Humility Exhibited
Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves. Philippians 2:3 After David was anointed to be king, he enrolled in the school of “hard knocks,” otherwise known as the school of humility. He learned to be subservient to his master, the king. King Saul became […]
Witnesses in Word and Actions
After he was raised from the dead, his disciples recalled what he had said. Then they believed the Scripture and the words that Jesus had spoken. John 2:22 According to Webster’s dictionary, to “proclaim” means “to declare publicly through speech or in writing.” Peter and John healed a crippled man outside the temple and […]
God’s Gracious Hand
Remember the instruction you gave your servant Moses, saying, ‘If you are unfaithful, I will scatter you among the nations… Nehemiah 1:8 In the first chapter of Nehemiah, we see Nehemiah’s complete dependence on the Lord. He turned to God in his distress over the state of affairs in Jerusalem. He reminded the Lord […]
Next Faithful Steps
We have come to the end of our study of James. After studying together as a Drawing Near to God community, I am sad to see it end. It was awesome having people in our city and other cities who joined us in studying this letter together. Written as possibly one of the first letters […]
Believers as Living Stones
Don’t you know that you yourselves are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit lives in you? 1 Corinthians 3:16 The Holy Spirit builds believers into “spiritual houses.” We are changed from “glory to glory,” becoming more like Christ as we yield to the building process. When our house was being built for my family, […]
Readying Our Feet with the Word of God
. . .and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. Ephesians 6:15 We must be alert, ready, and watchful at all times to fight the schemes of the enemy. Peter tells us that the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. (I […]
Jehovah, the Promise Keeper
The LORD is faithful to all his promises and loving toward all he has made. Psalm 145:13b Moses was full of excuses when the Lord asked him to deliver His people out of Egypt. God began to reveal himself as Jehovah when Moses began to question Him. Moses had no understanding of the Lord […]
Gathering Resources
And my God will meet all your needs according to his glorious riches in Christ Jesus. Philippians 4:19 Paul writes in his letter to the Philippians that God will supply all their needs according to His glorious riches in Christ Jesus. It is critical to understand that the Lord supplies all our needs. I […]
Pray Like You Mean It
As I was preparing for our lesson this week on the prayer of faith described in the 5th chapter of James, I found myself saying: “Joanne, pray like you mean it.” That seemed pretty strange, but as I read the scripture, it spoke to me of deeper prayer than simply asking God to heal someone […]
Steady and Strong
“I wait patiently for the Lord.” ~Psalm 40:1 Waiting is hard; being patient while we wait is harder! I have not been very patient this past week. I have been waiting for God to answer a prayer that seems to have gotten lost between my heart and His. I’m sure His inbox is always full, but […]