Devotionals

Romans 3:27

For the next few moments, graze slowly over this paragraph of truth recorded by Paul in the letter to the Ephesians. Take your time. Don't hurry. 

2 Timothy 1:9

Proverbs 3:34

My plea is that we not limit grace to Christ. We, too, can learn to be just as gracious as He. And since we can, we must, not only in our words and in great acts of compassion and understanding but in small ways as well. Let me describe four practical expectations you can anticipate as you get a firm grasp on grace. 

Psalm 84:11

We use grace to describe many things in life:

    • A well-coordinated athlete or dancer
    • Good manners and being considerate of others 
    • Beautiful, well-chosen words
    • Consideration and care for other people
    • Various expressions of kindness and mercy

John 1:14

What exactly is grace? And is it limited to Jesus' life and ministry? You may be surprised to know that Jesus never used the word itself. He just taught it and, equally important, He lived it. Furthermore, the Bible never gives us a one-statement definition, though grace appears throughout its pages...not only the word itself but numerous demonstrations of it. Understanding what grace means requires our going back to an old Hebrew term that meant "to bend, to stoop." By and by, it came to include the idea of "condescending favour." 

Ephesians 1:7 

Candidly, I know of nothing that has the power to change us from within like the freedom that comes through grace. It's so amazing it will change not only our hearts but also our faces. And goodness knows, some of us are overdue for a face change! Were you reared by parents whose faces said "No"? Or are you married to someone with a "No" face? If that is true, you envy those who had "Yes"-face parents or are married to "Yes"-face mates. All of us are drawn to those whose faces invite us in and urge us on. 

Galatians 6:1

This day—this very moment—millions are living their lives in shame, fear, and intimidation who should be free, productive individuals. The tragedy is they think it is the way they should be. They have never known the truth that could set them free. They are victimized, existing as if living on death row instead of enjoying the beauty and fresh air of the abundant life Christ modelled and made possible for all of His followers to claim. Unfortunately, most don't have a clue as to what they are missing.

Deuteronomy 8:11-14; Matthew 24:12; Revelation 2:4-5

It happened in a large, 75-year-old stone house on the west side of Houston. A massive stairway led up to several bedrooms. The den down below was done in rough-hewn boards with soft leather chairs and a couple of matching sofas. The wet bar had been converted into a small library, including a shelf of tape recordings and a multiple-speaker sound system. The ideal place to spend a weekend...unfortunately, my wife and I were there just for the evening.

Exodus 3:10-4:14; Amos 7:10-17; 2 Chronicles 16:9a; Ezekiel 22:30

Leadership is influence. To the extent we influence others, we lead them.
If I were asked to name some of the standard qualities or characteristics usually found among natural-born leaders, I would list:

1 Chronicles 16:7-36; Psalm 30:9; 100:2; 149:1-5; Luke 19:40

I was on a scriptural safari. Prowling through the Ephesian letter, I was tracking an elusive, totally unrelated verse when God's sharp sword flashed, suddenly slicing me to the core.

...speaking to one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody with your heart to the Lord. (Ephesians 5:19)