Displaying items by tag: Life

David Jeremiah - Watch Sermon: 7 Priorities of a Faithful Christian Life. Dr. David Jeremiah takes a closer look at why some believers are able to weather any storm while others are blown away by the slightest wind.

Jack Hibbs (June-27-2022) Weekly Devotional: WORDS OF LIFE

Acts 5:20 - “Speak to the people all the words of this life.”

Never in human history have people been so busy saying so much that, in the end, means so little. From morning to night, we make phone calls and texting. Our cars have become extensions of our offices, and even in-flight airline passengers are able to talk to those on the ground. The business of life is unavoidable, but what about the most important business of all… that of our Father?

Jesus said, “I must be about My Father’s business.” (Luke 2:49) If the Son of God considered this His number one interest, so should we. Personally, I have discovered that God delights in answering my prayers to send me where He bids. And when I get there, I find great fulfillment in speaking what He has placed on my heart. But sharing the “words of life” isn’t only for pastors, quite the opposite. You, dear believer, have something powerful to say because Jesus Christ has touched your life.

Let’s be honest. How many times have you eaten a fantastic meal or done something cool and fun and didn’t tell somebody about it?

Jesus commanded us to go into all the world and proclaim the gospel, and as we do, we must also share what great things He has done. These are the things that our worn-down, sin-sick world needs to hear. Jesus is the answer to life’s tests and trials because He alone has the words of everlasting life.

May the Lord fill you today with a passion for sharing what you know with a world that needs to hear it.

Billy Graham - Watch Sermon: The University of Life. In this university, you can fail, but you can't drop out — Billy Graham explains in this 1980 message from Reno, Nevada.

Daily Devotional (June-13-2022) The Valleys of Life

Scripture Reference: Hebrews 11:35-39 (NIV),  - “Others were tortured and refused to be released, so that they might gain a better resurrection. Some faced jeers and flogging, while still others were chained and put in prison. They were stoned; they were sawed in two; they were put to death by the sword. They went about in sheepskins and goatskins, destitute, persecuted and mistreated- the world was not worthy of them. They wandered in deserts and mountains, and in caves and holes in the ground. These were all commended for their faith.”

2 Corinthians 12:9 (NIV) - ”But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.’”

We all go through the valleys. There are times of disappointment, sorrow, anxiety, stress and suffering. To those who are addicted, have lost loved ones, are suffering with chronic pain, have incapacitating disease, are going through financial hardships, have been abused, have broken relationships, are lonely, confused or have mental illness, what do we do with faith? How do we believe in the face of such discouragement and doubt? Where is God in all of this? But then we must also ask, “What is faith for?” Maybe that is why Jesus came born in a manger not a palace. That He was “acquainted with grief a man of sorrows”. That He had “nowhere to lay His head.” That in the Garden He would fall down in prayer and say, “Father, if it is your will, let this cup pass from me, nevertheless your will, not mine, be done.” Or on the cross He would cry to His Father, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” Perhaps Jesus’ exemplified the normal Christian experience? Perhaps like the examples in today’s passage, those that suffered so much for Jesus, all lived by faith as much as David, Moses, Abraham and the other examples of victorious achievements. Perhaps Paul was right when he quoted God as saying, “My grace is sufficient for you”, and he concluded that “God’s power is made perfect in our weakness.” Today, when you go through all you go through, may God fill your heart with the same peace, hope and faith that Jesus, Paul and those in Hebrews had.

Prayer - Father, You know my name. You know who I am. You also know my needs. Thank You, Father, that You promised that if I seek Your Kingdom above everything else, You will give me everything I need. So I come to You now, Father, and ask that You would help me live for you. I entrust my needs to You. In Jesus Name. AMEN

Sarah Jakes Roberts - Watch Sermon: God is Doing Big Things in Your Life. Toure & Sarah Jakes Roberts sit down with Phil Munsey on TBN's Praise. Listen as Sarah Jakes Roberts and her husband Toure Roberts discuss the growth of their family and the church. Be encouraged as Sarah shares how there's hope after your pain that is beyond yourself.

Rick Warren (may-29-2022) Daily Devotional: The Power of a Focused Life

“Good planning and hard work lead to prosperity, but hasty shortcuts lead to poverty." - Proverbs 21:5 (NLT)

If you want God to use you in great ways, you need focus. The more focused you are, the more effective you’ll be—and the more God will use you. 

