Colossians 3: Therefore, if you have been raised with Christ, keep seeking the things that areabove, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. 2  Set your minds on the things that are above, not on the things that are on earth. 3  For you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. 4  When Christ, who is our life, is revealed, then you also will be revealed with Him in glory. There is an old saying that goes like this: "It's hard to soar like an eagle when

Colossians 2: I want you to know how much I have agonized for you and for the church at Laodicea, and for many other believers who have never met me personally. 2  I want them to be encouraged and knit together by strong ties of love. I want them to have complete confidence that they understand God’s mysterious plan, which is Christ himself. 3  In him lie hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge. 4  I am telling you this so no one will deceive you with well-crafted ar

Philippians 4: 6  Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. 7  Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus. Paul writes to the church in Philippi with some instructions about living their faith walk, and it almost seems like a formula that he knew firsthand, because it was that very thing. Pa

Supreme (def) - (of authority or an office, or someone holding it) superior to all others. When I stop to gas up my FJ, I always get the lowest grade and cheapest gas. To get supreme would mean a big cost difference, and I can't bring myself to make the leap, plus I really cannot afford it. Every once in a while, I will take the leap and fill up with the supreme gas, and my FJ almost has a spasm when I take off because of the higher octane. Supreme gas is the best, and if

Defiance (def) - open resistance; bold disobedience. What causes a defiant servant of God? Pride is usually lying somewhere underneath, and the thought "You aren't gonna get anything on me" will be a very prevalent attitude. It is good to stand by your convictions as a Christian and to stand for good and righteousness. There are times when we need to "kick against the pricks" and stand for what is right, no matter what may happen to us. What about defiance when it comes

John 8: 1   Jesus returned to the Mount of Olives, 2  but early the next morning he was back again at the Temple. A crowd soon gathered, and he sat down and taught them. 3  As he was speaking, the teachers of religious law and the Pharisees brought a woman who had been caught in the act of adultery. They put her in front of the crowd. 4  “Teacher,” they said to Jesus, “this woman was caught in the act of adultery. 5  The law of Moses says to stone her. What do you say?” 6  Th

I have been writing about the calling of the first disciples, and it is one thing to be called and another to be cared for, and God takes care of His children and His called ones. Point in case-Simon Peter went through many things, and the situations he was put in seemed unfair at times, but God came through every time. In Acts 12, we read about James being put to death by Herod Agrippa, and it pleased him so much that he went on a rampage, captured Peter, and put him in pr

Who are you pointing to in your life, and is it Jesus? If it is, then you are drawing attention to the hope of the world, and He will not disappoint. John the Baptist had his followers, but he needed to decrease and Jesus must increase. John 1: 35  The following day John was again standing with two of his disciples. 36  As Jesus walked by, John looked at him and declared, “Look! There is the Lamb of God!” 37  When John’s two disciples heard this, they followed Jesus. 38  J

When we tell people about Jesus, many will say, "Is all this Jesus stuff really true?" To which we take them to the Word of God, and we can say, "Come and see" what you think. In doing so, we are trusting that the Word of God will attach itself to a person's mind and heart and cause a crisis of belief. But if we never share that Word, then they won't be able to see. The life we live has an impact on how people receive the gospel, and it is very important for them to see J

Jesus impacted lives immediately, and especially when He called them out by a new, not totally known name. An example is found in the calling of Simon Peter in John 1: 40  Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother, was one of these men who heard what John said and then followed Jesus. 41  Andrew went to find his brother, Simon, and told him, “We have found the Messiah” (which means “Christ” 42  Then Andrew brought Simon to meet Jesus. Looking intently at Simon, Jesus said, “Your name

Criticism (def) - the expression of disapproval of someone or something based on perceived faults or mistakes. We do like to be right, don't we? And when we are right, it comes from a perceived vantage point of power. But not in our faith walk!! Paul wrote to the church in Rome in Romans 14: 1 Accept other believers who are weak in faith, and don’t argue with them about what they think is right or wrong. 2  For instance, one person believes it’s all right to eat anythin

Every once in a while, Jesus would really freak out the people who were seeking answers from Him. In fact, most every time Jesus would freak out those who were seeking His truth, and by the way, I am one of those. Jesus knows our human nature, and He also knows and teaches that we are in a spiritual battle in our faith walk. Duh... In John 2, Jesus "freaks out" some of the religious leaders of the time. John 2: 18  But the Jewish leaders demanded, “What are you doing? If

The Sermon on the Mount is not a list of suggestions for being a better person, but a set of deep lifestyle teachings that are the "best" advice and directions to follow in our faith walk. The teaching on divorce will not be a popular topic for anyone living in our world today. Here is the teaching of Jesus in Matthew 5. Matthew 5: 31  “You have heard the law that says, ‘A man can divorce his wife by merely giving her a written notice of divorce.’ 32  But I say that a man

Matthew 5: 27  “You have heard the commandment that says, ‘You must not commit adultery.’ 28  But I say, anyone who even looks at a woman with lust has already committed adultery with her in his heart. 29  So if your eye—even your good eye—causes you to lust, gouge it out and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to be thrown into hell. 30  And if your hand—even your stronger hand—causes you to sin, cut it off and throw i

Matthew 5: 25  “When you are on the way to court with your adversary, settle your differences quickly. Otherwise, your accuser may hand you over to the judge, who will hand you over to an officer, and you will be thrown into prison. 26  And if that happens, you surely won’t be free again until you have paid the last penny. Don't get others involved in your personal difference with another person. Nip it in the bud by keeping it betwee you and the other person involved. W

M atthew 5: 23  “So if you are presenting a sacrifice at the altar in the Temple and you suddenly remember that someone has something against you, 24  leave your sacrifice there at the altar. Go and be reconciled to that person. Then come and offer your sacrifice to God. Reconciliation (def) - the action of making one view or belief compatible with another. The Lord sets the stage for many other things we should experience in our lives during our faith walk, and reconciliat

Anger and grudges are dangerous, first of all, because Jesus said, "Don't do it", and secondly, because it leads to more and worse anger. Emotions at our core need to be controlled by the Holy Spirit, and we can read the following scripture, but a change in direction may not be that easy. Matthew 5: 21  “You have heard that our ancestors were told, ‘You must not murder. If you commit murder, you are subject to judgment.’ 22  But I say, if you are even angry with someone, yo

Matthew 5: 17  “Don’t misunderstand why I have come. I did not come to abolish the law of Moses or the writings of the prophets. No, I came to accomplish their purpose. 18  I tell you the truth, until heaven and earth disappear, not even the smallest detail of God’s law will disappear until its purpose is achieved. 19  So if you ignore the least commandment and teach others to do the same, you will be called the least in the Kingdom of Heaven. But anyone who obeys God’s laws

Without Jesus in our lives, we have no real depth. But with Jesus, we have salt, and salt preserves, salt creates thirst, and salt cleanses as well. Responding to the change Jesus has in our lives helps us realize there is more to my faith walk than me! Jesus wants to work a great work in my life, and in that work, others' lives will be changed and hopefully drawn to salvation. Jesus made the point of Him working through us in Matthew 5: 13  “You are the salt of the earth

Matthew 5:1  “Blessed are you when people insult you and persecute you, and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of Me. 12  Rejoice and be glad, for your reward in heaven is great; for in this same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you. Has someone ever lied about you or said something to hurt you? Insults are tough, but in reality, just words. But in this reality, all of how we react comes back to "who" we are living for and who they are, re