“To the angel of the church in Laodicea write: The Amen, the faithful and true Witness, the Beginning of the creation of God, says this:” Revelation 3:14   Where do you turn to find out how you’re doing spiritually? From a human standpoint we tend not to see ourselves as[...]

“And He was in the wilderness forty days being tempted by Satan;” Mark 1:13   We’ve all given in to temptation at some point. Sometimes we even concede failure the moment it becomes intense. But only those who resist temptation know how strong it actually is. Jesus understands more about[...]

“This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us.” 1 John 3:16 (NIV)   We have an innate desire for security and acceptance. As a result, many people live in the constant pursuit of love. But there’s a problem. The concept of love is[...]

“By this we know that we have come to know Him,” 1 John 2:3   Have you ever questioned whether you really know Jesus? If so, it’s important to deal with that doubt. God wants us to be certain of our salvation. The second chapter of 1 John walks us[...]

“Behold, You desire truth in the innermost being,” Psalm 51:6   It’s always easier to recognize the faults of others than to see our own. But sometimes we fail to see a sin that should be glaringly obvious. What blinds a Christian to personal sin? Well, it’s usually connected to[...]

“…he who abides in Me and I in him, he bears much fruit, for apart from Me you can do nothing.” John 15:5b   We live in a culture that likes to stay busy. Being busy, however, doesn’t always mean being productive. We can busy ourselves doing good things, yet[...]

“I am the vine, you are the branches…” John 15:5a   There’s a lot of talk these days about individual identity. We hear phrases such as “true self” and “authentic self.” People are trying to figure out who they are in order to find their purpose in life. Well, today’s[...]

“Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself unless it abides in the vine, so neither can you unless you abide in Me.” John 15:4   The purpose of a vine is to bear fruit through its branches. The quality and quantity of[...]

“…every branch that bears fruit, He prunes it so that it may bear more fruit.” John 15:2   Scripture sets the clear expectation that we are to grow in our relationship with Christ. Maturing spiritually is a life-long process, not a one-time growth spurt. Consequently, we should see a steady progression as we[...]