“No, I tell you; but unless you radically change your mind, you will all perish as well.” ~Jesus
I love to compare myself to others who miss God’s goal for their life (aka sinners). It is embarrassing but …
Category Archives: God’s Goal
“Let us do good to all people” ~Apostle Paul
I am to do good to all people. I must be faithful to God’s goal to love my neighbor. I …
“Wise men and women are always learning, always listening for fresh insights.” ~King Solomon
How can I become wise? That is an essential question. I need to figure it out. King Solomon was the …
“Governors as sent by God for the punishment of evildoers and the praise of those who do right.” ~Apostle Peter
God is clear. I must recognize that authority comes from God. This is a foundational principle. I am challenged by …
“A man is not justified by the works of the Law but through faith in the Messiah Jesus” ~Apostle Paul
I fall into the trap of thinking that if I just follow the rules, I will be seen as good …
“Jesus went throughout Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, proclaiming the good news of the kingdom, and healing every disease and sickness among the people.” ~Apostle Matthew
I am a disciple of Jesus. That means I must learn from Jesus. Jesus was one a mission to preach …
“Therefore you are to be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect.” ~Jesus
My mission, given to me by God, is to love. In order to love, I need to learn how to …
“Submit therefore to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you.” ~James
God is good. God is good all the time. I struggle with temptation. I know all followers of our Master …
“Make sure there’s no unnatural unbelief lying around that will trip you up and throw you off course, diverting you from the living God.” ~Author of Hebrews
The past is an interesting diversion. And a diversion it is. It can lead to an unnatural reliance on a …
“Through Jesus we received both the generous gift of his life and the urgent task of passing it on to others who receive it by entering into obedient trust in Jesus.” ~Apostle Paul
I have been given an assignment. God has things he wants me to do. Some of that got started with …
“Learn from me, because I am lowly and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls” ~Jesus
Jesus calls on me to learn. ”Disciple” means to learn. I am to learn from Jesus. Jesus is my Master. …
“So if you find life difficult because you’re doing what God said, take it in stride. Trust him. He knows what he’s doing, and he’ll keep on doing it.” ~Apostle Peter
Life does seem difficult some days. The key question is “Am I doing what God said”? If so, I should …
“Be on your guard against the yeast of the religious elites, which is hypocrisy” ~Jesus
Jesus warns me about hypocrisy. It is a serious problem. Being a religious elite leads to all kinds of errors. …
“Things which eye has not seen and ear has not heard, And which have not entered the heart of man, all that God has prepared for those who love Him.” ~ Apostle Paul
We seem a little reluctant to talk about the ecstatic experience. Is that for mystics and weirdo’s, I think? I …
“A meal of bread and water in contented peace is better than a banquet spiced with quarrels” ~King Solomon
There is something about enjoying a peaceful meal. It can be alone or with families and friends. I come away …
“Paul entered the synagogue and spoke boldly, arguing and persuading them about the kingdom of God.” ~Luke
I need to speak boldly. I need to speak boldly every day. I need to argue and persuade as many …
“Jesus will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire.” ~John the Baptizer
Baptism is a big deal for a disciple of Jesus. I was baptized at a very young age and it …
“If your brother sins, go and show him his fault in private.” ~Jesus
We all miss God’s goal for our lives. I certainly do. Sometimes that is obvious to other brothers and sisters …
“Give us help for the hard task; human help is worthless. In God we’ll do our very best; he’ll flatten the opposition for good.” ~ King David
I love it when friends help. It is always a blessing. But there is always a limit to what can …
“Preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort, with great patience and instruction.” ~Apostle Paul
It is easy to get frustrated some days. I believe I am proclaiming the message of Jesus. Not everyone is …
“After looking around at them with anger, grieved at their hardness of heart!” ~Jesus
I need to be careful. It is way too easy to fall into the religious rule and legalism trap. The …
“With the pure You show Yourself pure, and with the crooked You show Yourself astute.” ~King David
God is pure and holy. There is nothing about God that is false at all. There is no evil in …
“The Sovereign Master has opened my ears; I have not been rebellious, I have not turned away. I offered my back to those who beat me” ~Isaiah about Jesus
I have a lot to learn about obedience. I have a great teacher in Jesus the Messiah. As a disciple, …
“Moses wrote this command for you because of the hardness of your hearts.” ~Jesus
