Masterpieces in Process
You are wonderful and unique! Your gifts, talents, and abilities are a blessing. You are one-of-a-kind and special—a masterpiece created by the hands of God. His love for you is unending and He has great plans for you. With faith and courage, you can do anything. You are His beloved daughter or son and a masterpiece in His sight.
Masterpieces in Process
“17 As iron sharpens iron, so a friend sharpens a friend. ”
The verse for today suggests that, just as two pieces of iron can be used to sharpen each other and make both more effective tools, so too can people sharpen one another through conversation, collaboration, and constructive criticism.
We are not sharpened by thoughtless, careless, or unintentional relationships, but we are sharpened by those who lovingly help chip away the excess junk who can recognize and visualize the masterpiece God wants us to become.
We can be sharpened by mentors, pastors, spouses, teachers, and friends. But most importantly we can also be sharpened by the Holy Spirit.
When we surrender to God's refining work inside of us, we can help others see the work of art in themselves. So today, allow God to sharpen you.
Pray:
Heavenly Father, we thank You for the power of Your Word. It reveals to us so many places in our lives that still need to be brought closer to You. Lord send people into our lives who will walk with us and sharpen us, as iron sharpens iron. Guide our tongue, so we speak with loving truth and intention to others. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.
Someone Greater
You belong to God, beloved. The Spirit who lives in you has already conquered the spirit of the world. You are victorious through Him, so stand firm and trust in the Lord.
Someone Greater
“4 But you belong to God, my dear children. You have already won a victory over those people, because the Spirit who lives in you is greater than the spirit who lives in the world.”
There is a battle happening all around us--a battle for your heart, your mind, and your soul. A battle that's not only physical, but also spiritual.
Yes, we are in a real battle. Yes, we have a real enemy. Our enemy comes to steal, kill, and destroy. To pervert, manipulate, and confuse. To distract, divide, and disable.
Yes, the kingdom of darkness is constantly fighting against the kingdom of light.
But for those who are trusting in the finished work of Christ, greater is the One living inside of us than the one who is living in this world. We have a real Saviour. The kingdom of darkness will never prevail against the kingdom of light.
Pray:
Heavenly Father, thank You for giving us the courage and discipline to pursue You and keep away from evil. Because of Your work in our lives, we know that You are greater than anything that fights against us. You have overcome the world, and You live in us! Strengthen us. In Jesus' name, Amen.
Seriously Committed
Jesus and all who are made holy through him have the same Father. Jesus loves them and cherishes them like brothers and sisters, so He never feels ashamed to call them that. He acknowledges that they are family through their shared Father.
Seriously Committed
“11 So now Jesus and the ones he makes holy have the same Father. That is why Jesus is not ashamed to call them his brothers and sisters.”
New birth in Christ happens the instant we ask Jesus to forgive our sins and be our Saviour but learning to live a new life is a process of transformation.
God doesn’t work just with our behaviour; He also changes our hearts. When we seriously commit ourselves to Jesus as Saviour and Lord, God begins transforming us from the inside out.
However, this transformation doesn’t happen overnight and will seem very slow at times. When you are tempted to condemn yourself because you aren’t making the progress you think you should be making, remind yourself, “I’m okay and I’m on my way!”
Remember that through faith you have been made right with God, and even though you have not arrived at perfection, you are making progress.
Pray:
Heavenly Father, thank You, for Your guidance and protection along our journey. For blessing us with the strength and courage to continue on this path, even when we have been discouraged at times. We are thankful for the progress we have made, however small, and for You never giving up on us. In Jesus Precious name, Amen.
God Is Sovereign Over Delays
We can have our own agenda, be it a schedule, a plan, or a goal. But ultimately, it is the Lord who will lead us in fulfilling that agenda. We can trust that God will show us which path to take and will guide our steps. He will determine what succeeds and what fails. We can rely on His wisdom and guidance to achieve our dreams.
God Is Sovereign Over Delays
“9 We can make our plans, but the Lord determines our steps.”
Most people don’t like to wait, but have you ever wondered why? One reason could be that delays reveal we are not in control. That someone or something else is calling the shots.
Today's verse reminds us that while we are free to make plans and set goals for ourselves, ultimately it is God who controls our lives and determines the path we will take.
Now this doesn't mean that we shouldn't plan or work hard towards our goals, but rather that we should trust in God's guidance and be open to the ways in which he may lead us in unexpected directions.
Ultimately, we must recognize that our plans are subject to God's will, and that we should seek to align ourselves with His purposes for our lives.
Pray:
Heavenly Father, thank you for being with us through the waiting. Help us to remember that even when we don't have control, you are still in control of all the details of our lives. Give us peace and strength to keep waiting and trusting in you. Amen.
A Heart That Follows God
Follow what is good and reject what is evil. Doing good shows that you are a child of God, while doing evil reveals that one does not know God. Don't give in to bad examples. Instead, take God's word as an example and know Him better.
A Heart That Follows God
“11 Dear friend, don’t let this bad example influence you. Follow only what is good. Remember that those who do good prove that they are God’s children, and those who do evil prove that they do not know God.”
