Discipleship – Joy is a Benefit and Results from Being a Disciple
Joy is closely related to gladness and happiness, although joy is more a state of being than an emotion; a …
Joy is closely related to gladness and happiness, although joy is more a state of being than an emotion; a …
Prophecies of peace are fulfilled in the coming of Jesus the Messiah. Peace is real. Jesus wants me to experience peace. …
The Holy Spirit brings joy to believers, giving us an inner contentment and happiness which is not dependent upon external …
In Galatians 5:22-23, Paul lists the “fruit of the Spirit”. “Fruit,” here, means “beneficial results,” the good things that come …
The religious leaders wanted to kill Jesus. They would. The religious elites just didn’t want people to be upset about …
I am a slave of Jesus. Jesus is my Master (aka Lord). Jesus owns me. I have to be clear about …
Faithfulness is the proper response to God by his covenant people; seen in a steadfast commitment which reflects God’s own …
Jesus rejoiced. Jesus is exuberant in the Holy Spirit. Jesus came to usher in the Kingdom of God in the …
Jesus the Messiah triumphs over and disarms all the powers of evil arrayed against him. Jesus has won the victory. …
I know. Obeying runs against the grain of what I want to do. Jesus demands that I am an obedient …
How did Paul see himself? Paul saw himself as a slave of Jesus. This is not a fluke. Paul also …
I want the joy of the Lord. I want to be more than happy. I want to celebrate God’s victory …
Jesus is beginning to wrap up His manifesto. Jesus changed his brief metaphor from sheep and wolves to trees and …
The Apostle Paul alerts me that the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, …
Jesus wants to know. Am I impressed with what man can build? Really? That impresses me? As he walked away …
Goodness and good works are acts designed specifically to benefit others, which are characteristic of God. I can be good …
Where does love come from? Love comes from the Holy Spirit. It is a gift. It is fruit that grows …
A Nobel peace laureate, Mother Teresa (1910–1997) was an Albanian-Indian Roman Catholic nun and missionary. For much of her life, Mother …
Faithfulness is the proper response to God by his covenant people. It is seen in a steadfast commitment which reflects …
I need to see how much God cares. It is just who He is. I don’t need to look around. …
Self-control is a fruit of the Spirit. It is physical and emotional self-mastery, particularly in situations of intense provocation or temptation. It …
God has goals in mind. He will accomplish them. When I miss God’s goal, that is known as sin. I …
I want the quality of compassion and generosity in my life. I need to learn how God loves the weak …
I have seen it way too often. Something that starts simple escalates. It turns into all out war. My drive …
But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there …
Do disciples have joy even in the face of opposition? Absolutely we do. Jesus is kind and thoughtful. I know …
I have a number of things I am afraid of. God is God and Jesus is working with me to …
The Holy Spirit brings joy to believers, giving them an inner contentment and happiness which is not dependent upon external …
Jesus didn’t call me to be a Christian. He called me to be a disciple. Jesus is my Master teacher. …
I am thinking this part of the Jesus Manifesto has been ripped out of most Evangelical and Protestant bibles. I …
Did God abandon Jesus? It is a stunning question. From noon to three, the whole earth was dark. Around midafternoon …
How am I doing with being selfless on behalf of others? It is a pretty telling question if I answer it …
Faithfulness is the proper response to God by his covenant people; seen in a steadfast commitment which reflects God’s own …
Self-control is a fruit of the Spirit. It is physical and emotional self-mastery, particularly in situations of intense provocation or temptation. …
In Galatians 5:22 we learn that “the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 …
“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there …
Gentleness is an expression of compassion, seen in God’s dealings with the frail and weak, and expected of believers in …
Jesus sounds upset. The day before he went through an amazing experience. We call it the transfiguration. “While He was praying, the …
Joy is experienced naturally in many circumstances of my life in Jesus and most importantly in relationships I have with …
There are a number of examples of this stunning miracle in the Bible. Notably, 3 are attributed to Jesus. This …
God not only is good but more importantly, God does good. God acts on His goodness and demonstrates it to …
Am I happy? Do you see my joy? Or am I just a grumpy old man most days? In …
How am I doing with being selfless on behalf of others? It is a pretty telling question if I answer …
I am called to be faithful and trustworthy. I am challenged by this some days. When I think about it …
What am I to do? It all starts with listening. From there, as a follower of Jesus, I am to …
Dante passes through the gate of Hell, which bears an inscription ending with the famous phrase “Lasciate ogne speranza, voi …
Self-control is a fruit of the Spirit. It is physical and emotional self-mastery, particularly in situations of intense provocation or …
Can Jesus depend on me? There have been many times where He couldn’t. I didn’t step up to the plate, …
