Browsing Tag

knowing god

Daily Bible Verse and Devotion – Matthew 19:16

Posted on May 23, 2024

Many people today believe that Jesus was a teacher. Some even go as far as to believe that He was a prophet. But Jesus was claiming to the world that He was much more than that. He claimed He was the Son of God. That’s a powerful difference.

In Matthew 19:16-22 there was a young person who was rich and was a ruler. He approached Jesus asking how to have eternal life. But notice how he referred to Jesus. “Now behold, one came and said to Him, “Good Teacher, what good thing shall I do that I may have eternal life?” (NKJV) He was only willing to call Jesus a good teacher. Jesus’ response said it all: – So He said to him, “Why do you call Me good? No one is good but One, that is, God. (NKJV)

Jesus was trying to get to the heart of this man. He could see the rich young ruler was willing to call him a good teacher but wasn’t willing to call Him God. That is a big difference. A teacher can only tell someone good things they have to do to earn eternal life. But as God, He had the power to save us. This is what Jesus claimed He was. God. And as God He died and rose again, earning eternal life for us.

What do you call Jesus? A teacher? Or God? Trust in Jesus and believe that He was exactly who He claimed to be, the Son of God who takes away our sin.

Daily Bible Verse and Devotion – Hebrews 4:16

Posted on April 15, 2024

“Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.” – Heb 4:16

I like the idea of coming boldly to God’s throne of grace. In my mind, I picture coming fearlessly. I do this because, in God’s eyes, I am complete and righteous in Him. So I can come to God without worry, without regret, and without feeling like I’m inadequate. I can now come to God fearlessly because of what Jesus did on the cross.

How great is it to know that we can come to God fearlessly? We don’t have to be held back by our sins, shortcomings, and failures. Rather, we can believe in what Jesus did and experience the help that God provides.

Today’s Truth: God is there and ready to help you out with anything you need.

The next time you’re feeling that you need help realize you can go to God. He’s there and ready to help you out with anything you need. Take comfort in the fact that we’ve got grace to help us in our time of need!

Daily Bible Verse and Devotion – Galatians 4:6

Posted on September 22, 2021

And because we are his children, God has sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, prompting us to call out, “Abba, Father.” – Galatians 4:6 (NLT)

This verse talks about God being Abba. That’s kind of like referring to God as our daddy. A good daddy looks out for His kids. He does whatever it takes to make sure his kids have all they need and are safe. If we know that a good earthly daddy would do that for his kids, what makes us think that our heavenly father wouldn’t do the same for us?

God wants nothing more than for you to have all your needs met and to be safe. He always will provide for you, if you’ll just put your trust in Him. God is a good father. He has made sure that we have everything we need to enjoy life.

Today’s Truth: God wants nothing more than for you to have all your needs met and to be safe

So today, take some time out to thank God for what He has done for you. Thank Him for keeping you safe, and providing for you.

Pray: Dear Jesus, thank you so much for your love for me. I thank you that you want to meet my needs. I thank you that as I put my trust in you, You’ll always provide for me. In your name, Amen.

Daily Bible Verse and Devotion – John 17:3

Posted on February 10, 2021

And this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent. – John 17:3

Today’s Bible verse tells us an awesome truth about eternal life. It shows us that we can know the only true God and we can know Jesus Christ who he sent.

How great is that? What other religion can say that you can have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ and God? One of the best things about eternal life is that you get to know God. With Jesus, you don’t just get to hear about the things that he has done. Instead, you actually get to know God.

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God wants a personal relationship with you! He wants to talk to you and listen to you. It’s such great news to know that we have a God who is relational. He wants to know you and to be known by you! Today, spend some time talking to God. Challenge yourself to get to know Him a little better.

Daily Bible Verse and Devotion – Hebrews 12:2

Posted on August 3, 2020

We do this by keeping our eyes on Jesus, the champion who initiates and perfects our faith. Because of the joy awaiting him, he endured the cross, disregarding its shame. Now he is seated in the place of honor beside God’s throne. – Hebrews 12:2

I played softball as a teenager. When I was playing, I always remember my coach telling me to keep my eye on the ball. For me to be a good ballplayer, I had to watch the ball so I could field it and hit it.

