Our Awesome God

  Standing on the Substance of Faith Hebrews 11:1–6 (NLT) 1 Faith is the confidence that what we hope for will actually happen; it gives us assurance about things we cannot see. 2 Through their faith, the people in days of old earned a good reputation. 3 By faith we understand that the entire universe was formed at God’s command, that what we now see did not come from anything that can be seen. 4 It was by faith that Abel brought a more acceptable offering to God than Cain did. Abel’s offering gave evidence that he was a righteous man, and God showed his approval of his gifts. Although Abel is long dead, he still speaks to us by his example of faith. 5 It was by faith that Enoch was taken up to heaven without dying—“he disappeared, because God took him.” For before he was taken up, he was known as a person who pleased God. 6 And it is impossible to please God without faith. Anyone who wants to come to him must believe that God exists and that he rewards those who sincerely seek him...

 ​ A Heart Reconciled, A Life Renewed ​The Word: Ezekiel 18:21-32 ​But if wicked people turn away from all their sins and begin to obey my decrees and do what is just and right, they will surely live and not die. All their past sins will be forgotten, and they will live because of the righteous things they have done. ​“Do you think that I like to see wicked people die? says the Sovereign Lord. Of course not! I want them to turn from their wicked ways and live. However, if righteous people turn from their righteous behavior and start doing sinful things and act like other sinners, should they be allowed to live? No, of course not! All their righteous acts will be forgotten, and they will die for their sins. ​“Yet you say, ‘The Lord isn’t doing what’s right!’ Listen to me, O people of Israel. Am I the one not doing what’s right, or is it you? When righteous people turn from their righteous behavior and start doing sinful things, they will die for it. Yes, they will die because of the...

  From Fear to Family: Living in Love ​ The Scripture ​"Those who are dominated by the sinful nature think about sinful things, but those who are controlled by the Holy Spirit think about things that please the Spirit... For you did not receive a spirit that makes you fearful slaves. Instead, you received God’s Spirit when he adopted you as his own children. Now we call him, 'Abba, Father.'" — Romans 8:5, 15 ​"Dear friends, let us continue to love one another, for love comes from God... This is real love—not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as a sacrifice to take away our sins." — 1 John 4:7, 10 ​ The Shift in Identity ​There is a profound shift in identity that happens when we move from trying to please God through our own effort—living "in the flesh"—to living by the Spirit. Romans 8 tells us that in Christ, we are no longer slaves to fear or the limitations of our fallen nature. Instead, we have received the ...

  Besieged but Not Defeated Psalms 31:21-24 Praise the lord, for he has shown me the wonders of his unfailing love. He kept me safe when my city was under attack. In panic I cried out,     “I am cut off from the lord!” But you heard my cry for mercy and answered my call for help. Love the lord, all you godly ones!  For the lord protects those who are loyal to him,  but he harshly punishes the arrogant. So be strong and courageous, all you who put your hope in the lord! Psalm 31:21-24 Psalms 37:3-7 Trust in the lord and do good. Then you will live safely in the land and prosper. Take delight in the lord, and he will give you your heart’s desires. Commit everything you do to the lord.  Trust him, and he will help you. He will make your innocence radiate like the dawn, and the justice of your cause will shine like the noonday sun. Be still in the presence of the lord, and wait patiently for him to act. Don’t worry about evil people who prosper or fret about th...

  1. Now Adam had sexual relations with his wife, Eve, and she became pregnant. When she gave birth to Cain, she said, “With the Lord’s help, I have produced a man!” 2. Later she gave birth to his brother and named him Abel. When they grew up, Abel became a shepherd, while Cain cultivated the ground. 3. When it was time for the harvest, Cain presented some of his crops as a gift to the Lord. 4. Abel also brought a gift—the best portions of the firstborn lambs from his flock. The Lord accepted Abel and his gift, 5. but he did not accept Cain and his gift. This made Cain very angry, and he looked dejected. 6. “Why are you so angry?” the Lord asked Cain. “Why do you look so dejected? 7. You will be accepted if you do what is right. But if you refuse to do what is right, then watch out! Sin is crouching at the door, eager to control you. But you must subdue it and be its master.” 8. One day Cain suggested to his brother, “Let’s go out into the fields.” And while they were in the field,...

