God may be leading you to a place of greater service. (Genesis 12:1-2)

Genesis 12:1-2

New Living Translation (NLT)

12 The Lord had said to Abram, “Leave your native country, your relatives, and your father’s family, and go to the land that I will show you. ² I will make you into a great nation. I will bless you and make you famous, and you will be a blessing to others.

God promised to bless Abram and make him great, but there was one condition. Abram had to do what God wanted him to do. This meant leaving his home and friends and traveling to a new land where God promised to build a great nation from Abram's family. Abram obeyed, walking away from his home for God's promise of even greater blessings in the future. God may be trying to lead you to a place of greater service and usefulness for Him. Don't let the comfort and security of your present position make you miss God's plan for you.

Joe

What "towers" have you built in your life? (Genesis 11:4)

Genesis 11:4

New Living Translation (NLT)

⁴ Then they said, “Come, let’s build a great city for ourselves with a tower that reaches into the sky. This will make us famous and keep us from being scattered all over the world.”

The tower of Babel was a great human achievement, a wonder of the world. But it was a monument to the people themselves rather than to God. We may build monuments to ourselves (big house, expensive clothes, fancy car, important job) to call attention to our achievements. These may not be wrong in themselves, but when we use them to give us identity and self-worth, they take God's place in our lives. We are free to develop in many areas, but we are not free to think we have replaced God. What "towers" have you built in your life?

Joe

Don't worry about the details. (Genesis 7:16)

Genesis 7:16

¹⁶ A male and female of each kind entered, just as God had commanded Noah. Then the Lord closed the door behind them.

Many have wondered how this animal kingdom roundup happened. Did Noah and his sons spend years collecting all the animals? In reality the creation, along with Noah, was doing just as God had commanded. There seemed to be no problem gathering the animals - God took care of the details of that job while Noah was doing his part by building the ark. Often we do just the opposite of Noah. We worry about details over which we have no control, while neglecting specific areas (such as attitudes, relationships, responsibilities) that are under our control. Like Noah, concentrate on what God has given you to do, and leave the rest to God.

 

Joe

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Find favor in the eyes of the Lord. (Genesis 6:6-8)

Genesis 6:6-8

New International Version (NIV)

⁶ The Lord regretted that he had made human beings on the earth, and his heart was deeply troubled. ⁷ So the Lord said, “I will wipe from the face of the earth the human race I have created—and with them the animals, the birds and the creatures that move along the ground—for I regret that I have made them.” ⁸ But Noah found favor in the eyes of the Lord.

The people's sin grieved God. Our sins break God's heart as much as sin did in Noah's day. Noah, however, pleased God, although he was far from perfect. We can follow Noah's example and find "favor in the eyes of the Lord" in spite of the sin that surrounds us.

Joe

Do you blame others for your sins? (Genesis 3:11-13)

Genesis 3:11-13

New Living Translation (NLT)

¹¹ “Who told you that you were naked?” the Lord God asked. “Have you eaten from the tree whose fruit I commanded you not to eat?”
¹² The man replied, “It was the woman you gave me who gave me the fruit, and I ate it.”
¹³ Then the Lord God asked the woman, “What have you done?”

“The serpent deceived me,” she replied. “That’s why I ate it.”

 

When God asked Adam about his sin, Adam blamed Eve. Then Eve blamed the serpent. How easy it is to excuse our sins by blaming someone else or circumstances. But God knows the truth, and He holds each of us responsible for what we do. Admit your wrong attitudes and actions and apologize to God. Don't try to get away with sin by blaming someone else.

 

Joe

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The battle is often lost at the first look. (Genesis 3:6)

Genesis 3:6

New Living Translation (NLT)

⁶ The woman was convinced. She saw that the tree was beautiful and its fruit looked delicious, and she wanted the wisdom it would give her. So she took some of the fruit and ate it. Then she gave some to her husband, who was with her, and he ate it, too.

