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Philippians 2:3 NLT Don’t be selfish; don’t try to impress others. Be humble, thinking of others as better than yourselves.
It’s easy to get tunnel vision and only focus on ourselves. We have goals and dreams we want to achieve, but if we neglect others while going after those goals, we’re magnifying ourselves, and that’s not good. Timothy 3:2 says in the last days, people will love only themselves and their money. They will be boastful and proud, scoffing at God, disobedient to their parents, and ungrateful. They will consider nothing sacred.
There’s nothing wrong with going after our goals and dreams, but we also need to think of others better than ourselves. That means, if our goals and dreams have to wait to help others, so be it. If God tells us to delay our vacation to help pay the rent for someone else, do what God says. We’re to think of others better than ourselves.
We should understand that people aren’t actually better than us, but if we think that way, we’ll overcome selfishness and want to do more for people.
This life is not all about us. It’s about being a blessing to others. So, pray for people, give to people, check on your loved ones, and let them know about the love of Christ.
#love #people #reflect #Christ #give #generosity #share #Jesus #righteousness #life #peace #found #in #Son #of #God #Spirit #new #goodness #grow #scripture #Word #devotional #devo #growth
Galatians 6:2 ESV Bear one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ.
This doesn’t mean we become a dumping ground for people’s problems. This means we uphold, sustain, or support one another.
As always, we need to allow the Holy Spirit to lead us as to how to bear another’s burdens. It could be a weekly prayer call, monthly breakfast, or a daily text. Whatever He tells us to do, do it.
As we bear each other’s burdens, it lightens people’s load in life. It lets people realize God loves them enough to place people in their life to help them. It gives us a purpose in supporting the citizens of the Kingdom of God.
Be a blessing by bearing each other’s burdens.
Inspired by David Winston
#encourage #support #others #love #one #another #for #God #so #loved #us #freelove #Jesus #Christ #Savior #Spirit #devo #grow #scripture #everyday #devotional
Some believers (not all) have become bitter. They get saved, but over time, they let everyone know what’s wrong in the church. They feel some kind of way when they’re not satisfied in church, and they constantly complain.
Instead of pointing out the negatives in the church (and there are some negatives), find a solution. If you feel like the youth are running wild, implement a youth program in your church. If you feel like your church should do more for the community, be on the board. If you feel like your pastor is not accurately preaching the gospel, be their advisor or start a church yourself.
Standing back and criticizing pastors and the church on social media or with your friends is not helping anyone. It’s actually causing more division in the body of Christ. As the famous quote says, “Be the change you want to see.”
Hebrews 12:15 NLT Look after each other so that none of you fails to receive the grace of God. Watch out that no poisonous root of bitterness grows up to trouble you, corrupting many.
#bethechange #uproot #bitterness #live #free #in #Christ #God #help #others #stopcomplaining #befree #peace #harmony #loveothers #Jesus #loves #scripture #devo #Bible #growth
Proverbs 13:11 Wealth from get-rich-quick schemes quickly disappears; wealth from hard work grows over time.
Most of us wouldn’t mind getting $1,000,000 tomorrow. We can see ourselves doing great things with it. There’s nothing wrong with believing God to be wealthy to expand the Kingdom of God, be a blessing, and enjoy life (in that order).
In Exodus 12:36, the children of Israel went from being slaves to being wealthy instantly. They obviously didn’t know how to handle that kind of wealth because in Exodus 32, they ended up building and worshiping a golden calf.
If some of us get that kind of wealth, some of us would lose it in 5 years or less. With wealth comes responsibility. We need to seek God on where the money should go, learn how money works, and get wise counsel on how to manage that kind of money.
Once again, there’s nothing wrong with believing God to be wealthy. Just be sure to get God-given wisdom with that $1,000,000. If not, you’ll end up worshiping money instead of using it as a tool to do great things.
#learn #grow #seek #God #help #wisdom #counsel #be #wise #teachable #Jesus #Christ #Savior #King #Friend #Holy #Spirit #Counselor #Guide #lean #rely #trust #stand #on #Word #devotional #scripture
During Christmas, there are people who have a problem with gift giving. They think Christmas has nothing to do with giving or receiving gifts. They think it takes away from the heart of Christmas.
The heart of Christmas is gift giving. There would be no Christmas if God hadn’t sent His Son as a gift. God gave us His Son (John 3:16). God gave us the gift of grace (Eph. 2:8-9). We’re encouraged to give to the Kingdom and others (Luke 6:38; 2 Cor. 9:10). It’s understood that we give to our children (Matt. 7:11).
