Philippians 3:10-11

What we do for real… Philippians 3:10-11 “I want to know Christ—yes, to know the power of his resurrection and participation in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, and so, somehow, attaining to the resurrection of the dead.” Wow, what a bold statement. “I want to know Christ”. Right there, in your face, […]

John 14:6

The real Forward John 14:6 Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” The Way. From an article in Relevant, June 19, 2002, “being a follower of the way is not a path to travel, but rather a pattern to follow, an […]

Luke 10:27

Who’s the best lover in the world? Luke 10:27 He answered, “ ‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind’ ; and, ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’” (but please read the link for the whole story) Who showed us […]

Proverbs 16:28

The tale of the tongue. Proverbs 16:28 “A perverse person stirs up conflict, and a gossip separates close friends.” Why is it that the tongue thinks quicker than the brain? Why is it that the words the tongue unleashes seem to cut so deep? Why is it that words, once out, can’t be put […]

Hebrews 11:1-3

When did time begin? Hebrews 11:1-3 “1 Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see. 2 This is what the ancients were commended for. 3 By faith we understand that the universe was formed at God’s command, so that what is seen was not made out […]

Psalms 94:12

Life without boundaries Psalms 94:12 “Blessed is the one you discipline, LORD, the one you teach from your law;” Discipline. Teaching, commitment or both? How do we want to learn from God? We can be taught by God through his disciplining us, which is usually filled with some pain, drama, and rapid change. Or we […]

Mathew 6:33

Eternity, care, kingdom, righteousness, peace, the walk, life, content

Psalms 91:1-2

Shelter from the storm. Psalm 91:1-2 “1 Whoever dwells in the shelter of the Most High will rest in the shadow of the Almighty. 2 I will say of the LORD, “He is my refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust.” Foundations are critical to the strength of a house. Bad foundation, […]

Galatians 6:9

I am a Christian, expect me to act like one. Always. Galatians 6:9 “Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.” What is doing good? What is good? Can you think of anything that eminates from God that isn’t […]

Psalms 16:11

The path leads somewhere. Psalms 16:11 “You make known to me the path of life; you will fill me with joy in your presence, with eternal pleasures at your right hand.” The path. We know what the path is, but do we know what life is? Can we have life outside of the path? Pilgrim’s […]

Romans 8:6

Laws matter Romans 8:6 “6 The mind governed by the flesh is death, but the mind governed by the Spirit is life and peace.” We have laws for a reason – without them there are no constraints and things get ugly in a heartbeat. Ever wonder why things go south? Could it be that we […]

Mark 8:29 John 7:38

“I am who I am” Popeye Mark 8:29 “But what about you?” he asked. “Who do you say I am?”Peter answered, “You are the Messiah.” John 7:38 “Whoever believes in me, as Scripture has said, rivers of living water will flow from within them.” Who do you think I am? Whoever believes in Christ. Living […]

Romans 2:5-6

The problem with being judgemental. Romans 2:5-6 “5 But because of your stubbornness and your unrepentant heart, you are storing up wrath against yourself for the day of God’s wrath, when his righteous judgment will be revealed. 6 God ‘will repay each person according to what they have done.’” Out of context, this scripture looks […]

Luke 12:48

Why we’re to walk the walk Luke 12:48 “48 But the one who does not know and does things deserving punishment will be beaten with few blows. From everyone who has been given much, much will be demanded; and from the one who has been entrusted with much, much more will be asked.” Walk the […]

1 John 2:1-2

Choosing to fight 1 John 2:1-2 “1 My dear children, I write this to you so that you will not sin. But if anybody does sin, we have an advocate with the Father—Jesus Christ, the Righteous One. 2 He is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not only for ours but also for the […]

1 Peter 5:6-7

Humble yet? 1 Peter 5:6-7 “Humble yourselves, therefore, under God’s mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time. 7 Cast all your anxiety on Him because he cares for you.” God humbles the proud or He shows favor on those who realize the enormity of the gift of grace and humble themselves […]

John 17:13-14

Out of this world John 17:13-14 “13 I am coming to you now, but I say these things while I am still in the world, so that they may have the full measure of my joy within them. 14 I have given them your word and the world has hated them, for they are not […]

1 John 2:12

Forgiveness 1 John 2:12 “I am writing to you, dear children, because your sins have been forgiven on account of his name.” Very simply put, right there, not to be denied, fact: we are forgiven. Turn your life over to Christ, accept him as your savior, believe he died for your sins, your sins are […]

