16 At my first defense no one came to stand by me, but all deserted me. May it not be charged against them! (2 Timothy 4:16 ESV) When we are going through a tough time and those who we counted on abandon us, it can create a great amount of animosity. This...
Dominion
133 Keep steady my steps according to your promise, and let no iniquity get dominion over me. (Psalm 119:133 ESV) What has dominion over you? Have you ever really considered this question? What is it in your life that rules you and takes up too much of your time. Nothing rules me,...
Not a Cover-up
16 Live as people who are free, not using your freedom as a cover-up for evil, but living as servants[a] of God. (1 Peter 2:16 ESV) We have a freedom in Christ that can be almost too empowering. Knowing that Christ died for all of our sins, past, present and future provides us...
Constructive
”Everything is permissible”, but not everything is beneficial. “Everything is permissible, but not everything is constructive. Nobody should seek his own good, but the good of others. (1 Corinthians 10:23-24) I want us to focus on the word “constructive” from today’s scripture. This was written at a time when many...
Not Your Own Doing
8 For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, (Ephesians 2:8 ESV) Maybe one of the more difficult concepts for people to get past is the fact that God offers salvation as a gift. There is nothing we can do that...