Your spiritual gifts determine how God wants to use your life. Are you willing to allow God to use your life, for His glory, to build the kingdom of God? Are you willing to say “yes” to God? Main Points: 1. The Bible has a lot to say about spiritual gifts. There are at least 20 of them listed in the Bible. We don’t have time to define them all toda…

We must have a desire for the Scripture. It’s through the pages of the Bible we come to know the author. My prayer is that we would develop a hunger for the Word of God, because we have a hunger to know God personally. Main Points: 1. If it’s true that the majority of Christians are not reading and learning from the Word of God on a regular basis, …

When you love Jesus it makes you different. You are not the same. There will be a noticeable difference in how you live and what you live for. In Christianity, some of the words we use to describe this new life are changed, transformed, converted, and born again. Main Points: 1. We are still in the world, but we are not of the world. We live by dif…

Do you need a guide? Are you in need of guidance and direction? God has given you two sources, His Word and His Spirit. Main Points: 1. Where does this guidance come from? How does God become our guide? He guides us in two ways. He guides us by His Word and by the Holy Spirit. 2. Psalm 119 says God’s Word is a lamp for my feet and a light for my pa…

As we serve the Lord in our various ministries, patience is required. Like a farmer, we till the soil, we plant the seed, and we water the seed. We get excited when we see a little shoot begin to appear. Yet, we must wait for the harvest. Main Points: 1. Let me remind you of an important principle about the work of God: The harvest belongs to God. …

We have a temptation to think that if we are living in God’s will that we won’t suffer, but this isn’t always the case. Sometimes, God, in His sovereignty, allows us to go through hardship as a part of his greater purpose. Main Points: 1. Sometimes hardship is part of the growth and development of our faith and spiritual growth. Other times hardshi…

Unfortunately, one of the characteristics of humanity, even followers of Christ, is that our strength is exhaustible. We are not superhuman creatures. Our strength runs out and we face the common problem of weariness. Main Points: 1. We’ve sometimes bought into a misunderstanding that for you and me to be strong we must have good conditions. Howeve…

The love of money is a heart issue. It’s called greed. Greed is one of the enemies of our hearts. Very quietly it slips in and begins to guide and direct our decisions. The Bible calls greed sin because it can lead us to push God out of our lives. Greed is dangerous because it blinds us to what is truly important. Main Points: 1. The problem with t…

We have an adversary, and enemy, the devil who wants to attack our faith, bring confusion and discouragement and cause us to falter in our relationship with God. He doesn’t want us to be strong spiritually. He wants to do everything he can to hinder the spiritual growth of our families. He wants us to be ineffective in our work for the Lord. Main P…

We keep in step with the Spirit by a continual surrendering of our lives to the will of God. His will is revealed to us in His Word. As we follow and obey the Word of God, we are walking by the Spirit. As we abide with Jesus through prayer and worship, our hearts stay in tune with the Holy Spirit. Main Points: 1. In the New Testament book of Galati…

The Bible teaches us that repentance brings the refreshing of the Lord into our lives. Do you need to be refreshed and revitalized? Is it because you are carrying the weight of sin and need to come to the Lord with repentance? Main Points: 1. Sin is a burden to carry. It’s a heavy weight to bear. We’ve all felt the load of grief and weariness that …

Our words have the power to build up and the power to tear down. You and I have likely been on the receiving and giving end of both. You can remember words spoken years ago that encouraged and inspired you. You can probably also remember words that brought deep pain and suffering. Main Points: 1. Throughout the day, I’ll have the opportunity to spe…

The identifying mark of Christ's followers is not in how we vote, what we wear, or the causes we embrace. Scripture may inform God’s desires in all of those things, but according to Jesus, the identifying mark of His followers is to love them with the same love we have received from God. Main Points: 1. In the New Testament, as Jesus was preparing …

The God we serve is a gift-giver. He loves to give gifts to His children, but not just any gifts. He always gives good gifts. He will never give you a gift you don’t need and can’t use. He knows what we need better than we do. Main Points: 1. In Several places in the New Testament, the Holy Spirit is called a gift. To be filled with the presence an…

Stand on this truth: There is nothing you are facing today that God is unaware of. There is nothing you are struggling with that God can’t handle. He can help you with anything you are dealing with. Main Points: 1. Remember that the same hands that created the universe and keep it perfectly orbiting around the sun keep you saved, safe and secure in…

Stop and think about it for a moment. What an incredible blessing we have received. The God of eternity, our creator, hears our every prayer. He is listening. If you prayed today, God heard every word. I believe our loving Heavenly Father hears and is moved by our faith. He will respond according to His will. Main Points: 1. Sometimes prayer is dif…

Do you know someone who has abandoned their faith in Jesus? So do I. My heart breaks for those who once believed in Jesus and trusted His Word. They worshipped right alongside us as we gathered on Sunday mornings. We served together in the work of the Lord. But along the way, something happened. Main Points: 1. Sometimes the departure from the fait…