There’s awesome power in focus. Diffused light doesn’t have much of an effect on what it touches. But when you focus light—like the sun’s light through a magnifying glass—you can light a piece of paper or grass on fire. If you can focus it even more, it becomes a laser. A laser can cut through steel and destroy cancer.

The same is true with your life. If the course of your life lacks direction, you’ll just drift through without making an impact. But if you focus your time on a few key goals, then you can make a powerful impact on the world for God.

The Bible says, “Good planning and hard work lead to prosperity, but hasty shortcuts lead to poverty” (Proverbs 21:5 NLT).

One of the great examples of focus in the Bible is the story in Genesis 24. Abraham was getting old, and his son still hadn’t married. God had promised Abraham that he would create a great nation through Abraham’s own family, which God did. But Abraham’s son, Isaac, still didn’t have any children. He wasn’t even married yet. So Abraham gave his chief servant a goal of finding a wife for his son. Abraham told his servant, “Don’t get a wife from the Canaanite girls who live around here. Go back to my country, to the land of my relatives, and find a wife for my son Isaac.”

Like all good goals, the servant’s was clear. He knew he needed to find Isaac a wife, and he knew exactly what kind of wife to look for. He needed to find a wife from Abraham’s homeland.

You’ll never reach a vague goal because you’ll never know if you’ve completed it. Abraham’s servant didn’t have that problem.

For example, if your goal is to be a better parent, that’s vague. Even if you make the goal to spend more time with your children this year, you’ll never really know if you’ve completed the goal because it isn’t specific.

But if you commit to spending an hour every Tuesday evening with your children, that’s a specific goal. You’ll know whether or not you’ve completed it. Those kinds of goals will give you the focus to change your life.

What specific goal will you set for yourself this week?

Talk It Over

• When a goal is very specific, how does that empower you to complete it?
• What specific goal do you want to set for yourself and why?
• Who can keep you accountable and encouraged as you work to reach your goal?

David Jeremiah (May-26-2022) Daily Devotional: Crown of Life

Blessed is the man who endures temptation; for when he has been approved, he will receive the crown of life which the Lord has promised to those who love Him. James 1:12

 Recommended Reading: Revelation 2:10-11 - Do not fear any of those things which you are about to suffer. Indeed, the devil is about to throw some of you into prison, that you may be tested, and you will have tribulation ten days. Be faithful until death, and I will give you the crown of life. 11 “He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. He who overcomes shall not be hurt by the second death.”’

The Olympics began in ancient Greece. But the spirit of prowess and competition didn’t disappear when Rome replaced Greece as the dominant Mediterranean power. The Romans tested themselves with training and competition just as the Greeks had—all for the glory of winning a crown, a wreath of leaves to wear on one’s head.

Two prominent biblical themes have their roots in athletic competition: the idea of testing and the reward of a crown. Both passages in the New Testament where the “crown of life” is mentioned are in the context of testing, or temptation (James 1:2-12; Revelation 2:10-11). James 1 is the well-known section on joyfully facing spiritual tests, concluding with the promise of the “crown of life” for all who persevere. The same is true in Revelation 2:10-11. The church in Smyrna was about to undergo testing, after which the “crown of life” would be given to the faithful.

Even if tests lead to death, we have the promise of eternal life—a reward leading to praise of Christ (Revelation 4:10).

[Christ] went by the cross to the crown, and we must not think of going any other way. - Matthew Henry

Rick Warren (May-19-2022) Daily Devotional: Your Choices Can Change Your Life

“Every detail in our lives of love for God is worked into something good." - Romans 8:28 (The Message)

As Psalm 139:14 says, God made you “wonderfully complex” (NLT). So, to fulfill God’s purpose for you, it’s essential to look at every dimension of your life and understand the five factors that influence your identity. 

For the last few days, we’ve looked at how your chemistry, connections, circumstances, and consciousness affect the way you are shaped.

If these factors are like the five cards you’re dealt in a game of poker, then the fifth factor would be your wild card. Why? Because the fifth factor is your choices, and that wild card affects all your other cards. You can’t control the hand you were dealt—but you can use your wild card to change your life by the choices you make.

