It is not the will of God that we be alone or that we go through life isolated from others. He has created the church to be our spiritual family. It’s here that we find fellowship, encouragement, support, and accountability. It’s also here that we are able to offer these same gifts to others.

Main Points:

1. Sometimes the reason for such isolation is the pain we have experienced in the church. Maybe we felt ignored, neglected, or forgotten. Perhaps someone made a mistake and said something that was hurtful. Rather than experience this pain again, we put up barriers and choose to not engage with others.

2. But I want you to see this is exactly what Satan wants. He wants you to be isolated from others because if you do, you’ll also miss the blessings that come from being in community with others. You’ll miss the encouragement and the support. You’ll miss the fulfillment that comes with deep friendships. Others will miss the investment you could have made in their lives.

3. If you want to be blessed you have to step out of your comfort zone. To experience the richness of friendship and support, you have to show up. To be a blessing to others you have to engage, take initiative, and be committed.

Today’s Scripture Verses:

Genesis 2:18 - “The Lord God said, “It is not good that man should be alone…”

John 8:44 - “…for there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks his native language, for he is a liar and the father of lies.”

Philippians 2:4 - “Look out for one another’s interests not just your own.”

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Prayer is an adventure in trust. We put our needs into the hands of an almighty God, who has the power to meet our needs according to His will. What will God do? We don’t know, but we do know that what God does is right. His answer and His actions may not make sense to our finite minds and limited understanding, but the will and purpose of God are always correct.

Main Points:

1. When we have a need, it’s normal to be anxious, to worry, and to wonder what will happen. This is our human response to uncertainty. Yet, when we pray we choose to trust. When we pray we choose to believe God.

2. What an adventure it is to wait on God and see what He will do. The waiting is not always pleasant, but the longer we serve Jesus, the more confidence we have in the waiting. We know God is up to something. We don’t see it yet, but we are confident testimony of His faithfulness is coming soon.

3. Faith in God is a choice. It’s a decision to believe and to trust that He is working all things for your good, according to His purpose.

Today’s Scripture Verses:

2 Corinthians 4:18 - “So we don’t look at the troubles we can see now; rather, we fix our gaze on things that cannot be seen. For the things we see now will soon be gone, but the things we cannot see will last forever.”

Hebrews 11:1 - “Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see.”

Mark 9:21-24 - “Jesus asked the boy’s father, “How long has he been like this?” “From childhood,” he answered. “It has often thrown him into fire or water to kill him. But if you can do anything, take pity on us and help us.” “‘If you can’?” said Jesus. “Everything is possible for one who believes.” Immediately the boy’s father exclaimed, “I do believe; help me overcome my unbelief!”

Proverbs 3:5 - “Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding.”

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Citizens not only have rights and privileges, but they also have responsibilities. The same is true for us as citizens of Heaven. Let’s not only experience the blessings of our new citizenship but let’s conduct ourselves in a manner worthy of the gospel.

Main Points:

1. You may not have thought about this, Heaven is not just a place you are waiting to see, but it’s a place of which you are already a citizen. You have a legal right to belong in Heaven because the blood of Jesus has paid for your entry.

2. As citizens of Heaven, the Word of God calls for us to live as citizens of Heaven. We are not yet in Heaven, but we are to live with the values of our new home.

3. Paul says we can live as citizens of Heaven by conducting ourselves in a manner worthy of the gospel. In other words, if you are saved, live as someone who is saved. If Christ has come into your life, it should be noticeable in how you live. We are not worthy of what Christ has done for us, but we should do our best to live as though we were.

Today’s Scripture Verses:

Ephesians 2:19 - “You Gentiles are no longer strangers and foreigners. You are citizens along with all of God’s holy people. You are members of God’s family.”

Philippians 1:27 - “Above all, you must live as citizens of heaven, conducting yourselves in a manner worthy of the Good News about Christ.”

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“How good is good enough?” Here’s the short answer. We could never be good enough to go to Heaven. It’s simply not possible for humans to satisfy the justice of God with our efforts at being good. The Bible teaches us that being a good person could never save us. Instead, salvation is based on the goodness of Jesus, on our behalf.

Main Points:

1. Jesus, in kindness and love, took our sins upon himself and once and for all died in our place. This is the definition of goodness. God did for us what we could not do for ourselves. Jesus paid the penalty for our sins, satisfying the justice of a righteous and holy God.

2. Forgiveness of our sins and the promise of eternal life is received as a gift from God. We receive this gift as we confess Jesus Christ as our Savior and Lord. We place our faith in his death and resurrection for our sins, instead of placing our faith in our good works.

3. Refuse to buy into the deception that you could be good enough to go to Heaven. Put your faith in Jesus, who was good on our behalf.

Today’s Scripture Verses:

Judges 21:25 - “In those days Israel had no king; all the people did whatever seemed right in their own eyes.

