The Weekly Focal Point with Mike Fabarez, Bible Devotional. Daily Christian Living Articles, Devotionals, and Faith Inspiration. Monday Since the creation of the world, God's invisible qualities -- his eternal power and divine nature -- have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that men are without excuse.
New International Version The touch of the Master's hand is all around us. We see it in the order, beauty, and dazzling variety in creation. The great expanse of space with its billions of planets and the incredible world of the microscopic are all testimony to an Orderer of great creativity. God has left his fingerprints all over his world so we can know he is here. O God, thank you for your creation. Tuesday It is written, "As surely as I live," says the Lord, "every knee will bow before me; every tongue will confess to God. " "Thy kingdom come, thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven. " Father, I thank you for saving me.
Wednesday If value is determined by price, we are incredibly valuable. Holy God, may I live today constantly aware of my inestimable value to you. Thursday Friday. Max Lucado Devotional - Upwords Bible Devotions Free Online. God calls us in a real world. He doesn’t communicate by performing tricks. He’s not a genie, a magician, a good luck charm, or the man upstairs. He is the Creator of the universe who is right here in the thick of our day-to-day world. And God speaks in our world. We just have to learn to hear him. Listen for him amidst the ordinary.
Do you need affirmation of his care? Don’t they say only two things in life are certain: death and taxes? From And the Angels Were Silent Listen to UpWords with Max Lucado at OnePlace.com. Two Minute Drills from Coach Joe Gibbs, Christian Daily Devotional. First Things First You may or may not be a list-maker. It doesn't really matter.
Because whether you are or you aren't, we all live by a list. We all do what's most important to us—our ones, twos, and threes. The same goes for our money. Thankfully, the Bible comes right out and tells us what our first financial thing needs to be: "Honor the Lord from your wealth, and from the first of all your produce" (Proverbs 3:9). Or how easily it becomes a forgotten thing. If this sounds a little too radical and expensive, seek out someone you know who manages their money by this principle. Pray this prayer: I ask you, Lord, to help me realize that everything I own or earn comes from you. Please visit Joe Gibbs' Website at www.GamePlanForLife.com for Joe's Video Blog and more!
Sparkling Gems Devotional from Rick Renner, Christian Bible Devotions. Week of April 14 Cast All Your Care on the Lord! Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you. . - 1 Peter 5:7 When we were constructing a huge church facility many years ago in the Republic of Latvia - a former Soviet nation where our family once lived and worked - worry and anxiety tried so hard to control me. At the time, no credit was available for building churches in that nation. I would lie in bed at night, rolling this way and that way, turning again and again, unable to sleep because my stomach was churning with acid and my mind was spinning with doubts, worries, fears, reservations, and concerns. Finally one night, I got up, walked down the hallway to my study, opened my Bible, and read these words: "Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you" (1 Peter 5:7). That night, I saw that the word "casting" used in First Peter 5:7 was the Greek word epiripto, a compound of the words epi and ripto.
You don't have to carry the whole weight of the world by yourself. The Quest for Answers Study Bible Devotional by Phyllis Ten Elshof. Are a man and woman married after exchanging vows or having sex? Verse: Genesis 2:24-25 When a man and a woman marry, they make oaths not just to each other, but also to God. That’s why Malachi says God is the witness against men who have broken faith with the wives of their marriage covenant (see Mal 2:14). Prior to modern times, marriages were customarily arranged (and still are in some cultures).
The agreement between the two families typically included some financial arrangements and was sufficient to establish the marriage covenant. Today, a man and a woman are married when they make marriage vows that are witnessed not only publicly by the wedding guests, but also by God himself. Sex is not technically necessary to create marriage—Joseph did not have sexual relations with Mary until after Jesus’ birth, yet Matthew says they were married (see Mt 1:24–25). Sexual union expresses, reinforces and reenacts the marital covenant. This devotion is from The Quest Study Bible by Zondervan. NIV Devotions for Men, Study Bible Devotionals. Joseph: The Father of a Messiah But after he had considered this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, “Joseph son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife, because what is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit.
