The Best News!
Years ago, I had the privilege of leading a vibrant college group. However, when we announced our plan to visit a nearby airport to share our faith, attendance took a surprising plunge. Join me in today’s video as we explore some valuable tips for effectively sharing the good news with others!
Those Led by the Spirit are the Children of God
As you delve into the Ten Commandments, you encounter the directive to honor your parents, promising longevity as a reward. Similarly, upon embracing Christianity, it’s imperative to honor your heavenly Father. As God lovingly guides us in the role of a caring parent, a profound transformation unfolds within us, gradually molding us into the likeness of Christ with each passing day. To learn more, watch today’s video based on Romans 8:14-17.
We have an Obligation
When you embrace Christ as your Savior and Lord, you entrust Him with the helm of your life. He graciously bestows upon you His guiding Spirit to lead and counsel you. While His divine assistance is ever-present to support you, there are moments when we may stray from His intended path. To learn more, watch today’s video based on Romans 8:11-13.
The Spirit of Christ
When you place your trust in Jesus as your Lord and Savior, a transformative renewal occurs within you. Through the profound work of the Holy Spirit, you are reborn and recreated in the likeness of Christ Jesus. To learn more, watch today’s video based on Romans 8:9-10.
The Things God Desires
When you come to realize that God does not condemn you, you experience true freedom. The Lord gives you the Holy Spirit, who guides you in the right direction, leading to a transformation in your desires. Your focus shifts to the things of God, aligning your mind with His will. To gain a deeper understanding, I recommend watching today’s video based on Romans 8:3-8.
Because of Jesus
If you place your trust in God, He will not condemn you. You don’t have to be perfect! In fact, God has liberated you from the law of sin and death. To delve deeper into this liberating truth, I encourage you to watch today’s video centered on Romans 8:1-3.
The original New Testament did not include divisions into chapters. This can sometimes lead us to read disjointedly, missing the continuity of the message. Romans 8 serves as a prime example of this continuity. In Romans 7, Paul candidly discusses the internal struggles he faces—desiring to do what is right yet often falling short. This dilemma can easily discourage one, making a life that pleases God seem unattainable. However, at the chapter’s close, Paul shifts his focus to gratitude, proclaiming, “Thanks be to God, who delivers me through Jesus Christ our Lord!” This sets the stage for Romans 8, where we learn that for those in Christ, there is no condemnation. To delve deeper into this transformative truth, I encourage you to watch today’s video centered on Romans 8:1.
Frustrated or Freed?
When I walk into my study to make a call, I often find myself checking my texts first. Before I know it, I’m engrossed in replying to a text and completely forget about making the call. Then, someone interrupts me, and I end up not only failing to respond to the text but also completely forgetting about the phone call. Can you relate to this situation? Do you also feel frustrated by such distractions?
Paul’s experience resonates with many of us. He was deeply frustrated with his life, especially with the tendency to do what he didn’t want to do and neglect what he truly desired. However, he had a transformative realization that he was set free from this struggle through Jesus Christ! To learn more, listen to today’s thought is based on Romans 7:21-25.
Every morning, I make it a priority to rise early and begin my day with prayer. I then take the time to carefully plan out my day and entrust it to God’s guidance. However, more often than not, the day doesn’t unfold according to my plans. I find myself facing distractions and challenges that lead me away from what I had hoped to accomplish.
In reflecting on this, I resonate with Paul’s message that our deepest desire is to please God. Yet, we struggle with the influence of our old sinful nature, which can derail our intentions and lead us to actions that are contrary to our true desires. It’s a constant battle to stay focused and aligned with God’s will amidst life’s distractions and temptations. To learn more, listen to today’s thought is based on Romans 7:18-20.
I know I Shouldn’t Do That
Back when I was in high school, every student knew that you had to have your parents call in to say you were sick. If you didn’t call in and just skipped school, you were in trouble. Now, these were the days before caller ID, and students would sometimes persuade other students to call in sick for them. Sometimes it worked.
Evidently, on the opening day of baseball, many students cut school by calling in sick. The problem for these students is that the Dean was watching the game on TV in his office and spotted many students, who were promptly suspended. This is the rule-breaking tendency that Paul discusses. To learn more, listen to today’s thought based on Romans 7:7-12.
The Gift that Leads to Holiness
Understanding sin with clarity helps. It’s possible that your journey to trusting in Christ began with the recognition of your abundant faults, understanding that only the Lord could provide assistance. Yet, now that you have encountered Jesus and experienced liberation from your sins, it’s imperative to ensure that your life is dedicated to living for God. To learn more, listen to today’s thought is based on Romans 6:21-23.
