There are many times the Bible informs us of conditional blessings. These are places in Scripture where God says, “If you will, then I will.” We need to pay attention to the conditional blessings listed in Scripture because there are quite a few of them.

Main Points:

1. Sometimes, as a father, I bless my children simply because I love them. I do things for them, I surprise them, and I’m generous with them for no reason at all but that it gives me joy. I’m confident God does this, too.

2. We should also pay attention to the conditional blessings of God. Be watching for where the Word of God says, “If you will, then I will.”

3. Meditate on this truth today: The obedient life is a blessed life.

Today’s Scripture Verses:

Proverbs 16:20 - “Whoever gives heed to instruction prospers, and blessed is the one who trusts in the Lord.”

Deuteronomy 28:1-2 - “If you fully obey the Lord your God and carefully follow all his commands I give you today, the Lord your God will set you high above all the nations on earth. All these blessings will come on you and accompany you if you obey the Lord your God.”

Psalm 1:1-3 - “Blessed is the one who does not walk in step with the wicked or stand in the way that sinners take or sit in the company of mockers, but whose delight is in the law of the Lord, and who meditates on his law day and night. That person is like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither—whatever they do prospers.”

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What wind and waves have caught your attention? What storm has caused you to look away from Jesus? Let’s learn what Peter learned. We must keep our eyes on Jesus. As the howl of the wind gets louder, we’ll be tempted to become distracted. As the waves crash higher, we’ll be enticed to look away.

Main Points:

1. Jesus is teaching us here that we are to keep our eyes on Him. No matter how big the storm is, Jesus is sufficient to see us through. The storm did not overwhelm Peter and his fellow disciples. Why? Because Jesus was with them.

2. Let’s hear the words of our savior. “You of little faith, why did you doubt?” In our humanity, we experience doubt when our problems become bigger to us than God. We battle doubt because we don’t always know what God will do. We don’t know how we will face this storm.

3. Don’t forget, you are not facing this storm alone. The one who is greater than the storm is with you. He has promised to never leave you or forsake you. He will get you out of the storm, or he will get you through the storm. Either way, Jesus will be with you.

Today’s Scripture Verses:

Matthew 14:26-33 - “When the disciples saw him walking on the lake, they were terrified. “It’s a ghost,” they said, and cried out in fear. But Jesus immediately said to them: “Take courage! It is I. Don’t be afraid.” “Lord, if it’s you,” Peter replied, “tell me to come to you on the water.” “Come,” he said. Then Peter got down out of the boat, walked on the water and came toward Jesus. But when he saw the wind, he was afraid and, beginning to sink, cried out, “Lord, save me!” Immediately Jesus reached out his hand and caught him. “You of little faith,” he said, “why did you doubt?” And when they climbed into the boat, the wind died down. Then those who were in the boat worshiped him, saying, “Truly you are the Son of God.”

Hebrews 12:2 - “Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith…”

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We can choose to respond to adversity with fear, anxiety, and worry. We can also choose to respond with praise and worship. You might say, “Yes, but Loren, praise doesn’t change my circumstances.” It might not, but it certainly will change what is happening inside of you.

Main Points:

1. As we praise, we confess what we know is true about God. We choose to trust and to believe, rather than to fear and despair.

2. Praise and worship are like nothing else. While God is the object of our praise, He, in turn, fills us with his presence. Praise and worship glorify and honor God, but it also lifts our spirits, give us joy, and remind us that God is present.

3. Fight your battles with praise. As you do, the presence of God will encourage and uplift your soul.

Today’s Scripture Verses:

Acts 16:22-24 - “The crowd joined in the attack against Paul and Silas, and the magistrates ordered them to be stripped and beaten with rods. After they had been severely flogged, they were thrown into prison, and the jailer was commanded to guard them carefully. When he received these orders, he put them in the inner cell and fastened their feet in the stocks.”

Acts 16:25 - “About midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the other prisoners were listening to them.”

Romans 12:12 - “Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer.”

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The Bible clearly teaches salvation comes through Christ alone. There is no other path, no other way, and no other possibility. If you will be saved from your sins and forgiven by God, you will come through Christ, and Christ alone.

Main Points:

1. There are those today who don’t like the fact that the Bible proclaims faith in Jesus as the only way to salvation. The exclusivity of Christ is a problem for them. Why can’t there be many ways to be saved? Don’t all roads lead to God? Why can’t we pick and choose a path of salvation that seems to work best for us?

2. Instead of complaining about the lack of multiple ways to be saved, we should be grateful there is a way at all. If Christ had not come to be our savior, if He had not come to rescue us out of compassion and grace, we would be completely hopeless, with no way of salvation.

3. We should willingly receive the gift of salvation, provided for us by Jesus. He is offering us a way of salvation. It is the only way to salvation. It is through Christ, and Christ alone.