I’ll admit there are some who forget Jesus and totally make Christmas about gifts, but the concept of gift giving isn’t wrong. Don’t try to be so deep until you miss that gift giving is all throughout the bible, and it is highly encouraged. Be a giver.
Proverbs 11:25 NIV A generous person will prosper; whoever refreshes others will be refreshed.
#generosity #giving #be #generous #God #gave #us #His #best #Jesus #Christ #Savior #Spirit #devo #grow #scripture #everyday #devotional
Hosea 3:1 Then the Lord said to me, “Go and love your wife again, even though she commits adultery with another lover. This will illustrate that the Lord still loves Israel, even though the people have turned to other gods and love to worship them.”
God shows His abundant mercy to us. Even when we turn our backs on God, He still loves and pursues us. He’s not holding our sins against us or reminding us of where we missed the mark. He’s actively pursuing us.
Satan will attempt to make us feel unworthy of God’s love when we miss it. He’ll let us know God isn’t pleased with us based on our performance, or we’ll have to start all over earning our “blessing points.” All lies.
Like a husband going after a cheating wife, God sees us intentionally missing the mark, but continues to pursue us, desiring a more intimate relationship with Him. This is God’s love for us.
#unfailing #neverending #Love #God #loves #us #celebrate #Jesus #changes #empowers #restores #gives #hope #appreciate #Christ #Way #Truth #Life #Spirit #devo #grow #scripture #everyday #devotional
Before the law: Genesis 15:6 NLT And Abram believed the Lord, and the Lord counted him as righteous because of his faith.
During the law: Deuteronomy 6:25 NLT For we will be counted as righteous when we obey all the commands the Lord our God has given us.
After the law: Romans 3:22 NLT We are made right with God by placing our faith in Jesus Christ. And this is true for everyone who believes, no matter who we are.
Righteous means right standing with God. Above, we see 3 types of righteousness: before the law, during the law, and after the law. Before the law, Abram believed God, and he was counted as righteous. After the law, people were counted as righteous for obeying all the commands of the Lord. After the sacrifice of Jesus, anyone who placed their faith in Jesus was made righteous.
There are some who attempt to be made righteous like Abram. They believe what God says about them. They believe God loves them and they’re a good person. The problem with this type of righteousness is that there’s no redemption. They have no Savior. They’re still separated from God because of their sinful nature (Rom. 8:8).
There are some who attempt to be made righteous by keeping the law. They believe their performance in keeping the law makes them righteous. Romans 3:20 says no one can ever be made right with God by doing what the law commands. No matter how many laws they keep, their sin makes them appear filthy in the eyes of God (Isaiah 64:6).
Then there are those of us who have made Jesus Christ Lord. Our faith in His sacrifice for us, makes us righteous. No performance is necessary to receive this righteousness.
Our faith in what Jesus accomplished should be enough. However, there are still some believers who believe Jesus died for their sin, but they also think they need to keep the law to be fully accepted by God. For them, Jesus isn’t enough. They think they must do their part to be fully made righteous. The problem with this mentality is that as soon as they miss the mark (and they will), there’s feelings of guilt, shame, and condemnation. The burden to be made righteous is partially on them.
Understand any righteousness before Christ is obsolete. We CANNOT be made righteous on our own, and any attempt from us to assist Jesus for our righteousness disrespects the sacrifice of Jesus.
#jesus #is #everything #we #need #made #righteous #in #Christ #receive #Savior #Lord #trust #God #Way #Truth #Life #Spirit #devo #grow #scripture #everyday #devotional
Luke 2:10-11 NLT but the angel reassured them. “Don’t be afraid!” he said. “I bring you good news that will bring great joy to all people. The Savior—yes, the Messiah, the Lord—has been born today in Bethlehem, the city of David!
It’s true, Jesus wasn’t born on December 25th. Some say he was born in August. Others suggest He was born in April. No one really knows the day He was born. We all should be glad He was born.
People, believers included, like to criticize people for celebrating His birth on December 25th. They say that’s a Pagan holiday or that day celebrates the birth of another god. Based on the Word, every day is a day that the Lord has made and we should rejoice and be glad in it (Ps. 118:24).
Although Jesus wasn’t born on December 25th, that’s the day most believers appreciate His birth. We should appreciate His birth every day, but that’s when most of us collectively celebrate His birth.
Christmas is not about Santa, reindeer, and snowmen. It’s about Jesus. If you don’t want to celebrate His birth on December 25th, that’s fine, but don’t criticize others who do. Let’s just make sure we all celebrate Him every day.