Notice what Eve did: She looked, she took, she ate, and she gave. The battle is often lost at the first look. Temptation often begins by simply seeing something you want. Are you struggling with temptation because you have not learned that looking is the first step toward sin? You would win over temptation more often if you followed Paul advice to run from those things that produce evil thoughts (see 2 Timothy 2:22 below).

2 Timothy 2:22

New International Reader's Version (NIRV)

²² Run away from the evil things that young people long for. Try hard to do what is right. Have faith, love and peace. Do these things together with those who call on the Lord from a pure heart.

Joe

Flesh of my flesh. (Genesis 2:21-23)

Genesis 2:21-23

New International Version (NIV)

²¹ So the Lord God caused the man to fall into a deep sleep; and while he was sleeping, he took one of the man’s ribs and then closed up the place with flesh. ²² Then the Lord God made a woman from the rib he had taken out of the man, and he brought her to the man.
²³ The man said,

“This is now bone of my bones
    and flesh of my flesh;
she shall be called ‘woman,’
    for she was taken out of man.”


God forms and equips men and women for various tasks, but all these tasks lead to the same goal - honoring God. Man gives life to woman; woman gives life to the world. Each role carries exclusive privileges ; there is no room for thinking that one sex is superior to the other.



Joe



 

God still gives us choices. (Genesis 2:15-17)

Genesis 2:15-17

New Living Translation (NLT)

¹⁵ The Lord God placed the man in the Garden of Eden to tend and watch over it. ¹⁶ But the Lord God warned him, “You may freely eat the fruit of every tree in the garden— ¹⁷ except the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. If you eat its fruit, you are sure to die.”

God gave Adam responsibility for the garden and told him not to eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. Rather than physically preventing him from eating, God gave Adam a choice, and thus the possibility of choosing wrongly. God still gives us choices, and we, too, often choose wrongly. These wrong choices may cause us pain, but they can help us learn and grow and make better choices in the future. Living with the consequences of our choices teaches us to think and choose more carefully.

Joe

 

 

 

 

 

 

Be pleased with your accomplishments. (Genesis 1:25)

Genesis 1:25

New International Version (NIV)

²⁵ God made the wild animals according to their kinds, the livestock according to their kinds, and all the creatures that move along the ground according to their kinds. And God saw that it was good.




God saw that His work was good. People sometimes feel guilty for having a good time or for feeling good about an accomplishment. This need not be so. Just as God felt good about His work, we can be pleased with ours. However, we should not feel good about our work if God would not be pleased with it. What are you doing that pleases both you and God?




Joe









 

Start praying with confidence! (1 John 5:14-15)

1 John 5:14-15

New International Version (NIV)

¹⁴ This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us. ¹⁵ And if we know that he hears us—whatever we ask—we know that we have what we asked of him.

The emphasis here is on God's will, not our will. When we communicate with God, we don't demand what we want; rather we discuss with Him what He wants for us. If we align our prayers to His will, He will listen; and we can be certain that if He listens, He will give us a definite answer. Start praying with confidence!

 

 

 

Joe

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

We are God's Children! (1 John 3:1)

1 John 3:1

New Living Translation (NLT)

3 See how very much our Father loves us, for he calls us his children, and that is what we are! But the people who belong to this world don’t recognize that we are God’s children because they don’t know him.

 

As believers, our self-worth is based on the fact that God loves us and calls us His children. We are His children now, not just sometime in the distant future. Knowing that we are His children should encourage us to live as Jesus did.

 

 

Joe

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Get to know Him better ! (2 Peter 3:18)

2 Peter 3:18

New International Version (NIV)

¹⁸ But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To him be glory both now and forever! Amen

Peter concludes this brief letter as he began, by urging his readers to grow in the grace and knowledge of the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ - to get to know Him better and better. No matter where we are in our spiritual journey, no matter how mature we are in our faith, the sinful world always will challenge our faith. We still have much room for growth. If every day we find some way to draw closer to Christ, we will be prepared to stand for truth in any and all circumstances.