Today’s Scripture Verses:

“I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” (John 14:6)

“There is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.” (Acts 4:12)

“For there is one God and one mediator between God and mankind, the man Christ Jesus, who gave himself as a ransom for all people.” (1 Timothy 2:5-6)

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When describing a Christian who is passionate about their faith in Jesus, we might say they are “on fire for God.” We are saying they are fervent and zealous about their relationship with Jesus. It’s likely you would agree that this intense and passionate pursuit of Jesus has to be maintained. We have to intentionally stoke the fire to keep it burning hot. If not, the fire will eventually burn out. A fire left alone will burn out. It’s only a matter of time.

Main Points:

1. I want to challenge you today to not let your spiritual fire go out. Be intentional about keeping the flames of your faith burning. Pay attention to your spiritual life. If you ignore it, if you neglect it, the flames will go out.

2. If there was a time in your life when your fire for God burned hotter than it does today, there is still hope. Put another log on your fire. Your fire and passion for God can be reignited.

3. This is a good day for all of us to check our spiritual thermometer. What is the temperature of our relationship with God? Are we burning hot in our passion and zeal for the Lord?

Today’s Scripture Verses:

Leviticus 6:12 - “The fire on the altar shall be kept burning on it; it shall not go out. The priest shall burn wood on it every morning…”

Romans 12:11 - “Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord.”

Matthew 22:37 - “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.”

Revelation 2:5 - “Consider how far you have fallen! Repent and do the things you did at first.”

2 Timothy 1:6 - “I remind you to fan into flames the spiritual gift God gave you.”

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So, what motivates us to speak up, while the culture is trying to silence our voice? What enables us to push past our fear of offending someone to let them know what Jesus has done for us? There is only one answer: it is our love for Jesus. We speak up because we love Jesus.

Main Points:

1. It’s as simple as this: If we love Jesus, we will obey his command to make disciples. If we love Jesus, we will look for opportunities to tell others of His saving grace. We should not feel afraid or intimidated. We have been given the Holy Spirit for this very purpose, to empower us to be a witness.

2. And remember, the gospel is good news. The truth that Jesus died for our sins and rose again is good news. That God would offer us grace, mercy, and forgiveness is good news. The promise of eternal life is good news. Why would we keep this good news from anyone?

3. Our love for Jesus, must overcome our fear of offending people. Why do we assume they will be offended anyway? We don’t know, but perhaps the Holy Spirit has been working in their heart and they are perfectly ready to hear the good news about Jesus.

Today’s Scripture Verses:

Romans 10:14 - “How, then, can they call on the one they have not believed in? And how can they believe in the one of whom they have not heard? And how can they hear without someone preaching to them?”

2 Corinthians 5:14-15 - “For Christ’s love compels us, because we are convinced that one died for all, and therefore all died. And he died for all, that those who live should no longer live for themselves but for him who died for them and was raised again.”

John 14:23 - “Anyone who loves me will obey my teaching.”

1 Peter 3:15 - “Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect.”

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When it comes to the church. I believe unity is our foundation. The whole church stands or falls on the strength of this foundation. As long as there are people, there will be a wide variety of opinions. That’s okay. It’s not essential to have a unity of opinion in every matter. What is crucial is that we have unity around mission, vision, and purpose. It’s necessary that we have a strong biblical and doctrinal foundation.

Main Points:

1. When we have unity, we have bought into the mission and vision of the church. We are willing to forgo some personal preferences for the greater good. We trust God has spoken to our leadership, and we are willing to follow and serve.

2. When a church has strong unity, believers sincerely love one another. They protect each other and support one another.

3. We can sometimes unknowingly fall prey to the enemy’s trap to sow seeds of disunity. When we complain, gossip, and talk behind another believer’s back, we can drive a wedge in the unity of our church without even realizing it.

Today’s Scripture Verses:

Romans 14:19 - “Let us, therefore, make every effort to do what leads to peace and to mutual edification.”

Ephesians 4:3 - “Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace.”

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As Christians, we’ve been taught the importance of the Word of God. We have been instructed to read the Bible every day. We know the significance of spending time with God every day. So, are there things we can do to develop a fresh love for the Word of God?

Main Points:

1. Start by praying a new prayer. Begin to ask God to give you a love for His Word. It’s a simple prayer you can start praying each day. I believe God loves it when we pray such a prayer, and He will give us the desire of our hearts.

2. When you open your Bible, believe that you will hear from God. The Bible is a living document. God wants to speak to your heart and life from its pages.

3. Ask the Holy Spirit to open your spiritual eyes. Ask Him to illuminate the truth so that it is clearly seen. The Spirit of God is present every time you open your Bible.
4. Look for the application. How can you put the scripture into practice in your daily life? Remember, the goal is not to get through Scripture. The goal is to get the scripture through you.

Today’s Scripture Verses:

John 6:68 - “Simon Peter answered him, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life.”

Psalm 119:97 - “Oh, how I love your law! I meditate on it all day long.”

Psalm 119:167 - “I obey your statutes, for I love them greatly.”

Psalm 119:18 - “Open my eyes that I may see wonderful things in your law.”

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