Growing in Grace

Jonathan, Saul's son, didn't think twice about doing the right thing. He was a man of courage and selfless faith. People loved him and he loved people. It's easy to see why David and Jonathan became inseparable friends. King Saul became jealous of David and his accomplishments. He wanted to kill David. Jonathan actually defied his father, made a covenant with David and helped him escape his father's hand. Jonathan and David "hit if off right away." Their souls were knit - they just clicked . Their pledge of friendship was a recognition of being equals, united in heart and bound to look out for each other. Jonathan faced conflict of loyalty to his father and loyalty to David. He chose to be loyal to David even though it meant allowing David to be the future king instead of him. When Saul openly declared David must die, Jonathan handled his difficult position with courage and wisdom. He did not betray David and yet he still approached his father with

Guidelines for Living Devotional January 19, 2018 Overcoming Jealousy Rejoice with those who rejoice; mourn with those who mourn. Romans  12:15 Rejoicing in another’s good fortune never comes easy!  When your best friend marries the girl you dated, it’s hard to get excited.  When the employee whom  you  hired gets promoted, leap-frogging over you, you may wish him luck and be polite, but inwardly you’d probably like to put a dagger in his back.  Your neighbor wins the lottery—not you.  How do you handle other people’s good fortune?  Are you glad for them, or do you detest their good fortune, wishing it had happened to you?  There’s a part of human nature which remains the same, year after year, generation after generation. It’s the problem which confronted a young man years ago when his brother took his half of the inheritance and headed for the big city. He squandered it. The entire bag of gold was spent on wine, women, and song.  Then things went sour, and he realized tha

Greg Laurie Thursday, January 18, 2018 They went out from us, but they were not of us; for if they had been of us, they would have continued with us; but they went out that they might be made manifest, that none of them were of us. —1 John  2:19 When someone who has made a profession of faith suddenly walks away from it (seemingly out of nowhere), the question is often asked, “Did he lose his salvation?” But the question I would ask is, “Did he ever have it to begin with?” Really, the only way to tell if a person is a genuine Christian is whether that commitment stands the test of time. So how can you tell if you are really saved? Here are some questions to ask yourself. Is Jesus Christ Lord?  (See 1 John  4:15 .) Christianity is Jesus. And if you don’t have a relationship with Jesus Christ, then I don’t know what you are. You may be religious, but you’re not a real Christian. Do I obey Christ’s commands?  (See 1 John 5:3.) This doesn’t mean that if you are a Christian, yo

Article by John Bloom Staff Writer for desiringGod.org September 2, 2011 A lot is at stake in what we say today. “Death and life are in the power of the tongue” ( Proverbs 18:21 ). In literate societies, tongues include hands that write, type, paint, or sign. The Power of the Tongue People die because of something said. Tongues can be weapons of mass destruction, launching holocausts and wars. Tongues can also be the death of marriages, families, friendships, churches, careers, hopes, understanding, reputations, missionary efforts, and governments. But people also live because of something said. The tongue can be “a tree of life” ( Proverbs 15:4 ). Tongues reconcile peoples and make peace. “Blessed are the peacemakers” ( Matthew 5:9 ). Tongues can make marriages sweet, families strong, and churches healthy. Tongues can give hope to the despairing, advance understanding, and spread the gospel. So what will come out of your mouth today, death or life? “Sword thrusts” or “