Thursday, January 20, 2022

Thursday, January 20, 2022
James 5:16

Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective.

Humans are far from infallible; so far that we needed the Son of God to save us from our imperfections. We all fall short in one way or another, but prayer is powerful, and can help us to heal from life’s wounds. James encourages us to confess our sins to each other and pray, humbling ourselves not just before God, but before fellow believers as well.

Wednesday, January 19, 2022

Wednesday, January 19, 2022
Romans 15:1

We who are strong have an obligation to bear with the failings of the weak, and not to please ourselves.

God has blessed each of us with strengths, talents and resources, all of which we can use to bring Him glory. We are obligated to use our advantages to help others, without wasting our gifts on personal gain. It’s easy to be proud of your strengths, but we must remember the God who gave us our abilities, and make sure we are using them to build others up and further Christ’s work

Tuesday, January 18, 2022

Tuesday, January 18, 2022
Philippians 2:3

Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves.

Jesus described loving others as the second greatest commandment, and this was reflected through His entire life, including His sacrifice for us. Valuing others above yourself is a quality that Christ embodied as He was nailed to a cross for the sins of the world. Can you imagine if, during His time on earth, He had acted out of selfish ambition? As examples of Christ, we are called to humility, putting the needs of others above our own.

Monday, January 17, 2022

Monday, January 17, 2022
Matthew 23:12

For those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.

Oftentimes it’s easy to think highly of ourselves, taking pride in the successes and talents that God has blessed us with. But as humans we are inherently flawed, and no matter what kind of pedestal we put ourselves on, none of us are perfect. God’s word tells us that those who exalt themselves will inevitably be brought low, but those who remain humble will be honored by Him.

Friday, January 14, 2022

Friday, January 14, 2022
Romans 1:16 “I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes,”

God’s grace is available to everyone, no matter who they are or where they come from, but it’s up to those who believe in Him to spread the good news. Jesus’ great commission to all his followers was to spread the message of salvation to all people of the world, inviting them to accept Christ into their hearts.

Paul isn’t ashamed of the gospel, and we shouldn’t be either. The value of a single human life is impossible to ascertain, but we know that even the least person is infinitely loved by God. If that’s true, we should be doing all we can to spread the message of salvation to those around us. God wants everyone to spend eternity with Him in heaven, and with the power of Christ and the gift of grace He has given us, we can help save souls for eternity.

Thursday, January 13, 2022

Thursday, January 13, 2022
Romans 6:14-15 “For sin will have no dominion over you, since you are not under law but under grace. …Are we to sin because we are not under the law but under grace? By no means!”

Christ’s sacrifice was not meant to give us permission to break God’s laws; rather, it was to save us from our inevitable mistakes. As Paul said earlier in Romans 3, it’s true that all of us have sinned and fallen short, and doubtless, each one of us will continue making mistakes throughout the rest of our lives.

But in Jesus, we are no longer guilty of a lifetime of crimes in the eyes of God. At the same time, if we believe that He is Lord and accept His forgiveness, we should be following His commandments to the best of our ability each and every day. Our actions are not what saves us, but our loyalty to God and His laws are a reflection of what our hearts believe. As James, the brother of Jesus writes later in the New Testament: “faith without works is dead.”