Posts with the tag “spiritual”

"Moreover, it is required of stewards that they be found faithful."- 1 Corinthians 4:2   Faithfulness is a cornerstone of strong, lasting relationships and a key attribute for spiritual growth. In today’s world, where instant gratification and self-interest often dominate, the concept of faithfulness can sometimes seem outdated or impractical. However, adding faithfulness to your spiritual bag is ...  Read More

"Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice."- Philippians 4:4   When life is going well, it’s easy to feel joyful. But what happens when things aren’t going as planned? Can you still have joy when life isn’t perfect? The answer is yes, and it’s something God calls us to do. Joy isn’t just a fleeting feeling based on our circumstances; it’s a deep, abiding sense of peace and contentment...  Read More

"But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To him be glory both now and forever! Amen."- 2 Peter 3:18   There is a trendy phrase young basketball players have started to use when a player masters a new move. The phrase “he’s in his bag” or “I’ve added that to my bag” is commonly used when players pull out new moves that others haven’t seen them use before. It’s a way...  Read More

"Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance."- James 1:2-3   When adversity comes your way, you have two choices: You can run from it or embrace it. This decision can define the trajectory of not only your spiritual journey but your entire life.  Running from adversity will often seem ...  Read More

"For if you live according to the flesh you will die, but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live." - Romans 8:13   Sin is a formidable foe, not to be underestimated or taken lightly. It gives us false promises of pleasure and satisfaction, but in reality, it leads only to destruction and death. If you don't take decisive action to confront and overcome sin, it will ...  Read More

"Then the Israelites did evil in the eyes of the Lord and served the Baals. They forsook the Lord, the God of their ancestors, who had brought them out of Egypt. They followed and worshiped various gods of the peoples around them. They aroused the Lord's anger." - Judges 2:11-12   Have you ever found yourself caught in a cycle of doing what's right one moment, only to find yourself stumbling back ...  Read More

"Let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds, not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching." - Hebrews 10:24-25   Life was never meant to be lived in isolation. God designed us for community—for relationships that challenge us, support us, and encourage us in our faith jo...  Read More

 "Do not be yoked together with unbelievers. For what do righteousness and wickedness have in common? Or what fellowship can light have with darkness?" - 2 Corinthians 6:14   In matters of the heart, it's essential to heed the wisdom of Scripture, especially when it comes to being unequally yoked. This term refers to the imbalance that arises when believers enter into relationships with unbeliever...  Read More

"The prudent see danger and take refuge, but the simple keep going and pay the penalty." - Proverbs 27:12   Let me share a personal story that taught me a valuable lesson about heeding life's warning signs. It all started with a car—a Toyota Sequoia, to be exact. I was thrilled with my purchase, but little did I know the challenges that awaited me. Driving my new Sequoia, I couldn't ignore the dee...  Read More

"For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord." - Romans 6:23   Do you ever ask yourself, "When am I going to change?" When will enough be enough? When will you become sick and tired of being sick and tired? God is waiting for you to realize that He has so much better for your life than the empty promises of sin. Sin may seem enticing in the moment, b...  Read More

"For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord." - Romans 6:23   Sin is a topic that cannot be ignored in our journey of faith. It is a reality we all must grapple with, for its consequences are profound and far-reaching. Romans 6:23 succinctly reminds us that the wages of sin are death, but it also offers hope through the gift of eternal life in Chris...  Read More

"Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother's eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye? How can you say to your brother, 'Let me take the speck out of your eye,' when all the time there is a plank in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother's eye." - Matthew 7:3-5   In the wo...  Read More

"My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me." - John 10:27   One of the most insidious consequences of sin is its impact on our ability to hear God clearly. Instead of the unmistakable resonance of God's voice, sin introduces a discordant cacophony into our spiritual lives, distorting our hearing and leaving us vulnerable to the deceptive whispers of our own desires and the accus...  Read More

"But your iniquities have separated you from your God; your sins have hidden his face from you so that he will not hear." - Isaiah 59:2   Sin has a profound impact on our ability to hear God clearly, and its consequences can be spiritually devastating. Isaiah 59:2 reminds us, "But your iniquities have separated you from your God; your sins have hidden his face from you so that he will not hear." L...  Read More

"After the earthquake came a fire, but the LORD was not in the fire. And after the fire came a gentle whisper." - 1 Kings 19:12   In the midst of life's noise and busyness, there are moments when God whispers to our hearts. He gently places individuals on our minds and prompts us to take action, not as coincidences, but as divine calls to minister in their lives. When someone unexpectedly comes to...  Read More

"Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything." - James 1:4   Life presents us with a series of challenges and trials, each an opportunity for growth and transformation. James 1:4 implores us to "Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything." This process of maturity and completeness can be hindered w...  Read More

"Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here!" - 2 Corinthians 5:17 (NIV)   Imagine your life as a sophisticated software program, designed for remarkable purposes. Just like software, we sometimes encounter limitations or glitches that prevent us from functioning at our full potential. Just as software needs regular updates, our lives often requ...  Read More