The Bible says you were created in the image of God. No other creature was created in the image of God! Dogs have instincts, but don’t know the difference between right and wrong. Elephants have no moral compass. But you get to choose to do right or wrong. The freedom to choose is humanity’s greatest blessing; it’s also our greatest curse because we make poor choices all the time that harm us and everyone around us.

What does a wild card do? It can change the suit and number of the other cards you are dealt. You didn’t choose your chemistry, but you can choose what you do with your body. You didn’t choose your connections, but you can make new relationships and mend or nurture the ones you already have. You don’t choose all of your circumstances, but you do choose how you respond to every circumstance. You can’t change the fact that your consciousness—your thoughts—control your life, but you can choose what you think about.

The Bible says, “Every detail in our lives of love for God is worked into something good” Romans 8:28 (The Message). It may be hard to see the good that can come out of some aspects of the hand you were dealt in life. But the good choices you make are one of the ways God works those difficult parts of your identity into something good.

Your identity is shaped by your choices. What choices will you make today that will positively affect the rest of your life?

Talk It Over

• What difficult circumstances in your life have made it hard for you to make good choices? What do you need from God today to help you overcome those difficult circumstances? Pray and ask him for the help you need.
• What negative thoughts have you been dwelling on? What positive things can you choose to think about instead?
• What steps can you take today to choose to mend or nurture your relationships?

Rick Warren (May-15-2022) Daily Devotional: Four Ways to Live a Healthier Life

“A heart at peace gives life to the body, but envy rots the bones." - Proverbs 14:30 (NIV)

Some people tend to think of their body as completely separate from their spirit. But the truth is, there is a direct connection between your spiritual health and your physical health. In fact, the Bible is full of health advice you’re probably not going to read about in a nutrition book. 

Here are four things from Scripture you can do to live a healthier life.

Trust in God. In life, you’ll either worship or worry. You’ll either pray or panic. The Bible says in Psalms 116:7, “I said to myself, ‘Relax, because the Lord takes care of you’” (NCV). God wants you to trust him and relax. He will take care of you!   

Confess your sin. One of the healthiest things you can do is to receive God’s forgiveness. Don’t repress or suppress your sin. Instead, express it to God. If you don’t talk to God about your sin, you’ll take it out on your body. This happened to David: “When I refused to confess my sin, my body wasted away, and I groaned all day long . . . My strength evaporated . . . Finally, I confessed all my sins to you and stopped trying to hide my guilt . . . And you forgave me! All my guilt is gone” (Psalm 32:3-5 NLT).

Give generously. It’s not a mistake that the words “miser” and “miserable” have the same root. Misers are miserable; they’re always sad. But givers are always glad. Proverbs 11:25 says, “The generous will prosper; those who refresh others will themselves be refreshed” (NLT).

Did you know there are more promises in the Bible about giving and generosity than about any other subject? God is a giving God, and he wants you to learn to be like him. Every time you give, your heart grows bigger—and you break the miserable grip of materialism.

Have fun. Life is meant to be enjoyed, not merely endured. In fact, the Bible says that God created everything for your enjoyment. 1 Timothy 6:17 says, “They should place their confidence in God who richly provides us with everything to enjoy” (GW).

You’ll often hear people say, “The family who prays together stays together.” That’s true. But it’s also true to say, “The family who plays together stays together.” You need to enjoy life. You need to have fun.

Friends, it’s not just what you eat that matters. It’s what eats you. You can take the best probiotics and eat fresh, healthy, and organic foods. But if you’re resentful against your dad, envious of your friend, or guilty about something you did yesterday, it will rot your bones: “A heart at peace gives life to the body, but envy rots the bones” (Proverbs 14:30 NIV).  

But when you look to God—with trust, confession, generosity, and fun—he fills you with peace.

Talk It Over

• What is your first response when you start to worry or panic? If it’s not trusting God, what steps can you take to make trusting God a habit?
• In what area do you need to receive God’s forgiveness? How has not confessing your sin affected your health?
• Describe how generosity has filled you (and others) with joy?
• What’s one way you can incorporate fun into your life today?

David Wilkerson - Watch Sermon: Why God Allows Troubles in a Christian Life