#celebrate #Jesus #Son #of #God #changes #empowers #restores #gives #hope #appreciate #Christ #Way #Truth #Life #Spirit #devo #grow #scripture #everyday #devotional
Daniel 11:32 KJV And such as do wickedly against the covenant shall he corrupt by flatteries: but the people that do know their God shall be strong, and do exploits.
If we pair this scripture with Hosea 4:6a, which says, “My people are being destroyed because they don’t know Me,” we can conclude that knowledge of God is extremely important.
There are people who claim to believe in God, but they don’t know God. They heard about God from others, but they don’t personally know Him. When they need a prayer answered, they hope He’ll come through, but they’re unsure. They heard about the miracles, but they don’t know if He’ll do one for them.
On the other hand, there are people who know about relating to God from an old covenant perspective, but they don’t know Him from a new covenant perspective. They still think their behavior and performance either get rewarded by God or bring punishment from God.
Knowledge of God comes through His word. God’s word tells us He loves us, and no mistake will take away His love (Rom. 8:31-39). God’s word lets us know He’ll answer our prayers when we ask according to His will (1 John 5:14-15). God’s word lets us know He’s not nor will He ever punish us based on our behavior (Rom. 4:8).
If we truly want to know God, we must accurately read His word. Don’t listen to fables or stories you’ve heard about God. Get to know Him for yourself by getting in His word.
#knowledge #know #goodFather #God #promises #protects #loves #defends #keeps #us #Jesus #Christ #the #same #yesterday #today #forever #consistent #love #persistent #grace #bible #scripture #wisdom
Genesis 17:17 NLT Then Abraham bowed down to the ground, but he laughed to himself in disbelief. “How could I become a father at the age of 100?” he thought. “And how can Sarah have a baby when she is ninety years old?”
We may have read or God may have told us about a promise that seems farfetched to our logical minds. It may be healing of an “incurable” illness, a house way out of our price range, or a child after 50. The promise may seem so unlikely to happen until some of us will do what Abraham did and laugh in disbelief.
When we find ourselves laughing in disbelief, that’s when it’s time to change our minds with the word of God. We need to stop considering what the doctor said, what we see in our bank accounts, and the bad decisions we made is the past and truly believe the word of God. We need to act like the word of God is powerful enough to change any situation. We need to have faith.
It may take some time to renew our minds to the word of God, but if we consistently meditate on the promise, speak the promise, and thank God in advance for the promise, God’s word will come to pass in our lives.
#have #faith #wait #expect #trust #faithful #God #keeps #promises #manifest #possibilities #impossible #is #possible #through #Jesus #Christ #Spirit #renew #mind #grow #speak #scripture #Word #devotional #devo #growth
Hebrews 2:15 NLT Only in this way could He set free all who have lived their lives as slaves to the fear of dying.
Jesus set free all who were slaves to the fear of death.
People who have made Jesus Christ their Lord and Savior have no reason to fear death. It doesn’t matter if we’re 19 or 99, we shouldn’t fear death.
The power of death was taken from Satan; all those who believe in Jesus immediately have eternal life. As soon as we leave this life, we’ll be present with the Lord (2 Cor. 5:8).
The only reason believers fear death is because of the misconception they have of their righteousness. They think their righteousness is based on their works or performance. They think if they don’t live a certain way, their actions will send them to hell.
The only people who are going to hell are people who rejected Jesus who paid the price for sin. Anyone who has put their faith in Jesus Christ receives His righteousness. We can’t do enough righteous acts to be accepted by God, but if we place our faith in Him, we automatically become righteous (Isaiah 64:6; Rom. 3:22).
Trust God’s word. If you’ve made Jesus Christ Lord, know you’re righteous and you’re on your way to heaven once you leave this earth. So, there’s no reason to fear death because Jesus conquered death.
#no #fear #have #faith #made #righteous #trust #faithful #God #keeps #promises #right #through #Jesus #Christ #Spirit #love #new #goodness #grow #scripture #Word #devotional #devo #growth
James 2:10 NLT For the person who keeps all of the laws except one is as guilty as a person who has broken all of God’s laws.
There are still some who want to be accepted by God by keeping the law. They dress in a certain way, eat certain foods, and observe certain days, thinking they’re keeping the law. They live by a few laws, not realizing there are over 600 laws. The scripture says that if we break one law, we’re guilty of breaking all the laws.
We will never be accepted by God for keeping the law because we can’t keep the law. The only one who was able to keep the entire law was Jesus. Jesus fulfilled the law (Matt. 5:17). Our faith in Him fulfilling the law allows us to be accepted by God. Our faith in Him makes us holy and righteous (Rom. 3:22).
So, do we throw the law away and live recklessly? Of course not. Sin still has natural consequences, but God is not accepting us according to our performance in keeping the law. Our righteousness is through our faith in Christ alone.
