Tag Archives: Life

Watch Where You Walk

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Growing up out in the country, you had to watch where you walked. If you were down by the creek, you had to look out for snakes. Be careful.

Sometimes if you were just running through the woods, you had to look out for roots. I’ve had a lot of friends (me included) that would be running along a path and twist their ankles pretty bad when they get tripped up by a root they didn’t see.

You had to watch where you were going or you’d get yourself in trouble.

Listen to what Paul says today in Ephesians 5:15-17:

Look carefully then how you walk, not as unwise but as wise, making the best use of the time, because the days are evil. Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is.walk into places that could get you in trouble.

Watch your step today. Watch where you are going. Watch what you are thinking.

Be careful out there. For where you walk to determines where you will be. Don’t walk to trouble. Don’t walk to temptation. Don’t walk to the things that will pull you away from God.

Walk towards God. Walk towards His word. Walk towards life.

Today, be careful out there. Look where you are going. Watch where you are walking. Make sure you are walking towards that is good, life-giving and pure.

Walk towards life.

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.

The Way

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Jesus Christ is the way to life. That’s it. That’s it.

That sounds too simple.

It sounds too exclusive.

It’s not smart enough. It’s old-fashioned. It’s out of date. It’s simple-minded, foolish, and not at all fashionable in the world we live in.

But it is the truth. Jesus Christ is the way, the truth, and the life.

That’s what He tells us today in John 14:6-7:

Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. If you had known me, you would have known my Father also. From now on you do know him and have seen him.”

Jesus Christ is the way to life. He is life. And life is not found outside of Him. So, today, a simple question for us to consider when we think about this verse.

Do we want to live? I mean, really live? Have life worth clinging to and hanging onto? Have a life worth having?

I’d think that almost every one of us really wants that life.

It’s only found in Jesus. He is life.

So, today, what are we chasing? What are we pursuing? What are we working on/working towards? Is it life worth having? Or is it life that will pass away.

Life is found in Jesus. I know it’s simple. But it’s true. Life worth having is found in our daily, consist walk with Him, through our reading, our prayer, and our study.

Today, may we truly find life worth having. Today, may we have 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.

Grace, Faith, and Life

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I love the book of Galatians. It may be my favorite book in the Bible. It speaks to so many things about faith, about grace, about the Christian lifestyle, about who we are called to be.

Today’s ready reading deals with two of the things we deal with.

Grace and sin.

Listen to what Paul says today in Galatians 2:15-20:

We ourselves are Jews by birth and not Gentile sinners; yet we know that a person is not justified by works of the law but through faith in Jesus Christ, so we also have believed in Christ Jesus, in order to be justified by faith in Christ and not by works of the law, because by works of the law no one will be justified. But if, in our endeavor to be justified in Christ, we too were found to be sinners, is Christ then a servant of sin? Certainly not! For if I rebuild what I tore down, I prove myself to be a transgressor. For through the law I died to the law, so that I might live to God. I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.

First Paul reminds of this central, core fact. We are saved by grace through faith. We are not saved by our works. We are not saved by anything we can do. We are saved by God’s grace made full in our lives.

Our works do not save us. Nothing we
“do” saves us. Only grace, through faith, saves us.

That’s it. That’s the list.

Ok then, what does that look like? We see that in verses 17 – 20. That grace makes us a new person. We are changed. We are different. We are not the same person that we were before.

We are new. We are different. We think different. We act different. We are new.

So, today, know this one face. You are saved by God’s grace which is made known to you by faith. That is what enables and makes salvation possible. That’s it.

But that salvation will change us. It will make us different. We don’t need to be the same. We need to be different. And if we’ve experienced grace, if we’ve experienced salvation and are not changed, how is it with our souls.

Today, we are made new by grace in our lives. Today, may that grace change us and grow us closer to God in amazing and powerful ways!

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.

What the Purpose of Your Life Is

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God always has purpose for His people. Now, for us as individuals, that purpose may include specific things, in relation to our lives, our families, who we are and what we do.

God has specific callings and purposes for you in your life. You were made for something specific for Him. You have gifts and graces that only you have, and that only you can use.

God made you for something specific. And He wants to use you for His glory and He wants you to have abundant life.

Today, in Acts 13:47-49, we see Paul talking about God’s purpose for us. Listen to what He says:

For so the Lord has commanded us, saying, “‘I have made you a light for the Gentiles, that you may bring salvation to the ends of the earth.'” And when the Gentiles heard this, they began rejoicing and glorifying the word of the Lord, and as many as were appointed to eternal life believed. And the word of the Lord was spreading throughout the whole region.

God was telling His people, the Jewish people, what their purpose was. They didn’t exist for themselves, but they existed to be a light. To shine God’s light for all the world to see. They existed to point others to Him. They were here, their purpose was to be a light shining to God.

So are we. That’s what we are here for.