The presence of God is an amazing thing. To think that God is with us is incredible. God is omnipresent. He is always with us. He promised to never leave us or forsake us. But if that is true, why don’t we experience more peace? The answer is that we are not always aware of God’s presence. Main Points: 1. J. Oswald Sanders - “Peace is not the absen…

Neglecting the things that are important does not usually occur in one big step or one decisive action. No, neglect occurs slowly. It’s incremental. Neglect happens when we ignore the little things. It doesn’t seem like a big deal, but there is a cumulative effect to neglect. Little things add up to big things. Main Points: 1. When we neglect spend…

In my life, I have discovered that when it comes to the choices of fear and faith, it’s not always one or the other. Life produces fear, it’s an emotion we feel, but with God’s help, I can choose faith anyway. Though I may feel fear, I choose to trust God. Main Points: 1. As Christians, we acknowledge that fear is a choice. We can also make another…

The Bible is a book of miracles, from the beginning to the end. If you read through the Bible, you will be left with this amazing truth: God can do anything. There is no limit to his power. He is a miracle-working God. He specializes in doing what seems to be impossible to us. Main Points: 1. What is a miracle? Webster's dictionary defines a miracl…

Can I encourage you today with a powerful truth? The same power of the Holy Spirit that enabled Jesus to resist temptation lives in you. Christ was tempted, so you will be tempted. Jesus overcame temptation and so can you. Main Points: 1. Satan’s attacks are not random, nor are they generic. They are specific attacks against your soul. Satan goes a…

Anxiety is a false prophet - It offers false solutions, makes false promises, and offers false predictions. Anxiety leaves us with an open-ended question…what if? Main Points: 1. If you have battled anxiety. You are not alone. We all struggle from time to time, whether as a way of life or due to particular circumstances beyond our control. It bring…

As Christians, we put the future in God’s hands. We cannot predict the future. We don’t know what will happen tomorrow. Many will choose to worry about the future, but instead, we can choose to trust our Heavenly Father. We trust His will, His plan, and His purpose for our lives. Main Points: 1. Tomorrow is on our minds. It’s likely you are thinkin…

Humility is an accurate estimation of our self-importance in relation to God and others. Here’s another definition I like… “Having a right view of yourself because you have a right view of God.” Main Points: 1. It’s always better to listen to the caution of the Holy Spirit and to guard our hearts against pride. If we do not live in humility before …

Do you ever struggle to keep the faith? We’ve all been there, haven’t we? Those days, weeks, and months where it seems like we are hanging onto the rope of faith and we are at the last knot? Haven’t you been there? I know I have. Main Points: 1. It’s in those moments that I have to go back to God’s Word. This is where my faith is strengthened. I ha…

Think about this truth: God knows absolutely everything about you and he loves you. You are fully and completely known, and yet you are loved. Main Points: 1. Our relationship with God is like no other. In our relationships with people, there may be a thousand things they don’t know about you, especially as it is related to the heart. Your friend d…

If you fully understand the gospel and what Jesus has done for us, you comprehend that He was not just executed 2,000 years ago by the Romans. You recognize that He willingly laid down his life as a sacrifice for our sins. Jesus died for us. He took our place. With his death on the cross, He paid the penalty for our sins, so we would not have to. M…

What is holiness? To be holy is to be consecrated, set apart, and dedicated to God. For some, this seems daunting. We can be intimidated by the word holy or the knowledge that God wants us to be holy. After all, we know our failings and shortcomings all too well. Main Points: 1. But we must see that holiness is a good thing. Everything God calls us…

Many attempts have been made to define the grace of God. One definition, using an acronym says “Grace is God’s riches at Christ’s expense.” Perhaps the most common definition of grace is “unmerited favor.” Another says that grace is “God’s favor toward the unworthy.” All of these definitions are helpful as we consider this incredible attribute of G…

Receive this truth: God is standing beside you. He is there. Can you acknowledge His presence? Everything you need He will provide. Repeatedly in the Bible, He promises that He will be with us. Main Points: 1. When everyone leaves when you feel abandoned, and when there is no one else around, God will remain present in your life. He has promised in…

Forgiveness is a decision you make to refuse to live in the past. It’s a conscious choice to release others from their sins against you so that you can be set free. It doesn’t deny the pain or change the past, but it does break the bitterness that holds you to the wounds of the past. Forgiveness allows you to let go and move on. You offer this forg…

Without reading the Old Testament we cannot see the full plan God has for His people. Don’t just read half of the story. Read the beginning. Discover what God has said and what He is doing in the lives of those who will trust Him. Main Points: 1. The practice of neglecting to read the Old Testament is not unusual. Except for the books of Psalms and…

