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Overcoming Failure

It is simply a fact of life: sooner or later you and I will experience failure. However, having failed at something does not have to mean that we are failures. Find out what the Word of God has to say about it, and how it tells us about turning our failures into the greatest success of all.

 

Sufficient Grace

Why is it that so often, together with our blessings, we find challenges and pain? Why is it that God at times answers our prayers in glorious ways, and at other times He just seems to say "no"? It has been said that you cannot tell a Christian's character by how many things go well in his/her life, but by the way he/she reacts to the painful events in life. This is a lesson the apostle Paul had to learn the hard way, leaving an important message for all of us today about the sufficiency of God's grace. - Reading: 2 Corinthians 12:2-10

 

The Five Great Triggers of Temptation

It's like sweet honey, glittering, inviting, promising, and appealing, but as soon as you welcome it in, it will kill you! That is the nature of temptation, a nature that Scripture does not ignore but warns us about, giving us important clues to come out of temptation's deadly grip and resist it. Embedded in the ageless wisdom of Proverbs we can find exposed the five great triggers of temptation, as well as tips to effectively defuse them. - Reading: Proverbs 7:1-27

 

Remember God in Your Youth - Many people spend a life searching for meaning and fulfillment, only to find themselves disappointed. Young people are more and more disillusioned with life ... a tough life, which some times does not seem to be worth the trouble. Here, the man who conducted the greatest experiment of all times gives us some answers: they are answers about the true meaning of life. - Reading: Ecclesiastes 11:9-12:8, 13-14

 

Christian Stewardship - Everything we have and are is given to us by God. He has entrusted it to us for a purpose. But do we know what that purpose is? Are we good stewards of His resources? What does God expect of us? - Reading: Matthew 25:14-30

 

God's Peace on Earth - Christmas is a busy season in a very busy world. But can we pause long enough, this year, to think about the true importance of Christmas? Can we slow down enough to be able to find that peace that we all long for? Can we look beyond the glimmering lights enough to see what this time is really all about? - Reading: Luke 2:1-20

 

Love in Action - Do you love God? Many say so, but then they proceed to despise and even hate one another. How can that be? What kind of love moves you? Is it a love that points to yourself? Is it love for those who share some of your views or likes, or also for those who may so different or even unpleasant at first? What is the real source of true love? How is it manifested? - Reading: 1 John 3:10-18

 

Marriage: As It Was Intended - Marriage is used in Scripture as an illustration of what our relationship with Christ is like. However, marriage itself has been redefined, attacked, and distorted by sin. So we now need to look at our relationship with Jesus to regain the meaning of what marriage was intended to be like.  - Reading: Genesis 2:18, 21-25

 

True Fatherhood - In a world where many do not even know who their father is, and some wish they did not know, how do we understand what it means to be an honorable father? More specifically, what does it mean to bring up our children in the discipline and instruction of the Lord? - Reading: Ephesians 6:1-4

 

While We Wait - One of the hardest things for us to do is to wait patiently, especially in a world as busy as ours. Armed with the thought that God does not waste any time, and with the positive example of the early church, we can learn important lessons from waiting. Perhaps we can even begin to see the work God does within us, individually and collectively, while He asks us to wait. - Reading: Acts 1:1-14

 

His Vision ... Our Vision - Have you ever had to step into a place that is dirty, smelly and disgusting? Jesus did! He did that to reach out to us in our sins, and to cleanse us in His sacrifice. He did it because He had a mission: do you know what it was?  How amazing that He would say to God the Father in prayer, "as You sent me into the world, I also have sent them into the world." He has given all of us a mission and a vision. How will you respond? - Reading: John 17:9-21

 

Loving the Less than Honorable Parent  -  For too many in our society days like Mother's Day or Father's Day are not as much of a blessing at they should be. God tells us to honor our parents. But how can we honor a person who has so deeply wounded us? How can we deal with parents who are a constant source of stress, anxiety and bitterness?  -  Reading: Ephesians 5:1-21

 

Come to Me!  -  Discover the beautiful meaning of the ancient Tabernacle of God, as it was inspired to be built by God. Unveil the message that is hidden in its various layers as they outline your destiny in Christ Jesus. He is the way.  -  Reading: Exodus 25:1-5; 26:1-14

 

God's Transforming Grace - As the old hymn goes, God's grace is truly amazing. It is amazing because it brings forgiveness and salvation, and offers what would otherwise be impossible for us. But it is also a deeply transforming grace which changes us in every aspect of our nature. - Reading: Romans 5:1-5

