"that you put off, concerning your former conduct, the old man which grows corrupt according to the deceitful lusts," - Ephesians 4:22 (NKJV)"Likewise, you also, reckon yourselves to be dead indeed to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus our Lord." - Romans 6:11 (NKJV)In Ephesians 4:22, Paul writes, "That you put off, concerning your former conduct, the old man." In the New King James Version, th...  Read More

"But you have not so learned Christ, if indeed you have heard Him and have been taught by Him, as the truth is in Jesus." - Ephesians 4:20–21 (NKJV)No true life change happens without Jesus Christ. Paul says in Ephesians 4:20, “You have not so learned Christ.” Notice he does not say you have learned about Christ. He says you have learned Christ. You received Him. You heard Him. You were taught by ...  Read More

"Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice!" — Philippians 4:4At the turn of the 20th century, around 1905, a woman and her husband, an evangelist, traveled to New York. During their visit, they met an older couple, Mr. and Mrs. Doolittle, who left an impact on them.The Doolittles had their share of struggles and ailments, yet they radiated cheerfulness and joy. Curious, the evangel...  Read More

Meanwhile Jesus offers Himself as living water. John 7:37-38 reads, "On the last day, that great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried out, saying, 'If anyone thirsts, let him come to Me and drink. He who believes in Me, as the Scripture has said, out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.'" The Bible also says that as Christians, we have Jesus inside us by the Holy Spirit. We have the l...  Read More

"...that you put off, concerning your former conduct, the old man which grows corrupt according to the deceitful lusts, and be renewed in the spirit of your mind, and that you put on the new man which was created according to God, in true righteousness and holiness." - Ephesians 4:22-24 (NKJV)Have you ever seen a T-ball game where there's that one kid who has clearly watched a lot of professional ...  Read More

"And [Jesus] said, ‘The kingdom of God is as if a man should scatter seed on the ground, and should sleep by night and rise by day, and the seed should sprout and grow, he himself does not know how.’" — Mark 4:26-27 (NKJV)Have you ever felt like your efforts for God aren’t making a difference? Like no matter how hard you work, pray, or serve, the results just aren’t visible? This feeling is especi...  Read More

"Where can I go from your Spirit? Where can I flee from your presence? If I go up to the heavens, you are there; if I make my bed in the depths, you are there." —Psalm 139:7-8 (NIV)Mother Theresa once said, “The world’s greatest tragedy is unwantedness; the world’s greatest disease is loneliness.”[1]Philip Zimbardo, writing in Psychology Today, has said, “There is no more destructive influence on ...  Read More

"The Lord is my light and my salvation—whom shall I fear? The Lord is the stronghold of my life—of whom shall I be afraid?" — Psalm 27:1 (NIV) Sometimes, despite our best efforts, fear doesn't completely disappear before we need to act. In these moments, we can learn from Elizabeth Elliot, whose husband, Jim, was murdered by the very people he was trying to reach with the Gospel. She shared about ...  Read More

"The fear of man brings a snare, But whoever trusts in the LORD shall be safe." - Proverbs 29:25One of the most common fears that holds believers back is the fear of what others will think or do. This fear of man can prevent us from following God's direction, speaking truth, or stepping out in faith. Proverbs directly addresses this, warning that the fear of man is a snare - a trap that catches us...  Read More

Ephesians 4:13–15 (NKJV)13 till we all come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a perfect man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ;14 that we should no longer be children, tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, in the cunning craftiness of deceitful plotting,15 but, speaking the truth in love, ma...  Read More

"And He [Jesus] Himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers, for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ." Ephesians 4:11-12Christians are not just forgiven, not just set free, not just heaven-bound, praise the Lord. The Bible also describes that we have been given a gift. Jesus gave gifts to ...  Read More

In Ephesians 4:8, Paul quotes from the Psalms: "When He ascended on high, He led captivity captive, and gave gifts to men." Then he adds this question: if He ascended, what does that imply? That He first descended. He descended into the lower parts of the earth. He who descended is also the One who ascended far above all the heavens, that He might fill all things.This is the God who came down. In ...  Read More