Nothing Held Back – Part Three

God did not give the best of heaven for His people to focus on the things of earth, whether worldly goods or worldly praise (Mt. 6:19-21). Our Savior calls us to follow—no matter what and with everything we have and are—because He loves us, just as He loved this young man (Mk. 10:21). But for…

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Any Ol’ Lie Will Do

An internet meme I came across recently said, “Most people don’t really want the truth. They just want constant reassurance that what they believe is the truth.” This applies to so many circumstances it remains impossible to offer anything but a small sampling. After all, most of us recognize the conundrum offered by the classic…

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The Joy of Pleasing God

Asa had provided a strong foundation for his son and successor. Despite failing in patience and dedication in his latter years, Asa had strengthened Judah’s position both politically and spiritually. After Asa died, Jehoshaphat took the throne and built upon the positive policies of his father (2 Chr. 17:1-2). In spiritual matters especially, Jehoshaphat “walked…

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No Escape Clause – Part Two

The Lord requires obedience to ALL of what He says. When Jesus responded to the man’s question, He implied yet another essential aspect of a disciple’s obedience that we often neglect. When the man replied to Jesus’ simple call for obeying God’s commands, “He said to Him, ‘Which ones?’ Jesus said, ‘”You shall not murder,”…

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No Single Act – Part One

We seem to have a tendency to make things as easy on ourselves as we possibly can, and that certainly appears to be the case spiritually. In regard to salvation, many people act as if God has provided some one-time act on our part that automatically causes Him to ignore the rest of our lives.…

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A Defining Relationship – Part Two

Your relationship with the Lord must become so important and so close that your love for Him determines what your love for others requires. As Jesus said, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.” This is the first and great commandment. And…

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A Defining Relationship – Part One

Your relationship with Jesus should be the defining relationship of your life. By this I do not refer merely to the lip service some offer in worship or the generic use of ‘Christian’ so common in our day. Instead, I mean that our commitment to being right with our Lord defines each and every action…

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