Tag Archives: Life

Confidence

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self-confidence-300x300You can do it!

Whatever it is that you are facing today, you can do it. There is nothing facing you today that you can’t do. Nothing.

That statement is true. But, let me tell you why that statement is true. Let me tell you why today you can have such confidence.

Listen to what it says in 2 Corinthians 3:4-6:

Such is the confidence that we have through Christ toward God. Not that we are sufficient in ourselves to claim anything as coming from us, but our sufficiency is from God, who has made us competent to be ministers of a new covenant, not of the letter but of the Spirit. For the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life.

We have confidence today through Christ, toward’s God. Through Christ, we have been restored into right relationship with God. Through the work of Jesus Christ, we are made right with God.

Paul reminds us that we aren’t able to, in ourselves, have this confidence. In ourselves, we would find ourselves lacking. In ourselves and in our own strength, we won’t be able to do it. In ourselves in our own ability, we can’t do it, can’t be good enough, can’t be strong enough, just can’t do it.

But, through the life, death, and resurrection, through the grace of Jesus Christ, we can. We can have confidence. Through Him, we can do it. Through Him, it will all be ok. Through Him, we can know life. Peace. Hope. Joy. Victory.

Through Him.

Today, have confidence. But, know where the confidence comes from. Through Jesus. Through Him, we are restored and through Him we live.

Today, may we live fully, boldly, and with confidence. All through Jesus.

Today, you can do it!

Don’t forget, you can click here to download Asbury’s mobile app and read these devotionals, as well as listen to my sermons on your smart phones.

Don’t Settle

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urlIn life, we can take the easy option and settle for good, but not great. It’s very easy to do, and something that each of us in life will be tempted to do. Settle for the good, but not great.

Settle for good enough.

Settle for nice.

Don’t settle. Don’t miss what matters. Don’t miss what really counts.

What does all this mean, and have to do with the Bible? Listen to what Isaiah says today in 55:1-3:

“Come, everyone who thirsts, come to the waters; and he who has no money, come, buy and eat! Come, buy wine and milk without money and without price. Why do you spend your money for that which is not bread, and your labor for that which does not satisfy? Listen diligently to me, and eat what is good, and delight yourselves in rich food. Incline your ear, and come to me; hear, that your soul may live; and I will make with you an everlasting covenant, my steadfast, sure love for David.

Why do you spend our money on that which is not bread? Why do you labor for that which does not satisfy?

What is bread? What satisfies? The life that is found in God. The life found in Christ. The life that is found by walking faithfully with God.

Don’t settle for less that than. That’s the good stuff. That’s what counts. That’s what lasts and what is truly life-giving.

The other things? Nope. They are not truly life-giving. They may look fun for a while. But they will leave us feeling empty in the end. Or not completed. Or lacking.

Don’t settle for them. Don’t settle for the stuff of this world. Find the good stuff. The life found in God. The life that truly counts.

Today, don’t settle. Today, find that truly life, which is found only in God!

Don’t forget, you can click here to download Asbury’s mobile app and read these devotionals, as well as listen to my sermons on your smart phones.

Chosen

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Today, you’ve been chosen.

That word may conjure up some emotion for us today. Some of us, when we think of being chosen, we think of being first, chosen first in sports or competitions.

Or maybe being chosen for winning an award, or some great honor!

Others may not think as fondly, as we may remember being the last one chosen or perhaps not chosen at all.

Or perhaps, being chosen for getting in trouble for something.

The word chosen can bring a lot of weight behind it.

Today, in 1 Peter 2:9-10, Peter says that we are chosen:

But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light. Once you were not a people, but now you are God’s people; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.

urlPeter says today that you are chosen. We are a royal priesthood, a holy nation. You are a person of God’s on possession!

How about that! That’s better than being picked first in basketball!

You are of amazing great worth today! You are chosen. You are of infinite worth! you are priceless. You are beyond measure.