Galatians 6:7-9

A life of service Galatians 6:7-9 “7 Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows. 8 Whoever sows to please their flesh, from the flesh will reap destruction; whoever sows to please the Spirit, from the Spirit will reap eternal life. 9 Let us not become weary in doing […]

Matthew 7:15

Matthew 7:15 “Watch out for false prophets. They come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ferocious wolves.” Why do we even have false prophets? We have an awesome God who is pure love, perfect love, who loves us perfectly. So why is there hate, why are there false prophets spreading lies and […]

Proverbs 22:4

Proverbs 22:4 “Humility is the fear of the LORD; its wages are riches and honor and life.” What does fear of the Lord mean? What does fear mean when used in this context? It’s like love, respect, honor all rolled into one (lospector?). It’s not the fear the world has of pain or death, it’s […]

Psalms 71:8

Psalms 71:8 “My mouth is filled with your praise, declaring your splendor all day long.” God rocks. Do you rock with him? A simple message today. God rocks. Do you rock with him? Does it show up in your life constantly, consistently, sometimes, or not at all? Does He rock your world? Do you let […]

Romans 8:1-2

Romans 8:1-2 “1 Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, 2 because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit who gives life has set you free from the law of sin and death.” A law? The law of sin and death? It’s inevitable, death, yes that I know, […]

John 10:10

John 10:10 “The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.” The thief comes to steal the flock, it comes to destroy. Who is the thief? Anyone who doesn’t come in through Christ, through the gate. Satan has the sweet […]

Jeremiah 17:7

Jeremiah 17:7 “But blessed is the one who trusts in the LORD, whose confidence is in him.” The “but” is preceded in verse 5 by “Cursed is the one who trusts in man, who draws strength from mere flesh, and whose heart turns away from the Lord.” Old Testament, New Testament, the message is a […]

Luke 12:4-5

Luke 12:4-5 “4 I tell you, my friends, do not be afraid of those who kill the body and after that can do no more. 5 But I will show you whom you should fear: Fear him who, after your body has been killed, has authority to throw you into hell. Yes, I tell you, […]

John 15:12-13

John 15:12-13 “12 My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you. 12 Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.” Love each other as I have loved you. I follow a blog (tworiversblog.com) and there was a post the other day that painted injustice […]

Matthew 24:42-44

Matthew 24:42-44 “42 Therefore keep watch, because you do not know on what day your Lord will come. 43 But understand this: If the owner of the house had known at what time of night the thief was coming, he would have kept watch and would not have let his house be broken into. 44 […]

1 John 1:5-7

1 John 1:5-7 “5 This is the message we have heard from him and declare to you: God is light; in him there is no darkness at all. 6 If we claim to have fellowship with him and yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not live out the truth. 7 But if […]

1 John 4:20

1 John 4:20 “4 If anyone says, ‘I love God,’ yet hates his brother, he is a liar. For anyone who does not love his brother, whom he has seen, cannot love God, whom he has not seen.” The heart of it all, the winnowing stick, the litmus test, the no room for discussion, the […]

John 1:32-34

John 1:32-34 “32 Then John gave this testimony: “I saw the Spirit come down from heaven as a dove and remain on him. 33 I would not have known him, except that the one who sent me to baptize with water told me, ‘The man on whom you see the Spirit come down and remain […]

James 4:3-1

James 4:1-3 “1 What causes fights and quarrels among you? Don’t they come from your desires that battle within you? 2 You want something but don’t get it. You kill and covet, but you cannot have what you want. You quarrel and fight. You do not have, because you do not ask God. 3 When […]

Titus 3:4-7

Titus 3:4-7 “4 But when the kindness and love of God our Savior appeared, 5 he saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy. He saved us through the washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit, 6 whom he poured out on us generously through Jesus […]

Philippians 1:29

Philippians 1:29 “29 For it has been granted to you on behalf of Christ not only to believe on him, but also to suffer for him,” There’s a bumper sticker that says “I’m a Christian, expect me to act like one”. It really resonated with me because of its simplicity and directness. It shocked me […]

1 Corinthians 13:2, 4-7

1 Corinthians 13:2, 4-7 “2 If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but have not love, I am nothing.” Anyone ever hear these words at a wedding? They were in mine. Oh, how those words brought love […]

Deuteronomy 4:29

Deuteronomy 4:29 “29 But from there you will seek the Lord your God and you will find him, if you search after him with all your heart and with all your soul.” Seek and you will find him. God doesn’t play hide and seek with us. I think we do with him. We try to […]