Joe

Don't be lazy while you wait. (2 Peter 3:14)

2 Peter 3:14

New Living Translation (NLT)

¹⁴ And so, dear friends, while you are waiting for these things to happen, make every effort to be found living peaceful lives that are pure and blameless in his sight.

We should not become lazy and complacent because Christ has not yet returned. Instead, we should live in eager expectation of His coming. What would you like to be doing when Christ returns? That is how we should be living each day.

Joe

 

Be like an athlete. (2 Peter 1:12-15)

2 Peter 1:12-15

New Living Translation (NLT)

¹² Therefore, I will always remind you about these things—even though you already know them and are standing firm in the truth you have been taught. ¹³ And it is only right that I should keep on reminding you as long as I live. ¹⁴ For our Lord Jesus Christ has shown me that I must soon leave this earthly life, ¹⁵ so I will work hard to make sure you always remember these things after I am gone.

 

 

Outstanding coaches constantly review the basics of the sport with their teams, and good athletes can execute the fundamentals consistently well. We must not neglect the basics of our faith when we go on to study deeper truths. Just as an athlete needs constant practice, we need constant reminders of the fundamentals of our faith and of how we came to believe in the first place. Don't allow yourself to be bored or impatient with messages on the basics of the Christian life, Instead, take the attitude of an athlete who continues to practice and refine the basics even as he or she learns more advanced skills.

 

 

Joe

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Faith must become a dynamic part of all we do. (2 Peter 1:5-9)

2 Peter 1:5-9

New Living Translation (NLT)

 

 

⁵ In view of all this, make every effort to respond to God’s promises. Supplement your faith with a generous provision of moral excellence, and moral excellence with knowledge, ⁶ and knowledge with self-control, and self-control with patient endurance, and patient endurance with godliness, ⁷ and godliness with brotherly affection, and brotherly affection with love for everyone.

⁸ The more you grow like this, the more productive and useful you will be in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. ⁹ But those who fail to develop in this way are shortsighted or blind, forgetting that they have been cleansed from their old sins.

 

 

Our faith must go beyond what we believe; it must become a dynamic part of all we do, resulting in good fruit and spiritual maturity. Salvation does not depend on good deeds, but it results in good deeds. A person who claims to be saved while remaining unchanged does not understand faith or what God has done for him or her.

 

 

Joe

 

 

 

Stay alert! (1 Peter 5:8-9)

1 Peter 5:8-9

New Living Translation (NLT)

⁸ Stay alert! Watch out for your great enemy, the devil. He prowls around like a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour. ⁹ Stand firm against him, and be strong in your faith. Remember that your family of believers all over the world is going through the same kind of suffering you are.

James 4:7

New International Version (NIV)

⁷ Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.

Lions attack sick, young, or straggling animals; they chose victims who are alone or not alert. Peter warns us to watch out for Satan when we are suffering or being persecuted. Feeling alone, weak, helpless, and cut off from other believers, so focused on our troubles that we forget to watch for danger, we are especially vulnerable to Satan's attacks. During times of suffering, seek other Christians for support. Keep your eyes on Christ, and resist the devil. Then, says James, "he will flee from you".

Joe

Keep your conduct above criticism! (1 Peter 3:16)

1 Peter 3:16

New International Version (NIV)

 

¹⁶ keeping a clear conscience, so that those who speak maliciously against your good behavior in Christ may be ashamed of their slander.

 

You may not be able to keep people from slandering you, but you can at least stop supplying them with ammunition. As long as you do what is right, their accusations will be empty and will only embarrass them. Keep your conduct above criticism!

 

Joe

Always be ready, but don't be obnoxious! (1 Peter 3:15)

1 Peter 3:15

New Living Translation (NLT)

¹⁵ Instead, you must worship Christ as Lord of your life. And if someone asks about your hope as a believer, always be ready to explain it.

 

 

Some Christians believe that faith is a personal matter that should be kept to oneself. It is true that we shouldn't be boisterous or obnoxious in sharing our faith, but we should always be ready to give an answer, gently and respectfully, when asked about our faith, our life-style, or our Christian perspective. Can others see your hope in Christ? Are you prepared to tell them what Christ has done in your life?