Now, there are specifics within your life that I don’t know what your purpose is. You may not either. You may not have figured out work. Or family. Or school. Or living situations. Or a million different things.

You may be struggling with all of these things.

But I know what the purpose of your life is. The bible tells us this morning.

To point others to God. To shine His light for others to see. To be that arrow, pointing to heaven.

That’s what we are here for. And in doing that, when we are used for His purpose, we find our purpose. We find light and hope and peace.

Today, you are made for something big. In things that you don’t know or don’t understand, trust Him. But in all things, all words, actions, everything, point to Him.

In our lives, may we be a light pointing others to God. May we show His grace to all that we see.

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.

Who We Are

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Who are you?

Are you a mom? A dad? A husband? A wife? Son or daughter? Friend? Co-worker? Employee? Employer?

Yes. Today, we are all these things. We are teachers and students, administrators, neighbors, and teammates.

Today, we each wear a lot of hats in our lives. We each “do” a lot of things, we each “are” a lot of things.

But, who are you? Who are we?

Listen to what Peter writes today in 1 Peter 2:9-10. And listen like you’ve never heard this before:

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.

You are a chose race. A royal priesthood. A people called as God’s own possession.

Once you (we) were not a people. Now you (we) are His. We are His. We are His people. We are His children. We belong to Him. He has claimed us as His own.

That’s who you are. That’s who we are. We are His.

That’s the label that matters more than any other label. That’s the hat that matters more than any other hat. That’s what defines who you are.

Above all else. You are His. You are His child. You are loved by an amazing God.

Never forget that. Never forget who you are. Never forget whose you are.

You are a child of God. Never forget.

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.

Dry Bones

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Sometimes in life, we can feel worn out. Sometimes we can feel tired.

Sometimes, based off mistakes, based off circumstance, based off whatever, we can feel dried up and useless.

No good to God, to man, to anyone. We can feel like a bunch of dried up old bones, only fit to be buried and forgotten about. That’s what the weight of this world can can make us feel like sometimes.

That’s what our mistakes and failures can make us feel like sometimes.

That what life can do.

Listen to what happens in this passage today.  Listen to what happens in Ezekiel 37:3-12:

And he said to me, “Son of man, can these bones live?” And I answered, “O Lord God, you know.” Then he said to me, “Prophesy over these bones, and say to them, O dry bones, hear the word of the Lord. Thus says the Lord God to these bones: Behold, I will cause breath to enter you, and you shall live. And I will lay sinews upon you, and will cause flesh to come upon you, and cover you with skin, and put breath in you, and you shall live, and you shall know that I am the Lord.” So I prophesied as I was commanded. And as I prophesied, there was a sound, and behold, a rattling, and the bones came together, bone to its bone. And I looked, and behold, there were sinews on them, and flesh had come upon them, and skin had covered them. But there was no breath in them. Then he said to me, “Prophesy to the breath; prophesy, son of man, and say to the breath, Thus says the Lord God: Come from the four winds, O breath, and breathe on these slain, that they may live.” So I prophesied as he commanded me, and the breath came into them, and they lived and stood on their feet, an exceedingly great army. Then he said to me, “Son of man, these bones are the whole house of Israel. Behold, they say, ‘Our bones are dried up, and our hope is lost; we are indeed cut off.’ Therefore prophesy, and say to them, Thus says the Lord God: Behold, I will open your graves and raise you from your graves, O my people. And I will bring you into the land of Israel.

God says to Ezekiel, go out and say to those bones, come to life. And it happened!

God brought these dead bones back to life. God breathed the spirit of life back into these dry bones and made an army out of them. God brought the dead back to life.

Not just here. But on Easter.

Not just on Easter. But in our lives.

Not just once. But every day.

Today, no matter where you are, that’s what God wants to do. He wants to bring life back to you. He wants to breathe life back into your dry bones. He wants to bring you to life.

No matter how old, tired, dead, or dry you may feel. God wants to bring you back to life. Today.

Today, new life awaits. New hope, new power, new everything. Today, He wants to breathe you back to life.

Today, you are more than dead bones. You are His prize creation. Today, He wants you to live. Today, may He breathe new life into our souls!

Today, may he bring us back to life!

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.

Something Better is Coming

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There’s something better coming. No matter where you are in your faith, in your life, in your walk with God.

Something better is coming.

That’s the witness of the Bible. That’s the witness of the Bible. That’s God’s plan for you today and each day of your life. Something better is coming.

Look at what it says in Isaiah 25:8-9 today:

He will swallow up death forever; and the Lord God will wipe away tears from all faces, and the reproach of his people he will take away from all the earth, for the Lord has spoken. It will be said on that day, “Behold, this is our God; we have waited for him, that he might save us. This is the Lord; we have waited for him; let us be glad and rejoice in his salvation.”

There will come a time when God will wipe away every tear from all faces. We will behold God. And we will rejoice in His salvation.