God's interruptions remind us that our knowledge and perspective is very limited. We cannot see and know as much as God. So, we surrender to his plan, recognizing we serve a God who has all knowledge, and he knows what is best for us. So, if interruptions are God’s plan for us, we must embrace them. Main Points: 1. So, what do we do when we are int…

Think about this: You might miss greater opportunities from God if you can’t be trusted to obey God in the small things. There is a powerful question embedded in this verse: Can you be trusted with obeying God in the small things? Will you seize the small opportunities God gives you, recognizing they truly make a difference? Main Points: 1. So ofte…

It’s through the power of the Holy Spirit that we are able to break the patterns of the world that we have lived by for so long. Now, through Jesus, we can be transformed, and this transformation takes place by a renewal in our minds. As a result, we begin to live by new patterns. Holy patterns. Holy habits. Main Points: 1. In today’s culture we so…

If you really believed that Jesus would return tomorrow, what would you do differently from what you are now doing? Would you maintain the same schedule you have set for yourself? Would you adjust your plans? Main Points: 1. Yes, as believers, we are waiting for Christ’s return, but our waiting is not passive. It is an active waiting. I believe the…

Remember this, we serve a God who can bring peace in the midst of the fiercest storm. He’s never faced a storm he couldn’t calm. Main Points: 1. Many of you find yourself in the midst of a storm. Some of you are facing storms in your relationships. Some are facing heath storms or financial storms. Others are facing storms in your work or even your …

I’ve found that often times worry has to do with the fear of what could possibly happen. They haven’t happened. We don’t know if they will happen, but we fear it could happen. This internal stress causes anxiety, fear, and apprehension. Not only can it make us emotionally and mentally unwell, but it can also cause physical illness too. Is there a c…

Someone once said, “'A student learns what his teacher knows, but a disciple becomes what his master is.” Isn’t this the goal of the Christian life, to become like Jesus in our character and conduct? Main Points: 1. What is discipleship? I like this definition by Pastor Tony Evans. He wrote: Discipleship is that developmental process that progressi…

As a Christian, we must allow the Word of God to determine how we see and interpret the world around us. This will only happen if we consistently read and meditate on scripture. As we do so, the Bible influence our thoughts, our understanding, and our actions. Main Points: 1. It is important to remember that a worldview is comprehensive. It affects…

Regardless of what our culture has come to believe, as a Christian, you have a mandate from Christ himself, to share the gospel with others. We cannot believe that evangelism is a calling for someone else. We cannot leave the responsibility to others. No, we are all called by Jesus to be His witnesses. Main Points: 1. In my lifetime there has been …

Many feel the yearning, but do not recognize that it is spiritual in nature. They feel a sense of emptiness and dissatisfaction with life. So many people are thinking, “There must be something more to life. What am I missing?” Main Points: 1. People try to assuage their spiritual hunger with pleasure, relationships, travel, shopping, sports, substa…

Have you ever had an encourager in your life, someone that whenever you were around them, you found your spirit lifted? This is the kind of person I want to be. I want to be an encourager. Main Points: 1. n the New Testament, there is a man named Barnabas. He was a leader in the early church and a partner with the Apostle Paul on some of his missio…

We are all aware of the spiritual battle that rages. We do have an adversary. We do have opposition. We are in a fight, but find encouragement in these verses. Christ Jesus will place us on a firm foundation. He is our firm foundation. He is the rock we have built our lives upon, and He cannot be moved. Main Points: 1. No matter how fierce the figh…

We must have a desire for the Scripture. It’s through the pages of the Bible we come to know the author. My prayer is that we would develop a hunger for the Word of God, because we have a hunger to know God personally. Main Points: 1. If today, you find yourself with little desire for the Word of God, there are some things you can do. Pray and admi…

In Scripture we see that he glory of God is not an aesthetic beauty or a material beauty, but the beauty that emanates from His character, from all that He is. His glory is the combined manifestation of His attributes. He is glorious because no one can compare. Main Points: 1. The glory of God was visibly seen in the character of Jesus, his teachin…

In the Gospels, Jesus uses the faith of children to teach us about the kingdom of God. He tells us that unless we become like little children, we will not enter the kingdom of God. Main Points: 1. Child-like faith. We must come to God with this same simplicity and sincerity. Just as a child can have complete faith in the protection and provision of…

How many people are there, who once burned hot for God, now no longer serve Him? How many who were on fire for God, now have no spiritual passion at all? The sober reality is that this could happen to any of us. Main Points: 1. Why did God repeatedly tell the Israelites to not let the fire burn out? Why did the instruction need to be repeated? The …

The scripture says to us, “don’t forget about all of God’s benefits. In the midst of life’s challenges, don’t forget about all the good things God has done for you.” Main Points: 1. Even when life is good and our struggles are minimal, it’s easy for us to forget what the Lord has done. In the hustle and bustle of life, it's easy to become consumed …