Growing in Grace

The Blessed Hope Looking for the blessed hope and glorious appearing of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ (Titus 2:13) We are to expect and prepare for our blessed hope. That hope is not heaven or glory, but Jesus Himself, face to face, closer than ever. We don’t just wait for the coming of Jesus; we live in active expectation of the return of Jesus. We are looking for it. The return of Jesus Christ should be precious for Christians to consider. Jesus came the first time to save the soul of man; He will come a second time to resurrect the body. Jesus came the first time to save the individual; He will come a second time to save society. Jesus came the first time to a crucifixion; He will come a second time to a coronation. Jesus came the first time to a cross; He will come a second time to a throne. Jesus came the first time in humility; He will come a second time in glory. Jesus came the first time and stood before Pilate; He will come a second time an...

A Walk of Faith Wednesday, February 6, 2019 -Greg Laurie So the people of Israel walked through the middle of the sea on dry ground, with walls of water on each side! —Exodus 14:22 It must have been very exciting when the Israelites walked through the middle of the Red Sea on dry ground. Maybe they saw fish cruising by in the walls of water on each side, like the best aquarium ever. But they had to walk for hours and hours. It took all night. That is the Christian life. It’s just a walk with the Lord. Sometimes there’s a lot of excitement in the beginning of the Christian life when we realize what God has done for us. But as time passes, we might start taking things for granted. And we might find ourselves becoming apathetic. If that describes you, then you need to plot your RPGS: (1)  Read  the Bible every day. You never outgrow it and never get beyond it. God’s Word never becomes irrelevant. (2)  Pray  about things. Bring things up before the Lor...

January 29, 2019 How to Free Yourself from Bitterness But if you do not forgive men their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins.  Matthew 6:15 When Terry Anderson was taken captive by a guerilla group, little did he realize that he would be enduring what no one should ever be subjected to. Anderson, age 40 at the time, had been the chief Middle-East correspondent for the Associated Press. Soon after he was taken captive, he was given a Bible by his Shiite Muslim captors, and for the duration of his four-and-a-half-years of captivity, he drew strength and hope from the pages of this grand old book. At the most difficult times, he said, "My faith kept me from giving in to despair."  It was also that relation with God that enabled him to forgive the very individuals who had deprived him of his freedom for more than six years. "They did great wrong to me and my family," he said, but instead of hating them, he explained, "I don't hate anybod...

"Follower" is more than something you do or don't do; it's who you are. Our behavior is determined by our identity. When we understand who we are, then we will know what to do. . . But if our behavior change isn't flowing from our core identity, it doesn't last. . .When you understand that your identity is not about being a fan and instead embrace who you are as a follower, your life will gain incredible clarity and direction. When Jesus came He wasn't focused on behavior modification, He was focused on giving the disciples a whole new identity. When our identity is wrapped up in who we were then we will start to live out of that identity because identity determines behavior. If we believe who we are is what we were, then we find ourselves living the way we once did. Instead of moving forward as a follower of Christ, we find ourselves held captive by our past. . . We have been made new in Christ (2 Corinthians 5:17). He gives us a new identi...

It's not that following Jesus wasn't important to this man, but following Jesus wasn't his top priority. . . Many fans say to Jesus, "I will follow. Anything and everything I have, I give to you." But Jesus points to what you're hiding behind your back and says, "What about that?". . . They are willing to follow Jesus, but the relationship isn't exclusive. . . Jesus doesn't want followers who have a divided affection or a split allegiance . . . When you accept the invitation to follow Jesus, you are not just saying that He is a top priority in your life; you are making Him the only priority in your life. . . Jesus loves you so much. He died to have a relationship with you. He will not share your heart with anyone. . . The reason Jesus is so adamant about followers surrendering everything is because the reality is this: the one thing we are most reluctant to give up is the one thing that has the most potential to become a substitute for ...

But godliness with contentment is great gain. -1 Timothy 6:6 When we live and act without contentment, we are trying to fill needs in our lives. It might be the need to be "somebody," the need to feel secure or cared for, or the need to have excitement and newness in our lives. Most people try to fulfill these needs with material things, but they can only really be met by a spiritual relationship with the God who made us.  -David Guzik, commentary on 1 Timothy 6

Fans feel OK about a half-hearted relationship with Jesus because they have every intention of one day going all-in and being completely committed. . . They let themselves off the hook for a lukewarm faith because they didn't tell Jesus no; they're just waiting till later. . . It says in Matthew chapter 4 verse 20, "At once" and in verse 22, it says "immediately." That's the commitment that Jesus was looking for in His followers. When fans are asked about when they will get serious about their commitment to follow Jesus, the most common answer is tomorrow. . .  When Jesus calls us to follow, He means right now.  For the fans who are always telling Jesus tomorrow, I've discovered that most often tomorrow only becomes today when tragedy strikes and dreams are shattered. . . There are natural consequences that come when we refuse to follow Jesus and instead go our own way. The truth is the longer you put Him off, the more likely it is that fo...

Losses come in many forms. All losses touch us deeply. But sitting in his prison cell, Paul took inventory of all his earthly losses and insisted they didn't compare to the gain of knowing Jesus, walking with Him through life, and possessing the hope of heaven. Bring your losses to Him and lay them at His feet. Let him heal your bruised heart with the profit, gain, and unquenchable hope of a relationship with God's Son who loves you.  -From "A Spectacle of Glory" by Joni Eareckson Tada

It's much easier to speak about following Jesus when you are making a general statement without any specific commitments. But the most obvious and basic definition of following Jesus will mean making some significant life changes. Following Jesus literally means that you go where Jesus goes. . . We  may be quick to say to Jesus, "I will follow You wherever. . ." But let's move it from the general to the more specific. Where is the one place you find it most difficult to follow Jesus? If you said to Jesus "Wherever," where do you think is the one place He would point and say, "What about there?" One of the reasons we don't follow Jesus wherever is that when He says there we take that more as a suggestion than as a command. . .  Jesus wants followers who will say yes to Him before they even know the request. A follower of Jesus says, "My answer is yes, now where did you want me to go?" Jesus speaks of following Him as a jo...