Jesus has some things He wants me to know. They are somewhat essential as they deal with our basic human …
“It is a trustworthy statement, deserving full acceptance, that the Messiah Jesus came into the world to save sinners, among whom I am foremost of all.” ~Apostle Paul
I am always looking for trustworthy statements. They get my attention. I have missed God’s goal for my life (aka …
“Paul reasoned in the synagogue every Sabbath and tried to persuade both Jews and Greeks.” ~Luke
I must be persistent and faithful. I must reason with others every chance I get. My job is to persuade …
“Honor all people, love the brotherhood, fear God, honor the king.” ~Apostle Peter
I am a person who believes in God and the work of His Son Jesus. We are a people of …
“Now go; I’m sending you out like lambs among wolves.” ~Jesus
Jesus gives me a mission. Jesus is sending me to proclaim the good news. I am very excited. This is …
“Fools speak foolishness and make evil plans” ~Isaiah
God has a plan for my life. I need to focus on what that plan is and doing it. Anything …
“These men who have turned the world upside down have come here too.” Thessalonian city officials
I need to stay focused on the essential message of the good news of Jesus. Paul understood that and shows …
“Carelessly call a brother ‘idiot!’ and you just might find yourself hauled into court.” ~Jesus
Jesus is clear what love looks like. My words need to reflect His love in me. This is a core …
“Whoever slaps you on your right cheek, turn the other to him also.” ~Jesus
When I was a young man, we used the phrase “just suck it up”. We used it a lot. We …
“Let us leave the elementary teaching about the Messiah and go on to maturity” ~Author of Hebrews
I want to be mature. I don’t want to be a baby. I want to grow up and be an …
“Children, be obedient to your parents in all things, for this is well-pleasing to the Master.” ~Apostle Paul
I have a job. It is to be obedient to my parents. There was a point in time where that …
“No one who puts his hand to the plow and looks back is fit for the kingdom of God.” ~Jesus
I want to follow Jesus. Am I ready for what it takes? Have I counted the cost and now prepared …
“Be kind to one another, tender-hearted, forgiving each other, just as God in the Messiah also has forgiven you.” ~Apostle Paul
God’s goal for me is to be kind, thoughtful and caring. I am to love. That is the main thing …
“So the churches were strengthened in the faith and grew daily in numbers.” ~Luke
Do people speak highly of me as a disciple? Does it matter? My job is to please God. That should …
“We have not ceased to pray for you and to ask that you may be filled with the knowledge of His will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding.” ~Apostle Paul
I have a goal. It is given to me by God. I must focus on pleasing God. Jesus leads the …
“What comes out of a person is what defiles him.” ~Jesus
It is very difficult for me to see what is in my heart. I’ve hidden my faults from myself. My …
“Forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors.” ~Jesus
The Jesus Manifesto (Matthew 5-7) continues with Jesus teaching us how to pray. I must learn how to forgive. How …
“We have a great deal to say about this, and it is difficult to explain, since you have become too lazy to understand.” ~Author of Hebrews
Uh oh! Am I too lazy to learn? This is something to take seriously. Learning is a lot of work. …
“It is written, ‘Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God.’ ” ~Jesus
I want life. It is important. I know it is. How will I get life? Our Master’s experience of temptation …
“And many others who were supporting them (Jesus and the disciples) from their possessions.” ~Luke
I have an obligation to support ministries that are spreading the good news of Jesus and making disciples. I don’t …
“If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good things to those who ask him.” ~Jesus
I will admit it. I have evil desires. There is evil in my heart. Evil is a lack of goodness. …
“Intelligent children listen to their parents; foolish children do their own thing.” ~King Solomon
I learned this the hard way with my dad. There was a period of time I thought he was an …
“Work out your salvation with fear and trembling.” ~Apostle Paul
Jesus calls on me to love. That requires that I do good deeds. We not only share God’s grace, but …
“Why don’t your disciples live according to the tradition of the elders?” ~Religious elites
I think I underestimate how much of a legalist I am. Let’s add to that a pious religious elitist. It …
“Make sure that your character is free from the love of money, being content with what you have.” ~Author of Hebrews
We live in a extremely materialist culture. Money has become an idol and much is measured by how much of …
“Whenever you fast, do not put on a gloomy face as the hypocrites do, for they neglect their appearance so that they will be noticed by men when they are fasting.” ~Jesus
Jesus is clear in that He says, “whenever you fast …” It seems like Jesus expected we would. Scripture does …
