Faith Without Fear October 31, 2107

1 Peter 5:8-9 (NIV)

8 Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. 9 Resist him, standing firm in the faith, because you know that the family of believers throughout the world is undergoing the same kind of sufferings.

Satan is no play or pretend thing. He and his power are real and intended to harm. But rather than spending our time worrying about him, let's resist him when we are tempted and focus on Jesus. He's the one who won the big showdown at Calvary, triumphing over Satan. He took Satan's greatest tool and disarmed it. Now we can resist and Satan will flee.

Thought for today: Am I confident in my faith?

Amazing Grace October 30, 2017

Ephesians 2:8-9 (NIV)

8 For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— 9 not by works, so that no one can boast.

Don't you love gifts! Especially when they're truly given, with no strings attached, all we have to do is receive them. The greatest gift we've ever received has nothing to do with our efforts. It is a gift from God. We didn't earn it, deserve it, or purchase it. God gave it through his sacrificial gift so our salvation would not be our boast, but his kindness.

Thought for today: Do I understand the full capacity of grace?

Living Sacrifice October 29, 2017

Romans 12:1 (NIV)

12 Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship.

Because God went first and sacrificed what is most precious to him to save us, he can ask us to surrender ourselves to him. Only one problem: The sorry ol' sacrifice wants to keep crawling off the altar. We must offer ourselves, our will, our time, our heart, our commitment, to God each day. Otherwise, the altar is empty and our sacrifice is gone.

Thought for today:  Am I at a place of surrender?

Enduring Words October 28, 2017

1 Peter 1:24-25 (NIV)

24 For,

“All people are like grass,
    and all their glory is like the flowers of the field;
the grass withers and the flowers fall,
25     but the word of the Lord endures forever.”

And this is the word that was preached to you.

As the seasons change, the leaves fall, and the grass dies, we are reminded once again of how short our lives are. Despite the rapid advancements of technology, our deepest needs are addressed only by the eternal and proven will of God in Scripture. Whether you get your Scripture from the Bible on your mobile device or from an old family Bible, access it today. Don't you need a dose of the eternal today?

Thought for today: Do I go to the word on a daily basis?

Guidance October 27, 2017

Hebrews 4:12 (NIV)

12 For the word of God is alive and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.

How often do you let God do major surgery on your spirit as his Spirit uses the Word to encourage, judge, motivate, convict, instruct, and inspire? With such a great tool so readily at hand for most of us, let's not let a day go by that we don't let God use his word on hearts.

Thought for today: Do I allow the word to guide me ?

Good Work October 26, 2017

2 Timothy 3:16-17 (NIV)

16 All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, 17 so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.

God wants us to be prepared to do good works. Thankfully he gave us the Scriptures. Today we have the Bible translated into many different languages, dialects, and versions. Rather than a threat, this is a great blessing. But we must remember that the goal of Scripture is not to be learned but to be lived. God intended his Word to be practical truth — a gift that prepares us to do every good work.

Thought for today: Am I practicing good?

Singing October 25, 2017

Ephesians 5:19-20 (NIV)

19 speaking to one another with psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit. Sing and make music from your heart to the Lord, 20 always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Hearts full of thanks — that's what makes for good singing! With Jesus as the source of our salvation and center of our future, how can we not sing! But singing is not just for us and God. God wants our songs to bless others. It is our ultimate spiritual talk.

Thought for today: Do my praises ring out in song?