 

 

Joe

 

 

 

Five qualities... (1 Peter 3:8)

1 Peter 3:8

New International Version (NIV)

⁸ Finally, all of you, live in harmony with one another, be sympathetic, love as brothers, be compassionate and humble.

Peter lists 5 key elements that should characterize any group of believers: 1.) harmony - pursuing the same goals; 2.) sympathy - being responsive to others' needs; 3.) love - seeing and treating each other as brothers and sisters; 4.) compassion - being affectionately sensitive and caring; and 5.) humility - being willing to encourage one another and rejoice in each others' successes. These five qualities go a long way toward helping believers serve God effectively.

Joe

True beauty begins inside. (1 Peter 3:3-4)

1 Peter 3:3-4

New International Reader's Version (NIRV)

³ Braiding your hair doesn’t make you beautiful. Wearing gold jewelry or fine clothes doesn’t make you beautiful. ⁴ Instead, your beauty comes from inside you. It is the beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit. Beauty like that doesn’t fade away. God places great value on it.

We should not be obsessed by fashion, but neither should we be so unconcerned that we do not bother to care for ourselves. Hygiene, neatness, and grooming are important, but even more important are a person's attitude and inner spirit. True beauty begins inside.

Joe

Are you ready to meet Christ? (1 Peter 1:13)

1 Peter 1:13

New International Reader's Version (NIRV)

¹³ So prepare your minds for action. Control yourselves. Put your hope completely in the grace that will be given to you when Jesus Christ returns.

The imminent return of Christ should motivate us to live for Him. This means being mentally alert ("prepare your minds for action"), disciplined ("control yourselves"), and focused ("put your hope completely"). Are you ready to meet Christ?

Joe

Refined like gold. (1 Peter 1:7)

1 Peter 1:7

New Living Translation (NLT)

⁷ These trials will show that your faith is genuine. It is being tested as fire tests and purifies gold—though your faith is far more precious than mere gold. So when your faith remains strong through many trials, it will bring you much praise and glory and honor on the day when Jesus Christ is revealed to the whole world.

 

As Gold is heated, impurities float to the top and can be skimmed off. Likewise, our trials, struggles, and persecutions refine and strengthen our faith, making us useful to God.

Joe

Happy Anniversary to my beautiful wife Patricia...34 years wonderful years.

Life is short. (James 4:14)

James 4:14

New International Version (NIV)

¹⁴ Why, you do not even know what will happen tomorrow. What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes.

 

Life is short no matter how many years we live. Don't be deceived into thinking that you have lots of remaining time to live for Christ, to enjoy your loved ones, or to do what you know you should. Live for God today! Then, no matter when your life ends, you will have fulfilled God's plan for you.

Joe 

 

 

 

Do you talk to God at all? (James 4:2-3)

James 4:2-3

New International Version (NIV)

² You desire but do not have, so you kill. You covet but you cannot get what you want, so you quarrel and fight. You do not have because you do not ask God. ³ When you ask, you do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, that you may spend what you get on your pleasures.

James mentions the most common problem in prayer: not asking, asking for the wrong things, asking for the wrong reasons. Do you talk to God at all? When you do, what do you talk about? Do you ask only to satisfy your desires? Do you seek God's approval for what you already plan to do? Your prayers will become powerful when you allow God to change your desires so that they perfectly correspond to His will for you?

Joe

Conflicts and disputes among believers. (James 4:1-3)

James 4:1-3

New International Version (NIV)

4 What causes fights and quarrels among you? Don’t they come from your desires that battle within you? ² You desire but do not have, so you kill. You covet but you cannot get what you want, so you quarrel and fight. You do not have because you do not ask God. ³ When you ask, you do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, that you may spend what you get on your pleasures.