  Sheep or Goats? The Shepherd-King Is Watching Matthew 25:31–46 Matthew describes the final judgment where Jesus, as King, separates humanity into “sheep” (righteous) and “goats” (unrighteous). The sheep are rewarded with eternal life for serving Christ by caring for the vulnerable—the hungry, thirsty, naked, sick, or imprisoned—while the goats are condemned for neglecting these acts of mercy. The Judgment Scene (vv. 31–33) Jesus returns in glory with angels to judge all nations, separating them like a shepherd separates sheep (docile, obedient) from goats (stubborn). He is not returning as the suffering servant, but as the reigning King, seated on a glorious throne. Every nation, every person, every hidden deed is brought into the light. The Sheep (Righteous) (vv. 34–40) The righteous are welcomed into the kingdom. They are surprised to learn that their acts of kindness to the poor and marginalized—“the least of these brothers and sisters”—were actually acts of service directly t...

  The Heart’s Echo: Mastering the Tongue ​ ​Matthew 12:34-37 You brood of snakes! How could evil men like you speak what is good and right? For whatever is in your heart determines what you say. A good person produces good things from the treasury of a good heart, and an evil person produces evil things from the treasury of an evil heart. And I tell you this, you must give an account on judgment day for every idle word you speak. The words you say will either acquit you or condemn you. ​James 3:1-10 Dear brothers and sisters, not many of you should become teachers in the church, for we who teach will be judged more strictly. Indeed, we all make many mistakes. For if we could control our tongues, we would be perfect and could also control ourselves in every other way. ​We can make a large horse go wherever we want by means of a small bit in its mouth. And a small rudder makes a huge ship turn wherever the pilot chooses to go, even though the winds are strong. In the same way, the to...

  The Heart God Desires 📖 Psalm 51:1–17 Have mercy on me, O God,     because of your unfailing love. Because of your great compassion,     blot out the stain of my sins. Wash me clean from my guilt.     Purify me from my sin. For I recognize my rebellion;     it haunts me day and night. Against you, and you alone, have I sinned;     I have done what is evil in your sight. You will be proved right in what you say,     and your judgment against me is just. For I was born a sinner—     yes, from the moment my mother conceived me. But you desire honesty from the womb,     teaching me wisdom even there. Purify me from my sins, and I will be clean;     wash me, and I will be whiter than snow. Oh, give me back my joy again;     you have broken me—     now let me rejoice. Don’t keep looking at my sins.     Remove the stain of my guilt. Create in me a clean heart, O...

  The Divine Harvest: Planting for Eternity ​ Galatians 6:7-10 ​"Don’t be misled—you cannot mock the justice of God. You will always harvest what you plant. Those who live only to satisfy their own sinful nature will harvest decay and death from that sinful nature. But those who live to please the Spirit will harvest everlasting life from the Spirit. So let’s not get tired of doing what is good. At just the right time we will reap a harvest of blessing if we don’t give up. Therefore, whenever we have the opportunity, we should do good to everyone—especially to those in the family of faith." ​My Reflection ​The will of the Holy Spirit is in constant opposition to our sinful desires. The two are on opposite sides of the spiritual battle. We desire evil; the Holy Spirit desires good. We tend to be destructive; God’s Holy Spirit is productive. ​It is so easy to ignite our wrong desires. However, when we have God’s Holy Spirit dwelling within us, it is much harder to ignit...