When we plant apple seeds, we expect an apple tree to grow. It's the seed and the roots that decide what kind of tree grows in the soil.
Similarly, when we belong to God we expect goodness and righteousness to grow in our lives. It is the fruit of our actions that tells us what kind of seeds we have planted.
John cautions us to be mindful of what type of fruit our lives produce. When we truly belong to God, and we spend time with Him, our lives will naturally produce goodness and right living.
Pray:
Heavenly Father, we truly desire to imitate and know You! Guide us as we seek to follow You with our whole heart. In Jesus' name, Amen.
Why Love Matters
Love never gives up, even when faced with challenges and difficulties. Love never loses faith, remaining steadfast and strong even in the face of adversity. Love is always hopeful, looking towards the future with positivity and optimism. And finally, love endures through every circumstance, remaining present and consistent through both good times and bad.
Why Love Matters
“Love never gives up, never loses faith, is always hopeful, and endures through every circumstance. ”
It's a satisfying feeling to do something you are good at, and God created each one of us with talents so that we might become who He calls us to be.
In today's verse the apostle Paul emphasizes that without love, our God-given gifts cannot be used to their fullest potential. Paul even suggests that we can be the most talented people in the world, but if we don't have God's love in our hearts, our words and deeds are essentially meaningless.
According to this verse, love has four important characteristics:
Love never gives up: This means that true love is persistent and steadfast. It does not give up easily, even in the face of adversity or challenges.
Love never loses faith: True love is unwavering in its belief and trust. It remains faithful even when things are difficult or uncertain.
Love is always hopeful: Love remains optimistic and positive, even in the midst of difficult circumstances. It sees the potential for good and keeps hope alive.
Love endures through every circumstance: True love is able to withstand all challenges and hardships. It perseveres and remains strong, even in the face of adversity.
Overall, this verse teaches that love is not just an emotion, but a way of being and acting in the world. It is a powerful force that can sustain us through life's ups and downs, and it is something that we should strive to cultivate and nurture in our own lives.
Pray:
Heavenly Father, please show us how to align our lives with Your love. We want to display who You are to the world around me. Draw us closer to You. Teach us how to love like You. In Jesus' name, Amen.
Learn From the Wise
We should be humble and have a healthy fear of the Lord who is infinitely wiser than us. Instead of trusting in ourselves we should turn away from evil, for only then our decisions will be wise and successful.
Learn From the Wise
“7 Don’t be impressed with your own wisdom. Instead, fear the Lord and turn away from evil.”
Even though culture tells us that we should live our own truth and do whatever we think is best, it is this type of thinking that leads us into trouble.
Our capacity for wisdom is limited to our experiences. This is why Scripture tells us not to be wise in our own eyes.
True wisdom comes from fearing God. This means we should have a high regard for God's Word and His instructions to us. He knows all things, including what is best for us.
Pray:
Heavenly Father, thank You for Your Word which provides truth and wisdom. Lord we pray that you place a hunger in us so we make more time for your Word. In Jesus' name, Amen.
The Simple Gospel
God is offering everyone a chance to be saved. All we have to do is call on Jesus. It doesn't matter who we are or what we have done - God wants to save us. We can have hope and trust in Him. He will never reject us or turn us away if we sincerely come to Him with faith in His name. There is no other way to be saved, no other name we can call on, so let us turn to Jesus and be saved.
The Simple Gospel
“For Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”
When it comes to understanding the gospel message, today verse is one of the most important verses:
Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.
Jesus lived a perfect life and died for our sins on the cross, and through His death and resurrection we can experience true and everlasting life. We are given the opportunity to believe in Jesus, and through faith we receive the undeserved gift of forgiveness and love.
The most controversial part of this message is that we don't have to work for it or earn it.
Salvation is given to us freely as a gift of God through faith in Jesus. Salvation is given to anyone who calls on the name of the Lord.
Pray:
Heavenly Father, thank You for allowing us to call on Your name! Thank You for sending Your Son, Jesus, to rescue us from a life separated from You. In Jesus' name, Amen.
The Little Things
God knows and cares about even the smallest details in our lives. He knows how many sparrows are sold in the market, and even counts the hairs on our head. We should not live in fear because we have been made valuable in God’s eyes and are worth much more than many sparrows!
The Little Things
“6 Are not five sparrows sold for two pennies? Yet not one of them is forgotten by God. 7 Indeed, the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Don’t be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows.”
In our verse for today Jesus is affirming the high value of all His creatures. Sparrows didn’t count for much in the ancient world, but not one of them was ever outside the notice of their Creator.
But as valuable to God as they all are, humans are even more valuable. Psalm 8 says we are the pinnacle of His creation. We occupy a special place in God’s created order, and therefore we have a special vocation.
With our high place in His eyes, we have not only high responsibilities but also high privileges.
Prayer:
Heavenly Father, We thank you for your goodness. We thank you for the privilege we have in You. Lord thank you that we don't have to be afraid, in Jesus name we pray Amen.