remember that Jesus Christ has needs which we can meet—“Give Me a drink” (John 4:7). How much kindness have I shown Him in the past week? Has my life been a good reflection on His reputation? God is saying to His people, “You are not in love with Me now, but I remember a time when you were.” He says, “I remember . . . the love of your betrothal . . .” (Jeremiah 2:2). Am I as filled to overflowing with love for Jesus Christ as I was in the beginning, when I went out of my way to prove my devotion to Him? Does He ever find me pondering the time when I cared only for Him? Is that where I am now, or have I chosen man’s w...

Are you living a sustainable life? Maybe you've caught yourself saying things like, "I can't do this much longer. I just can't keep this up forever." When you make comments like these, what you're really saying is, "I know I have limits and that I've reached them, but I'm going to ignore them and see how long I can get by with it." Our body gives us warnings when we're pushing too hard, like an ache here or a pain there. But we think, "I'll be all right," and we ignore the warnings until we're too sick to ignore them. I'm not proud of this, but for the first twenty years of my ministry, I felt physically terrible a lot of the time. I ran to doctors and tried all kinds of pills and vitamins. The doctors tried to tell me that I was simply pushing myself too hard, but I ignored them. I kept pushing myself to do all the traveling, speaking engagements, meetings, and so on, simply exhausting myself. Finally, I realized...

Your Deepest Need Whoever drinks of this water will thirst again, but whoever drinks of the water that I shall give him will never thirst. But the water that I shall give him will become in him a fountain of water springing up into everlasting life. (John 4:13-14) In the fourth chapter of John’s gospel, Jesus ministered to a Samaritan woman who had been married five times and was currently living together with a man. She was at a well near her hometown, drawing water. She was there by herself, a clear indication that she was an outcast in her community—other women avoided associating with her. But Jesus loved her. He didn’t approve of her lifestyle—but He valued her as a person. He also knew the root cause of her marriage problems and was there to help her solve her chronic issue with men. The problem was that she was looking for men to meet needs within her that only God could meet. We have four basic human needs that drive all of us at all times. Those need...

DISCIPLINE, CHARACTER, and HOPE When our children suffer, whether from their own bad choices or those of someone else, we want so badly to rescue them from the pain or to tell them how to avoid finding themselves in that predicament again. But, God has another plan — to perfect them through their trials. Character-building lessons are rarely learned from the triumphs of life. Rather, it is the trials in our lives that teach us how to persevere despite the pain. Taking trials away from our kids deprives them of the chance to grow, build character, and learn to hope in God. The best character-building lessons are learned from trials. Don't inhibit your child's growth by rescuing them from or taking over difficult situations.  Devotional content:  Romans 5:3-5

Are You Fresh For Everything? Sometimes we are fresh and eager to attend a prayer meeting, but do we feel that same freshness for such mundane tasks as polishing shoes? Being born again by the Spirit is an unmistakable work of God, as mysterious as the wind, and as surprising as God Himself. We don’t know where it begins—it is hidden away in the depths of our soul. Being born again from above is an enduring, perpetual, and eternal beginning. It provides a freshness all the time in thinking, talking, and living—a continual surprise of the life of God. Staleness is an indication that something in our lives is out of step with God. We say to ourselves, “I have to do this thing or it will never get done.” That is the first sign of staleness. Do we feel fresh this very moment or are we stale, frantically searching our minds for something to do? Freshness is not the result of obedience; it comes from the Holy Spirit. Obedience keeps us “in the light as He ...

Boundaries Have a Purpose! Exercising self-control and self-discipline, and establishing boundaries and borders in our life are some of the most important things we can do. A life that has no discipline is one that's filled with carelessness. The Word of God establishes the necessary boundaries to keep us in God's safety zone. It tells us what we can do, and what we better not do, to be safe. As Christians we can think it's kind of exciting to live life on the edge. We like the image of "Yeah! That's me! Living on the edge!" It's become a popular way of looking at life. But to be honest, God doesn't want us living on the edge, because if we're living on the edge, then we have no margin for error. Highways have lines, one on each side and one in the center. These lines provide margins for our safety while we're driving. If we go over the line on one side, we'll go into the ditch. If we cross over the line in the middle, we could get kill...

No Record Of Our Sins - David Roper Out of the depths” the psalmist cries to God (Ps. 130:1). His problem surfaces: terrible guilt for things done and undone in the past. “If You, Lord, should mark iniquities, O Lord, who could stand?” (v.3). But, thankfully, God forgives. He does not keep an account of past sins, no matter how many or how grievous they have been. “There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus” (Rom. 8:1). God’s forgiveness then leads us to fear Him (Ps. 130:4). We worship and adore God, for grace and forgiveness cause us to love Him all the more. But what happens if we slide back into old sins? What if sin lingers? We are to repent and “wait for the Lord” and be patient while God works (vv.5-6). We are not hopeless cases. We can “hope” in the One who will deliver us in His time. We now have these two assurances: God’s unfailing love— He will never leave us nor forsake...

How Does Jesus’ Gift of Salvation Benefit Believers? When humans sin, they create a barrier between themselves and God. The price for sin is death (see Romans 6:23); however, 1 Thessalonians 5:9 – 10 indicates that by his grace God provided a substitute for us: Jesus, who “died for us” to pay the penalty for our sin. To better understand the salvation Jesus provides, we must view it in the broader context of the story of the Bible. Genesis details the creation and rebellion of the human species. Humankind’s rejection of God and God’s response is the theme of the remaining narrative of the Bible — it colors every page. Old Testament prophecies point to a time when the world as we know it will end and judgment will take place. However, these prophecies also point to the coming Messiah who will redeem the lives of those who trust in him. Salvation is not only a future reality but also a present one. Jesus rewarded the faith of the bleeding woman...

A Blessed Marriage God created man in His own image; in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them. Then God blessed them. (Genesis 1:27-28) If you could ask God to do anything for you—what would it be? It’s my hope that one of the first things you would think to ask Him to do would be to bless your marriage. After all, in God’s heart, marriage is a priority. We know that because of this passage from the Book of Genesis. Here we find that God created man and woman, and then He immediately established marriage. Marriage was God’s idea, and He blessed Adam and Eve’s. Verse 31 tells us: “God saw everything that He had made, and indeed it was very good.” Adam and Eve’s marriage was very good as a result of God’s blessing—they had the perfect marriage! The word blessed in this passage of scripture means “to endue with power for success, prosperity, fertility and longevity.” When God blessed them...