Does God see you as generous or greedy? Generous and generate come from the same Latin word, genus, meaning “race, or kind.” Generous means “giving.” Generate means “multiply.” Consequently, generosity multiplies giving in the human race. God’s desire is to multiply our gifts through us to generate generosity in others. Yet many of us still […]
God’s Ins, Outs, Ups, and Downs of Resources (Part 2)
God’s Ins, Outs, Ups, and Downs of Resources
When it comes to giving our resources, we have a natural bent of being foolish and greedy. Consequently, we give any gift to ourselves. A non-profit corporation CEO offers a favor to a potential donor whom he will ask later for a charitable contribution that will advance his agenda for the organization. He gave the […]
David: Living for an Audience of One
What do you desire most? For what cause are you willing to fight? Where do you find your strength? Whom or what do you worship? How do you respond to your sins? The answers to these questions reveal the affections of our hearts. King David demonstrated for us what it means to live for an […]
Repented for an Audience of One (2 Samuel 12:13)
Have you sinned today? David repented for an audience of One. In essence, David repented as boldly as he sinned. After the prophet Nathan confronted David regarding his sin with Bathsheba including orchestrating the death of her husband, Uriah the Hittite, David’s first words uttered his concern for his broken fellowship with God, “Then David […]
Worshiped for an Audience of One (2 Samuel 6:14; 21-22)
David worshiped for an audience of One. When the ark of the Lord was restored to David’s possession, he worshiped God publicly, “David, wearing a linen ephod, danced before the LORD with all his might,” (2 Samuel 6:14). David’s wife, Michal, the daughter of King Saul, was mortified at David’s transparency. David’s response gave insight […]
Strengthened for an Audience of One (1 Samuel 30:6)
Are you in need of restoration by the only One who can provide it? David was strengthened for an audience of One. In the backdrop of David’s pre-monarch raids, his men had lost their wives and children to the captivity of a nomadic enemy who had ransacked their camp while they were away. Scripture records, […]
Battled for an Audience of One (1 Samuel 17:45-47)
Have you considered living for an audience of One? Unfortunately, most of us live for the wrong audience of one. We either live solely for ourselves or unhealthily for another person, all at the expense of living for God. One of the Bible’s most prominent characters was King David whose chronicles demonstrated for us what […]
Surrendered for an Audience of One (1 Samuel 13:14)
Have you considered living for an audience of One? Unfortunately, most of us live for the wrong audience of one. We either live solely for ourselves or unhealthily for another person, all at the expense of living for God. One of the Bible’s most prominent characters was King David whose chronicles demonstrated for us what […]
Love, Learn, Live the Word (Exodus 20:3)
Do you worship anything or anyone other than God? In the first of the Ten Commandments, God said, “You shall have no other gods before me” (Exodus 20:3). We were created to worship the God of the universe (John 4:24). In our sinful nature, we risk worshiping other gods by desiring them in our hearts. […]
Love, Learn, Live the Word (Genesis 1:1)
Do you need a new beginning? “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth” (Genesis 1:1). God is love (1 John 4:8), and from His love, He designs and creates. The foundation of believing in the one true God is recognizing Him as our Designer and Creator. Everything starts with Him. No one […]
Go Wisely: Foolish Builder
On what foundation do you make every choice, capture every thought, process every feeling, or offer every prayer? In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus painted the picture of a foundation upon which His disciples could build their hearts and lives. Jesus summarized it as building one’s house on the rock (Matthew 7:24-25). He closed […]
Go Wisely: Wise Builder
On what foundation do you make every choice, capture every thought, process every feeling, or offer every prayer? In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus painted the picture of a foundation upon which His disciples could build their hearts and lives. Jesus summarized it as building one’s house on the rock (Matthew 7:24-29). He closed […]
Go with Discretion: Disciple
Jesus taught His disciples to discern and disciple. First, they were to discern their mentors, noting that their roots determined their fruit (Matthew 7:15-20). Second, His disciples were called to disciple others who would multiply the fruit of the kingdom (Matthew 7:21-23). Disciple. Intimacy with the Root produces His fruit (Matthew 7:21-23). Jesus preached that […]
Go with Discretion: Discern
Have you ever entrusted yourself to a mentor who wanted you to be more oriented toward man-made rules than relationships? Rather than base his advice on the teaching of Christ and the counsel of the Bible, he developed his own personal potpourri of teachings. Describing two trees, Jesus addressed this dichotomy in the Sermon on […]
Go Through the Narrow Gate (Part 2)
We approach life with God through one of two gates, traveling one of two roads, leading to one of two destinations. One is religious, traveling from the outside in. The other is relational, traveling from the inside out. In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus described the two gates, the two roads, and the two […]
Go Through the Narrow Gate (Part 1)
We approach life with God through one of two gates, traveling one of two roads, leading to one of two destinations. One is religious, traveling from the outside in. The other is relational, traveling from the inside out. In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus described the two gates, the two roads, and the two […]
Go Connectedly (Part 5)
Every encounter with another person is a three-way call. When we are connected with God and connected with others, then they are connected with God. Whereas pride brings static to the line; humility offers a clear connection. Go connectedly with a soft heart of clay (Matthew 7:7-12). In previous weeks we have examined Connection One: […]
Go Connectedly (Part 4)
Have you ever struggled with how you should go to others with the gospel of full surrender to Christ? When a person is caught in his sin, desiring life apart from God, we tend to go to him in one of two extremes: we are either condemning or careless. These are rooted in the two […]
Go Connectedly (Part 3)
Have you ever struggled with how you should go to others with the gospel of full surrender to Christ? When a person is caught in his sin, desiring life apart from God, we tend to go to him in one of two extremes: we are either condemning or careless. These are rooted in the two […]
Go Connectedly (Part 2)
Have you ever struggled with how you should go to others with the gospel of full surrender to Christ? When a person is caught in his sin, desiring life apart from God, we tend to go to him in one of two extremes: we are either condemning or careless. These are rooted in the two […]