Persecuted for Righteousness

Do you believe you are righteous? Do you seek to be righteous? Do you act as though you are righteous? Do you believe your righteousness comes from you? Are you being persecuted because you are righteous or are pursuing righteousness? Have you considered these questions before? Believing we righteous can be challenging. Feeling self-righteous isContinue reading “Persecuted for Righteousness”

Weak and Despised

Thinking too highly of ourselves is problematic. It can lead to pride, pride that is based on a house of cards. When that house falls, it can be catastrophic. Most of us were not born with a silver spoon in our mouth. We do not come from royalty. We are common, working-class people. Since weContinue reading “Weak and Despised”

Grace of God

What does grace mean to you? How do you define grace? Do you think of grace as the opportunity to pay a bill a few days late without penalty? Do you define grace as unmerited favor? Have you considered the many things that come through the grace of God? Banks or loan companies may grantContinue reading “Grace of God”

Greetings

Have you ever needed to give a speech to an organization or a gathering of people you don’t know? Have you spoken at a conference? How did you address your audience? Was it a formal address? Did it feel awkward? Did you model it after Paul’s opening to his letters? Public speaking can be aContinue reading “Greetings”

Step Into the Light

Have you ever looked at a bright light? Did it hurt your eyes? Have you noticed the smallest of lights seems to be bright in the darkness of night? Do you prefer the darkness or the light? Do you feel better during the day or the night? Have you noticed a difference? Our feelings changeContinue reading “Step Into the Light”

Gate of Righteousness

What does being righteous mean to you? It can mean different things to different people. For some, it can mean perfection, never doing anything wrong. For others, it can be the process of moving toward perfection, even if never achieved. What if righteousness did not depend on us? In the strictest sense, righteousness is perfection.Continue reading “Gate of Righteousness”

Lower Than Angels

Do you seek glory for yourself? Are you seeking to be recognized by large numbers of people? For what are you seeking recognition? Job performance? Brilliance? An invention? Are you seeking to be honored by others? Will you give up your honor for someone else? We often seek to be recognized by others for aContinue reading “Lower Than Angels”

Use God’s Grace

What comes to mind when you hear the word grace? Do you think of a grace period on a loan? Has a teacher given you a grace period for turning in an assignment? Have you thought about the grace of God? What does God’s grace mean to you? We all have experienced grace in oneContinue reading “Use God’s Grace”

Rejoice in Your Blessings

How good is your memory? Do you remember only the bad things that have happened? Or do you remember the good things as well? Who do you give credit to for all the good? Have you considered who is giving you the good in your life? Do you rejoice in the good? I see farContinue reading “Rejoice in Your Blessings”

Heavenly Citizenship

Where is your citizenship? Where do you belong? Does that sound like a silly question? Would you like to be a citizen of somewhere else? Are you a follower of Jesus? Do you know your citizenship is in heaven? We may think it odd having citizenship in heaven. After all, we don’t physically live there.Continue reading “Heavenly Citizenship”