It will happen. Something better is coming.

Today, remember, God is not done with you yet. He is not finished with you. Your story is not over. Your story is not finished. There is more to come.

No matter how bad it is today, and you know what, it may be bad. Your life may be in a bad spot. Your life may seem over. You may feel like there is no hope.

Trust me, there is. He is not finished with you. Hold on to that. Believe in that. Cling fast to that. God is not done with you.

Something better is coming.

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.

No Worthless Thing

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There’s a couple of sayings that we’ve heard before – you are what you eat. The stuff you eat in many ways determines how you feel and how much energy you have. I don’t know if I buy that, buy my dietitian wife swears its true! 🙂

The second is – garbage in, garbage out. This is a computer term. Computers only process what we put in. They can’t create material, we have to input that material for them. And then they send out what we as. So, garbage in, garbage out.

Now, listen to what Psalm 101: 1-3 says:

I will sing of steadfast love and justice; to you, O Lord, I will make music. I will ponder the way that is blameless. Oh when will you come to me? I will walk with integrity of heart within my house; I will not set before my eyes anything that is worthless. I hate the work of those who fall away; it shall not cling to me.

David says – I will not set before my eyes anything that is worthless. David knows this – what he sets before him will affect who he is.

What he sees. Reads. Thinkings about. Talks about. Associates with. These things will affect who he is, his faith, his very life.

Because David wants in his life what is good and pure and of God, he says he will set no worthless thing before him. He only wants what is good before him, so that he will be formed and created in what is good.

Today, what about us? What do we set before us? What do we watch? Stream? Talk about? Focus on?

What do we set before us? Is it good? Does it build us up? Does it strengthen out faith? Does it help us?
Or does it harm us and our faith?

Today, in all of our lives, may we chase after God. May we set no worthless thing before us. And may we reflect, live, and know that which is good, and life-giving.

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.

It All Comes Down to Jesus

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I was having a conversation with a friend yesterday at lunch and we were talking about church. Talking about leadership and connection and fellowship and growth and all the stuff that goes into church.

We talked about our excitement in church, over frustrations, over all types of things. And as we were leaving, we both just though the same thing.

It all comes down to Jesus.

Everything. Everything comes down to Jesus. Not to theology. Not to denominations. Not to preferences. Not to styles. Not to anything else in all of creation.

Jesus.

Everything comes down to Jesus.

Listen to what He says today in John 6:38-40:

For I have come down from heaven, not to do my own will but the will of him who sent me. And this is the will of him who sent me, that I should lose nothing of all that he has given me, but raise it up on the last day. For this is the will of my Father, that everyone who looks on the Son and believes in him should have eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day.”

He says today that God’s will is that everyone that looks to Jesus should have life.

Everyone that looks to Jesus. That’s it. That’s what it is all about. Everything else in life fades away. Everything else in life withers. But it all comes down to Jesus.

Everything. In Him, we have life. In Him, we have purpose. In Him, we have hope. In Him, life has meaning.

Without Him, we are hungry, tired, and weak. Rudderless and purposeless. In Him, we live.

Today, it all comes down to Him.

I had a professor that used to tell us that everything in our life comes back to our walk with Jesus. Every problem, every trouble, every worry, it all comes back to Jesus.

He is life. He is hope. He is all. Today, may we be found in Him. And today, may we find our strength, joy, and purpose in Him.

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.

It’s Gonna Happen

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One of the great things we see about God’s love is that it can’t help but overflow to others. When we understand that God loves us, we can’t help but let that love just run over onto others.

Listen to what Jesus says today in John 7:37-39:

On the last day of the feast, the great day, Jesus stood up and cried out, “If anyone thirsts, let him come to me and drink. Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, ‘Out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.'” Now this he said about the Spirit, whom those who believed in him were to receive, for as yet the Spirit had not been given, because Jesus was not yet glorified.

He said that when we drink from His living waters – out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.

It’s gonna happen!

When we’ve tasted the goodness of God we can’t help but to share that goodness with others! We can’t help but to let that grace of God that we’ve experienced come out.

And that’s the natural progression of how things should work. We don’t others out of duty or obligation. We don’t share the goodness of God with others because we have to. We don’t show grace to others because we will get in trouble if it doesn’t happen.

We do it cause it can’t help but happen. When we’ve felt His grace and mercy, that grace and mercy will flow out.

When we understand how much we’ve been forgiven, we can’t help but to forgive others.

It’s just gonna happen!

So, today, in all your life, in every moment of your today today love others. Show that grace, mercy, and joy. Share it with others. Let others know it, see it, and experience it.

As you’ve been loved, love others.

But in reality, I don’t even need to tell you that. As God’s grace is made known in your life, it WILL filer over into others. It’s just gonna happen.

Today, draw close to God and His grace. And in doing that, that mercy and that grace, it will overflow to others.

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.