What kind of people do you hang around with? Show me your friends and I will show you your future. Pay attention to what kind of people you're spending time with.  -Greg Laurie, Harvest Daily Devotion for 7/21/28

God uses problems to help you sense your weakness and His strength and to bring discipline into your life. How you react to problems and difficulties shows clearly the kind of stuff that's within you.  -Dr. Harold J. Sala

We are living branches connected to the living Christ. His life is our life. Abiding is living in constant awareness of total dependence on Jesus. . . Lord, I don't want to deal with life in my own wisdom or power. I want people to see Your life and strength in me at every turn.  -"A Spectacle of Glory", Joni Eareckson Tada

If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me. (Luke 9:23) The slogan for followers of Christ could accurately be captured this way: Come and Die The symbol for followers of Christ. . . is a cross. . .The cross was a symbol of humiliation. . . The one who had everything, made Himself nothing. . . If we are going to follow Him it means humbly taking up a cross and making ourselves nothing. The cross was a symbol of suffering. Taking up your cross and following Jesus can and will bring pain and suffering. You can't carry a cross without suffering. . . When people say yes to following Jesus, they are agreeing to carry a cross, and that will be painful at times. . . Here's a question: Am I really carrying a cross if there is no suffering and sacrifice? . . If there is no sacrifice involved, if you're not at least a little uncomfortable, then there is a good chance that you aren't carrying a cross. The cross w...

Every believer has a story. We have all experienced rescue on a grand scale. God has saved us from a lifetime of futility and given us purpose, a destiny, and a reason to get up in the morning.  -from "A Spectacle of Glory" by Joni Eareckson Tada

A fan will try and accept the invitation of Christ to follow, but they don't want to say no to themselves. In Luke 9:23 Jesus makes it clear that if we are going to follow Him, a casual no-strings-attached arrangement isn't a possibility:  If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself . . . A follower makes a decision every day to deny himself and choose Jesus. . . even if it costs everything. When we sacrificially deny ourselves for Christ's sake it is the clearest evidence of our committed love. A committed love is best demonstrated through sacrifice. One way fans try to follow Jesus without denying themselves is by compartmentalizing the areas of their lives they don't want Him to have access to. . . Following Jesus requires a complete and total commitment. The Bible would describe a follower as a "slave." . . A slave has no rights. A slave has no possessions to call their own. A slave in Jesus' day didn't even have a personal i...

When Jesus says "Come after," He's describing a passionate pursuit of someone you love. It's a pursuit that can easily consume our thoughts, our resources, and our energy. That's what Jesus is looking for from a follower when he says "Come after." Followers should have some come after Jesus stories that make people say, That's crazy . Many fans didn't grow up thinking about their relationship with Jesus in these terms. . .  Jesus wants us to  understand that following Him is a pursuit that requires everything we have. . . Fans will be careful  not to get carried away. Followers understand that following Jesus is a pursuit that may cost them everything, but it is the best investment they could ever make. There is a fear among fans that by going all-in, they're going to miss out. Fans want to have just enough of the pleasure without having to risk feeling any pain. . . Instead of come after we hold back. It's not that we don't ...

John 3:16 emphasizes believing. Luke 9:23 focuses on following.  There is no believing without following. Jesus' invitation to follow is addressed to Anyone. . . Anyone can follow but not without giving up everything. . . The grace of God doesn't simply invite us to follow. . . it teaches us to follow . . . Even after we decide to follow Jesus, we continue to need His grace for the journey. . .  The invitation of Jesus to follow Him begins, "If anyone. . ." It turns out that Anyone means Anyone. Anyone means me. Anyone means you.  -From "Not a Fan" by Kyle Idleman

Photo Credit Being close to God isn't something syrupy or sentimental. It is life itself. It's the reason for drawing breath each day.  - From "A Spectacle of Glory" by Joni Eareckson Tada

Photo Credit Many who assumed they were on the path to heaven will find out that heaven is not their destination. Ask yourself some important questions from what Jesus teaches in Matthew 7: #1 Does your life reflect what you say you believe? -Biblical belief is more than something we confess with our mouths; it's something we confess with our lives. -A fan may say "Lord, Lord," but a fan doesn't live "Lord, Lord."  Fans confuse their feelings for faith. But your feelings aren't faith until they are expressed. There is a tendency to define yourself as a follower based on how you feel about Jesus, but following requires there to be more than a feeling. Following requires movement. Photo Credit A belief, no matter how sincere, if not reflected in reality isn't a belief; it's a delusion. #2 Do you think you're on the right road because of what you've done? -Just as dangerous as assuming that...

God greatly blessed both King Solomon and Daniel. They both were well known and able to influence the lives of many people. Not only were they wise, but they also enjoyed fame, fortune, and great success during their lifetimes. King Solomon is the author of our wisdom book - the book of Proverbs. God used him to teach us the difference between the wisdom of God and the perceived wisdom of the world. King David was King Solomon's father. He taught Solomon the value of trusting in God and having the wisdom of God above all else. Through Solomon's story, we see the value of having the fear of God as our first priority. From King David, Solomon learned the importance of being faithful, righteous and upright in heart. Solomon viewed himself as a servant. When asked by God what he would like, Solomon asked for a discerning heart to grow God's people and to be able to distinguish between right and wrong. He did not ask for long life, wealth or the death of his enemies. God gav...