She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins.” (Matthew 1:20–21) What was the most difficult part about being Jesus’ earthly father? There were times when I felt very common and not at all up to the task. Occasionally the weight and seriousness of the responsibility would fall on me, and I felt completely inadequate. I was inadequate. After Jesus was born and you had to flee to Egypt, were you afraid? Initially, yes, I was very afraid. How was your faith changed by that whole string of events surrounding the birth of Jesus? It wasn’t just my faith. You mentioned joy. Back to the Future • Joseph was a man of faith. Read Joseph’s Story: Gary Chapman devotional - Living Love Devotions and The Five Love Languages. Accepting the Journey What a gift life is to those who stay the course! You've heard, of course, of Job's staying power, and you know how God brought it all together for him at the end.
That's because God cares, cares right down to the last detail. —JAMES 5:10-11, MSG When my father died, my sister Sandra and her husband, Reid, bought the house next door to theirs and made a home for my mother. During those five years, I watched Sandra face adversity with patience. Sandra wanted to live, yet never once did I hear her complain. Prayer Father, I want my life to show a quiet patience that points people to you. Dr. Dr. Michael Youssef Devotional Leading the Way Christian Bible Devotions. Week of April 14th Sharing the Excitement When the Samaritan woman accepted Jesus as the long awaited Messiah, she was instantly transformed into a new being. When something new and exciting happens in your life, what do you do? Share it with your friends and neighbors. She went back to the streets where she had previously walked in shame with her eyes downcast as people whispered unkindly about her. Many Christians talk about witnessing but most don’t have a truly accurate view of what being a witness means.
The Samaritan woman was not a Bible scholar and did not fully understand all that had just happened to her, yet she could not contain her excitement. Christians are often relieved to learn they are not responsible for saving souls; that role is divine and not ours. What was most effective about the Samaritan woman was the joy that overflowed from her changed heart. Do you want God to use you more this year to witness to the wonder of His love, mercy and grace? Invading Privacy of God Devotional from Cecil Murphy, Christian Bible Devotions.
Week of April 14 Devotional 16 My Powerful Judge I had sinned. Despite my efforts to convince myself that I hadn't really failed God, guilt whispered quietly, and then more loudly when I ignored its protests. It didn't matter if anyone else was aware. I knew. That self-knowledge made it terrible to bear. During that period, I read every day from the Psalms. I had sinned. To make it worse, it wasn't what the Old Testament refers to as a sin of ignorance. The point is, I had sinned. No matter how much I tried to push that truth away from myself, it refused to vanish. As I came into the Divine Presence, the guilt overwhelmed me. I couldn't focus on others at that moment, though, because ultimately, it was against the Powerful God of Heaven that I had sinned. I'm ready for the Judge to pronounce the sentence. Today, I think of God the Powerful Judge from the perspective of Romans 8:1-2 (CEV): "If you belong to Christ Jesus, you won't be punished.
R.C. Sproul Devotional - In the Presence Of God Christian Bible Devotions. Accepting Our Helper It was 3 a.m., Amsterdam, 1965. I couldn't sleep. I was pacing the floor of our apartment like a caged lion. My body was more than ready for sleep, but my mind refused to shut down. I had spent that day studying the doctrine of the ascension of Christ, the climactic moment of His departure from this world. I paced the floor mulling over this astonishing statement. Yet Jesus spoke of a certain "expediency" of His departure. The advantage of Jesus' departure from earth is found partially in answer to Peter's earlier question: "Lord, where are you going? " When Jesus left this world, He went to the Father. Coram Deo: Living in the Presence of God Rejoice in this fact: The Holy Spirit, the Helper promised by Jesus, stands ready to assist you today. For Further Study John 18:14: "Now it was Caiaphas who gave counsel to the Jews that it was expedient that one man should die for the people.
