Category: Inspirational

Scripture for Friday, August 5 (8/5)

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The scripture for today, August 5, is Romans 8:5 as found in the New Testament of the Bible:

Life-Changing-Scriptures-Cover-medium“Those who live according to the sinful nature have their minds set on what that nature desires, but those who live in accordance with the Spirit have their minds set on what the Spirit desires.”

That makes sense to a Christian. But how are you supposed to know what the Spirit desires? Certainly, God doesn’t leave you to guessing.

Jesus said in John 14:17 that he was going to send the Comforter ~ the SPIRIT OF TRUTH. And in John 17:17, talking to the same people, he said, GOD’S WORD IS TRUTH. Amazingly simple.

If you want to know what the Spirit desires, then find out what the Word desires. God has given you the Bible full of examples of every possible circumstance and experience of life ~ what works and what doesn’t work.

Someone says, “Well, I shall let the Spirit move my heart.” However, by researching all verses in the Bible where someone’s heart was moved, it was always by God the Father, not God the Spirit. Isn’t that interesting? Not what most of us have been told.

You can always rely on what the Bible says, which is exactly what the Spirit says.

DISCUSSION QUESTION: HAVE YOU EVER BEEN TAUGHT SOMETHING ABOUT THE HOLY SPIRIT THAT DOES NOT MAKE SENSE TO YOU?

Scripture for Thursday, August 4 (8/4)

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The scripture for today, August 4, is Acts 8:4 as found in the New Testament of the Bible:

“Those who had been scattered preached the word wherever they went.”PAUL COVER-KINDLE-

Sometimes our plans get scattered, our dreams shattered. We lose our home, our job, our chance at an education, our savings, our family.

Satan loves to discourage us. He’s good at it. But Romans 8:28 says that God can make something good come out of all things ~ good or bad.

What about us? What if, for instance, we lose our home or job and go to another one? We are the same person we were at the old home or job as the new one. Are we sharing the Good News right now? If we’re not, then what is the likelihood we will be any different when our life is “scattered”?

DISCUSSION QUESTION: HAVE YOU EVER LOST SOMETHING IMPORTANT, GRIEVED, THEN IT WAS REPLACED BY SOMETHING BETTER?

Scripture for Wednesday, August 3 (8/3)

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The scripture for today, August 3, is 1st Corinthians 8:3 as found in the New Testament of the Bible.

HS-COVER-KINDLE-GOLD“But the man who loves God is known by God.”

How can God know us all individually? Just how does God do it? There are multiplied millions of us. All praying with our own set of problems, sometimes thousands of us at once. All singing our various hymns. All trying to do right in the name of God.

This Creator of the entire universe, the Maker of stars and sunflowers and little puppies and unfathomable oceans, knows each person who loves him. Not “knows about”, but KNOWS! With all that is going on in the world, yea even in the universe, he still knows which ones of us love him, and he takes the time to know us!

How large he is. How small we are.
Utter amazement!
And so we worship him.

DISCUSSION QUESTION: IF YOU COULD SEE GOD, COULD HE BE ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE WORLD AT THE SAME TIME?

Scripture for Tuesday, August 2 (8/2)

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The scripture for today, August 2, is Matthew 8:2 as found in the New Testament of the Bible:

PAUL COVER-KINDLE-A man with leprosy came and knelt before him and said, ‘Lord, if you are willing, you can make me clean.’ Jesus reached out his hand and touched the man. ‘I am willing,’ he said. ‘Be clean!’ Immediately he was cured of his leprosy.’ “

People in Jesus’ day who had leprosy had to live outside of town in what we would call a leper colony. And if someone without leprosy started getting close to them, they were required to call out, “Unclean! Unclean!”

But here was a man who apparently pushed his way through a crowd where he didn’t belong. He didn’t ask Jesus if he could heal him; he asked if he was willing to. After all, he was “unclean”. Remarkably, Jesus said yes.

Then Jesus did another remarkable thing: He touched the man. He touched the leprosy. Not only was he willing to be seen with an unclean man, he was willing to touch him.

Jesus still does this today. When we come to him with a diseased heart wondering if we are good enough, Jesus reaches out across the centuries and touches us. And his voice echoes across the centuries and says, “I am willing.”

No matter how much sin mars your life, Jesus still today can say, “Be clean.”

DISCUSSION QUESTION: IS THERE ANYTHING IN YOUR LIFE THAT MAKES YOU FEEL SO UNCLEAN JESUS CANNOT HEAL IT?

Scripture for Monday, August 1 (8/1)

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The scripture for today, August 1, is Romans 8:1 as found in the New Testament of the Bible:

CHANGES IN WORSHIP-COVER-KINDLE“Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.”

There are a lot of religious groups out there in the world who control their people with fear. If you don’t do such and such, it proves you aren’t spiritual enough. If you do such and such one second before you die, you’re going to hell.

They put burdens on you that just are not in the New Testament. By making you feel guilty, they make you depend on them for your salvation and that boosts their ego. The Apostle Paul wrote to the congregations in Galatia (today’s Turkey) and warned them with tears:

“I am astonished that you are so quickly deserting the one who called you by the grace of Christ and are turning to a different gospel ~ which is really no gospel at all. Evidently some people are throwing you into confusion and are trying to pervert the gospel of Christ. But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach a gospel other than the one we preached [past tense] to you, let him be eternally condemned!