Romans 8:3 NLT The law of Moses was unable to save us because of the weakness of our sinful nature. So God did what the law could not do. He sent his own Son in a body like the bodies we sinners have. And in that body God declared an end to sin’s control over us by giving his Son as a sacrifice for our sins.
#made #righteous #right #with #God #through #Jesus #Loved #abundance #life #peace #found #in #Christ #Son #of #God #Spirit #new #goodness #grow #scripture #Word #devotional #devo #growth
John 11:35 NLT Then Jesus wept.
Jesus didn’t weep because He was sad that His friend Lazarus died. Why would He cry, knowing He was going to raise him up a few minutes later? Jesus wept because of the unbelief of Mary and Martha.
Mary, Martha, and Lazarus were very close friends. They knew who He was, and they saw what He could do. But now, Mary and Martha are sad and upset with Jesus for not being there sooner. They believed He could heal Lazarus while he was alive, but they didn’t believe He could raise him from the dead.
The unbelief of people who were close to Jesus was so disappointing until He wept.
Do you have a limited belief in the power of God? Do you think He can do some things, but not others? Do you believe He can still perform miracles, or is that not “logically possible?”
All He wants is our total belief to be on Him. Once our absolute faith and confidence is in Him, He can manifest what’s not naturally possible. Only believe.
#have #faith #be #strong #faithfight #expect #trust #faithful #God #keeps #promises #strength #life #power #authority #through #Jesus #Christ #Spirit #love #new #goodness #grow #scripture #Word #devotional #devo #growth
Hebrews 12:1-3 NLT Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a huge crowd of witnesses to the life of faith, let us strip off every weight that slows us down, especially the sin that so easily trips us up. And let us run with endurance the race God has set before us. We do this by keeping our eyes on Jesus, the champion who initiates and perfects our faith. Because of the joy awaiting him, he endured the cross, disregarding its shame. Now, he is seated in the place of honor beside God’s throne. Think of all the hostility he endured from sinful people; then you won’t become weary and give up.
This life is a journey. In order to be successful in this journey, we must strip off every weight that slows us down. There are sinful weights and non-sinful weights.
Sinful weights are obviously things contrary to God’s word, such as greed, sexual immorality, lying, fear, etc. Non-sinful weights are things we do in excess that distract us from growing in our relationship with God or reaching our goal. Non-sinful weights include gaming, being on social media, working, and socializing.
Both of these weights slow us down in our journey. To remove these weights, we must focus on Jesus. As we focus on Jesus and magnify what He endured for us, we’ll gladly take off these weights. Once these weights are removed, we’ll experience more of God and get to our God-given destination faster. Now, strip!
#God #first #Holy #Spirit #love #peace #prosper #progress #abundant #life #Jesus #Christ #repent #new #goodness #grow #scripture #Word #devotional #devo #growth
As we get older, we may experience some aches and pains. One person may ignore God’s word telling us we’re healed and agree with the doctor’s advice and take medicine and rest for days. Another person may ignore sound wisdom, consider themselves healed, rebel against the pain, and do more damage to their bodies.
That’s why it’s so important to listen to and be led by the Holy Spirit during these issues. God knows exactly what each person needs.
One person may have knee pain, and the doctor tells him to rest for a week. The Holy Spirit may agree with the doctor and tell him to rest and declare himself healed. Another person has the same knee pain, and the doctor tells her to rest for a week. However, the Holy Spirit tells her to rebel against the pain by walking a mile a day declaring she’s healed.
Both have knee pain, but because we’re all a little different, the Holy Spirit knows exactly what each person needs to get better.
Be sure to consult with the Holy Spirit each time we have an ailment. He’ll guide us to a place where our bodies agree with God’s word that says…
1 Peter 2:24b By His wounds you are healed.
#depend #relyon #trust #God #be #Spirit #led #greaterthan #morethan #enough #Jesus #Savior #helper #redeemer #restoration #confidence #Spirit #scripture #devotional #Word #life #growth
1 Chronicles 16:12 NIV Remember the wonders He has done, His miracles, and the judgments He pronounced,
As the year comes to an end, don’t be so anxious to move on to the next year without reflecting on ALL God has done.
He’s provided for us, He’s protected us, healing has manifested in our bodies, we’ve been delivered from sins, He’s paid off our bills, etc. With all He’s done, tell Him thank you. Give yourself at least 5 minutes to reflect on what He’s done and sincerely tell Him thank you.
Before you move on with plans and ideas for next year, reflect and be grateful for what He’s done this year. And just FYI… the year is not over. He still has time to do exceedingly, abundantly, above all that you ask or think (Ephesians 3:20).
