Holy Spirit

A Peace that Overcomes

“I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” – John 16:33 We’re down to the last two days of 2020, and while there are a few clear hallmarks of this year, I would say that fear has been an ongoing theme. This unfortunate fact has arisen out of many different circumstances — a pandemic, an unknown virus, and political unrest to name a few — but it’s been heightened and intensified by a constant stream of negative messages. Never in the history of our world have we been inundated with information like we are today, and while having instant access to the most up-to-date headlines can be a blessing, it also has some major drawbacks. A barrage of bad news preys upon the fear that inherently lurks in human

December 30, 2020 1 Comment

The Umpire of Your Heart

“Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful.” – Colossians 3:15 One of the cool things about walking with Jesus is that He offers us a barometer by which to gauge how we’re doing, and that’s peace. The Bible says that this powerful fruit of the Spirit should have the rule in our lives; in other words, it should be our guide. Fascinatingly, the word translated “rule” in the Greek language actually means to act as an umpire. In other words, when we’re on the field of existence considering our next play and two choices present themselves, we should go with the one that finds our hearts and souls at rest. As we consider the various roads we might travel, it’s wise to follow the path that leads us toward tranquility and not away from

December 27, 2020 No Comments

Chiseled to Perfection

“Yet you, Lord, are our Father. We are the clay, you are the potter; we are all the work of your hand.” – Isaiah 64:8 Since wood wasn’t plentiful in ancient Israel, it’s unlikely that Jesus was a carpenter in the true sense of the word, even though that’s what’s traditionally been taught. Because most structures in the Roman world were hewn from stone, there’s a high probability that He was actually a stonemason. I find this interesting, especially in light of the fact that the Lord chose His own profession. Since He is sovereign over all circumstances, He picked exactly how He would arrive in the world, where He would be born, and what He would do as a trade. It speaks clearly to His nature that He decided to foreshadow physically what He does spiritually — chip away at hard and unformed rock to create something beautiful and

December 20, 2020 1 Comment

Discerning Worldly Deception

“Some time later, he fell in love with a woman in the Valley of Sorek whose name was Delilah. The rulers of the Philistines went to her and said, ‘See if you can lure him into showing you the secret of his great strength and how we can overpower him so we may tie him up and subdue him. Each one of us will give you eleven hundred shekels of silver.’” – Judges 16:4,5 As we continue looking at the story of Samson, it behooves us to examine the circumstances that ultimately led to his demise. Since he was a source of constant frustration to the Philistines, they wanted more than anything to know the origin of his strength. If they could figure out where his might came from, they could cut him down at his point of weakness. Enter Delilah. She was a beautiful Philistine woman, and Samson was

December 6, 2020 No Comments

A Vow of Devotion

“During the entire period of their Nazirite vow, no razor may be used on their head. They must be holy until the period of their dedication to the Lord is over; they must let their hair grow long.” – Numbers 6:5 There’s something in the Bible that I’ve preached about before called the Nazarite vow. While there are a number of things that we don’t know about this ancient tradition — like its duration and who exactly was supposed to partake — we know that it was a period of time set aside in dedication to the service of God and neighbor, and that it encompassed three distinct disciplines. For as long as a person was adhering to this ancient practice, they couldn’t touch any dead thing (which means they weren’t eating meat), they couldn’t drink any wine or alcohol, and they couldn’t cut their hair. The latter was the

December 3, 2020 No Comments

Faith, Fellowship and the Fast

“‘Even now,’ declares the Lord, ‘return to me with all your heart, with fasting and weeping and mourning.’” – Joel 2:12 Yesterday, we talked about pressing into Jesus’ presence as we embrace Advent, and today, I want to look at one specific way to do it. I’m a firm believer in giving things up for a season in order to focus on something else. I’ve learned that such exercises in self-denial are good for me because they prove that I can accomplish what I set my mind to, and because they intensify my priorities and clarify my vision. That said, for Christians, one of the best ways to sacrifice is to fast, or to abstain from a particular type of food, entertainment, or pleasure in order to pray and pursue the things of God. A fast can take many different forms — it can be as simple as not eating

December 2, 2020 No Comments

Living From Finish to Start

“His master replied, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master’s happiness!’” – Matthew 25:21 As Christians, I believe one of the most important things we can do is to live with the end in mind. If we approach every decision, interaction, and relationship with the goal of hearing the words, “Well done, good and faithful servant,” we will be more intentional in all that we undertake. When we wake up each morning with the goal of finishing well and leaving behind a heritage that reflects Jesus above all else, it motivates us to face the things that are hard. Though it requires courage (a word that comes from the Latin word for heart), taking time to work through issues with people affirms the image of God in them and reflects

November 30, 2020 No Comments

Heavenly Armor

“Meanwhile, the Philistine, with his shield bearer in front of him, kept coming closer to David. He looked David over and saw that he was little more than a boy, glowing with health and handsome, and he despised him.” – 1 Samuel 17:41,42 There’s usually something about villains that compels them to behave badly. Whether it’s bitterness, hurt, or even physical pain, most people who choose a life of violence, crime, or deception have traveled a rough road. Surprisingly, this may have been the case for Goliath. Historians believe that the fabled “bad guy” was afflicted by a condition called acromegaly, which is the result of a tumor on the pituitary gland that causes the body to release too much human growth hormone. As a result, though he was huge in size, his health was actually frail and brittle. In fact, it’s likely that he suffered from chronic pain and

November 21, 2020 2 Comments

Anointed to Serve

“Now the Spirit of the Lord had departed from Saul, and an evil spirit from the Lord tormented him. Saul’s attendants said to him, ‘See, an evil spirit from God is tormenting you. Let our lord command his servants here to search for someone who can play the lyre. He will play when the evil spirit from God comes on you, and you will feel better.’” – 1 Samuel 16:14,15 Right after Samuel met David, the Lord confirmed to the prophet that he was the one who would be king, and without wasting a minute, he anointed the young man. While he wouldn’t take the throne for many years, at the moment he was chosen, the Holy Spirit came upon David and he was filled with God’s presence. Interestingly, at the same time, the Holy Spirit left Saul, and almost immediately, the king was tormented by a demon. Desperate for

November 19, 2020 No Comments

Authenticity Over Appearance

“So all the people went to Gilgal and made Saul king in the presence of the Lord. There they sacrificed fellowship offerings before the Lord, and Saul and all the Israelites held a great celebration.” – 1 Samuel 11:15 Today, I want to begin talking about the story of David and Goliath, which happens to be one of the most famous and taught passages in the Bible. However, contrary to popular belief, I don’t think this tale is a miracle story as much as it is a moral story. That said, before we dive into learning about the characters in the account, here’s some important historical background. Though they were under the Lordship of Almighty God, the Jews wanted a king so as to be more like the other nations of the earth — they desired to have a human figurehead to represent them. Commissioned to appoint their first ruler,

November 17, 2020 2 Comments

A Peace that Overcomes

The Umpire of Your Heart

Chiseled to Perfection

Discerning Worldly Deception

A Vow of Devotion

Faith, Fellowship and the Fast

Living From Finish to Start

Heavenly Armor

Anointed to Serve

Authenticity Over Appearance

Receive your daily eDevotional

Don't miss new updates in your email!

WATCH

CONNECT

SHOP

ABOUT

DONATE