“Not so with you. Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant.” -Matthew 20:26 I walked into the store toward the customer service counter and waited for a few minutes. I was next in line, but to my surprise, a young store employee walked right up to the customer service desk

“And ‘don’t sin by letting anger control you.’ Don?t let the sun go down while you are still angry.” -Ephesians 4:26 What makes you mad? Often we don’t talk about getting angry in Christian circles because it’s an uncomfortable topic. But, if we’re true followers of Christ, isn’t it true that certain things should make

“And because we are His children, God has sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, prompting us to call out, ‘Abba, Father.’ Now you are no longer a slave but God’s own child. And since you are His child, God has made you His heir.” -Galatians 4:21-31 Have you ever felt like a

“Now, LORD God, let your promise to my father David be confirmed, for you have made me king over a people who are as numerous as the dust of the earth. Give me wisdom and knowledge, that I may lead this people, for who is able to govern this great people of yours?” -2 Chronicles

“I have set my rainbow in the clouds, and it will be a sign of the covenant between me and the earth.” -Genesis 9:13 Has God ever given you a sign? Something that meant something to you, that only you could comprehend? Or, have you ever put out a “fleece”, so to speak, as Gideon

“I know that you, God, are on the side of victims, that you care for the rights of the poor. And I know that the righteous personally thank you, that good people are secure in your presence.” -Psalm 140:12-13 Where do we get our security or our confidence from? It’s often easy to find both

“For you have been called to live in freedom, my brothers and sisters. But don’t use your freedom to satisfy your sinful nature. Instead, use your freedom to serve one another in love. For the whole law can be summed up in this one command: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’” -Galatians 5:13 & 14 What

“But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.” -Matthew 6:33 One estimate finds more than 4700 covenant promises listed in the Bible. The funny thing about each of these promises is that, if we put God first in a certain area, He is able

“How delightful is your love, my sister, my bride! How much more pleasing is your love than wine, and the fragrance of your perfume more than any spice!” -Song of Solomon 4:10 “Go and proclaim in the hearing of Jerusalem: ‘This is what the LORD says: “‘I remember the devotion of your youth, how as

“I have loved you with an everlasting love; I have drawn you with unfailing kindness. I will build you up again, and you, Virgin Israel, will be rebuilt. Again you will take up your timbrels and go out to dance with the joyful.” -Jeremiah 31:3&4 When people think of God, they tend to think of

“See, I have given you this land. Go in and take possession of the land the Lord swore He would give to your fathers – to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob – and to their descendants after them.” -Deuteronomy 1:8 When the Israelites were instructed to “step out” into the Promised Land, they were afraid. But

“If you do what is right, will you not be accepted? But if you do not do what is right, sin is crouching at your door; it desires to have you, but you must master it.” -Genesis 4:7 Once my dad left home from a trip, only to find a surprise waiting for him in

“Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective.” -James 5:16 What is a “bumper person”? Ford Taylor, in his Transformational Leadership training describes a “bumper person” as someone we trust who can bump us back

“You intended to harm me, but God intended it all for good. He brought me to this position so I could save the lives of many people.” -Genesis 50:20 Joseph was sold into slavery at about 17 years old. He was sold by his own brothers! But, God had a bigger plan and redeemed this

“I received my message from no human source, and no one taught me. Instead, I received it by direct revelation from Jesus Christ.” -Galatians 1:12 Have you ever gotten a revelation before? A revelation is different from just receiving information. I remember when I got the revelation that God really did love me… my life

“For the word of God is alive and powerful. It is sharper than the sharpest two-edged sword, cutting between soul and spirit, between joint and marrow. It exposes our innermost thoughts and desires.” -Hebrews 4:12 According to research, the majority of Americans consider themselves Christians. (Seventy-six to eighty percent, respectively.) But, very few of us

“Then Melchizedek king of Salem brought out bread and wine. He was priest of God Most High, and he blessed Abram, saying, ‘Blessed be Abram by God Most High, Creator of heaven and earth. And praise be to God Most High, who delivered your enemies into your hand.’ Then Abram gave him a tenth of

“Since Jacob was in love with Rachel, he told her father, ‘I’ll work for you for seven years if you’ll give me Rachel, your younger daughter, as my wife.’” -Genesis 29:18 Do you have a dream? You might be at a stage in your life where you want to do something great with your life,

“So I say, let the Holy Spirit guide your lives. Then you won’t be doing what your sinful nature craves. The sinful nature wants to do evil, which is just the opposite of what the Spirit wants. And the Spirit gives us desires that are the opposite of what the sinful nature desires. These two

“This is what the LORD Almighty says: ‘Give careful thought to your ways. Go up into the mountains and bring down timber and build my house, so that I may take pleasure in it and be honored,’ says the LORD. ‘You expected much, but see, it turned out to be little. What you brought home,

“Run from sexual sin! No other sin so clearly affects the body as this one does. For sexual immorality is a sin against your own body. Don’t you realize that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit, who lives in you and was given to you by God? You do not belong to

“So letting your sinful nature control your mind leads to death. But letting the Spirit control your mind leads to life and peace.” -Romans 8:6 Has your mind ever gotten the best of you? Every day, there is a great temptation to believe the worst about someone or something that has happened to us. Even

“…but glory, honor and peace for everyone who does good: first for the Jew, then for the Gentile. For God does not show favoritism.” -Romans 2:10-11 Sometimes, rather unintentionally, we as the body of Christ can develop a “superstar” mentality. What I mean by this is that we have had a revelation of our identity

“For the creation waits in eager expectation for the children of God to be revealed. For the creation was subjected to frustration, not by its own choice, but by the will of the one who subjected it, in hope that the creation itself will be liberated from its bondage to decay and brought into the

“Again I tell you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for someone who is rich to enter the kingdom of God.” -Matthew 19:24 Once I had a coworker friend when I was a server at an upscale restaurant. For our purposes, we’ll call him Rob. Rob

“So I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. For the flesh desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the flesh. They are in conflict with each other, so that you are not to do whatever you want.” -Galatians 5:16,

“Then the LORD spoke to Job out of the storm…” -Job 40:6 We live really busy lives. With work, school, church, social activities, hobbies and family time it becomes more and more difficult to schedule quality time with God. Even if we do have a quiet time, it’s short at the most! On top of

“As a prisoner for the Lord, then, I urge you to live a life worthy of the calling you have received. Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love. Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace.” -Ephesians 4:1-3 As human beings, we

“Your approval means nothing to Me, because I know you don’t have God’s love within you. For I have come to you in My Father’ name, and you have rejected Me. Yet if others come in their own name, you gladly welcome them. No wonder you can’t believe! For you gladly honor each other, but

“Once a religious leader asked Jesus this question: ‘Good Teacher, what should I do to inherit eternal life?’ ‘Why do you call me good?’ Jesus asked him. ‘Only God is truly good.’” -Luke 18:18 & 19 Have you ever said about someone, “She’s such a good person,” or “He’s a good person”? I’ve found myself

“Remember to observe the Sabbath day by keeping it holy.” -Exodus 20:8 What is a Sabbath? The Israelites in Biblical times were religious about the Sabbath – and for good reason! A Sabbath was a “rest day”, a day of remembering God and honoring Him in that day. It was a day that was set