Yes! You! You have more worth today than you can even fathom.

This worth, this being “chosen” doesn’t come from ourselves or from anything that we have earned, but it comes from fact that God has chosen us for this purpose. To proclaim HIS worth. To tell of the one that has called us from darkness to light. To tell of His glory and His salvation. To show mercy, because we have been shown mercy.

We have been chosen today to tell others of the grace of God. We have been chose today to live our that grace of God for others.

We don’t live for ourselves. As tempting as it can be, we don’t live for ourselves. We live to live in our lives in God. To live for Him. That’s where life is found.

Today, He chose you. Today, may we choose Him. My we live in His mercy, grace, and love, and may we live our lives in a way that others desire to know this God.

Today, you’ve been chosen. You have great worth. You are here for a purpose. Today, live in that grace that God has given you.

Go out and live our loud for Him today.

Don’t forget, you can click here to download Asbury’s mobile app and read these devotionals, as well as listen to my sermons on your smart phones.

Contentment

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urlAre you content?

Not happy. Not complacent. Content?

Well, to answer that question, I guess we have to first know what contentment is. There are a lot ways that you can define contentment. Some would it say it’s being satisfied. Some would say that it’s not worrying. Some would say that it’s not being stressed.

I guess those are all good answers. But, I see being content as being “home.” Knowing you are where you need to be. Knowing all is right, all is good, all is as it should.

Well, to put it like that, then none of us should be content. None of us are in that perfect place, none of us have life like we’d love it to be, none of us have that feeling.

Well, I don’t know about that. Let’s see where this contentment comes from. Listen to what Paul says today in 1 Timothy 6:6-7:

Now there is great gain in godliness with contentment, for we brought nothing into the world, and we cannot take anything out of the world.

Paul says that there is much to gain from Godliness with contentment. We brought nothing into the world, we take nothing out. That’s the source of contentment.

Not the “stuff” of the world. If we are striving and living all of our lives after the things of the world, then we will never be content. If your life revolves around those things, money, success, fame, power, attention, status, things such as that, you will never have enough.

You will never be content. You will always need more. You will always want more.

But, if come to this realization this morning, you will find contentment. You are loved. God loves you. He died for you. He gave Himself for you. You are His.

Your identity, your worth, it is not tied to these things, it is tied to God. It is tied to what God, through, Jesus, has done for you.

You can be content. For you have all that you could ever wish for. You have all that you could ever desire. You have all you could ever want.

You are loved. You can be content in that.

Rest. Rest easy in that. You are loved. You prized. You have worth. Rest in that. Be content in that. The other stuff will pass. This will last.

You are a child of God. That’s where contentment is found.

Don’t forget, you can click here to download Asbury’s mobile app and read these devotionals, as well as listen to my sermons on your smart phones.

Do the Right Thing

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url-1You can do what you want to do. Really. You are free. No one can make you do anything. You have freedom and you have a choice.

Us that wisely. Today, as you do what you want to do, do the right thing. Do the good thing. Do thing that you want to do.

You have freedom.

Now, do the right thing. What does mean?

Listen to what Paul says in Galatians 5:13-15:

For you were called to freedom, brothers. Only do not use your freedom as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another. For the whole law is fulfilled in one word: “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” But if you bite and devour one another, watch out that you are not consumed by one another.

You are called to freedom. Jesus came to set you free. But, you are to use that freedom for what is right. What is that?

Seve one another through love. You shall love your neighbor as yourself. That’s your calling and that’s what you were set from sin for. To love.

Love God, love each other.

That’s what freedom is for.

So, what if we don’t use our freedom in that way? What if we use it for ourselves, our desires, and what we want?

Then Paul says this – if you bite and devour one another be careful you are not consumed by each other.

Today, do the right thing. Love. Love each other. Take care of each other. Look out for each other.

Today, we have freedom. We have the chance to do what we want. Make sure we choose to love God. Love each other. Take care of each other.

