Scary as Hell! (Halloween Devotional)
What’s scarier than ghosts, goblins, witches, and haunted houses?
Politics!!!!
When did you first become aware of having political opinions? Who or what do you think shaped them?
Showing Jesus to the World
If we are followers of Jesus, it is our job to not only tell people about Him (although that is important, too,) but to give our lives over to Him to such a degree that it’s actually Him working through us in everything that we do. How else will people have a chance to see how much Jesus loves them, except by letting Him show it through us?
The Narrow Gate
Do you ever feel like doing the wrong thing is like rolling downhill? Like it’s an inevitability that is bound to happen as soon as any restraints are removed or even relaxed? Well, if so, it’s not just you- that’s pretty much how it is for all of us. Sure, it looks different for different people, but it’s pretty much always going to be easy to go the wrong way and resisting temptation will often be difficult. The problem is, it doesn’t matter how easily we can all find ourselves on the wrong path- there are real consequences.
Look in the Mirror
When I heard this in Bible Study recently, it was a real gut-punch. To tell the truth, up until recently, I have behaved as if unbelievers were the only ones who were resistant to submitting to the Lord. My thinking was that other people didn’t want to believe in God because they wanted to be in charge of their own lives. I ignored the reality that the same could be true for me, and that whenever I refuse to give up control of my life to the Lord, I hinder my own growth. How can I expect to grow if I insist on being in charge?
Love = Truth Over Feelings
What do you do when your feelings are saying one thing but the Bible says the opposite? Showing love to someone who dogs you out is a perfect example. Of course, you know you should “do the right thing,” but isn’t it dishonest and hypocritical if you know your heart isn’t really in it?
Making a Change
It’s hard to change. It just is. We can know we need to do better- stop cursing, stop lying, be more loving, whatever our “areas” might be- but knowing we need to clean up our act is a long way from making that change. In fact, many would say that people don’t really change much at all. But God calls us to walk uprightly and be holy like Him, so He makes sure to give us some tools to help us toward that end. One of those tools is His Word, aka the Bible.
Why Did I Do It?
Have you ever done something that you were ashamed of and then asked yourself, “Why did I DO that?!” I can think of all kinds of examples… There were times I tried to show off… Sometimes successfully, but usually not! Other times, I put someone else down, or lied, or cheated, or agreed to something I knew was wrong… Well, you get the point. Without going into too much detail, I can just say that there were plenty of times that I did things I was immediately ashamed of, and often found myself wondering, “Why?” I’ve learned that there’s a common explanation that accounts for many of these transgressions.
You Are Here For A Reason
Let that statement soak in for a moment. It has so many implications, it’s worth pausing to consider a few of them:
Kesha WeekesYour Mind: Renovated
What do our minds have in common with a dilapidated old house? More than you might think… hear me out.
Revelation: More Than Knowledge
Have you ever thought you knew something, then suddenly it really just clicked and you understood it so much better that it was almost like you really hadn’t known it at all before?
A Prayer for Character
Heavenly Father...
The “Why” Matters
Imagine this scenario:
Judge Not
I don’t know about you but when I see something wrong, I can be pretty quick to form an opinion on the matter, take sides, and even pronounce judgment on whoever I consider to be the guilty party (or parties.) Often, I even feel justified- after all, there are plenty of bad things being done all around us all the time. And it can almost distract me from my own shortcomings when I focus on how bad I think someone else is! But that’s just the problem- it might distract me, but it doesn’t fool anyone else, and certainly not God.
What God Wants
Have you ever wondered just what it is that God wants from us? After all, He is all-powerful and all-knowing. What could we have to offer Him? It turns out, it’s the one thing we have the power to withhold or give freely.
New Year's Resolutions?
Listen or Read - you choose!
Go Back to Start
In many board games when you get sent back to start it’s a penalty. However, in the Lord it can be a good thing - because “in the beginning, GOD.”
No Regrets: God First
What happens when we know what God wants us to do, but it’s totally at odds with our own desires and preferences?
The Prosperous Soul
According to dictionary.com, “to prosper” means to be successful or fortunate, especially in financial respects; to thrive or flourish. But what does that mean when it’s applied to our souls? Clearly, spiritual success can’t be measured according to an economy that is limited to the natural world. Instead, we have to look to the supernatural to assess the condition of our souls.
Today’s Idolatry
Of all the ten commandments, this first one prohibiting idolatry may be the most likely to be regarded as outdated in today’s culture. For many, it may call to mind images of ancient rituals and sacrifices that could seem irrelevant in modern life. But if we get a more proper understanding of what idol worship really is, the relevance to our lives today becomes quite apparent.
Love vs. Approval: There’s a Difference
If God really loves us just as we are, does that mean that He approves of everything that we do? After all, He has made it abundantly clear in the scriptures that we don’t have to act a certain way to earn His love
Living Word or Dead Letter?
Have you ever read the Bible and felt like every word was exploding off the page? Where you marveled at how it spoke directly to your immediate circumstances or the secret questions in your heart?
Be Honest…
Have you ever found it easier to gloss over a problem than to face it head on? I know I have. For example, just recently it was pointed out to me that I was being rather self-centered when I got an attitude and went on a rant about what someone else was doing to annoy me. In that moment, it would have felt easier to make excuses and avert my eyes, rather than look in the mirror that was being held up for me. But God wants us to keep our eyes open, and when He brings something to our attention related to our behavior or character, we must remember that it’s for our benefit, so that we can change and grow.
Bible Math: Less Me = More God
Getting to know God - The One True God, Creator of everything- is pretty much the ultimate. It is the greatest, highest, most desirable thing ever. And God Himself wants us to know Him, and to experience the life, peace, joy, and love that are all a part of a relationship with Him. So what stops us from receiving all of that if God wants to give it to us? Sometimes, it’s simply a little bit of arithmetic:
