gospel

Make a Decision Right Where You Are

“When Jesus spoke again to the people, he said, ‘I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.’ ” – John 8:12 As Christians, we believe God sent Christ into the world to die on the cross and be raised from the dead so we could be at peace with God. There is something baked into the crust of life that reminds us that no matter what we do, something just doesn’t seem right if we are not at peace with God. Through Christ’s sacrifice, we are forgiven of our sins. We can come boldly before God’s throne of grace and be filled with His spirit. There are many times in life when we feel far from God, but don’t choose Him.  Today, I want to allow you the opportunity to decide to follow Christ. There are

Read More »

The Foundation of the Gospel

“God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.” – 2 Corinthians 5:21 In simple terms, the Gospel is God’s plan for you to trade places with His Son. The beloved Son of God became, in a way, sin, so that you will become righteous. When you receive and embrace the love of God as found in the Word of God, you understand this foundation. When the Apostle Paul spoke of Jesus, he said,  “He who knew no sin became sin so that you could be called the righteousness of God.” In other words, we can say for sure that if this beloved son of God was sent to the cross for me, He loves me as much as He loves Jesus. Now, if you really listen to what those words truly mean in your heart,

Read More »

Jesus is the Solution

“For the grace of God has appeared that offers salvation to all people.” – Titus 2:11 Yesterday we talked about how a Kingdom worldview addresses the problem of sin and shame in the world. Today, I want to discuss the fourth and final question a worldview must answer (and it’s the most important of all): “What’s the solution?“ Quite simply, the cross and resurrection of Jesus are the only true answer to the problem of sin, wickedness, guilt, and shame on the earth. The grace, or favor, that comes to us because we are seen through the Father’s eyes (in the same way He sees Jesus) has the power to break chains and set us free eternally! When Jesus went to the cross, He took every sin you’ve ever committed — past, present, and future — upon Himself, and it was nailed there, never to emerge again. When He died,

Read More »

A Kingdom Worldview

“Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.” – Matthew 5:3 Yesterday we introduced the thought that each of us as humans has our own little kingdom. To further that discussion, today, I want to talk about how every one of these kingdoms operates under a philosophy, which is known as a worldview. A worldview is a lens through which you view circumstances and situations; it’s sort of a mishmash of your religion, culture, background, family life, and education. Your worldview provides a framework in which you see and process tragedy, and victory and you perceive meaning and purpose in life. A worldview attempts to answer these four questions: Who am I? Where am I? What’s the problem? What’s the solution?  In Jesus’ day, there were two primary groups that attempted to answer those questions: the Jews and the Romans. The Romans taught that you

Read More »

The Kingdom of God

“The time has come,” he said. “The kingdom of God has come near. Repent and believe the good news!” – Mark 1:15 What is the Kingdom of God? It’s interesting how many of us who have been in church for most of our lives have difficulty answering this question. Some of you might say the answer is Jesus, or the cross, or Heaven, or forgiveness, and indeed, it is all of those things, but The Kingdom of God is even more than that!  On earth, humans have their own little kingdoms, or domains, all of which are collectively enveloped by larger kingdoms. For example, my kingdom is subject to my family structure, my workplace, and the city, state, and country in which I live. My will is my own, but it is still contingent to the authority of other kingdoms. What happens “big picture” is that little kingdoms are encased

Read More »

The Price to Get In

“…strengthening the disciples and encouraging them to remain true to the faith. ‘We must go through many hardships to enter the kingdom of God,’ they said.” – Acts 14:22 Today I was reflecting on how much I love going to the gym. It has lots of amenities to help you stay in shape and keep your body healthy. My gym also has hard-core battling ropes and chain equipment, which can be challenging and uncomfortable at times, but yields great results. I was thinking about the similarities between this and our walk as Christians — when we are called to get out of our comfort zone, but in the end, it’s worth it.  There’s another spiritual lesson here I want to share. I’m always curious how my gym can afford to operate a huge facility when not many people go. A fellow gym patron shared some wisdom: “Bobby, many people pay

Read More »

What It Means To Be Holy

“But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light.” – 1 Peter 2:9 Let’s talk about the word holy and what it really means. The word holy, if we’re splitting hairs, does not actually mean righteous. Did you know that? The word Kadosh is a Hebrew word that we often translate as sacred or holy. Holy also means separated or different; we could describe it as unique or even weird. You know, the scripture calls us peculiar people, right? So, holy means that you’re obviously different from everyone else. You’re cut away. People know that you are different. This is why the Jews were commanded to do certain things that made them stand out. This was God’s intent. They wore special clothing, particular hats, and unique

Read More »

It Didn’t Exist

“If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.” – 1 John 1:9 Today I want to share a story that illustrates God’s forgiveness. I was visiting with a very good friend of mine and his daughter, who live out of state. I don’t mean to freak anyone out here, but he told me a story about demon possession. Back in the 1980s, he was having a worship gathering at his home, and in attendance was a man who claimed to be a demoniac — a demon-possessed person. In the middle of this worship service, this man began to manifest this demonic spirit to the point where he was writhing, screaming, and foaming at the mouth. It took four grown men to hold him down, in an effort to pray for him.  Just before they prayed, my

Read More »

The Difference Between the World and God

“For this reason he had to be made like them, fully human in every way, in order that he might become a merciful and faithful high priest in service to God, and that he might make atonement for the sins of the people.” – Hebrews 2:17 There is an important difference between what the world offers, and what God offers. The best the world can offer is: Process your issue and move on; even if you’ve been through a rough trial, just carry on. The idea is that if you’ve done something bad or experienced trauma, you talk it out and move on. There is some benefit, of course, in talking about what we’ve gone through, but that’s not what the Gospel is. The Gospel doesn’t say just move on; the Gospel says atonement, which is the reconciliation of God and humankind through Jesus Christ. The Gospel is not denying

Read More »

God Does Not Disqualify You

“He said to them, ‘Go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation.‘ ” – Mark 16:15 If you’re a believer in Jesus Christ, you are called to an assignment here on Earth. God loves to call people who everyone else thinks are unworthy; outwardly they don’t appear qualified for the calling they have received. Also, many of us want to disqualify ourselves because we feel unworthy, uneducated, or disenfranchised. We feel called, but others have dismissed us because they don’t share God’s vision for our lives. I want you to know that God does not disqualify you and that your personal failures do not disqualify you! I want to encourage you today by repeating the words that Jesus gave in His last commandment to His disciples, to “GO!” In Mark Chapter 16, Jesus admonished his disciples, “Go, therefore, into all the world, and preach the Gospel.”

Read More »

Receive your daily eDevotional

Don't miss new updates in your email!