Knowing Your Purpose
However, I consider my life worth nothing to me, if only I may finish the race and complete the task the Lord Jesus has given me—the task of testifying to the gospel of God's grace. -Acts 20:24 One of the inspiring marks of the apostle Paul’s life was that he knew his purpose. He was utterly controlled by the Good News of the Gospel—believing, loving, preaching, and defending it, often at the risk of his life. In this passage, Paul is speaking
Are You There, God?
In the good times and the bad, we're always in God's hands! This is the word that came to Jeremiah from the Lord: "Go down to the potter's house, and there I will give you my message." So I went down to the potter's house, and I saw him working at the wheel. But the pot he was shaping from the clay was marred in his hands; so the potter formed it into another pot, shaping it as seemed best to him.
How Do We Pray?
Now Jesus was praying in a certain place, and when he finished, one of his disciples said to him, “Lord, teach us to pray, as John taught his disciples.” And he said to them, “When you pray, say: “Father, hallowed be your name. Your kingdom come. Give us each day our daily bread, and forgive us our sins, for we ourselves forgive everyone who is indebted to us. And lead us not into temptation.” -Luke 11:1-4 As Christians, we know we should pray because both the Old and New Testaments
Your 100 Day Prayer: Day 96 – By His Spirit
by TJ Bates "Not by might nor by power, but by my Spirit," says the Lord Almighty. -Zechariah 4:6 When we celebrate the miracle of Christ's Resurrection, this verse is a good reminder of how God's work is accomplished. "Countless preachers and missionaries have launched their ministries with this passage as their life theme. It's pretty straightforward. God tells his people through the prophet Zechariah that if they're going to accomplish anything in his name, it will be not on their own
Your 100 Day Prayer: Day 76 – Nowhere Else to Go
by TJ Bates Before Day 76 in Dr. Snyder's book, he addresses "When God Says No." Here's an excerpt from that section: "We discover that often God gets more accomplished with a no than a yes. If we had everything we asked for the minute we asked, then we probably wouldn't learn very much from the crisis of the moment. God teachers us to depend on him by means of trouble and difficulty. Otherwise, if things were always an easy skate across
Your 100 Day Prayer: Day 70 – He Stills the Storm
by TJ Bates He stilled the storm to a whisper; the waves of the sea were hushed. They were glad when it grew calm, and he guided them to their desired haven. -Psalm 107:29-30 How many times has God "stilled the storms" in your life? Have you shared those times with your family or with your congregation? Dr. Snyder says it is important that we do so just as the Hebrews used to do. They constantly remembered their history and were forever
Your 100 Day Prayer: Day 65 – Are You Listening?
by TJ Bates via Theology Mix I call on you, O God, for you will answer me; give ear to me and hear my prayer. –Psalm 17:6 A number of psalmists have recorded their complaints and frustration over the apparent "earlessness" of God. There may have been times when you have felt the same frustration and wondered if God was listening to your prayers. God answers through the psalmist who wrote in Psalm 94:9, "Does he who implanted the ear not hear?" Psalm 94:9
Restarting for A Happy New Year: What’s My Purpose?
by Mike Page Did you make any New Year resolutions for 2021? I haven’t made any for years—it's too depressing breaking them after a week! So, instead, how about restarting the year with the question: “God, what can I do for you this year?” It’s one of those "Big Questions," isn’t it? In other words, What’s my purpose here? How can I be significant? What do you want from me, Lord? Frequently, these questions are asked by overweight people as they reach 50+
Your 100 Day Prayer: Day 51- Beyond Random
From one man he made every nation of men, that they should inhabit the whole earth; and he determined the times set for them and the exact places where they should live. -Acts 17:26 Do you ever wonder why you are alive at this particular time, what your purpose for being here is, and why you live where you live? Paul tells us that we are here in the times we live by divine assignment. "God expects us to search out and find
Your 100 Day Prayer: Day 23 – How to Save a Life
"Then he called the crowd to him along with his disciples and said: 'If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me and for the gospel will save it.'" -Mark 8:34-35 “Here's one of life's best-kept secrets: If we try to fulfill ourselves by ourselves, or to realize our dreams on our own steam and our
