Lessons for the Christian Life

This blog is in association with the radio broadcast Lessons For The Christian Life.

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The Lamb of God (John 1:36)

During Old Testament times, various offerings were presented to God: one of which was the sin offering. There were three key qualities concerning the offering. It needed to be without blemish, of great value or worth to the offerer and with blood. At one time, Israel was rebuked because they were bringing the blind and lame animals for sacrifice (Malachi 1:8) and keeping that of great value or…

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The Hidden Secret (II Peter 1:5-8)

In this passage, Peter shares the hidden secret for victory in the life of a believer. As always, the victorious life starts with faith. But what happens from there? Peter provides instruction by saying add to your faith actions worthy of praise. The adding cannot be the result of your effort because the natural man cannot perform the work nor does the new nature receive direction from the…

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The Beginning Point (II Peter 1:1)

Many things in life have a beginning point: education, first job, marriage, friendships, and life. Your Christian life is no different. After putting your faith in Jesus Christ, you became a new creature and you were at the beginning point of your Christian experience. From there, decisions that you made determined your relationship with Christ, how much you grew in faith and the opportunity that…

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Made, Positioned and Named Holy

Made, Positioned and Named Holy

Unto the church of God which is at Corinth, to them that are sanctified in Christ Jesus, called to be saints, with all that in every place call upon the name of Jesus Christ our Lord, both theirs and ours: 1 Corinthians 1:2 The church, the called out assembly, is made up of countless people including you and me who trusted Christ as Savior. This occurred when you called out to him because you no…

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God’s Will

Paul, called to be an apostle of Jesus Christ through the will of God…. I Corinthians 1:1 Paul became an apostle because it was God’s Will. Because God willed it, it became the source for his action of calling Paul to be an apostle. It is no different for you and me. God’s will becomes his action in your life. Sometimes things occur in life and people ask, “How can a loving God allow this to…

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The Joy (Hebrews 12:2)

The Joy (Hebrews 12:2)

Motive is a key factor in a persons life. What we do does not necessarily reveal what we really are, but what motivates us reveals the deepest things about us.

Jesus had a choice as to whether or not he would pay the price for our redemption. There could have been multiple reasons why he chose to bear and endure the terribleness of the cross, but one reason for certain was because of the joy…

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The Decision (Hebrews 12:1-2) The testimony of the victories of others should move us to make a decision for Christ. We need to cast aside the weights that burden us down.

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Don't Wait, Call (Luke 11:37)

Don’t Wait, Call (Luke 11:37)

We know why Jesus accepted invitations to visit with the Publicans, but did you ever wonder why the Lord accepted them from the Pharisees. From this account of Scripture, we can see that Jesus will go to wherever he is invited. What we must understand is that we may invite him for one reason, but his purpose may be different. In either case, it is great to know that whenever we invite the Lord to…

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Faith Needs Prayer (Matthew 26:35-41)

Have you ever made a decision of faith, but then never follow through with the action of it? Maybe you sat in church, listened to a sermon and made a prayerful decision that never came to fulfillment. Possibly in devotions, the Lord impressed upon your heart as you read the scriptures and spent quiet time with him and you never moved beyond that. Why? Was your decision insincere? Was it simply an…

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Grabbing Onto Bitterness

Yesterday my family experienced another medical emergency. Like in times past, we quickly packed things in a backpack to prepare for what could be an extended stay at the hospital. The only difference was that we were not taking the dogs to the kennel.

As we left the yard to get into the car, the beagle mix thought he was going on a trip. To try and hurriedly get him out of the car, my wife…

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Fearing God: What Does It Mean? Psalm 147:11

Fearing God: What Does It Mean? Psalm 147:11

The Lord taketh pleasure in them that fear him,

in those that hope in his mercy. Psalm 147:11

The question has arisen about the meaning of the term fearing God. Some propose that the word means that we need to actually be terrified of God. If that were true, how could the person who is terrified hope in the Lord? In fact, how could he actually exercise love towards God? The actions perceived as…

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Brace Yourself!

Brace yourself! This is the phrase that we use to prepare ourselves for some impending negative event. It may be physically holding on to something in preparation for jolting or even a collision. It could even relate to preparing yourself for news that may move you emotionally.

As bracing yourself may seem to work in the physical world, it does not work in the spiritual. However, what will work…

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Three Sources for Forgiveness

Three Sources for Forgiveness

Each of us have experienced wounds in our lives, which were caused by other people. Sometimes these actions were accidental and other times they were purposeful acts driven by the wicked sin nature that resides in everyone.

Freedom from these wounds can only occur through forgiveness. Forgiveness is not based on the works that a person does so as to earn it. Otherwise it would not be…

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Waiting on the Lord (Psalm 40:1)

Waiting on the Lord (Psalm 40:1)

It is important to wait patiently before the Lord. When you do, you are performing three important acts.

When you wait on the Lord, you knowledge him as your sovereign Lord. By that, you recognize that he is in complete control of all events that take place and regardless of how they appear, you believe he will use them for good and his glory.

When you wait on the Lord, you are exercising your…

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The Widow’s Giving (Luke 21:1-4)

The Widow’s Giving (Luke 21:1-4)

The circumstances in your life are not the cause of your behavior. You act the way you do because you choose to. Such is the case for the widow who gave two mites. The context indicates that people had taken advantage of her which brought about her poverty. But what affect did it have on her? Didn’t even have an effect?

It did not affect her faith. Why would a poor person sacrifice and give?…

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Can’t Meet the Criteria (Psalm 51:1)

Can’t Meet the Criteria (Psalm 51:1)

Forgiveness from a human perspective, it is usually based on the person meeting some type of behavior or expectation. Forgiveness might be based on the person being sorry, expressing sorrow or performing some act of penance.

However with God, it is a different story. God‘s forgiveness hinges on two aspects of his character: lovingkindness and tender mercy.

Have mercy upon me, O God, according to…

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Upholding Others (Psalm 54:4)

Upholding Others (Psalm 54:4)

Have you ever been so tired that you just couldn’t stand? If there wasn’t a chair available, you did the next best thing: you leaned against something to give you the support you needed. If by some chance you saw somebody in this type of a condition, you probably would have helped them along by holding them up.

Did you ever think of all the people who struggle so much with life that they just…

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