Just a Minute!

Before Jesus ascended into heaven, he told his disciples they would “be baptized by the Holy Spirit not many days from now” (Acts 1:4, 5).

Something significant was going to happen to them.

What, they weren’t sure.

When the day of Pentecost arrived, they were met by the sound of rushing wind and tongues of fire.

The sound brought Jerusalem to life. People hurried to the place where the disciples had gathered wondering. What is this strange thing that is happening?

Peter offered the words of the prophet Joel — the long awaited gift of God’s Spirit had come. God had a new dwelling place on earth — the hearts of men.

Which means, the day you believed the good news, God found a home in you.

Categories: Holy Spirit New Covenant

A word to husbands.

Did you know your role as a husband is the most important role you will fill in your life.

In it, God calls you to love one person in a way that reflects and models Christ’s love for the church.

Impossible to do through human effort.

So husbands, let me encourage you to walk in dependence upon Jesus, to abide in him.

He will teach you all about his great love for the church and will move in your heart to express that love to your wife.

A love that will treat her as one without spot or blemish, that will wrap her with security and assurance, and that will convince her heart that she is cherished above all others.

So husbands, let’s take the lead and love our wives well and show the world Christ’s love for his church.

Categories: Marriage Love

Did you know at one time you were alienated from God and in your mind you were hostile toward him?

Sin was the culprit.

It, along with your fear of punishment made you feel that way.

But that is what sin does.

It fills your mind with wrong information, especially when it comes to God.

Sin will never tell you the truth about God, only lies.

Jesus is the one who gives you the truth, the one who tells you in both word and deed that God is love, that he is for you.

Sin will do anything to suppress this truth.

But don’t listen,.

Jesus has a better word for you.

One that says that through his reconciling work, you are holy and blameless in God’s sight.

Categories: Love Hope

Why did Jesus forgive your sins?

Not just some of them, but all of them?

Paul gave the answer in his letter to the Corinthians.

All this is from God, he wrote, who through Christ reconciled us to himself, that is, in Christ, God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them.

Jesus took away your sins to bring you to God, to open the way into his presence, to reconcile you to himself.

This is mind-boggling to think, God wants you to know him, to enjoy a relationship with him, to experience the fullness of his life and love.

Well, your sins were standing in the way

So what did he do?

He forgave them — all of them — once and for all.

Categories: Love Forgiveness/Repentance

What is the best defense for the Gospel?

Jesus answered this the night before He was crucified. “A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so must you love one another. By this all men will know that you are My disciples, if you love one another” (John 13:33, 34).

So loving others is the evidence that the Gospel is true.

Now the Gospel is much more than a set of doctrinal statements.

It’s new life expressed in love for one another.

Do you want to make a case for the Gospel?

Do you want to show the world that the story of Jesus is true?

Well abide in Christ. Let his life shine through you in love one for another.

Categories: Love Jesus Christ

Love never fails.

Isn’t that great news.

What its means is that love never falls away. Love is always there and has always been there for you.

Take a look back at your life, you will see:

When you needed patience, He was patient with you.

When you needed kindness, something beneficial and useful, God acted on your behalf.

When the lies of the world were pressing you down, God’s truth prevailed bringing freedom and peace to your soul.

When you were knee deep in trials and tribulations, God’s love lifted your heart and brought you through.

There has never been a time in your life when God gave up on you.

Today, thank Him that his love has never failed you.

Categories: Faith Hope Love

God’s love perseveres. It endures to the end.

You can count on his love through thick and thin.

You may get trapped by the things of this world or give into sin, but the nature of God’s love for you stands. It perseveres.

We see this kind of love in Jesus, “who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, scorning its shame...”

When you are tempted, he perseveres.

In your time of need, he does not abandon you.

He perseveres with you and gives you grace and mercy.

When you grow weary and lose heart, remember God’s love is there.

As the Psalmist penned, “Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good; his love endures forever” (Psalm 118:1).

Categories: Faith Hope Love

In 1993, Jim Valvano inspired a crowd of sports enthusiasts with these words: “Don’t give up, don’t ever give up.”

At the time, Valvano was battling cancer. He lived with excruciating pain and a bleak prognosis. He was in a position to give up.

But he didn’t.

Through foundation he chose to leave an enduring legacy of hope, encouragement and inspiration.

Valvano’s story touches on one of the seven characteristics of God’s love, and it is this: Love never gives up. It perseveres and endures to the end.

God never gives up on you. He never turns his back on you or walks away.

Everyone else may walk away, but not God, not love. Which means he is there for you right now.

Categories: Faith Hope Love

My son Coleman rides a Harley.

He loves riding. And I can see why.

When he sits on that motorcycle, it’s just him and an open road.

Wind in his face,

Adventure. Excitement. Freedom.

Now isn’t that something that strikes a chord in all of us.

That speaks to the freedom that we all long for.

Here is the good news, we have an everlasting freedom in Christ.

A freedom that became yours the day the Gospel took hold of your life.

On that day God set you free from sin and death from having to conform to the ways of this world, or be controlled by its lies.

And set you free to enjoy his life. To ride the winds of his love and grace.

Now that’s adventure. That’s freedom.

So today, go out and enjoy the freedom that is yours in Christ.

Categories: Christian Living

The Suicide rate among teens is up 70% in the last several years.

This is a sad statistic.

One research group asked the question why?

The major factor this research group identified was the lack of religious connection among our teens.

They do not have a sense of purpose or meaning.

This tells me that we have lost sight of the relevance and the power of the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

It’s time for us to engage our youth in the story of Jesus.

And to help them find their place in him where they can experience true meaning and purpose.

So let’s do what we can to help them make a connection, a connection to the love of Jesus Christ.

Categories: Parenting/Children Love Emotions/Depression