Conflicts and disputes among believers are always harmful. James explains that these quarrels result from evil desires battling within us - we want more possessions, more money, higher status, more recognition. When we want badly enough to fulfill these desires, we fight in order to do so. Instead of aggressively grabbing what we want, we should submit ourselves to God, ask God to help us get rid of our selfish desires, and trust Him to give us what we really need.

Joe

If we could control our tongues... (James 3:2-3)

James 3:2-3

New Living Translation (NLT)

² Indeed, we all make many mistakes. For if we could control our tongues, we would be perfect and could also control ourselves in every other way.

³ We can make a large horse go wherever we want by means of a small bit in its mouth.

What you say and what you don't say are both important. Proper speech is not only saying the right words at the right time, but it is also controlling your desire to say what you shouldn't. Examples of an untamed tongue include gossiping, putting others down, bragging, manipulating, false teaching, exaggerating, complaining, flattering, and lying. Before you speak, ask, "Is what I want to say true? Is it necessary? Is it kind?"

Joe

Faith without deeds... (James 2:17 )

James 2:17 


New Living Translation (NLT)


¹⁷ So you see, faith by itself isn’t enough. Unless it produces good deeds, it is dead and useless.


We cannot earn our salvation by serving and obeying God. But such actions show that our commitment to God is real. Deeds of loving service are not a substitute for, but rather a verification of, our faith in Christ.


Joe

God does not promise us earthly rewards or riches. (James 2:2-4)

James 2:2-4

New King James Version (NKJV)

² For if there should come into your assembly a man with gold rings, in fine apparel, and there should also come in a poor man in filthy clothes, ³ and you pay attention to the one wearing the fine clothes and say to him, “You sit here in a good place,” and say to the poor man, “You stand there,” or, “Sit here at my footstool,” ⁴ have you not shown partiality among yourselves, and become judges with evil thoughts?

We are often partial to the rich because we mistakenly assume that riches are a sign of God's blessing and approval. But God does not promise us earthly rewards or riches; in fact, Christ calls us to be ready to suffer for Him and give up everything in order to hold on to eternal life. We will have untold riches in eternity if we are faithful in our present life.

Joe

Do what God's Word says ! (James 1:22-25)

James 1:22-25

New Living Translation (NLT)

²² But don’t just listen to God’s Word. You must do what it says. Otherwise, you are only fooling yourselves. ²³ For if you listen to the word and don’t obey, it is like glancing at your face in a mirror. ²⁴ You see yourself, walk away, and forget what you look like. ²⁵ But if you look carefully into the perfect law that sets you free, and if you do what it says and don’t forget what you heard, then God will bless you for doing it.

It is important to listen to what God's Word says, but it is much more important to obey it, to do what it says. We can measure the effectiveness of our Bible study time by the effect it has on our behavior and attitudes. Do you put into action what you have studied?

Joe

Keep track of how much you listen. (James 1:19)

James 1:19

New Living Translation (NLT)

¹⁹ Understand this, my dear brothers and sisters: You must all be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to get angry.

When we talk too much and listen too little, we communicate to others that we think our ideas are much more important than theirs. James wisely advises us to reverse this process. Put a mental stopwatch on your conversations and keep track of how much you talk and how much you listen. When people talk with you, do you feel that their viewpoints and ideas have value?

Joe

 

 

 

 

 

Temptation does not come from God. (James 1:12-15)

James 1:12-15

New Living Translation (NLT)

¹² God blesses those who patiently endure testing and temptation. Afterward they will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love him. ¹³ And remember, when you are being tempted, do not say, “God is tempting me.” God is never tempted to do wrong, and he never tempts anyone else. ¹⁴ Temptation comes from our own desires, which entice us and drag us away. ¹⁵ These desires give birth to sinful actions. And when sin is allowed to grow, it gives birth to death.

Temptation comes from evil desires inside us, not from God, it begins with an evil thought and becomes sin when we dwell on the thought and allow it to become an action. Like a snowball rolling downhill, sin grows more destructive the more we let it have its way. The best time to stop a temptation is before its too strong or moving too fast to control.

Joe