Proverbs 14:12 - “There is a path before each person that seems right, but it ends in death.”

Isaiah 64:6 - “We are all infected and impure with sin. When we display our righteous deeds, they are nothing but filthy rags.”

Titus 3:4-5 - “When God our Savior revealed his kindness and love, he saved us, not because of the righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy.”

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We stand on Jesus’ promise that the gospel will be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all nations. As we see this being fulfilled, we know the end is near and Jesus’ return is soon.

Main Points:

1. There are still locations in our world where the gospel message is not being preached. There are places where there are no churches, no missionaries, no translations of the Bible in local languages, and no access to the salvation message.

2. With the use of the ever-increasing tools of technology the message of Christ is spreading faster than ever before. My prayer is that a new generation of missionaries will hear the call of God and will take the gospel to people still waiting to hear.

3. The gospel of Jesus Christ is good news. We cannot be silent. We cannot keep such good news to ourselves. We must tell others. We must let people know that Jesus saves. Let’s determine that we will be a part of preaching the gospel locally and globally as a testimony to all.

Today’s Scripture Verses:

Matthew 24:14 - “And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come.”

1 Thessalonians 1:8 - “The Lord’s message rang out from you not only in Macedonia and Achaia—your faith in God has become known everywhere.”

Matthew 28:19 - “Go and make disciples of all nations…”

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Do you need a guide? Are you in need of guidance and direction? God has given you two sources, His Word and His Spirit.

Main Points:

1. Where does this guidance come from? How does God become our guide? He guides us in two ways. He guides us by His Word and by the Holy Spirit.

2. Psalm 119 says God’s Word is a lamp for my feet and a light for my path, meaning, it illuminates the steps we are to take. God’s Word makes it clear what the next step should be. As wonderful as this is, it is only half the answer. You’ll make many decisions in life that are not identified or prescribed in the Bible.

3. In the absence of clear guidance from the Word of God, we rely on the direction of the Holy Spirit. This is why Paul said in Romans 8:14 - “For those who are led by the Spirit of God are the children of God.” Not only do we need daily guidance from Scripture, but we also need daily direction from the Holy Spirit. The Word and the Spirit together are the leadership that we need.

Today’s Scripture Verses:

James 1:5 - "Whoever among you lacks wisdom, ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault.”

Psalm 32:8 "I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go and I will counsel you and watch over you.

Proverbs 3:5-6 - “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight.”

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That is what we live for: to experience the glory of God, to reflect it, to bring it to the world around us, not for our own sake but for the praise of His glory and honor.

Main Points:

1. The glory of God refers to his beauty, majesty, purity, and power. It speaks of the greatness and wonder of God.

2. In His love for us, God created us to experience himself. He created us to experience his glory. We get to experience God’s beauty, power, love, and mercy.

3. Not only do we experience His glory, but we were also created to reflect it. Like the moon reflects the light and radiance of the son, we are to reflect the glory of God to others around us. People should see and notice there is something different about our lives.

Today’s Scripture Verses:

Isaiah 43:7 - “Bring all who claim me as their God, for I have made them for my glory. It was I who created them.”

2 Corinthians 4:6 - “For God, who said, “Let there be light in the darkness,” has made this light shine in our hearts so we could know the glory of God that is seen in the face of Jesus Christ.”

Ephesians 2:8-9 - “For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.”

Matthew 5:16 - “In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.”

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Every day, you make decisions about whether you will stand for Christ or not. In how we live our lives, the choices we make, the attitudes we portray, and the words we say, we are telling others that we stand for Christ, or we are communicating that we do not stand with him.

Main Points:

1. Jesus knew we would face a strong temptation to hide our light. When we are open and public about our testimony for Christ, it draws attention to us. We face potential rejection, scorn, and persecution. No one wants to experience such things. It’s so much easier to keep our faith and our testimony hidden. After all, isn’t faith in God supposed to be a personal, private matter?

2. Unfortunately, this is a lie we have come to believe. Satan wants your voice to be silenced. If you can be intimated to keep your witness for Christ quiet, then that is the temptation you will face.

3. Today you’ll have an opportunity to stand for God. In a conversation, at your office, with your family, or on social media, there will be a moment of decision. Choose to speak up. Choose to be identified with Christ. Don’t hide your witness. You can stand for Christ, but do it in a way that is gentle and respectful.

Today’s Scripture Verses:

Isaiah 7:9 - “If you do not stand firm in your faith, you will not stand at all.”

Matthew 5:15 - “No one lights a lamp and then puts it under a basket. Instead, a lamp is placed on a stand, where it gives light to everyone in the house.”

Romans 1:16 - “For I am not ashamed of this Good News about Christ. It is the power of God at work, saving everyone who believes—the Jew first and also the Gentile.”

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