  When Worship Becomes Real Isaiah 58:1–13 (NLT) “Shout with the voice of a trumpet blast. Shout aloud! Don’t be timid. Tell my people Israel of their sins! Yet they act so pious! They come to the Temple every day and seem delighted to learn all about me. They act like a righteous nation that would never abandon the laws of its God. They ask me to take action on their behalf, pretending they want to be near me. ‘We have fasted before you!’ they say. ‘Why aren’t you impressed? We have been very hard on ourselves, and you don’t even notice it!’ “I will tell you why!” I respond. “It’s because you are fasting to please yourselves. Even while you fast, you keep oppressing your workers. What good is fasting when you keep on fighting and quarreling? This kind of fasting will never get you anywhere with me. You humble yourselves by going through the motions of penance, bowing your heads like reeds bending in the wind. You dress in burlap and cover yourselves with ashes. Is this what you ca...

  Salvation is at the Tip of Our Tongue ​ Romans 10:8-21 (NLT) [8] In fact, it says, “The message is very close at hand; it is on your lips and in your heart.” And that message is the very message about faith that we preach: [9] If you openly declare that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. [10] For it is by believing in your heart that you are made right with God, and it is by openly declaring your faith that you are saved. [11] As the Scriptures tell us, “Anyone who trusts in him will never be disgraced.” [12] Jew and Gentile are the same in this respect. They have the same Lord, who gives generously to all who call on him. [13] For “Everyone who calls on the name of the lord will be saved.” [14] But how can they call on him to save them unless they believe in him? And how can they believe in him if they have never heard about him? And how can they hear about him unless someone tells them? [15] And how will anyone go and...

  The Power and Authority of His Name John 14:13–14 (NLT) “You can ask for anything in my name, and I will do it, so that the Son can bring glory to the Father. Yes, ask me for anything in my name, and I will do it!” Philippians 2:9–11 (NLT) “Therefore, God elevated him to the place of highest honor and gave him the name above all other names, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue declare that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.” Acts 4:10–12 (NLT) “Let me clearly state to all of you and to all the people of Israel that he was healed by the powerful name of Jesus Christ the Nazarene, the man you crucified but whom God raised from the dead. For Jesus the man you crucified but whom God raised from the dead. For Jesus is the one referred to in the Scriptures, where it says, ‘The stone that you builders rejected has now become the cornerstone.’ There is salvation in no one else! God has given no o...

Resting in God's Love  Zephaniah 3:17-20 [17]For the lord your God is living among you.  He is a mighty savior.  He will take delight in you with gladness. With his love, he will calm all your fears.   He will rejoice over you with joyful songs.” [18]“I will gather you who mourn for the appointed festivals; you will be disgraced no more. [19]And I will deal severely with all who have oppressed you.  I will save the weak and helpless ones; I will bring together those who were chased away.  I will give glory and fame to my former exiles, wherever they have been mocked and shamed. [20]On that day I will gather you together and bring you home again.  I will give you a good name, a name of distinction, among all the nations of the earth, as I restore your fortunes before their very eyes. I, the lord, have spoken!” John 3:16 [16]“For this is how God loved the world: He gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but h...

 The War Within: Finding Freedom in the Struggle Romans 7:14-25 [14]So the trouble is not with the law, for it is spiritual and good. The trouble is with me, for I am all too human, a slave to sin. [15]I don’t really understand myself, for I want to do what is right, but I don’t do it. Instead, I do what I hate. [16]But if I know that what I am doing is wrong, this shows that I agree that the law is good. [17]So I am not the one doing wrong; it is sin living in me that does it. [18]And I know that nothing good lives in me, that is, in my sinful nature. I want to do what is right, but I can’t. [19]I want to do what is good, but I don’t. I don’t want to do what is wrong, but I do it anyway. [20]But if I do what I don’t want to do, I am not really the one doing wrong; it is sin living in me that does it. [21]I have discovered this principle of life—that when I want to do what is right, I inevitably do what is wrong. [22]I love God’s law with all my heart. [23]But there is another powe...