“and all of you, clothe yourselves with humility toward one another, for God is opposed to the proud, but gives grace to the humble.” 1 Peter 5:5 There’s an old preachers’ illustration of a church awarding a “most humble” badge to one of its members, then taking it away because he put[...]
“Do nothing from selfishness or empty conceit, but with humility of mind regard one another as more important than yourselves.” Philippians 2:3 Selfishness doesn’t have to be taught. We all have an innate desire to put our wants and needs before anything or anyone else. So it’s completely against human nature to[...]
“Above all, keep fervent in your love for one another, because love covers a multitude of sins.” 1 Peter 4:8 It’s human nature to love those who love us, and to be kind to those who are kind to us. But what about when someone mistreats or provokes us? We said[...]
“This I command you, that you love one another.” John 15:17 Jesus’ command to “love one another” sounds elementary in theory, but it’s often more difficult in reality. Maybe that’s because we’ve bought into the world’s definition of what love is and how it behaves. It’s made out to[...]
“I have loved you,” says the Lord. But you say, “How have You loved us?” Malachi 1:2 There’s a common misconception about God’s love. Many people think that if God truly loves them He’ll remove their troubles and say, “Yes” to every prayer. Thinking that way can cause us to doubt[...]
“Set your mind on the things above, not on the things that are on earth.” Colossians 3:2 Why do so few Christians have an eternal mindset? Because we think about this world way too much. We fear that something will be taken away rather than look forward to what we’ll[...]
“Brethren, join in following my example, and observe those who walk according to the pattern you have in us.” Philippians 3:17 Have you ever met a particular Christian and thought, “She’s the real deal!” Even if you can’t articulate exactly what it is—there’s just something genuine and sincere about[...]
“Therefore, all who are mature, let’s have this attitude; and if in anything you have a different attitude, God will reveal that to you as well;” Philippians 3:15 The apostle Paul used his own life to describe the attitude of a mature believer. We tend to think of attitude as something that[...]
“But whatever things were gain to me, those things I have counted as loss for the sake of Christ.” Philippians 3:7 What motivates you? The driving force behind our actions is usually whatever seems to benefit us the most. That’s why the apostle Paul’s life presents us with a challenge. Because[...]