Alive to God
The remnants of our former life persistently resurface, tempting us with their allure. Initially enticing, sin ultimately inflicts harm upon us and those in our midst. However, in our newfound relationship with Jesus, we discover the refreshing embrace of God’s grace, sustaining us day by day. To learn more, listen to today’s thought is based on Romans 6:11-14.
Set Free from Sin
Romans 6:5-10 beautifully illustrates the transformative power of Christ’s salvation in our lives. Unable to rescue ourselves from sin’s grip, Christ selflessly takes our place, sacrificing Himself on our behalf. In His death, our old selves—laden with sins, struggles, and imperfections—are crucified with Him. Yet, just as death could not contain Jesus, He triumphantly rises from the grave, and in Him, we too are raised to new life. To learn more, listen to today’s thought is based on Romans 6:5-10.
In Times of Trouble turn to Jesus
In John 14:1-6, Jesus consoles his disciples, saying, “Do not let your hearts be troubled. You believe in God; believe also in me. My Father’s house has many rooms; if that were not so, would I have told you that I am going there to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am. You know the way to the place where I am going.”
The Stone
Jesus, looking directly at them, asked about the meaning of the scripture that says, “The stone the builders rejected has become the cornerstone.” He explained that those who stumble over this stone will be broken, while those it falls upon will be crushed. This analogy highlights Jesus as the pivotal foundation of faith and warns of the consequences of rejecting or ignoring him. Today’s thought is based on Matthew 20:17
Money Changer
As Christian’s we need to guard against turning the church into a business. Doing this robs our lives and churches of purpose and love or God. Never puts the program before God! Jesus reacted to this when he cleared the temple. Today’s thought is based on Luke 19:45-46.
Go and Sin No More
Remember that story about the woman caught in adultery? Jesus said, “Let the one who has never sinned throw the first stone.” All her accusers ended up leaving! But then Jesus told her, “Go and don’t sin anymore.” In Romans 6, the Bible tell us that God forgives us freely, but when He forgives, He wants us to live a life that’s free from sin and dedicated to following Christ! To learn more, listen to today’s devotion based on Romans 6:1-4
The Obedience of One
I once met someone who told me about the pain their father caused them. He had been hurting her since she was a young teenager, leaving deep scars that were difficult to heal. She felt trapped until she found someone who could give her a fresh start. That someone was Jesus, our Savior. To learn more, listen to today’s devotion based on Romans 5:17.
One Brings Down, the Other Up
We all have had a relative who brought us down. His name? Adam. According to biblical teachings, Adam’s fall into sin tainted his nature, rendering him unable to pass on sinlessness to his descendants. However, the same scriptures also illuminate the redemptive narrative of Jesus Christ, who, being fully human and fully divine, triumphed over this inherent flaw through his sacrificial death on the cross. To learn more, listen to today’s devotion based on Romans 5:15.
March 7, 2024
Peace with God
When we place our trust in Jesus, we are declared righteous by the Father through our faith in Him. This act of justification brings about an incredible outcome: peace. It’s a peace that transcends understanding, a deep sense of tranquility that envelops our hearts and minds. This peace isn’t merely the absence of conflict; it’s a profound assurance of being reconciled with God, of being in right standing with Him. To learn more listen to today’s thought based on Romans 5:1-2.
March 6, 2024
No Wavering
Abraham’s faith in God’s promise of a son at his advanced age defied earthly logic. Despite the apparent impossibility, Abraham’s intimate relationship with God fueled his unwavering trust in divine providence. Similarly, we anchor our hope in the assurance of eternal life by placing our trust in God, recognizing that He can accomplish what is beyond our human comprehension. Just as Abraham trusted God’s unfailing faithfulness, so too do we entrust our eternal destiny into His loving hands, confident that He will fulfill His promises to those who believe in Him. Today’s thought is based on Romans 4:18-24.
March 5, 2024
The Promise by Faith
In his letter to the Romans, Paul emphasizes that God’s promises are not tied to adherence to the law, but are instead rooted in faith. He highlights the transformative power of trust in God’s undeserved favor, contrasting it with legalistic observance. Paul invites us to understand that our righteousness is not earned through rules, but freely given as we trust in God’s grace. This perspective underscores the centrality of faith in accessing the fullness of God’s promises, offering a liberating alternative to legalism. Today’s thought is based on Romans 4:14-17