1 Corinthians 1:10

1 Corinthians 1:10 “10 I appeal to you, brothers, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you agree with one another so that there may be no divisions among you and that you may be perfectly united in mind and thought.” A glimpse into a growing faith: a few years after […]

2 Corinthians 12:9

2 Corinthians 12:9 “9 But he said to me, ‘My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.’ Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me.” I’m am broken and deeply flawed. Left to my own devices I leave […]

Colossians 3:12-14

Colossians 3:12-14 “12 Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. 13 Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. 14 And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all […]

John 1:12-13

John 1:12-13 “12 Yet to all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God– 13 children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband’s will, but born of God.” This blessing to all of those who made the decision to […]

Philippians 4:11-13

Philippians 4:11-13 ” 11 I am not saying this because I am in need, for I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances. 12 I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every […]

Merry Christmas! Matthew 2:9-11

MERRY CHRISTMAS as we celebrate the birth of the Savior! ” 9 After they had heard the king, they went on their way, and the star they had seen when it rose went ahead of them until it stopped over the place where the child was. 10 When they saw the star, they were overjoyed. […]

1 John 2:24-25

“24 See that what you have heard from the beginning remains in you. If it does, you also will remain in the Son and in the Father. 25 And this is what he promised us–even eternal life.” How many times do we get caught up in the lies the world constantly throws our way – […]

Romans 15:4

“4 For everything that was written in the past was written to teach us, so that through the endurance taught in the Scriptures and the encouragement they provide we might have hope.” Christ came to show us what the Old Testament was all about, what it meant, and in so doing, He amped it up […]

Proverbs 19:11

“11 A man’s wisdom gives him patience; it is to his glory to overlook an offense.” Why is it so hard to turn the other cheek? Pride. How much more could we accomplish if we turned the other cheek and reacted from love instead of anger? If we honestly confronted the wrong from a place of […]

Proverbs 3:9-10

9 “Honor the LORD with your wealth, with the firstfruits of all your crops; 10 then your barns will be filled to overflowing, and your vats will brim over with new wine.” Most everyone looks at money when it comes to wealth. If you give, it’s most often money and it’s not near 10%. But […]

Ephesians 4:26-27

“In your anger do not sin”: Do not let the sun go down while you are still angry, and do not give the devil a foothold.

Anger is a resentment. Resentments are like drinking poison and hoping the other person dies. It don’t work that way. Resentments come from pouring salt in our wounds from life and are fueled by pride and pain.

Our pride is offended and we have to defend our position. Our wounds are exposed and we try to protect ourselves. We haven’t submitted to his will and carry our self-righteousness into battle, or we haven’t allowed Christ to heal us. We get so blinded by the adrenaline of our anger that we miss our part. Matthew 7:3-4

Don’t take anger to bed with you; don’t let the sun set while you are still angry. Don’t allow Satan to feed your pride, to pump you up with his garbage, to fuel your rage. Explore the button that sent you off and see what’s there. Grieve and heal the wounds. Admit your pride point and examine it closely. Is it in line with Christ?

Some anger is justified, such as sins against others like injustice, lying, stealing, infidelity, etc. Think about this: God gets angry at us for what we do, and rightfully so. He forgives us. What do you do?

Release your self-righteous anger and allow yourself to be healed.

Take your righteous anger and fix the problem.

I think we’re here on earth to battle evil with love. That’s a fight worth having.

Proverbs 12:14, 12:19

Proverbs 12:14 “14 From the fruit of their lips people are filled with good things, and the work of their hands brings them reward.” Proverbs 12:19 “19 Truthful lips endure forever, but a lying tongue lasts only a moment.” Words matter and the tongue is tied to the heart. What’s your heart like? Do you praise God and […]

Proverbs 25:15

Proverbs 25:15 New International Version (NIV) 15 Through patience a ruler can be persuaded, and a gentle tongue can break a bone. Proverbs 25:15 The Message (MSG) 15 Patient persistence pierces through indifference; gentle speech breaks down rigid defenses. Proverbs 25:15 Easy-to-Read Version (ERV) 15 With patience, you can make anyone change their thinking, even a ruler. Gentle speech is […]

Philippians 4:19

19 “And my God will meet all your needs according to the riches of his glory in Christ Jesus.” The Message reads “You can be sure that God will take care of everything you need, his generosity exceeding even yours in the glory that pours from Jesus.” Matthew Henry’s concise commentary says this: “Pride, unbelief, […]