“Since the promise to enter God’s rest remains, let us beware that none of you be found to have fallen short.” ~Author of Hebrews
I don’t want to fall short. I have received the good news. I have received a promise from Jesus that …
“Hard times will come in the last days. For people will be lovers of self, lovers of money, boastful, … lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, holding to the form of godliness but denying its power. Avoid these people.” ~Apostle Paul
I have to be careful. Materialistic seduction can happen. I live in America and that is clear. If materialism was …
“Better to be poor and honest than a rich person no one can trust.” ~King Solomon
The pursuit of possessions and wealth and a preoccupation with physical things is futile and dissatisfying. Materialism is defined as “the …
“Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves.” ~Apostle Paul
The secret to unity begins with how I view myself within the body of Jesus and how I view others. …
“This is love for God: to obey his commands. And his commands are not burdensome” ~Apostle John
Jesus the Messiah accepted the authority of the OT law and saw himself as coming to fulfil its purpose. God’s …
“Then Jesus opened their minds to understand the Scriptures.” ~Luke
Insight is the spiritual quality that enables a person to appreciate God’s mind and will in matters of behavior, truth …
“Let no unwholesome word proceed from your mouth, but only such a word as is good for edification according to the need of the moment, so that it will give grace to those who hear.” ~Apostle Paul
My speech has an enormous influence for good or ill and is a sure guide to character. The power of …
“How can you turn back again to the weak and worthless elements? Do you want to be enslaved to them all over again?” Apostle Paul
Will I turn my back on grace and return to religious rules, regulations and a legalistic culture? What will happen …
“Whatever you ask in My name, that will I do, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son.” ~Jesus
Jesus is clear. I am to ask. He says, ask and you will receive. I am to ask in His …
“About that time there occurred no small disturbance concerning the Way.” ~Luke
Am I a follower of the Way of Jesus? Do I see myself as a follower of the Way, a …
“If anyone has material possessions and sees his brother in need, but has no pity on him, how can the love of God be in him?” ~Apostle John
The simple answer is because God says so. That is it. It is that simple. Jesus commands that I must …
“The wind blows where it pleases, and you hear its sound, but you don’t know where it comes from or where it is going. So it is with everyone born of the Spirit.” ~Jesus
I get how difficult it is to predict where the wind is going to blow. I live in Texas and …
“Pray for those who persecute you.” ~Jesus
I can trust God. While others may betray me, God will not. God is to be trusted. Now that is …
“Foxes have dens, and birds of the sky have nests, but the Son of Man has no place to lay his head.” ~Jesus
The Bible acknowledges the fact of homelessness and instructs us to help those who are poor and needy, including those …
“There are some who are disturbing you and want to distort the good news of the Messiah.” ~Apostle Paul
I must be careful. It is easy to get confused and stumble around. I have been brought out of slavery …
“Now the works of the flesh are obvious: … strife, jealousy, outbursts of anger, selfish ambitions, dissensions, factions, and anything similar. I am warning you that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.” ~Apostle Paul
I get jealous. I get angry. One can lead to the other. The parable of the prodigal son is a …
“The heart is more deceitful than all else and is desperately sick; who can understand it?” ~Jeremiah
Jesus challenges me to be faithful. Loyalty and commitment within human relationships is important in the life of God’s people. …
“John the Baptizer went into all the vicinity of the Jordan, proclaiming a baptism of changing our mind for the forgiveness of missing God’s goal” ~Luke
John is on the move. He is covering all the territory. John has a message for me. I need to …
“Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing but inwardly are ravenous wolves. You will recognize them by their fruits.” ~Jesus
Jesus warns us in the Jesus Manifesto (Matthew 5 – 7) where we hear Him say “Beware of the false prophets, who come …
“We also exult in God through our Master Jesus the Messiah, through whom we have now received the reconciliation.” ~Apostle Paul
When we accept Jesus as our Master and commit to be a disciple, we are ecstatic. Joy is ours beyond …
“Their perverse minds are always cooking up something nasty, always stirring up trouble.” ~King Solomon
I deal with a lot of atheists and skeptics online. I see this play out daily. There is a duplicitousness …
Do friends help restore believers when they miss God’s goal for their lives?
Our friends in Jesus are amazing. We are to look out for our brothers and sisters. Paul presents a hypothetical …
What does the scripture say about giving directly to the needy?