Be salt and light. Love as God has loved us.

Don’t forget, you can click here to download Asbury’s mobile app and read these devotionals, as well as listen to my sermons on your smart phones.

Satisfied

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We are never satisfied. It seems like today, we are always searching. Never happy. Always longing. Always looking.

Looking for more.

Looking for different.

Looking for something else.

We are never satisfied.

Why is that? Why are we not satisfied? I think sometimes we aren’t satisfied because we aren’t looking to the right things.

Look at what happened today in Mark 8:6-8:

And he directed the crowd to sit down on the ground. And he took the seven loaves, and having given thanks, he broke them and gave them to his disciples to set before the people; and they set them before the crowd. And they had a few small fish. And having blessed them, he said that these also should be set before them. And they ate and were satisfied. And they took up the broken pieces left over, seven baskets full.

urlThis the tail end of the feeding fo the 4000 in Mark’s Gospel. Lot’s of things we could talk about here. The amount of people who Jesus feed.

The meager amount of food that Jesus used to do it.

The lack of faith that the disciples showed in not trusting.

But, to me, it’s a simple phrase found in verse 8. “They ate and were satisfied.”

I think in life we are not satisfied because we are looking to the wrong things. We are seeking life in work. Or hobbies. Or success. Or any of the things.

And we find ourselves, well. Empty.

We aren’t satisfied.

And in truth, none of these things will ever do it. None of these things will ever satisfy us.

Only Jesus will. And today, they ate until they were. He provided that for them.

And He will provide that for you today. Today, in Jesus, in Him, you will be satisfied.

You will find what you are looking for.

Today, may we find that life, hope and peace. May we be satisfied. And may we find that the only place possible.

In Jesus.

Don’t forget, you can click here to download Asbury’s mobile app and read these devotionals, as well as listen to my sermons on your smart phones.

God is for You

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urlToday, God is for you. God is on your side. God is with you.

God is your biggest fan, your biggest ally, your strongest strength, your greatest hope, your rock and salvation.

God is for you. Today.

No matter what you are going through, God is for you.

Now, this is not an “everything is perfect and easy and smooth” message. There will be tough times. There will be trials. There will be tears.

Listen to Psalm 56:8-11:

You have kept count of my tossings; put my tears in your bottle. Are they not in your book? Then my enemies will turn back in the day when I call. This I know, that God is for me. In God, whose word I praise, in the Lord, whose word I praise, in God I trust; I shall not be afraid. What can man do to me?

God keeps a record of our tears. God is aware. God knows our hurts, records them, keeps them.

But, God is for you. God is with us. We shall not be afraid. What can man do to us? What can this world do to us? What can there trials do to us?

For if God is for us, who can be against us?

Today, know, God is for you. No matter what is going on in your life, God is for you. God is with you. God will not leave you.

No matter what.

Today, God is for you.

Don’t forget, you can click here to download Asbury’s mobile app and read these devotionals, as well as listen to my sermons on your smart phones.

You Will Face Temptation Today

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In his first letter to the church, Peter spends a lot of time telling the folks how they should live. How they should act. What they should do.

And so, when I saw today I was going to be reading from 1 Peter, I knew immediately. He’s going to be talking about holiness. And part of me when, ugh.

Because I don’t know about you, but most of life, I don’t feel very holy.

So, I began to thinking, ok, this is going to convict me and make me realize I’ve got a long way to go to being the person that God wants me to be. And then I read it. And something jumped out at me.

Listen to what Peter writes in verses 13-16:

Therefore, preparing your minds for action, and being sober-minded, set your hope fully on the grace that will be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ. As obedient children, do not be conformed to the passions of your former ignorance, but as he who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct, since it is written, “You shall be holy, for I am holy.”

urlIt’s that first verse that really jumped out at me. Prepare your minds for action. What a great concept. I think, at least in my life, I get myself in trouble, when my mind is not ready. When I’m not prepared. When I’m not ready. When my mind is not focused on Jesus.

