Our Awesome God

As Far as the East Is from the West Psalm 103:12 (NLT) He has removed our sins as far from us as the east is from the west. Isaiah 43:25 (NLT) “I—yes, I alone—will blot out your sins for my own sake and will never think of them again.” Ephesians 1:7 (NLT) He is so rich in kindness and grace that he purchased our freedom with the blood of his Son and forgave our sins. 1 John 1:9 (NLT) But if we confess our sins to him, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all wickedness. Matthew 6:14 (NLT) “If you forgive those who sin against you, your heavenly Father will forgive you.” Ephesians 4:32 (NLT) Instead, be kind to each other, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, just as God through Christ has forgiven you. Colossians 3:13 (NLT) Make allowance for each other’s faults, and forgive anyone who offends you. Remember, the Lord forgave you, so you must forgive others. I love the message in the song Holy Water by We the Kingdom. There is something so beautiful abo...

 ASK. LOVE. PURSUE. A Simple Blueprint for Living Faithfully Matthew 7:7 (NLT) “Keep on asking, and you will receive what you ask for. Keep on seeking, and you will find. Keep on knocking, and the door will be opened to you.” Galatians 3:28 (NLT) “There is no longer Jew or Gentile, slave or free, male and female. For you are all one in Christ Jesus.” 1 Timothy 6:11–12 (NLT) “But you, Timothy, are a man of God; so run from all these evil things. Pursue righteousness and a godly life, along with faith, love, perseverance, and gentleness. Fight the good fight for the true faith. Hold tightly to the eternal life to which God has called you, which you have so well confessed before many witnesses.” Sometimes I think we make following Jesus harder than it needs to be. We read books, listen to sermons, attend Bible studies, search for the perfect formula, and wonder why living the Christian life can feel so exhausting. We ask ourselves questions like, Am I doing enough? Am I praying enough...

  Trusting the God Who Is For Us Scripture First Psalm 25:4–5 (NLT) “Show me the right path, O Lord; point out the road for me to follow. Lead me by your truth and teach me, for you are the God who saves me. All day long I put my hope in you.” Isaiah 30:18 (NLT) “So the Lord must wait for you to come to him so he can show you his love and compassion. For the Lord is a faithful God. Blessed are those who wait for his help.” Lamentations 3:25 (NLT) “The Lord is good to those who depend on him, to those who search for him.” God Is Not Against You Have you ever wished God would just give you a map? I know I have. Sometimes I want God to show me the whole road. I want to know where we're going, how we're going to get there, how long it will take, and preferably what potholes I'm going to hit along the way! 😂 But God rarely gives us the whole map. Instead, He gives us the next step. Psalm 25:4–5 is one of those prayers we can all pray: “Show me the right path, O Lord.” Not, “Lor...

  When God Brings Us Back to Our Purpose Scripture “My soul yearns for you in the night; in the morning my spirit longs for you.” — Isaiah 26:9, NLT “And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Advocate, who will never leave you.” — John 14:16, NLT “The godly walk with integrity; blessed are their children who follow them.” — Proverbs 20:7, NLT “Many nations will join themselves to the LORD on that day and will become his people.” — Zechariah 2:11, NLT When Our Souls Long for God These four Scriptures weave together a beautiful picture of what happens when we live in relationship with God. It begins with a longing. Isaiah says, “My soul yearns for you in the night; in the morning my spirit longs for you.” There is something very honest about that verse. There are nights when we lie awake with our minds racing, wondering how tomorrow will work out. There are mornings when we wake up and the problems of life are waiting for us before our feet even hit the floor. Yet Isaia...

  When Your Soul Is Running on Empty Scripture Matthew 22:37 (NLT) Jesus replied, “You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your mind.” Isaiah 32:15 (NLT) Until at last the Spirit is poured out on us from heaven. Then the wilderness will become a fertile field, and the fertile field will yield bountiful crops. Psalm 119:105 (NLT) Your word is a lamp to guide my feet and a light for my path. Psalm 73:26 (NLT) My health may fail, and my spirit may grow weak, but God remains the strength of my heart; he is mine forever. Exodus 14:14 (NLT) The Lord himself will fight for you. Just stay calm. When We Are Simply Worn Out Have you ever reached a place where you are just…tired? Not the kind of tired that a good night's sleep fixes. I mean soul tired. Your schedule is full. Your mind won't shut off. There are bills to worry about, people who need you, decisions that have to be made, problems that don't seem to have answers, and sometimes you wonder...

 God Looks Past the Outside Matthew 23:23-26 “What sorrow awaits you teachers of religious law and you Pharisees. Hypocrites! For you are careful to tithe even the tiniest income from your herb gardens, but you ignore the more important aspects of the law—justice, mercy, and faith. You should tithe, yes, but do not neglect the more important things. Blind guides! You strain your water so you won’t accidentally swallow a gnat, but you swallow a camel! “What sorrow awaits you teachers of religious law and you Pharisees. Hypocrites! For you are so careful to clean the outside of the cup and the dish, but inside you are filthy—full of greed and self-indulgence! You blind Pharisee! First wash the inside of the cup and the dish, and then the outside will become clean, too. Luke 11:39-40 Then the Lord said to him, “You Pharisees are so careful to clean the outside of the cup and the dish, but inside you are filthy—full of greed and wickedness! Fools! Didn’t God make the inside as well as ...