 "For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord." - Romans 6:23   Sin often presents itself as enticing and pleasurable, promising fulfillment and satisfaction. But beneath its seductive allure lies a hidden truth: sin takes a lot more from you than it gives back. Let's explore the deceptive nature of sin and discover the abundant life that comes from ...  Read More

"In that day the Lord will reach out his hand a second time to reclaim the surviving remnant of his people from Assyria, from Lower Egypt, from Upper Egypt, from Cush, from Elam, from Babylonia, from Hamath and from the islands of the Mediterranean." - Isaiah 11:11   There is an incredible anointing that God pours out upon His people. The book of Isaiah talks about this in length. So today, I want...  Read More

“But the anointing that you received from Him abides in you, and you have no need that anyone should teach you. But as His anointing teaches you about everything, and is true, and is no lie—just as it has taught you, abide in Him.” - 1 John 2:27  When God anoints you, He doesn’t just leave you on your own. We have spent much of the last couple of weeks talking about God’s purpose and plan for our ...  Read More

“But the anointing that you received from Him abides in you, and you have no need that anyone should teach you. But as His anointing teaches you about everything, and is true, and is no lie—just as it has taught you, abide in Him.” - 1 John 2:27  As a child of God, you are anointed. God has anointed you for a specific purpose, a specific plan, and with specific spiritual gifts. Before you were eve...  Read More

“As each has received a gift, use it to serve one another, as good stewards of God’s varied grace: whoever speaks, as one who speaks oracles of God; whoever serves, as one who serves by the strength that God supplies—in order that in everything God may be glorified through Jesus Christ. To Him belong glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen.” - 1 Peter 4:10-11  Did you know that God gives each of...  Read More

“Iron sharpens iron, and one man sharpens another.” - Proverbs 27:17  As you walk faithfully on your faith journey, obediently pursuing and chasing after the life God created you to live, you are going to need people. This isn’t just a spiritual concept. Anyone who has ever done something great in life will always refer back to “their people,” those that stuck closer than a brother. As you go thro...  Read More

“For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though He was rich, yet for your sake He became poor, so that you by His poverty might become rich.” - 2 Corinthians 8:9Are you sitting on an oil-filled ranch? Yesterday, we discussed a man who was living in poverty and was going to have to foreclose on his land. Just before he had to give it up, he had a team come to dig up the ground just to...  Read More

“For the body does not consist of one member but of many. If the foot should say, ‘Because I am not a hand, I do not belong to the body,’ that would not make it any less a part of the body.” - 1 Corinthians 12:14-15  Did you know that you cannot play a basketball game with one person? You might be saying, “Of course you can’t pastor, duh! You would get killed playing 5 on 1.” But that’s not what I...  Read More

“To each is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good. For to one is given through the Spirit the utterance of wisdom, and to another the utterance of knowledge according to the same Spirit, to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healing by the one Spirit... All these are empowered by one and the same Spirit, who apportions to each one individually as He wills.” -...  Read More

“Now concerning spiritual gifts, brothers, I do not want you to be uninformed. You know that when you were pagans you were led astray to mute idols, however you were led.” - 1 Corinthians 12:1-2  Did you know that God gives each of us spiritual gifts? That’s right, as a believer, you have been given a gift (and maybe even multiple gifts) to use for God’s Kingdom. He gives us these gifts as tools t...  Read More

“Dear brothers and sisters, be patient as you wait for the Lord’s return. Consider the farmers who patiently wait for the rains in the fall and in the spring. They eagerly look for the valuable harvest to ripen. You, too, must be patient. Take courage, for the coming of the Lord is near.” - James 5:7-8   Yesterday, we talked about faith, a word that is commonly associated with God. We believe in G...  Read More

“Be happy in your hope. Do not give up when trouble comes. Do not let anything stop you from praying.” - Romans 12:12   Are you consistent in your relationship with God? At restaurants, they have a name for those who visit a lot; they call them “the regulars.” They have their regular order and often come at their regular time. When it comes to your relationship with the Lord, are you a regular?   ...  Read More

“A woman suffering from bleeding for 12 years had endured much under many doctors…For she said, “If I can just touch His robes, I’ll be made well!’” (Mark 5:25, 28).In our “Perfect Timing” devotional series, we’ve been looking at Mark chapter 5 where Jesus is asked by Jairus, a synagogue leader, to heal his little girl. While Jesus is traveling with Jairus to his house to heal the girl, a woman re...  Read More

“Be on your guard against the yeast of the Pharisees, which is hypocrisy. There is nothing concealed that will not be disclosed, or hidden that will not be made known” (Luke 12:1-2).Jesus told people to beware of the Pharisees, who were considered the highest, most esteemed religious men of that period. They knew Scripture well, and they spent time teaching people on the outside, but their hearts ...  Read More