Sin
Good Gifts and Good Works

Good Gifts and Good Works

Part I - Good Gifts Like many American children, I was raised with a strong faith in Santa Claus. And this faith taught me a lesson: good behavior is rewarded with the gifts of my dreams (thanks for the Nintendo, Santa!) and poor behavior is punished by withholding...

When You Find and Follow Jesus

When You Find and Follow Jesus

Becoming a Christian and living as one are two different things. God refers to one as justification and the other as sanctification. We might also understand these two distinctions as finding Jesus and following Jesus. Blur this distinction between salvation and...

Your Life with God

Your Life with God

Salvation is often viewed as a singular “event” or moment in our lives. By God’s grace, we receive salvation by believing in the death and resurrection of Jesus to save us. There is a sense in which this is absolutely true, from the moment of belief we are saved...

Your Old and New Natures

Your Old and New Natures

Have you ever felt unprepared? You’ve probably had a time in your life when you were not prepared at all for what was about to happen. As our flesh constantly fights to lead us further away from God, it’s easy for us to feel unprepared for life. But God prepares us by...

The Freedom in Confession

The Freedom in Confession

Have you ever dreamed you were standing in front of a crowd in just your underwear? Feeling exposed and embarrassed is a familiar nightmare. But for the first humans in the Bible, this was a very real experience. After Adam and Eve sinned, eating from that fateful...

Confessing Your Sins

Confessing Your Sins

God’s redemptive plan for humanity involves the death of Jesus for the sins of everyone. But we enjoy God’s forgiveness only when we believe what Jesus did for us. Have you noticed, even Christians still sin? Confessing or admitting our daily sin keeps our...

Here I am, Send Me – Who Will Go?

Here I am, Send Me – Who Will Go?

"Then one of the seraphim flew to me, having in his hand a live coal which he had taken with the tongs form the altar. And he touched my mouth with it, and said: "Behold, this has touched our lips; Your iniquity is taken away, and your sin purged." Also I heard the...

A New Covenant

A New Covenant

God reminds us in the Bible that He gave an Old Covenant and a New Covenant. Confuse the two and you’re in for a confusing and inconsistent attempt at living for Jesus. It’s not an exaggeration to suggest that the church across the world is mired in legalistic...

New Direction

New Direction

When we find ourselves moving in a certain direction and focused on our goals, it can be jarring to feel like God suddenly is taking us in a new direction. It's hard to consider that what we are currently building is no longer necessary or worse, futile all along. We...

Kids Experience August 2

Kids Experience August 2

There is no limit to God's creativityWhen God created the world, everything was perfect . . . but we know that life isn’t perfect. Unfortunately, people mess up. It started with Adam and Eve when they disobeyed God . . . and it has continued all the way until now....

A New Beginning

A New Beginning

We all had a beginning. You entered the world in a moment of time. And just like a physical birth, so too, you need a spiritual birth. You may be a child who is only a few years old or an adult well into your later years. But you need to experience new life through a...

Our Finest Hour

Our Finest Hour

It’s possible to experience “our finest hour” in the most challenging of situations. That’s true, in part, because God uses hardships and difficulties to reveal what’s inside of us. Then, we can change and become better with His help. It’s ambitious to envision our...

April 12 Experience

April 12 Experience

It Cost Jesus Everything It cost Jesus EVERYTHING to put us first. Jesus died so He could pay the price for our sins—so we could be forgiven. It was the only way we could have a relationship with God. And because of what Jesus did on the cross, we can have a...

Enough – Easter 2020

Enough – Easter 2020

The last week of Jesus’ life began with a parade of celebration and hope. He would be dead by the end of that week. What happened? Even in darkness, God is at work; it just doesn’t feel like it sometimes. And even though there is no darkness in God, He’s never opposed...

Life in Perilous Times

Life in Perilous Times

When Paul writes to Timothy, he describes the last days as perilous times. They are days filled with evil and evil doers. The last days began when Jesus left the earth. And until Christ returns, we are to live godly lives and become agents of change. At the same time,...

Live as One Approved by God

Live as One Approved by God

Approval is something we all long for, especially from the people who matter most to us. There is something deep inside of us that craves knowing that others are pleased with what we do and who we are. Approval gives us a sense of meaning and significance in the...

Staying on Course

Staying on Course

Your life with God is the race of your life. But as you run, it’s easy to get off course. Be alert to the things that hinder your running. There’s no guarantee you’ll run well. So, fix your eyes on Jesus and run for His approval. Stay on course and live to please...

The Greatest Story Ever Told

The Greatest Story Ever Told

From our earliest days, we’re captivated by stories. God has written the greatest story ever told. And this story even includes you. Born separated from God, every person needs to be rescued. God, in His love and grace, offers a free gift to all—a solution to our...

The Younger Son

The Younger Son

The Parable of the Prodigal Son centers around the younger of two sons who turns his back on his father and his family to pursue his own freedom and happiness. His journey of rebellion, self-destruction, awakening, return, and redemption represents the very heart of...

Relationships of Jesus – Week 1

Relationships of Jesus – Week 1

Week 1: Tax Collectors and Sinners This week, we learn that: Jesus sought out sinners and tax collectors. The people saw sin, but Jesus saw Zaccheus. Because Jesus saw him, Zaccheus saw himself and others differently.  ...

Beyond Our Failure

Beyond Our Failure

We’ve all failed. From minor mistakes to persistent sins, failure has marked our lives. The best place to turn in times of failure is to God. But sometimes turning to God about our sins just seems to magnify our moral crisis. Thus, we’d prefer to keep our distance...