That’s why in practice after practice, he continually encouraged the team to keep our eyes on the ball.

Today’s Bible verse encourages us to do something similar. It tells us to keep our eyes on Jesus. Your focus in sports and in life is important. In life, as you focus on Jesus, the cares and concerns of life fade away. You begin to realize that with Jesus on your side there is nothing that you can’t face.

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Jesus should always be a part of your decision-making process. In each decision you make, you should be keeping your eye on Jesus and wanting to make a decision with Him in mind. So today in the craziness of life, be sure to take some time to keep your eyes on Jesus. Spend some time thinking about Him and all He’s done for you.

What are some ways you’ve found helpful to keep your focus on Jesus?

Daily Bible Verse and Devotion – 2 Cor 5:16

Posted on January 2, 2019

From now on, then, we do not know anyone in a purely human way. Even if we have known Christ in a purely human way, yet now we no longer know Him in this way.
– 2 Cor 5:16 (HSCB)

Have you ever wanted to get to know a celebrity? Maybe you wish that you could be friends with them or get to hang out with them. But since you don’t really know them, you know them from a far. You know about them from what you read about them online or what you see in a magazine. But in reality, you don’t really know them.

That’s a lot like how your relationship with Jesus was before you became a Christian. You knew who He was, maybe even that He was a good person, but you didn’t really know Him.

Once you accept Jesus into your heart, you now get to know Him in a new way. You don’t know Him in a human way, but you get to know Him in a closer, deeper way. Start the new year off being grateful that you get to know God in a deep way! Make getting to know God one of your new year’s resolutions this year.

Daily Bible Verse – November 22

Posted on November 22, 2017

As a father has compassion on his children, so the Lord has compassion on those who fear him; – Psalm 103:13

Life can be overwhelming sometimes. In those moments where you’re tired or just feeling down, remember today’s Bible verse. It talks about how God has compassion on us. God is a good father to us. He extends compassion to us.

Today, don’t forget how awesome it is to be a child of God. We can be encouraged knowing that God loves us and has compassion on us each and every day!

Pray: Thank you Father for having compassion on me. I’m so thankful to be your child and choose to take time to think about how good you’ve been to me today. In Jesus name I pray, Amen.

Daily Bible Verse and Devotion – Colossians 1:16

Posted on October 5, 2017

Through him God created everything in the heavenly realms and on earth. He made the things we can see and the things we can’t see–such as thrones, kingdoms, rulers, and authorities in the unseen world. Everything was created through him and for him – Colossians 1:16

As a student, it’s easy begin to wonder what your calling is in life. You can begin to wonder what is next for you or how will God bring to pass the dreams that are in your heart.

These are all great questions and things to consider. However, it’s always good to check our motives when we’re praying and asking God our destiny. Many times we fall into the trap of asking God to bless our dreams and what we want to do, instead of asking God to show us what He would have us to do.

God created us. He knows us and loves us, He knows what will make us fulfilled and happy. In light of this, we should focus on building a thriving relationship with Jesus. As we spend time with Jesus we should ask Him what He wants us to do and what He created us for. Doing this will bring you lasting and true happiness.

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Manger Madness – (Why Jesus Came)

Posted on December 7, 2015

It’s the Christmas season, and everywhere you look, people are gearing up for Christmas. Yesterday, I walked into a store and saw they had a countdown of days left until Christmas. Christmas is a fun time of the year, between the gift giving, gift getting, fun lights and decorations, you’d have to be a real Scrooge to not enjoy Christmas.

You’ve probably seen all the decorations and the nativity scenes, but have you ever wondered, ‘Why Did Jesus Come?’. Why did Jesus come to earth. He had it going up in heaven, He was God’s son, and it really doesn’t get much better than that. Did He come to earth because He wanted to practice His walking on water skills? Or was heaven getting really dull? Why was it that Jesus needed to come to earth as a baby?

Jesus had a problem to fix.

Each of us had a problem. We were stuck in our sin. We were trapped and slaves to sin. There was no amount of good works that could make us right with God. Simply put, we needed a savior.

