I serve a righteous King. Jesus is also the King of Peace. As my King, Jesus reigns over peace, not …
We love to eat fruit. We love the fruit and the juice. It gives us nourishment and refreshes us. May …
What is the good news message that Paul has for me? Jesus the Messiah gave himself for my missing God’s …
Everywhere Jesus went and whenever He would minister to His disciples or the people, He brought calm and peace to …
Jesus knows something. Jesus knows a storm is coming. I will be in the storm, with Him. Will I have …
There is good news! I have peace with God through the blood that Jesus shed on the cross. I was …
One of the benefits of being a disciple is that obedience brings peace. If I’m not at peace, I need …
Jesus has a goal for me. It is to be a peacemaker. Peacemaking is a big goal given to us …
There is a whole lot of joy in knowing Jesus. God is good and always in a good mood. So …
Jesus does not exhort me to get angry, as if this is anger were a good motivator or energy for positive action. …
We are born at war. At birth, my sinful nature has already declared war on God and His truth. My …
There is a time to get prepared. That time is when trouble is on the way. I must listen and …
I am to be a disciple. That is the goal that Jesus has for me. Making disciples is important because …
They are smooth. They are slick. They flatter me. What’s the problem? I need to be discerning. There are those who …
I serve an amazing God. I celebrate His goodness, righteousness and holiness. God is good. God is good all the …
Jesus wants me to love. Jesus wants me to do good. Jesus wants me to not expect anything in return …
Without faithfulness to God there can be no discipleship life. Following Jesus is based first on faith that God is, …
Joy and happiness is essential in the Kingdom of God. The Beatitudes (aka The Jesus Manifesto) traditionally use the word “blessed”. …
Can I do good? I want to but there is this evil nature that can get in the way. God shows …
I am astounded at how many companions in faith I have. Due to the power of the world wide web, …
The joy of deliverance is amazing. When God sets me free, rejoicing is in order. I was tied up missing God’s …
I can’t make peace if I don’t have peace myself. That is the first task, find peace in Jesus. Then, …
Self-control is an issue of my heart. I must not be wishy-washy in my resolve. I must excerpt control of my …
It starts with faith. I need to get clear with my faith in Jesus. When peace leaves me, I need to …
God has a goal in mind for me. It could bring me into conflict with those I love most. Betrayal …
Should I renounce anger? Yes! Jesus does not exhort me to get angry, as if anger were a good motivator or energy for …
The holiness of God is the most difficult of all God’s attributes to explain, partly because it is one of …
Grace is a gift. God gives me grace when I am humble. There is no peace if I am proud …
Where does faith come from? Faith is not something I conjure up on my own, nor is it something I am …
Because the human heart is very deceitful (Jeremiah 17:9), I can easily fool myself about my own motives. I can …
There is a natural set of consequences for angry people. There is a backlash. Something very real is going to …
Justice is a term used for what is right or “as it should be.” Justice is one of God’s attributes …
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 Jesus Manifesto continues. It may seem strange that Jesus should pass from peacemaking to persecution, from the work of reconciliation …
In Galatians 5:22-23, Paul lists the “fruit of the Spirit”. “Fruit,” here, means “beneficial results,” the good things that come …
Jesus is about to wrap His Manifesto. There is one final parable to lay it all out. There is a contrast …
Friendship is an amazing experience. It also can be a fragile relationship. Am I looking at the good in my …
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 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, …
Betrayal is a gross violation of trust and can be one of the most devastating forms of pain inflicted upon …
What is my mission? My mission, given to me by Jesus, is to love. That is it. That should be my …
God’s promises to the meek is good news! Humility is the name of the game. Jesus challenges me to be …
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 avoid some things because they sound very geeky and smack of theology. Jesus talks about sanctification. Maybe I need …
I need to find more hope. God is good and in a good mood. Justice, while lacking here some days, will be done. …
Self-control is a fruit of the Spirit. It is physical and emotional self-mastery, particularly in situations of intense provocation or temptation. It …
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 …
I have a number of things I am afraid of. God is God and Jesus is working with me to …
I wander off. I am wayward. I drift. It happens. It happens to others I know. What is my attitude? …
The Holy Spirit brings joy to believers, giving them an inner contentment and happiness which is not dependent upon external …
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 …
Joy is experienced naturally in many circumstances of my life in Jesus and most importantly in relationships I have with …
I want to follow Jesus’s call and be a disciple. What will it cost me? Am I prepared? There is …
Am I a member of the “doctrine police” constantly issuing heretic alerts? That is a good question to ask. Why? …
Jesus is clear. Jesus hates hypocrites. Jesus calls it out all the time. My contempt allows me to ignore its …
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 …
Did you lock the doors? That was the compelling question the morning Jesus rose from the dead in an incorruptible …
Self-control is a fruit of the Spirit. It is physical and emotional self-mastery, particularly in situations of intense provocation or …
There are times I am clearly not at peace. I am not at peace with myself and I am not …
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 …
There is a break from the horror of Good Friday! Jesus is carrying out the plan of His Father. His …
Great message (and short) from John Piper on bitterness. When I harbor feelings of vengeance I show that I don’t have …
Good Friday, also known as “Holy Friday,” is the Friday immediately preceding Resurrection Sunday. It is celebrated traditionally as the day …
According to the traditional interpretation of the Bible, Holy Wednesday is the day on which Jesus was anointed with spikenard during a …
Some of the religious leaders [Pharisees] in the crowd said to Him, “Teacher, rebuke Your disciples.” But Jesus answered, “I …
“Happy (aka Blessed) are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God.” ~Jesus Source: Matthew 5:9 (NASB) Jesus continues on with his …
“If you reason with an arrogant cynic, you’ll get slapped in the face; confront bad behavior and get a kick in …
“Are you listening to this? Really listening?” When they were off by themselves, those who were close to him, along …
Jesus says “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God.” The commendation of peacemakers – It …
Hypocrisy is an outward pretense masking an inner reality. Jesus condemns hypocrisy, especially in matters of faith. Followers of Jesus …
Jesus had a lot to say about the homeless, wealth, prosperity, poverty, riches, the poor, the needy and giving. Here …
After sunset he came with the Twelve. As they were at the supper table eating, Jesus said, “I have something …
Prefer my life-disciplines over chasing after money, and God-knowledge over a lucrative career. For Wisdom is better than all the …
Originally posted on The Culture Alternative:
This is stunning. https://youtu.be/6SFNW5F8K9Y Prince, Tom Petty, Steve Winwood, Jeff Lynne and others perform “While My…
Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you tithe mint and dill and cummin, and you have neglected the weightier …
God has a goal for me. Primarily God wants me to grow up and not be a child my whole …
Originally posted on 4th Quarter Musings:
In many instances in the Bible, grace (see Breaking the Code 3) and peace are linked…
I want proof but I am not prepared to believe it. Jesus gives me proof. I get to decide whether …
Relax, God is in control. I keep hearing that from our Father. He promised a rest. That is His goal …
Paul reminds me. I am at war. It is an ongoing war. It doesn’t stop. Who is the enemy? The …
Jesus knows we will have lots of leaders who deceive us about the end of the world. It happened again …
