Eph5

Walking in the light takes careful attention. Our natural tendency is to walk in darkness. Without intention, no one will walk with God. Reject impurity, pursue purity. Reject greed, pursue generosity.

Decide today to pursue the light. Confess sin and choose to walk in love. Are there people in our lives we have hurt? Seek forgiveness. Are there people who have hurt us? Forgive them.

Today we will be faced with all kinds of options. Choose to follow Jesus.

Eph3

What is the "mystery of the Messiah"? A mystery "once hidden, now revealed".

It is the gospel! And the implications of the gospel lived out in the church! The church is the bride of Christ! She is to be the greatest expression of His love throughout the world!

It is the church that should be breaking down racial, social and economic barriers! We are one in Christ.

As believers, are we reflecting this gospel in our lives and choices?

Eph2

Salvation = God's grace, through faith, apart from works. Period.

If this reality somehow causes us to do less for God, we don't understand the gospel! If we are motivated to try and earn our own salvation, we don't understand the gospel. Salvation is a gift from God…period.

We who are saved are God's workmanship prepared to do "good works". If we are not giving ourselves for the work God has prepared for us, we are wasting our lives.

Eph1

"God appointed Jesus as head over everything for the church, which is His body, the fullness of the One who fills all things in every way."

Jesus is leading and building His church. If we want to be involved in the movement of God in our lifetime, we need to be actively involved in what Jesus is doing through His church!

How should we evaluate anything called "church"? I believe this answer is simple. Do we encounter Jesus whenever the church gathers? Are we convicted of our sin and drawn to live for Christ? Is our gathering a religious duty or a relational dynamic?

Christ lived, died and was resurrected for His bride, the church. Nothing should be more exciting that this!

Mk13

Jesus is coming back! His return is more certain than death. Jesus said, "No one except the Father knows when... be alert! Be ready! Heaven and earth will pass away but My words stand forever."

What would be different about our lives if we actually believed that Jesus might return today? What would we change? Are we living in a way that says we are "expecting" His return.

Currently, I have three of my children who are "expecting". They don't know the exact time, but they all are preparing for their kids to come. We all are excited. We all are talking about it. We are preparing our homes and family to receive our new treasures.

Shouldn't we also be preparing for an even greater thing that we also are expecting? Jesus is coming back. This is a fact.

Mk12

When was the last time we were in a gospel conversation with someone who does not know Jesus? Think about it? Is there anyone who is considering following Jesus because of our influence?

I am saddened that so many "christians" rarely talk to others about Christ. In fact, most never do! We are more likely to make converts to our political views than to the gospel. It is a sad reality.

Jesus was constantly in conversations about what mattered…eternal life. He taught His disciples to engage culture with conversation. We should still be having those critical conversations.

Share the good news today.

Mk11

Is our church characterized by prayer? Are our lives characterized by prayer? Jesus was angry with what He saw in the temple complex. The gathering of God's people had become a market for prophet rather than a place to encounter God.

Jesus said, "My house shall be called a house of prayer for the nations." Not only should our churches be characterized by prayer, those prayers should not be selfish! What are we praying for? Are we praying for the "nations"?

Every day at 10:02 my alarm goes off. It is a reminder for me to pray for laborers in God's harvest. In Luke 10:2 Jesus asked His disciple to pray for laborers. We should all be praying. My 10:02 alarm is just one way I remind myself to pray.

Prayer should be our pattern, not just an afterthought.

Mk10

Greatness is not in the number of people who serve us, but rather in the number of people we serve. Jesus said, "whoever wants to be great among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first among you must be a slave of all."

Jesus was Lord of the universe, yet He came as a servant. Look at verse 45, "For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve and to give His life - a ransom for many."

My dad says, "Everyone wants to be considered as someone who serves others, until people start treating them as servants!" Do we serve others? Are we more likely to be serving others or to be being served by others? When we serve, do we expect others to express gratitude? Can we serve without telling someone that we did it?

Loving God is serving others. Be great today. Serve others.

Mk9

Short desperate prayers are often the best prayers! In this chapter a desperate father prayed, "I do believe! Help my unbelief." His son was horribly demon possessed and he longed for Jesus to heal him. His faith was rewarded.

God doesn't measure the eloquence of our words, but rather, the desire of our hearts. He longs to meet us in our need. He has no desire to meet our selfish expectations. His desire is for our good. His desire is for His glory.

I am examining my heart today. One way to see what is in there is to examine my prayers. Are my prayers more for my own good or for God's glory? Do I pray that God will serve me or that I would serve Him.

"Lord, I believe! Help my unbelief."

Mk8

There is no following Jesus without denying ourselves! We would never go where He will lead us apart from the choice to "follow" Him. We will never follow Him apart from the choice to "deny ourselves."