I hate pain. I try to avoid suffering, I hate being poor and I don’t go out of my way …
Jesus is a kind, loving King. Jesus is not angry with me. Jesus wants me to be kind and gentle. …
Gentleness is a mark and a part of the character of a follower of Jesus. We know from Galatians 5:22 …
Here we are. It is “Resurrection Sunday”. I’m celebrating the resurrection of Jesus not bunnies and chocolate candy. That’s just …
Some of the religious leaders [Pharisees] in the crowd said to Him, “Teacher, rebuke Your disciples.” But Jesus answered, “I …
I saw Jesus last night. Of course, it was not the Jesus I was expecting. He was delivering the “Jesus …
There are so many stunning, amazing and supernatural acts of Jesus. They reveal and confirm his Messianic credentials. They announce …
Jesus says “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God.” The commendation of peacemakers – It …
Calling the crowd to join his disciples, he said, “Anyone who intends to come with me has to let me …
Jesus had a lot to say about the homeless, wealth, prosperity, poverty, riches, the poor, the needy and giving. Here …
“This is what I want you to do: Ask the Father for whatever is in keeping with the things I’ve …
The revelation of God is whole and pulls our lives together. The signposts of God are clear and point out the right road. The life-maps of God are …
God has a goal for me. Primarily God wants me to grow up and not be a child my whole …
I was 9 years old during the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom on August 28, 1963. I was living in Atlanta, …
Jesus was on a mission. It would be a painful and horrible death. Jesus knew what would happen. Jesus was …
Happy (aka Blessed) are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.” ~Jesus Source: Matthew 5:3 (English Standard Version) …
I think this makes for a great new year’s resolution! “Be more dog: When loved ones come home, run to …
Follow this. This is not what we envision on Christmas. Christmas has become all about “what did I get for …
Jesus warns me that I may not always be welcomed. The message of good news might not be listened to. …
Being a part of the world of Thanks-Living means we know about trouble ahead but are thankful none the less. …
Jesus is very clear that not everything is going to be “planned out”. God has a plan. God knows what …
Part of the way Jesus taught the Disciples was to send them out periodically to do the job. We call …
John was one motivated man of God. He saw first hand the unique relationship Jesus had with God. Jesus and …
Do I think I am wise by being up-to-date with the times? If I do, I am being very foolish. …
As we start out on the journey with Jesus, it helps to have leaders who inspire us. Sure, I need …
Jesus is happy. Jesus is rejoicing. Jesus came to rescue me. I wandered away. I got lost. Jesus noticed and …
The most important thing to know and believe is that God is in a good mood. He loves me and …
Jesus wants us to invest ourselves. I am to be “more than committed” to him and his way. I need …
Really James? A gift? Somehow I think he is serious. This isn’t the way I normally think. Tests and challenges …
It helps to have a sense of humor. King David wisely said (Psalm 9:1-2) I’m thanking you, God, from a …
Paul knew how to plan. Fortunately, he listened to God and so sometimes was unwilling to follow what he planned …
God is so good. He is in a good mood all the time. Jesus, God’s son, loves and never stops …
The love of Jesus will turn you INSIDE OUT! Jesus was pretty clear that it’s mandatory. “A New Command,” He …
There is a suffering that is for a great reason. It is a suffering for Jesus and it leads to …
Shh!! He is talking to me but it is a whisper. So … I press in to hear what he …
Who is in control of the outcome, the potter or the pottery? The potter of course. I admit that I …
God gives me so much. Time, resources, relationships and gifts to get His job done. There will be an accounting …
I get many gifts in life. Do I see tests and challenges as one of them? That is how I …
I am looking. I am looking for my savior. God appears on the scene with his mighty angels. Our savior …
Men are supposed to be strong. And yet, our hearts get broken. There is good news though. Jesus came to …
Having a passion for the things of God is a huge thing. It is easy to get burnt out. So …
Here is some great advise from the Apostle Paul. The best he can wish for us is that we stay …
Telling everyone about the good news of God was the mission of Jesus. It was why He came to our …
I need to go after God. I want to be rich in helping others. I want to be extravagantly generous, …
Jesus calls on me to be a person of hope. God gives me the Holy Spirit so I can brim …
I can count on God. God sees the whole picture and pulls it all together for me. I rely on …
I think of certain friends very often. Every time I think of them, I am so thankful to God for …
So I have to suffer a little. Suffering comes and goes. Suffering is a part of life. I have lots …
I really enjoy my “news reader” on the internet. I keep up with 100′s of stuff (feeds) a day. I …
I am a very fortunate man. On July 4, 2009 I was married to Dawn. It was a beautiful day …
Smile even if you are hurting. Be happy even if you are unhappy. It’s called strength! Jesus didn’t call us …
There is a strange thing about wanting to control what is going on with others. I become very critical. Suspiciously …