There is no doubt that poverty’s reach is both widespread and devastating. God’s people cannot be indifferent toward those in …
“Let the senior among you become like the junior; let the leader act the part of the servant.” ~Jesus
It starts with an argument. Who is going to be the greatest. They were sincere. They all thought they would …
“Encourage the fainthearted, help the weak, be patient with everyone.” ~Apostle Paul
God is patient with sinners. Jesus perfectly models that for me. Jesus is my example. Jesus shows me the way. …
“To the pure, all things are pure.” ~Apostle Paul
Jesus challenges me. “Happy are the pure in heart, for they will see God.” To the pure, all things are …
“I say to you that everyone who divorces his wife, except on the ground of sexual immorality, makes her commit adultery, and whoever marries a divorced woman commits adultery.” ~Jesus
Full disclosure. I have been divorced and have remarried. Jesus has some very clear instructions on marriage and divorce. This …
“Claiming to be wise, they became fools and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images . . .” ~Apostle Paul
I want wisdom. It is important to my daily walk with Jesus. I am called to be a learner (aka …
“If your brother sins, go and show him his fault in private.” ~Jesus
There was a pastor who became involved immorally with a married woman in his congregation. They each divorced their respective …
“Looking away from all that will distract us and focusing our eyes on Jesus, the One who brings our faith to maturity, who for the joy of accomplishing the goal set before Him endured the cross.” ~Author of Hebrews
I want joy in my life. I can have it by focusing on Jesus. Jesus brings my faith to completion …
“You’re not listening. Let me say it again.” ~Jesus
I am like Nicodemus. Jesus wants me to understand something but I’m not quite getting it. Jesus is patient. Jesus …
“Jesus gave himself for our sins to rescue us from this present evil age, according to the will of our God and Father.” ~Apostle Paul
What is the good news message that Paul has for me? Jesus the Messiah gave himself for my missing God’s …
“Do not sharply rebuke an older man, but rather appeal to him as a father.” ~Apostle Paul
Old age is generally held in honor and the aged in society are to be respected. Because of the wisdom …
“All of you, clothe yourselves with humility toward one another.” ~Apostle Peter
I want grace in my life. I imagine you do as well. Peter gives us the key. The road to …
“Be alert. If you see your friend going wrong, correct him.” ~Jesus
There is a dual message here. I am not to lead astray the little ones in the Way of discipleship. …
“Keep your eyes on Jesus, who both began and finished this race we’re in.” ~Author of Hebrews
It is time for me to get on with it. I have a race to run. I need to be …
“Leaders can’t afford to make fools of themselves, gulping wine and swilling beer.” ~King Lemuel
Here is great advice. Don’t get drunk. There is no good that comes from it. Leaders need a clear and …
“You can be sure that wherever in the whole world the Message is preached, what she has just done is going to be remembered and admired.” ~Jesus
Why do I give others a hard time? Why do I get furious with them? What have they done to …
“I do not seek My own will, but the will of Him who sent Me.” ~Jesus
Jesus has a real focus. Jesus is going to do what God wants Him to. I need to get the …
“Whatever he tells you, do it.” ~Mary, mother of Jesus
Mary gives the servants at the wedding some good advise. I must listen as well. Notice that is is unqualified …
“You will not be afraid of the terror by night, or of the arrow that flies by day.” ~King David
I am constantly on the lookout for tornadoes. I live in tornado alley. I used to live in the northeast …
“The rich man also died and was buried. In hell and in torment, he looked up.” ~Jesus
Do the rich automatically go to hell when they die? What about the story of Jesus about the rich man …
How do we show love for God?
Is love optional? Yes, I get to decide whether to love or not. So do you. We all do. I …
“I say to you that everyone who is angry with his brother will be liable to judgment.” ~Jesus
I get angry. I say things I shouldn’t and clearly regret later on. I say them though. It isn’t pretty. …
“For just as the body without the spirit is dead, so also faith without works is dead.” ~James
I must believe. I must also act on my believe. I don’t get to say “Jesus has saved me” and …
“They took Jesus, therefore, and He went out, bearing His own cross.” ~Apostle John
Jesus paid it all for me. Jesus died a horrible death on the cross. Jesus calls on me to join …
“My lovingkindness I will keep for him forever, and My covenant shall be confirmed to him.” ~King David
God is loyal. God is faithful. That is just who God is. It is His very nature. When God says …
“When I wept in my soul with fasting, It became my reproach.” ~King David
The purpose of fasting should be to take my eyes off the things of this world to focus completely on …
“For this you know with certainty, that no immoral or impure person or covetous man, who is an idolater, has an inheritance in the kingdom of the Messiah and God.” ~Apostle Paul
I covet what other people have like their house or their car, their job or anything that a neighbor has. …
“Peace I leave with you; My peace I give to you.” ~Jesus
One of the benefits of being a disciple is that obedience brings peace. If I’m not at peace, I need …
“When good people run things, everyone is glad, but when the ruler is bad, everyone groans.” ~King Solomon
The issue here, relative to “good people”, is one of righteousness. Do we have righteous people in charge? The contrast …