#much #more #in #store #God #is #so #good #thankful #praise #gratitude #grateful #blessed #Jesus #Christ #life #Spirit #love #grow #scripture #Word #devotional #devo #growth
Philippians 3:8-9 NLT Yes, everything else is worthless when compared with the infinite value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have discarded everything else, counting it all as garbage, so that I could gain Christ and become one with him. I no longer count on my own righteousness through obeying the law; rather, I become righteous through faith in Christ. For God’s way of making us right with himself depends on faith.
Praying doesn’t keep us right with God. It’s Jesus.
Going to church doesn’t make us holy. It’s Jesus.
Fasting doesn’t connect us to God. It’s Jesus.
Dressing modestly doesn’t make us holy. It’s Jesus.
Reading the Bible doesn’t give us a good name with God. It’s Jesus.
Feeling guilty and punishing ourselves doesn’t cause forgiveness. It’s Jesus.
There’s nothing we can do to get us in right standing with God. All of our righteousness is like filthy rags in God’s eyes (Isaiah 64:6).
Only our belief in Jesus makes us right with God. It’s not about our performance but our faith in what Jesus accomplished for us.
#faith #Word #of #God #changes #empowers #restores #gives #hope #study #Jesus #Christ #Way #Truth #Life #Spirit #devo #grow #scripture #everyday #devotional
It’s not exercising that alleviates stress. It’s God.
It’s not being a vegan that keeps us healthy. It’s God.
It’s not our jobs that provide for us. It’s God.
It’s not medication that heals our bodies. It’s God.
It’s not our great driving abilities that keep us from a crash. It’s God.
It’s not the good neighborhood we live in that keeps people from breaking into our houses. It’s God.
It’s not our great parenting that has our children on the honor roll. It’s God.
It’s not our hustle or grind that has us with more than enough finances. It’s God.
God definitely can use these things to enhance our lives, but be sure to give the credit and praise to God, not to the tools He’s using.
Psalms 20:7 NIV Some trust in chariots and some in horses, but we trust in the name of the Lord our God.
#trust #God #promises #protects #loves #defends #keeps #us #Jesus #Christ #the #same #yesterday #today #forever #consistent #love #persistent #grace
Hebrews 12:15 NLT Look after each other so that none of you fails to receive the grace of God. Watch out that no poisonous root of bitterness grows up to trouble you, corrupting many.
Bitterness can potentially take root in different ways. Bitterness can stem from our parents not being around, getting treated poorly, or not getting what we think we deserve.
Thoughts of bitterness about situations will show up, but it’s up to us if we allow bitterness to take root.
We couldn’t control our parents actions, but we can control our response to their actions. We can’t control our job picking someone else for that promotion, but we can control our response to them picking someone else.
Bitterness can’t take root if we focus on Jesus. If we focus on what He’s done for us, how He’s made a way for us to be in God’s family, how He sacrificed Himself for our sin, made us righteous, healed us, blessed us, and give us access to all of God’s promises, bitterness can’t stay.
We’ll realize although our parents weren’t the best, God is a Father to the fatherless (Ps. 68:5). We’ll realize God is the source of our promotions (Ps. 75:6-7). We’ll realize God’s promises are still available regardless of what we didn’t get in the natural (2 Cor. 1:20).
Ask the Holy Spirit if bitterness has taken root in your heart. If so, work with Him to uproot that bitterness and live an enjoyable abundant life (John 10:10).
#bitter #uproot #bitterness #live #free #in #Christ #God #helps #us #forgive #befree #release #hurt #loveothers #Jesus #loves #scripture #devo #Bible #growth
Proverbs 24:26 NLT An honest answer is like a kiss of friendship.
It’s important that we’re honest with everyone. We should be honest with our children, honest with our spouses, honest with our coworkers, and honest with ourselves.
People lie for multiple reasons. They lie to spare a person’s feelings, they lie to “preserve a child’s innocence,” or they lie to avoid consequences. At the end of it all, a lie is based in fear. When a person lies, they’re afraid the truth will somehow harm them or the other person.
As we can see from scripture, honesty does the opposite of what we think. We think being honest will push people away, but it actually draws them closer to us. Honesty proves we can be trusted. If we lie about one thing, how can we be trusted in other areas?
Stop lying to “keep the peace.” Stop lying to make yourself look good. Stop lying to avoid consequences. Be honest with everyone to keep your conscience clear and to display your integrity.
When someone asks you a question, be completely honest with them.
#honesty #truth #love #behonest #nolie #kindness #God #Jesus #Spirit #peace #scripture #Word #growth
Graced To Do God's Will 