Are our minds ready today?

Today, you will face temptation. It’s coming. It may be happening right now.

You will face discouragement. It’s gonna happen.

You will face troubles and trials and worries. It’s gonna happen.

Get your mind ready. Be ready. Don’t be caught by surprise. These things will come. Center your mind on Christ. Make Him your focus. Make Him your light, your rock, your hope, your strength.

Trouble will be coming. That’s truth. That’s the way that it is. Temptation will be coming.

Prepare your mind. Get ready.

And the God of all strength and comfort will give you what you need for this day.

And each day. Get ready. God will be with you.

Don’t forget, you can click here to download Asbury’s mobile app and read these devotionals, as well as listen to my sermons on your smart phones.

How to be Miserable

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Mr._MiserableIf you’ve been part of Asbury, or podcasted my sermons, or heard me preach any consistently at all, you’ve probably heard me a say a phrase before.

I can promise you how to be miserable. I can give you the prescription for a path that will lead you to isolation, to being all by yourself, to pushing others away, to being totally miserable.

The path is pretty easy to walk down. And truthfully, it’s a path each of us walks down a little each day.

What is this path? How do you we become miserable?

Live only for yourself. Think only of your needs, your wants, your desires, your dreams, your goals.

Think only of yourself. Live only for yourself. Focus only on yourself.

Never on others. Never on God. Only on you.

Do that, and I promise that you will be totally miserable.

Look at what Jesus says today in Luke 9:24-25:

For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will save it. For what does it profit a man if he gains the whole world and loses or forfeits himself?

What does it do for us to gain everything, everything we can ever want or dream or desire, if we lose ourself?

What good is all the “stuff” we can seek after, compared to what really matters? Relationships? God. Eternity?

Faith, family, friends. This is what matters. This is what lasts. This is what is important. Not the “stuff” of this world. The “stuff” of eternity.

So, it’s laid out before us this morning. We can gain everything we want, but lose what really matters.

Or we can focus on what really matters, and have more life than we could ever even imagine.

Today, what path will we choose to walk down?

When we live only for ourselves, we wind up miserable. When we focus on what really matters, we find life.

Today, which will we choose?

Don’t forget, you can click here to download Asbury’s mobile app and read these devotionals, as well as listen to my sermons on your smart phones.

Come Together

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Jesus is always drawing us to Himself. The Bible says that when He is lifted up, He will draw all men to Himself. When He is the center of attention and the center of focus, we will be drawn to Him.

But today’s reading doesn’t just tell us that. It tells us about something else that happens when Jesus is in the center of it all.

Listen to what Paul writes today in Ephesians 2:13-16:

But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ. For he himself is our peace, who has made us both one and has broken down in his flesh the dividing wall of hostility by abolishing the law of commandments expressed in ordinances, that he might create in himself one new man in place of the two, so making peace, and might reconcile us both to God in one body through the cross, thereby killing the hostility.

e72bde771d613f1e6e208766895c6af5In Jesus, those that were far off have been brought near, for He is our peace.

But, it isn’t just that we are brought near to God and given peace with God, it’s this.

We are brought together. We are one. We can be one. We can be at peace, not just with God, but with each other.

That’s God’s will for us, that’s God’s hope for us. Peace with God. Peace with each other. The wall of hostility has been broken down.

We can come together. With God. With each other.

When Jesus is in the center of all it. When we are in the center, when we are in the middle when our stuff is in the forefront, peace is hard to find.

When Jesus is in the center, He is our peace.

Today, may we live in peace with our forgiving, loving, merciful God.

And through Jesus, may we come together. We we live in peace. May He bind us to one another. May we be one. For when He is lifted up, He will draw us all to Himself.

May we come together. As Christians. As churches. As believers. May we come together. And may we live in God’s peace.

Don’t forget, you can click here to download Asbury’s mobile app and read these devotionals, as well as listen to my sermons on your smart phones.