For we know that our old self was crucified with Him in order that sin’s dominion over the body may be abolished, so that we may no longer be enslaved to sin – Romans 6:6 (HSCB)

Jesus did what we were unable to do by ourselves. We couldn’t make ourselves right with God. We were trapped, slaves to sin. Jesus paid the price that our sins deserved. He was a one time sacrifice, payment in full for our sins, shortcomings, mess-ups and failures.

Jesus gave us a new identity.

We used to be slaves to sin. Jesus changed that, and when He did, we were given a new identity. When we accept Jesus as our savior, we are considered right with God. We identify with Jesus now, not sin. We identify with victory, not defeat!

So now, it’s up to us to get our thinking lined up to what God’s word says about us. The Bible tells us that we’re a new creation.

This means that anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun! – 2 Cor 5:17 (NLT)

We’ve been identified with Christ, but it’s up to us now to change how we see ourselves. We often look at our shortcomings and failures. We focus on those things, rather than focusing on how Jesus sees us. He sees us a new people. He doesn’t see our sins and shortcomings, rather He looks at us and sees a new identity. And now it’s up to us to live out that new identity.

Don’t let this just be another Christmas.

Don’t get so used to the Christmas lights, manger scenes and Santas everywhere that you forget what it all is really about. Jesus came to earth as a baby in a manger. But He didn’t just do it for kicks or because He was bored. He had a mission. He was going to bring mankind back into relationship with His father.

That’s the good news of Christmas. That we can know God the father and we’ve been made new because of what Jesus did!

Youth Leaders

If you’re a youth leader, and this Christmas lesson resonated with you, we have a similar youth group lesson outline available in our resource center. Check it out, and all the other youth group lessons, games, and outlines we’ve made available. We hope it will bless you and your youth group this Christmas season!

Manger Madness (Youth Group Lesson Outline)
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Amazon Reviews – What They Teach Us About Thankfulness

Posted on November 16, 2015

Have you ever spent time reading some of the reviews on Amazon? They can be really helpful when you’re trying to make a decision on which product to buy. You can take your time and read the experiences of others, which helps you make an informed decisions when buying products.

Leaving reviews on Amazon can teach us some things about thankfulness.

Give thanks to the LORD and proclaim his greatness. Let the whole world know what he has done. – 1 Chronicles 16:8

Give thanks

The first part of this verse talks about giving thanks to the Lord. But what does giving thanks to God really look like?

Giving thanks is something that requires expression. If you don’t express your thanks in some way, the person you’re thanking will never know that you’re thankful. So, if you’re thankful to God, you’ve got to express it. You could journal your thankfulness, you could write a song, or even just express those thoughts in prayer. It doesn’t matter how your thankfulness is expressed, just that you do let God know that you’re thankful for all He has done in your life.

Benefits of thankfulness

Being thankful has some benefits. The first one is that thankfulness helps others. If we look at the example of Amazon reviews, when you leave a review, it helps others. It helps people know if they want to buy the product, or if the product is good. When you express your thankfulness for a product or for something that God has done, it helps others.

Being thankful also helps you. Whether you know it or not, being thankful is good for you. If you’re upset or feeling depressed, one of the best ways to help yourself out is to be thankful. You can start thanking God for all the good things in your life. As you do, you suddenly realize that you’re not as sad or upset anymore. Being thankful helps you!

Let others know what God has done

If you were to find a great deal at a new store, or listen to a great new song, you’d tell people about it. When you experience something good, you tell others about it. If you bought a great product online, you’d give it 5 stars, or write a great review. We are wired to share good news with others.

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The problem is, many times we forget to share the good things God is doing in our lives with others. We know that God is good and has done great things in our lives, but often, we don’t share Him with others. We don’t take the time to tell people how God has changed our lives.

Challenge yourself to not become unthankful. Decide to express your thanks to God and to others this week. Choose to give thanks and see how great it is!

If you’re a youth leader and you’re looking for resources to share with your youth group, check out our lesson outline and powerpoint available for free based on this devotion!

Amazon Reviews – What They Teach Us About Thankfulness
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