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No temptation has seized you except what is common to man. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can stand up under it. — 1 Corinthians 10:13 Thoughts on Today's Verse... TEMPTATION... We've all faced it. We know it is the evil one's carefully crafted weapon, specifically designed to ensnare us mortals. We can sometimes even hear the voice of the evil one in our heads, saying, "No one will ever know. Besides, it won't hurt anyone!" But in our hearts, we know that to cave in to temptation matters because we've allowed ourselves to give in to what is wrong and given away part of ourselves. Thankfully, we can defeat temptation if we do what this verse reminds us: To recognize temptation when it presents itself. To know this specific temptation we face is common to mortals, so I can overcome it because others have. To remember that God is faithful. My F...

Do everything without complaining or arguing, so that you may become blameless and pure, children of God without fault in a crooked and depraved generation, in which you shine like stars in the universe as you hold out the word of life. — Philippians 2:14-16 Thoughts on Today's Verse... Stars! They've always been a source of constant hope for God's people. "I will surely bless you, and I will surely multiply your offspring as the stars of heaven..." God told Abraham ( Genesis 22:17 ). "When I consider your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars, which you have set in place, what is mankind that you are mindful of them..." David asked ( Psalm 8:3-4 ). The Wisemen, Magi from the East, followed a star to discover baby Jesus ( Matthew 2:1-2 ). Luke reminds us that Jesus was the light coming from heaven to shine on those in darkness ( Luke 2:32 ). And now, we're stars - God's points of light in the dark sky of the universe. Let...

Live by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the sinful nature. — Galatians 5:16 Thoughts on Today's Verse... I don't want you to think about an orange rhinoceros flying with blue wings. Now quit it. I don't want you to think about that orange rhinoceros anymore. You know there is no such thing as an orange rhino that flies, much less one that flies on blue wings. Quit thinking about him and his blue wings! Of course, the point is straightforward: the more we try not to do something, the more we focus on it, the more we ensure that we will do what we are not supposed to do. That's why the gift of the Holy Spirit is so important to us as we seek to honor and obey our LORD and Savior Jesus and avoid sin. He enables and empowers us to move beyond our sin and to quit thinking about it. The Spirit empowers us, not by focusing on the sin we want to avoid, but by enriching us and "distracting" us with the important things of God ( Galatians 5:22 ). As ...

Jesus said, "If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples. Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free." — John 8:31-32 Thoughts on Today's Verse... There are few things more coveted than freedom. People die for it. People pray for it. People strive for it. True freedom comes from knowing truth, the truth, God's truth. Knowing God's truth ultimately comes by living in obedience to Jesus. Truth is not just something we think about or believe in our heads. Truth must be believed in the way we live our lives, in the way we use our words, in the actions we demonstrate toward others, and in our obedience to what Jesus taught. Truth is something we do, we live. As Jesus said: Now that you know these things, you will be blessed if you do them ( John 13:17 ). And Jesus' brother emphasized: ...they will be blessed in what they do ( James 1:25 ). Jesus said: "If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples. Then you will know th...

If anyone says, "I love God," yet hates his brother, he is a liar. For anyone who does not love his brother, whom he has seen, cannot love God, whom he has not seen. And he has given us this command: Whoever loves God must also love his brother." — 1 John 4:20-21 Thoughts on Today's Verse... Love! The word can mean almost anything in a world where it is overused and under-practiced. Many in the Christian community have tried to define it by a dictionary or lexicon, not realizing that the key word for love, agape, is defined by action. Before Christians got a hold of agape, it meant basically the same thing our word "love" is used today: just about anything! But if you read 1 John, you see love defined by God through what he does. God demonstrates his love. He asks us to do the same for our brothers and sisters. Love must be more than talk; it must be genuinely demonstrated in loving, selfless actions! For God so loved the world that he gave his one and on...

God has committed to us the message of reconciliation. We are therefore Christ's ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us. We implore you on Christ's behalf: Be reconciled to God. — 2 Corinthians 5:19-20 Thoughts on Today's Verse... Jesus has paid the price. God provided the ransom. The LORD's holy judgment was averted, not because of anything we did to appease him, but by the sacrifice of Jesus for our sins. If God has gone to such great lengths to reconcile us to himself and adopt us into his family, how can we refuse? We must not! Father God, we offer you our hearts, and we pledge to share the message of reconciliation as ambassadors on Christ's behalf! We will share your message of Jesus and invite, urge, and implore those around us to receive Jesus as their LORD and Savior to be reconciled to you through your Son! My Prayer... O Gracious God, we know our sins have broken your heart and offended your holiness. Words, therefore, cannot communi...