 

Doubting Thomas - It had been a very difficult time for the disciples: from the triumphant entry into Jerusalem to the crucifixion and now there was word of the resurrection of Jesus. Thomas was particularly affected, and like many of us today, he just did not feel like going on without knowing for sure. What was his problem? How was it resolved? How does that apply to us today, especially when we feel discouraged and in doubt? - Reading: John 20:24-29

 

Finding Our Rest in Christ - From the very beginning, God introduced the concept of rest to picture our relationship with Him. Human sin, however, has broken that rest and separates us from God. We tend to feel burdened, heavy, restless and hopeless. But there is good news! Jesus said, "Come to me, all who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest."  In Him we can once again find our true rest. - Reading: Genesis 1:26 to 2:3

 

The Sin of Self-Reliance - Time and time again, in the Old Testament, we read of people who cried out to the Lord in their distress, and He brought them out. God is in the business of teaching us to rely on Him, rather than on ourselves. - Reading: Psalm 50:14-15

 

Discovering Your Spiritual Gifts - Now that we understand what spiritual gifts are and how they are to be used, the next logical question is how can we come to know what gifts we have received? And what is the relationship between our purpose or calling in life and the gifts God has bestowed upon us by the Holy Spirit? - Reading: 1 Peter 4:8-11

 

Understanding Spiritual Gifts 2 - Just like an orchestra, the body of Christ needs all members (God's instruments) to be playing in harmony, each according to his own intended characteristics. But just like an orchestra, we too can find ourselves playing our role out of sync, or out of tune. As we continue our journey, it is important for us to understand and avoid some of the most common pitfalls about spiritual gifts. - Reading: 1 Corinthians 12

 

Understanding Spiritual Gifts 1 - What is a gift? How should we regard the fact that Scripture states that the Holy Spirit gives gifts to all believers? In ancient middle eastern culture, a gift was a sign of good will, and to refuse it or use it selfishly could be interpreted as a serious evidence of enmity. But what about our spiritual gifts? What are they? Are we honoring God with them? It behooves us to know, since as Jesus stated, we will be asked to give account for the use we make of them. - Reading: 1 Corinthians 12:1-11

 

Discovering Your Purpose in Life - We all have a purpose in life. Not just any purpose, but a God-given purpose. It is often called a passion, a burden, a vision or a calling. But what is it? How can we discover it? How can we understand the direction God is calling us to walk in, and quench that thirst for meaning and purpose we all seem to have inside? - Reading: Matthew 5:13-16

 

True Wisdom or Human Foolishness? - You would certainly not want for a surgeon who does not understand the human body to operate on you! How much more should we be careful about those who shape our minds? Are the books we read, and the people we listen to a true source of wisdom, or are we getting our fill of human foolishness? And how can we tell the difference? - Reading: Romans 1:18-23

 

Disciplines for Your Spiritual Fitness - So much attention is often given to being physically fit. Gyms, trainers, equipment, instructional videos and more keep reminding us that being fit is very important. But what about our spiritual fitness? Are we really fit for the work that God has called us to do? Discover the disciplines that our Creator has called us to practice to become and keep ourselves spiritually fit. - Reading: Luke 5:12-16

 

Is Your Church Alive and Well? - In a society that values size and numbers, how can we truly evaluate if a church is alive and well? Can a small church still be an effective tool in God's hands? What are some of the keys that the Word of God gives us to evaluate if a church is well or not? How does your church measure up? - Reading: Mark 4:30-32

 

The Power of the Tongue - Pt. 2 - We live in an amazing paradox: in an age of communication explosion, most people are unsatisfied with their interpersonal communication. What is the origin of communication problems? What kinds of problems are most typical, and what does the Word of God tell us about it? How can we use sound communication to establish God honoring relationships? - Reading: Ephesians 4:25-32

 

The Power of the Tongue - Pt. 1 - Imagine having a razor sharp sword in your hands. Would you wield it wildly, blindly, everywhere around you? Of course not! Such a sword is dangerous, potentially lethal, and its use requires serious thought and consideration. Whether it is used for good or for harm will largely depend on the state of the heart of the individual using it. Now, take the "S" out of the "SWORD" ... what do you have? Our words are potentially just as dangerous, and need to be used with the same care and thoughtfulness as a very sharp tool. - Reading: James 3:1-12

 

