Accomplishing the Impossible(Part 2)

“The disciples were astounded. ‘Then who in the world can be saved?’ they asked. Jesus looked at them intently and said, ‘Humanly speaking, it is impossible. But not with God. Everything is possible with God.” (Mark 10:26-27 NLT) Perhaps a major reason we wrestle with that which, in our minds, is impossible, is because weContinue reading “Accomplishing the Impossible(Part 2)”

Accomplishing the Impossible

“It was by faith that Moses left the land of Egypt, not fearing the king’s anger. He kept right on going because he kept his eyes on the one who is invisible.” (Hebrews 11:27 NLT) Have you ever marveled at the accomplishments of someone who is really good at something? At Christmas time I haveContinue reading “Accomplishing the Impossible”

Grace and Karma

“For the law was given by Moses, but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ.” (John 1:17 KJV) If you’ve been around church very long you’ve probably heard grace defined as “God’s undeserved gift of love or kindness,” which is right, it’s just incomplete. To seek to define grace fully is like trying to defineContinue reading “Grace and Karma”

Forgiveness and Transformation

“Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect.” (Romans 12:2 NLT) God’s design and desire for us is to become a brand-newContinue reading “Forgiveness and Transformation”

Repentance and Salvation

“For the kind of sorrow God wants us to experience leads us away from sin and results in salvation. There’s no regret for that kind of sorrow. But worldly sorrow, which lacks repentance, results in spiritual death.” (2 Corinthians 7:10 NLT) Without any desire to judge the intent of a person’s heart when they comeContinue reading “Repentance and Salvation”

Belief and Hope

“I have the same hope in God that these men have, that He will raise both the righteous and the unrighteous.” (Acts 24:15 NLT) As we continue our look into the “couples” of the Bible, today we’ll consider the relationship between hope and belief. While similar in some ways, they stand alone in the emphasisContinue reading “Belief and Hope”

Joy and Delight

“The women ran quickly from the tomb. They were very frightened but also filled with great joy, and they rushed to give the disciples the angel’s message.” (Matthew 28:8 NLT) Joy isn’t the giddiness experienced by a child as they open gifts at Christmas. It’s a deep, abiding satisfaction that gives evidence of the delightContinue reading “Joy and Delight”

Failure and Fullness

“From His abundance we have all received one gracious blessing after another.” (John 1:16 NLT) Failure, like so many areas and activities of our lives, is relative. Some, unfamiliar with the truth behind Jesus’ sacrifice, would dare say He was a failure. After all, a bright, young, Rabbi got Himself murdered on a cross atContinue reading “Failure and Fullness”

Pain and Suffering (Part 2)

“The field is the world, and the good seed represents the people of the Kingdom. The weeds are the people who belong to the evil one.” (Matthew 13:38 NLT) In yesterday’s post we looked at pain and suffering from the standpoint of our own responsibility. We considered that much of what we often tend toContinue reading “Pain and Suffering (Part 2)”

Pain and Suffering

“What we do see is Jesus, who was given a position ‘a little lower than the angels’; and because He suffered death for us, He is now ‘crowned with glory and honor.’ Yes, by God’s grace, Jesus tasted death for everyone.” (Hebrews 2:9 NLT) Pain and suffering are the common denominators of each member ofContinue reading “Pain and Suffering”