“As we have already said, so now I say again: If anybody is preaching to you a gospel other than what you accepted, let him be eternally condemned! Am I now trying to win the approval of men or of God? Or am I trying to please men? ” (Galatians 1:6-10).

Are you sure you are IN Christ Jesus? Do your church leaders dance around scriptures they wish weren’t in the Bible and tell you they don’t really mean what they say? Or add things that the scriptures say nothing about?

Are you sure they aren’t people pleasers instead of God pleasers? What do they do with Romans 6:3-4? Look it up and compare.

Oh to be sure we are indeed IN Christ Jesus. This is our longing. Our hope. Our reason for being.

DISCUSSION QUESTION: WERE YOU EVER TOLD SOMETHING BY YOUR RELIGIOUS LEADER THAT TURNED OUT NOT TO BE TRUE?

Scripture for Sunday, July 31 (7/31)

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The scripture for today, July 31 is 1st Corinthians 7:31b as found in the New Testament of the Bible:

0-Cover-KINDLE“For this world in its present form is passing away.”

How easily that which we have slaved for over a period of years can pass away. It can happen as the result of fire, flood, storm, war, economic crisis. Every day something in this world “is passing away.”

What are we working for day to day? That which can so easily pass away? Or that which is eternal and will never pass away? What are your plans for today? Think about it.

DISCUSSION QUESTION: WHAT ETERNAL THING CAN YOU WORK ON EVERY DAY?

Scripture for Saturday, July 30 (7/30)

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The scripture for today, July 30, is John 7:30 as found in the New Testament of the Bible:

0-BOOK 2-DREAM MAKER-COVER“At this, they tried to seize him, but no one laid a hand on him because his time had not yet come.”

Even though during the last year of his life, many people wanted to kill Jesus out of jealousy or fear or pure meanness, he was never afraid to keep teaching. Why? Because he knew his life was ultimately in the hands of the heavenly Father.

Do we feel fear sometimes because of things going on around us? Do we fear failure, or ruin, or false rumors, or even imprisonment or our life? Remember, each life is in the heavenly Father’s hands.

So do not fear. Keep on keeping on. Hold fast. Stand firm. Do the right thing. Stand up for Jesus. His Father will not let you come to any harm. And, if some day, your time does come, know that God has everything under control. And God will never, ever, ever stop loving you.

DISCUSSION QUESTION: WHAT DO YOU FEAR RIGHT NOW? WHAT CAN HELP YOU CONTROL IT?

Scripture for Friday, July 29 (7/29)

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The scripture for today, July 29, is Ecclesiastes 7:29 as found in the Old Testament of the Bible:

0-Cover-KINDLE“This only have I found: God made mankind upright, but men have gone in search of many schemes.”

We begin our lives upright ~ sinless. But as we grow out of innocent childhood, we begin to want recognition, money, and to make our surroundings beautiful. And we tend to scheme to get them.

True, God does not want to deprive us if we can obtain these things. But Solomon (who wrote this), with all his worldwide fame, wealth, and beauty, still felt empty. Actually, we can even read the Bible and go to worship and still feel empty. Why? Because we need to add good works to our faith (James 2) ~ helping others with the same enthusiasm that we pursue recognition, money, and beauty.

Sometimes to fill our emptiness, we need to just return to our early childhood when we saw life through innocent eyes. Through simple eyes. Through eyes that believe so easily in God, and so easily love him.

Sometimes as we progress through life, let us return to that more innocent way of life.

DISCUSSION QUESTION: IS THERE SOMETHING IN YOUR LIFE YOU HAVE BEGUN TO BE OBSESSED ABOUT? DO YOU THINK YOU SHOULD TRY TO BACK OFF FROM IT AWHILE TO GET A FRESH PERSPECTIVE?

Scripture for Thursday, July 28 (7/28)

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The scripture for today, July 28, is 2nd Samuel 7:28 as found in the Old Testament of the Bible:

Oldoldstory-COVER-KINDLE“O Sovereign Lord, you are God! Your words are trustworthy, and you have promised these good things to your servant.”

What a beautiful praise. Praising God is different from thanking him. It is acknowledging him for His traits ~ not for what He does, but what He is.

He is trustworthy!
He is able to hear all our prayers at once!
He is everywhere and all knowing!
He is perfect love!
He is anxious to forgive!
He considers us his children!

Today, let us praise Him.

DISCUSSION QUESTION: THANKING GOD CENTERS ON WHAT HE HAS DONE. PRAISING GOD CENTERS ON WHAT HE IS. NAME AN ATTRIBUTE OF GOD NOT LISTED ABOVE.

Scripture for Wednesday, July 27 (7/27)

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The scripture for today, July 27, is Luke 7:27 as found in the New Testament of the Bible:

0-BOOK 3-HEARTS AFIRE-COVER“This is the one about whom it is written: ‘I will send my messenger ahead of you, who will prepare your way before you.’ “

“The way” could also be considered “the path” or “the road”. To prepare “the way” would be to straighten out the curves temporarily leading in the wrong direction, or clear out the stumbling rocks, or fill in the jarring ruts made when it rains.

We can prepare “the way” ahead of crises for our loved ones by example, by being a true friend, by prayer, by sharing the Word of God. Life is hard. Are we always preparing “the way” for people we know?

Today think of someone for whom you can begin to prepare “the way”.

DISCUSSION QUESTION: TELL ABOUT A TIME WHEN SOMEONE PREPARED THE WAY FOR YOU TO GO THROUGH A DIFFICULT TIME.