Attain

“until we all attain to the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a mature man, to the measure of the stature which belongs to the fullness of Christ.”  Ephesians 4:13 Attain – What do you want to be when you grow up?  When you ask a child…

Sufficient

“My grace is sufficient for you, for power is perfected in weakness.”  2 Corinthians 12:9 Sufficient – What’s enough for you?  Take one minute (is that enough?) to write down the answers to these “enough” questions.   What’s enough time for you to finish the purpose of your life? What’s enough reward for what you…

Attitude

28  “Have this attitude in yourselves which was also in Christ Jesus”  Philippians 2:5 Attitude – You’re traveling along the freeway when you suddenly see flashing red lights, cars pulling to the side of the road and several vehicles pointed the wrong direction.  As you get closer, a policeman starts waiving his arms.  You see…

Walking

“I have no greater joy than this, to hear of my children walking in the truth.”  3 John 4 Walking – As any eighth grader can tell you, “i-n-g” words mean continuous action.  When John talks about walking, he means all of the motion and action of life.  He uses this Greek participle (peripatounta) to…

Without Understanding

“By a nation without understanding will I anger you.”  Romans 10:19 Without Understanding – Embedded in Paul’s discussion of the failure of the Jews to recognize God’s plan of righteousness is this remarkable thought.  It is a quotation from Deuteronomy 32:21.  Today is a day when we need to absorb what Paul is implying and…

Call upon

“for the same Lord is Lord of all, abounding in riches for all who call upon Him.”  Romans 10:12 Call upon – “Mommyyyyy!,  Daddyyyyyyyy!”  You know that sound.  It is the “instant jump to your feet see what’s wrong” sound from a child in trouble.  Have you ever noticed that a parent has a kind…

Dogs

“Yes, Lord; but even the dogs feed on the crumbs which fall from their masters’ table.”  Matthew 15:27 Dogs – Where are you on the priority list?  That’s the real thought behind this statement.  The story about this woman seems so odd.  Jesus appears to be callous toward her plight.  It looks as though he…

But if

“But if it is by grace, it is no longer on the basis of works, otherwise grace is no longer grace.”  Romans 11:6 But if – My daughter introduced me to Instant Messaging.  She is eleven.  She is much more proficient than I am, flashing up code words like “brb” (be right back) and “how…

Fools

“We are fools for Christ’s sake”  1 Corinthians 4:10 Fools – “You’re crazy.  How can you believe that God will do anything about this?”  “You’re living a fairy tale.  Wake up and smell the roses!”  Or as someone once said to me, “Don’t wait for a miracle.  It’s not going to happen!” Have you ever…

Too little

“But as for you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, too little to be among the clans of Judah, from you One will go forth for Me to be ruler of Israel.”  Micah 5:2 Too little – Do you every wonder why God seems to do everything backwards?  He seems to choose people who aren’t equipped for the job. …