What Is Your Approval Rating? - Why is it that we are so concerned about approval, to the point of boasting our merits and comparing ourselves with others? What about our inner desire to be liked by others, and to be better than the others at what we do? What is the proper source of approval, and how can we be sure we have it? - Reading: 2 Corinthians 10:12-18

 

The True Christmas Story - You can hardly understand a movie by just walking in the middle of it and watching but one scene. Nor can you open a book to a middle chapter, read only that chapter and expect to understand its meaning as it was intended in the context of the entire book. Likewise, we cannot look at Christmas as just the celebration of the birth of Jesus and expect to understand it properly. There is much more to it than it meets the eyes, and it must be understood in the context of the awesome plan of God. The true story of Christmas begins in eternity's past and goes on to include eternity's future. - Reading: Matthew 1:18-2:12

 

Loneliness - Loneliness is a very difficult aspect of human suffering, and makes coping with the challenges and pain of life all the more difficult. Yet, even loneliness has solutions. Jesus Christ, who enjoyed perfect fellowship and companionship for all eternity, came to this world in a lonely night and died a lonely death to redeem us and give us freedom even from loneliness. - Reading: Luke 2:1-20

 

Freedom from Financial Bondage - Worried about your finances? Struggling to keep your payments current? You may be in financial bondage, regardless of how much money you make. Financial bondage is a very current problem in our society. In the year 2000 more than one million bankruptcies were filed, 97.17% of which from private consumers. It may surprise you, however, how much Scripture has to say about financial bondage, and the freedom we can experience in Christ. This message presents a biblical foundation from which you can start in your journey to avoid or come out of financial bondage.  - Reading: Matthew 6:19-24

 

The Greatest Gift - A child is born. A new life. A blessing from God resulting from an act of love. But a much greater act of love was displayed when God Himself, the Creator of all things, entered into His creation to reach out to you and lead you to an eternity of glory with Him. His is the greatest gift ever.  Reading: Isaiah 9:6-7

 

Fear: Taming the Enemy Within - We have all experienced some fear, and in fact there is a fear that is quite good to have. But what about the fear that cripples and enslaves us? Scripture tells us that God has not given us a spirit of cowardice and fear, but of power and love and discipline. God has given us the resources we need, and Scripture can indeed help us understand the nature of our fears and what we can do to tame this enemy that attacks us from within.  Reading: 2 Timothy 1:3-7

 

Dealing with Difficult People - What do you do if someone always rubs you the wrong way? Is there anything in the Bible that tells us how we should handle difficult people? How should we respond? Should we be assertive, defensive, avoiding? Jesus gave us some very simple, yet profound instructions which are general enough to embrace just about every situation.  Reading: Matthew 5:43-48

 

Winning Your Loved Ones to Christ - How do we approach a loved one who is a non-believer? What are some of the most common mistakes Christians make when they wish to lead a loved one to Christ? The apostle Peter gives us excellent and timely advice on this issue, and shows us how we can best minister in these delicate circumstances.  Reading: 1 Peter 3:1-4

 

Faith: Is God Letting You Down? - It's a matter of faith, you are told. So you try to increase it, to be convinced that what you asked for will be granted to you just as you asked. Time goes by and you keep praying and believing you will get the answer you seek. Yet, you see no sign of God's response. Is your faith enough to move God? Is He letting you down?  Reading: Hebrews 11

 

Whatever Happened to Love? - Everyone wants it, talks about it, sings about it, and often cries about it. But do we really understand what it is all about? Where does it come from? How is it best expressed? Reading: 1 John 2:15-17

 

Bring the Children to Jesus - Good parents today have become and endangered species. Children, that used to be regarded as a blessing from God, are all to often considered a burden, an unwanted trouble, a distraction from the "real" goals parents have in life. How does Jesus look at this? What do you suppose He would say to our generation? What makes us good parents in His eyes?  Reading: Mark 10:13-16

 

Lessons From a Samaritan Woman - It's unmistakably familiar: we are tired, drained, desperately looking for something that may satisfy. It's like being in the middle of a desert, begging for something that may quench our thirst. Then, someone comes to us, and offers us crystal, clean, fresh and life-giving water.... Reading: John 4:1-26

 

The Truth Which Sets You Free - Everyone believes in something, so it is not just a matter of whether we believe, but what we believe in. What is the truth? Does it change according to culture and individual beliefs? How does it affect us? What difference does it make?  Reading: John 8:21-32