" John 16:7-8: "Nevertheless I tell you the truth. From His Heart Devotional from Jeff Schreve, Christian Bible Devotions. Now He was telling them a parable to show that at all times they ought to pray and not to lose heart ... — Luke 18:1 I have a penetrating question for you. Are you willing to honestly answer it? How is your prayer life? Is it vibrant, active, and powerful? Are you seeing God answer your prayers on a regular basis? The sad truth for many of us is this: Our prayer life is far from where we want it to be and need it to be.
Prayer is hard. In the Book of Acts, the disciples prayed 10 days and preached 10 minutes and saw 3000 saved. In the Gospels, you cannot find many passages that speak of Jesus studying the Scriptures (although we know He did, based on His quotations), but you can find lots of references to His prayer life. But sometimes we ask, and God doesn’t seem to answer. In Luke 18, Jesus told the parable of the widow going before the unrighteous judge, day after day saying, “Give me legal protection from my opponent” (Luke 18:3). Let me encourage you as I encourage myself. Dr. P.S. Ed Young Ministries Devotional with Fellowship Church, Christian Bible Devotions. Week of April 14 Ed Young Television Weekly Devotional Insightful Discernment And this is my prayer: that your love may abound more and more in knowledge and depth of insight, so that you may be able to discern what is best…. Philippians 1:9-10 We’ve all done it. We’ve made those dumb, what-was-I-thinking decisions.
We can look back through the archives of our lives and see those times when we selected the wrong answers to life’s multiple choice questions. Our lives are going by at a rapid pace. By studying what God has to say and gaining a general knowledge of his principles, we will begin to develop the spiritual insight needed to make the best decisions in our lives. Look at the decisions you are making in a new light. Prayer Lord, Thank you for providing guidance through your principles. For more information about this and other subjects, visit the Ed Young Television website: www.edyoung.com. The Case for Christ Study Bible Devotionals from Lee Strobel. What Miracles Were Required of the Messiah? Verse: Isaiah 35 Isaiah 35 speaks of the advent of the Messiah, when God will come with his “divine retribution” to save those who have trusted in him (Isaiah 35:4). When this time comes, Isaiah prophesies, many miracles will accompany him, specifically the healing of those who are blind, deaf, lame and mute (see Isaiah 35:5–6).
When John the Baptist sent his disciples to ask Jesus if he was the Messiah (see Matthew 11:2–3), Jesus answered by alluding to Isaiah 35:5–6. In Jesus’ loaded answer to John’s question of whether he was the Messiah, Jesus made clear not only that he was the Anointed One but also that his public miracles signified his true identity: the Son of God. This devotion is from the NIV Case for Christ Study Bible by Zondervan. John Piper Devotional - Desiring God Christian Bible Devotions. April 21 How To Speak about God When He Hurts Us John Piper The book of Lamentations is the heart-cry of Jeremiah when he and his people were being hurt by God, and by their enemies, and by their own sin.
How he speaks of this divine hurting shows us some of the various ways we may speak about God in our own pain. If we affirm them all, then not one of them will be taken amiss. The Lord directly does the hurting (2:1-4). "The Lord in his anger has set the daughter of Zion under a cloud! . . . The Connection Devotional with Skip Heitzig. April 11, 2014 The Cure for Pride By Skip Heitzig Pride is the cancer of the soul. Left undiagnosed and untreated, it will destroy everything, and especially spiritual life for all eternity.
It was pride that caused Lucifer’s fall from heaven. Pride banished Adam from the garden. Pride got Saul removed as the first king of Israel. Pride took Nebuchadnezzar off the throne of Babylon. Dwight L. J.I. Philippians 2:1-11 notes two activities that are necessary for all believers: humility (bowing in submission before God) and doxology (rendering worship and praise to God). If you want to see humility, says Paul in this passage, look at Jesus. The result of all the humility that Jesus experienced on earth, of pouring himself out to the last drop, of suffering this excruciating death, is that His Father would honor Him by resurrection, ascension and dominion. So this is how you ought to treat one another: Humble yourself and be lowly before other people, not prideful. NIV Student Bible Study Devotionals.