"What does it profit a man to gain the whole world yet to lose his soul? What can a man give in exchange for his soul?" Nothing in this life matters in the end. Only one thing. What did we believe and do about Jesus?

Following Jesus is not easy. It wasn't easy in the 1st century and it is not getting easier today. As long as we live, we will have to "choose" to follow Jesus in faith. Our personal choices would take us in the opposite direction.

Following Jesus is difficult. Following Jesus is worth it. It pays off. Especially in the life that matters. The life that begins when this life ends.

Mk7

Even the crumbs that fall from Jesus' table are enough to totally satisfy our souls! Yet He calls us to feast at His banqueting table and to drink deeply from the well that will never run dry.

Jesus truly did do "everything well". Nothing was left undone. Nothing was done poorly. Everywhere He went, He brought life and healing. Everything He touched was made well. He is the author of life and He is still at work today.

I pray God will give us faith like those in this chapter who believed that Jesus could satisfy the deepest longing of their souls. I pray that we will experience the life-giving touch of Jesus in every context that we are in. Only Jesus satisfies. Only Jesus does everything well.

Mk6

What "amazed" Jesus? The unbelief of the human heart! Even His own disciples missed so much because their hearts were "hardened".

What about us? Are we trusting in Jesus? Do we lean into Him for our heart's desires? Are we pursuing things that ultimately hardened our hearts toward God? I don't want to be among those who are unable to see the power of God because I refuse to believe. I want to be someone who truly trust in Jesus.

Today we will all struggle to believe. It is natural. Today we have an option to trust in Jesus and believe. It is not natural, it's supernatural. 

Please God, help us to amaze you with our belief rather than cause you to be amazed at our lack of belief.

Mk5

"Don't be afraid. Only believe." These were Jesus' words to a man who just got the news that his 12 year old daughter was dead! Have we ever stopped to think about this statement? What is the connection between fear and faith?

The woman who had been healed came to Jesus with "fear and trembling." After spending all she had on medical treatment, she was miraculously healed by just touching Jesus. She had great faith, but still was fearful. 

Everyone was afraid of the demon possessed man! No one could contain or control him. After Jesus healed him, everyone became afraid of Jesus! They even "began to beg Jesus to leave their region." Fear caused these people to reject Jesus.

We all live in the natural realm. What we don't understand, we fear. Jesus lived in the supernatural realm. Everything He did was scary to those around Him. Faith bridges the gap between the natural and supernatural. Jesus desires us to walk by faith and not fear. We can trust Him today.

Mk4

What is the connection between fear and faith? Jesus said to His disciples, "Why are you fearful? Do you still have no faith?" But wouldn't we all be afraid in the midst of a horrible storm in a small boat? Would that fear be an expression of faithlessness?

As people we struggle with fear. Fear is natural. Being fearless in the midst of difficulty reflects great faith. Who among us thinks he could have been in that situation without fear? Yet the disciple did the right thing. They, in fear, trusted in Jesus. They knew He was able to do something about their situation. He could calm the storm.

It has been my experience that Jesus often calls me into the storm! I am always fearful. Yet by faith, I can overcome my crippling fear and cling to him in the midst of storms. On the other side of the storm there is a great story to tell. 

Don't let fear keep us from clinging to Jesus and choosing to follow Him! Even into scary places.

Mk2

Have we brought anyone to Jesus lately? We all know broken people who need Jesus. We all know people who could use our help in order to come to Him. What keeps us from helping them?

A true friend is someone who is concerned for my spiritual health. Someone who helps me get close to Jesus and encourages me to follow Him. The four men in this chapter were true friends! When Jesus "saw their faith" He told the man, "your sins are forgiven." Notice whose faith Jesus witnessed. It was the faith of the man's friends.

I want to see God's power at work in my friends. Don't we all? God help us to be true friends. God help us to help our friends come to Jesus.

Mk1

John's prophecy was, "Someone is coming greater than I. He will baptize you in the Holy Spirit."

The Holy Spirit had not come yet, but some, like John had received a special gift from God. John, along with many of the OT prophets, experienced an empowering from God's Spirit. He preached a powerful message and people were attracted to his message.

Today the Holy Spirit is available for all of us who believe! Jesus has come. He has made a way for us to know him through His Spirit. Have we been baptized in the Holy Spirit? Are we walking in His power today.

2Thes3

We are our friends! Do you want to know what kind of person you are? Look at your friends. Do we want to be godly people? We need godly friends.

God has made us to live in community with one another. None of us are immune to the relationships that we keep. We will be "like" the people we hang out with. Period. This is why Paul writes, "avoid people who do not keep our instructions."

Parents tend to blame "friends" when their kid gets in trouble. They say, "He got in with the wrong crowd." Here is what's true. They are the "wrong crowd". We are our friends.

Our relationships matter. Our church family matters. Our spiritual life depends on it.