Improve your life with insight from the Bible - 2016
Sometimes Jesus arrives when everything is full. You have all the friends you need, you have tons of commitments, you're busy. Will you put Jesus off to the side, like the innkeeper? Or will you somehow make room for him in the central part of your life?
Sometimes Jesus arrives when everything is full. You have all the friends you need, you have tons of commitments, you're busy. Will you put Jesus off to the side, like the innkeeper? Or will you somehow make room for him in the central part of your life?
In spite of Elizabeth's great faithfulness, she endured decades of disgrace. She couldn't have a baby, and she felt the community's reproach. You can do everything right and still feel shame for something that's not your fault. Other people feel no shame after committing terrible deeds. Fortunately, God can help if you ask.
Because of Ruth's faithfulness to her mother-in-law, she became the great-grandmother of King David and an ancestor of Jesus.
Philippians says we should bring our worries to God with thanksgiving. That's best. Luckily for Hannah, God works with whatever we've got.
Don't give up. Everybody makes mistakes. Even people as blessed as Sarah.
Let thanksgiving infuse your life
Thanksgiving is possible, even if you don't feel like it. If you give thanks when you are depressed or angry or confused or just "not feeling it," your day will improve. Often by quite a bit.
Will we trust God? It's not as easy as it sounds. In big and small things, we face the question: do we believe that God is good?
Many people want God to bless their plans. But what would God like you to do? Do that! You'll be better off.
God gives you the free gift of salvation before you even know you need to be rescued. And more than that, God has planned some great things for you to do with your amazing life. It's all in Ephesians 2:8-10.
Seize opportunities and walk in integrity
You can follow the great example of the queen of Sheba, who saw the opportunity of a lifetime and seized it.
Bring friends who need help to Jesus
Jesus heals the sick, accepts the rejected, and rescues the oppressed. If you know someone who needs help, bring them to Jesus.
Jesus can transform your world if you invite him into it. Surprisingly, some people don't want Jesus near them, because Jesus disrupts bad behavior and sets people free. You help out your neighbors when you ask Jesus into your life and your community.
Pastor Joe Johnson concludes his two-part series on God's grace.
God's grace is like waves of an ocean
God is already sending you what you'll need in the future. God's grace regularly comes to you like waves of an ocean.
You are innovative (like Mark!)
The first time someone does something in your social group, it helps others in the group see that they can do something similar. You can be innovative and set an example for your group, like the writer of the gospel of Mark.
You are essential (like John!)
If John had not written his gospel, we would not have known many of the most beloved events in Jesus' life. Similarly, many of the tasks God calls you to are unique to you. If you don't do them, no one will.
You are needed (like Matthew!)
There are things that only you can do.
That's how it was for Matthew. Even though other people wrote down their memories about Jesus, Matthew shares things that no one else recounts.
If John had not written his gospel, we would not have known many of the most beloved events in Jesus' life. Similarly, many of the tasks God calls you to are unique to you. If you don't do them, no one will.
You are important (like Luke!)
Like Luke, you are important. You see opportunities for service that no one else will notice.
Ask God to help you notice God's glory. Many people miss it.
Those who are weak in faith are welcome here. So are people who are weak in other areas.
People following God are designed to be lenders, not borrowers. The book of Romans says we should owe people nothing but love.
Pastor Jerry tells what you can learn about loving like Jesus from a twelve-year-old baseball player, Cinderella, and a long-haired guy in the Minneapolis airport.
Developing your joy's strength.
Nehemiah 8:10 says, "The joy of the Lord is your strength." Pastor Joe Johnson talks about how to develop your joy strength by expressing gratitude and listening for God's response.
You are members of the body of Christ, with different talents and abilities from the people next to you.
Be transformed. Renew your mind.
Paul says the key to transformation is renewing your mind. So that leads to a great question: What will you do this week to renew your mind?
God's gifts and God's calling are irrevocable
Paul says God's gifts and God's calling are irrevocable. This video explains what that means.
Speak God's word with boldness
Peter and John were jailed for talking about Jesus. Afterwards, they had only one prayer: God help us to speak your word with boldness. That's a good prayer for you to pray, too.
God loves everyone. Pass it on.
God loves everyone. Our job, once we experience God's love, is to pass it on.
When you align your life with Jesus, you will find yourself aligned with righteousness and justice.
Work hard with your confidence in God
The best way to live is difficult: it is to work hard but to put your confidence not in your work or its results but in God who loves you. If you can live that way, you will be very blessed. Even if things look like they're unravelling, God will help you get to the right spot.
Nothing will separate you from God's love
The Bible tells us something that is hard to believe when we are in the middle of a great success or a terrible disaster: the circumstances of our lives have nothing to do with God's love for us. God's love is constant, overwhelming, and amazing. You can count on it, even when things look like they are falling apart. You can count on it even when it looks like you are doing great on your own.
If you're thirsty, drinking saltwater won't help. It will make it worse. People in pain often adopt "saltwater" solutions -- they do things they think will help in the short term that actually make things worse. God who loves you is eager to help you find a way out -- to help you find solutions that will be to your benefit, not your harm.
Jesus asks you to love like he loves
Jesus calls you to love as radically as he did. Maybe some days you don't feel up to it. Just don't quit. Give the little you have, and let God bless it.
God calls into existence things that do not exist
God makes all things new. If you see something broken, ask God to help you fix it.
When you fall short Jesus makes up the difference
You'll fall short of God's amazing plans for your life. But Jesus makes up the difference.
Belonging to God is a matter of the heart
You can't tell from appearances what a person is like or what they will do when they are tested. Ask for God's insight about a person's character before promoting someone.
Creation reveals God's eternal power and divine nature
Even people who cannot read the Bible can look at nature and discern characteristics of God that are invisible to others.
God wants the best for you. But you may have to fight against opposition to see God's plan for your life accomplished.
God wants the best for you. But you may have to fight against opposition to see God's plan for your life accomplished. When Jesus lightens your load, he'll help you to keep what is essential and let go of things that get in the way of your best.
God's promises give us hope for the present and the future. They can be trusted, even though we may have to wait for their fulfillment.
Jesus tells his followers they are to make disciples of all nations. What will you do to do your part?
It can be hard to see what God is doing, even if you're right in the middle of it. But it's not impossible. Simeon was able to see that Jesus was the savior of the world, even when Jesus was a baby.
Sometimes the hardest thing to see is God's perspective of us. Sometimes we know ourselves too well to believe God's amazing vision of who we are. It's worth asking God to open your eyes so you can see things as God sees them.