Archive | Spiritual Growth

With many other words he warned them; and he pleaded with them, “Save yourselves from this corrupt generation.” Those who accepted his message were baptized, and about three thousand were added to their number that day. (Acts 2:40,41 NIV) Dedication MLB, NCAA, and NFL have one thing in common- dedicated fans. Any time teams are narrowed down to final four or working towards a World Series tittle, dedicated fans turn into passionate fans. Trust me, Cardinal fans felt an extreme range of emotions this week. I believe what we saw in final comments, God gave the National League Championship win […]

Then the Jews demanded of him, “What miraculous sign can you show us to prove your authority to do all this?” Jesus answered them, “Destroy this temple, and I will raise it again in three days.” (John 2:18,19 NIV) Profound Profound. Stop in your tracks and shout glory! Jesus walked into the temple to find men selling cattle, sheep, and doves while others exchanged money. Making a whip, He drove all out of temple area. John 2:16 “Get these out of here! How dare you turn my Father’s house into a market!”  Temple area turned into market place. Imagine droppings […]

In your struggle against sin, you have not yet resisted to the point of shedding your blood. And you have forgotten that word of encouragement that addresses you as sons: “My son, do not make light of the Lord’s discipline, and do not lose heart when he rebukes you, because the Lord disciplines those he loves, and he punishes everyone he accepts as a son.” (Hebrews 12:4-6 NIV) Define Stepping up to bat, be ready to swing. Accepting Jesus as personal Savior, we become a child of the Most High King. This is no small matter to dismiss. Definition of […]

Saul was very angry; this refrain galled him. “They have credited David with tens of thousands,” he thought, “but me with only thousands. What more can he get but the kingdom?” And from that time on Saul kept a jealous eye on David. (1 Samuel 18:8,9 NIV) Trust God answers- yes, no, or not now. This depends on our alignment to His perfect will. We reach a point being more thankful for no answers. Pushing through no, only leads to hardship on our part. Our finite minds have trouble with this. How can an unseen God know what is best, […]

“Therefore, in the present case I advise you: Leave these men alone! Let them go! For if their purpose or activity is of human origin, it will fail. But if it is from God, you will not be able to stop these men; you will only find yourselves fighting against God.” (Acts 5:38,39 NIV) Example Gamaliel, a teacher of law, sets example for perseverance. Honored by all people, he stood before the Sanhedrin. Members of the Sadducees filled with jealousy caused the apostles’ arrest. They were arrested for teaching in Jesus’s name. The Sadducees became so angry, they wanted them […]

Seek the Lord while he may be found; call on him while he is near. Let the wicked forsake his way and the evil man his thoughts. Let him turn to the Lord, and he will have mercy on him, and to our God, for he will freely pardon. “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,” declares the Lord. (Isaiah 55:6-8 NIV) Tunnels Motivating Monday! Bend and stretch, touch your toes to your nose. Ok, not the last part. Let’s stretch to believe beyond where our thoughts stand today. Tunnel vision blocks awareness. Driving […]

“But the one who received the seed that fell on good soil is the man who hears the word and understands it. He produces a crop, yielding a hundred, sixty, or thirty times what was sown.” (Matthew 13:23 NIV) Yokes of Heaviness Yokes of heaviness bind many from reaping such blessings as described in Matthew. A firm believer in reaping what we sow, we must evaluate types of seeds we’ve planted. Next, ponder how seeds planted in us have been received. We can only pour out to others, what is held inward. We can only receive from others, based on […]

Listen and hear my voice; pay attention and hear what I say. When a farmer plows for planting, does he plow continually? Does he keep on breaking up and harrowing the soil? (Isaiah 28:23,24 NIV) Vital time Prophet Isaiah, an advisor to four kings of Judah, lived during a vital time in history. One of the greatest authors of all time, Isaiah voiced warnings to the people. They were either going to repent or spiral down a dangerous path. History records their fate into captivity. Do we face same crossroad? Division Political unrest split Israelites into separate nations. Sin continues […]