“for you were formerly darkness, but now you are Light in the Lord; walk as children of Light.” Ephesians 5:8   As a follower of Jesus, your life ought to have a before and after. The way you thought and acted before salvation is not the way you think and[...]

“Let your gentle spirit be known to all men…” Philippians 4:5   More people are becoming hostile and confrontational these days. Consequently, psychologists have flooded bookstores and the internet with advice on how to talk with angry people. But we need to be careful that the advice we follow doesn’t[...]

“With [the tongue] we bless our Lord and Father, and with it we curse men, who have been made in the likeness of God;  from the same mouth come both blessing and cursing. My brethren, these things ought not to be this way.” James 3:9-10   The Bible has a lot to say about what[...]

“These things I have spoken to you so that My joy may be in you, and that your joy may be made full.” John 15:11   Joy is standard equipment to the Christian life. Jesus said His followers should be full of joy; which means there are levels of joy[...]

“If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you…” John 15:7   How do you know that you’re abiding in Christ? Jesus linked our abiding in Him with His Word abiding in us. The more you engage the Bible with your mind, the more it will guide your[...]

“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 major difference between being an unfruitful or fruitful Christian is whether or not we abide in Christ. We tend[...]

“every branch that bears fruit, He prunes it so that it may bear more fruit.” John 15:2   Pruning is the most crucial thing that happens in a vineyard. Healthy grapes cannot grow without it. In fact, a lack of sufficient pruning can cause a vineyard to fail completely. The pruning process is no[...]

“My Father is glorified by this, that you bear much fruit, and so prove to be My disciples.” John 15:8   What God expects of us, as believers, boils down to two words—bear fruit. In the life of a Christian, fruit is how we outwardly express what God is doing inwardly. The more[...]

“…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[...]