Posts from 2020 (Page 7)

The Fruit of the Spirit #4: Patience Have you heard the phrase, “Patience is a virtue”? It comes from a narrative poem by William Langland (1360 – 1387). I like the one, “My patience is wearing thin.” My last devotional was about confession. So, I confess, over the past 6 or 7 months, patience was not a virtue — it was worn thin, and therefore, I’ll do my best to share some thoughts. Acts 26:3 — “[E]specially because you are familiar with…

The Fruit of the Spirit #3: Peace (Romans 8:1 – 11) “For to set the mind on the flesh is death, but to set the mind on the Spirit is life and peace” (Romans 8:6). Believe it or not, I have not always made the best decisions in my life. I was saved at a young age and I grew up in a solid church with a desire to honor and please God. When I was in high school, however,…

The Fruit of the Spirit #2: Joy Definitions JOY “A feeling of great pleasure and happiness” REJOICE “Feel or show great delight” Bible Verses Galatians 5:22 – 23 THE FRUIT OF THE SPIRIT INCLUDES JOY But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law. James 1:2 – 3 PURE JOY IN TRIALS Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many…

The Fruit of the Spirit Day #1: Love Freedom from versus Freedom in Paul continues a theme in Galatians 5 that he began to develop in the previous chapter of his letter. He focuses on freedom from the law and the new life found in the Spirit for the believers in Galatia. As he develops what it looks like for a believer to live free in the Spirit, he takes time to speak to how that freedom of every believer…

6 Devotionals on What Our Prayers Are to Include #6: Boldness 1 John 5:14: “And this is the confidence that we have toward him, that if we ask anything according to his will he hears us.” Have you ever prayed a prayer that you didn’t think God would answer? I’m not talking about the prayers we prayed as kids for A’s on tests we didn’t study for or for our sports team to win the game. Have you ever gone…

6 Devotionals on What Our Prayers Are to Include #5: Openness Honest to God According to Herbert Lockyer’s classic book, All the Prayers of the Bible, “the Bible records no fewer than 650 definite prayers of which no less than 450 have recorded answers” (Page 5). He also writes, “What is prayer? Simplified, is it not the desire, opportunity and privilege of talking with God?” (Page 17). To answer Lockyer’s rhetorical question: “Yes.” When I go shopping to pick up…

 6 Devotionals on What Our Prayers Are to Include #4: Supplication When we are praying, what exactly are we doing? Some people pray formally as if they are asking some hierarchy to intervene in their private affairs. Others pray the same prayer over and over and are so repetitive that they really are not praying to God. Others pray as if they are talking to a friend. We need to echo Psalm 143:1, “Hear my prayer, O Lord, Give ear…

6 Devotionals on What Our Prayers Are To Include #3: Giving Thanksgiving (2 Corinthians 9:6 – 15) “Thanks be to God for his inexpressible gift!” (2 Corinthians 9:15) When we pray, we should thank God for His many blessings in our life. But we shouldn’t just thank God for what He gives to us; we should also thank God for blessing us so we can bless others. Paul writes in 2 Corinthians 9:6 – 15 the benefits and byproducts of…

Four Things You Need to Do to Receive Jesus Christ into Your Life Day 2: Repent Today’s Scripture passage: Mark 1:1 – 8 The gospel of Mark wastes no time in getting right to the point. In the first 8 verses, we are told of John the Baptist and what his role was: to prepare the way for Jesus. And how did he do this? By preaching repentance of one’s sins and baptizing. We won’t get into baptism with this…

6 Devotionals On What Our Prayers Are To Include #1 Ready, Set, Go! I Chronicles 29:11 – 14: “Yours, O Lord, is the greatness and the power and the glory and the victory and the majesty, for all that is in the heavens and in the earth is yours. Yours is the kingdom, O Lord, and you are exalted as head above all. Both riches and honor come from you, and you rule over all. In your hand are power…