Monday, September 11, 2023

Monday, September 11, 2023
Exodus 20:3
You shall have no other gods before me.

The first and perhaps greatest of the ten commandments: make God the one true God of your life, as long as you live. This commandment is easy to skim over… after all, you and I don’t worship other gods very regularly, do we? Perhaps not in the traditional sense, but “serving no other god” means making the Lord the number one priority in your life, over anything else that might try to take precedence. Is serving God as important to you as your career? Is His opinion of you less valuable than the opinions of others? “You shall have no other gods before me” should make you question what the “god” of your life really is, and tear down idols that shouldn’t be there.

Friday, September 8, 2023

Friday, September 8, 2023
Ephesians 4:30
And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption.

The Holy Spirit is there to transform you from the inside out. It makes you more like Christ, changing you and guiding you in ways that you never could by yourself. It may lead you to witness to a stranger in the grocery store parking lot, or it may urge you to weed out bad habits. But, because God loves you, He has given you a choice. You have the power to ignore Him, to make wrong choices, and to do what makes you happy even if it betrays Him. In so doing, the Bible says that you grieve the Spirit, whose goal is to make you more like Christ. Your sins have been forgiven, yes, and no mistake can disqualify you from the Kingdom. But like a diseased tree, the rotten fruit you produce will make the fruit of the Spirit harder and harder to find.

Thursday, September 7, 2023

Thursday, September 7, 2023
Galatians 5:17
For the desires of the flesh are against the Spirit, and the desires of the Spirit are against the flesh, for these are opposed to each other, to keep you from doing the things you want to do

Your human nature is self-serving and craves things that will bring it worldly satisfaction… usually meaning sin. Meanwhile, the Spirit’s desire is to make you more like Christ, turning you away from sin. As long as you’re alive, your sin nature will war against the Holy Spirit. But the Bible urges you to keep fighting. You have been saved from your sins by grace, yes, but that’s no reason to keep living in sin. The Holy Spirit will constantly help you grow and overcome temptations, but you have to trust the Lord and let Him drive.

Wednesday, September 6, 2023

Wednesday, September 6, 2023
Luke 11:13
If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will the heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!

Not everyone grew up with a great dad, but your Father in Heaven has always been with you, and will never leave you. He illustrates through His word that if many earthly fathers can take care of their kids and bless them… how much more capable is He? The Lord knows you inside and out, and has more compassion, mercy, and love toward you than anyone else ever could. He will go out of His way to bless you, especially if your desire is to serve Him and become more like His Son. God gives to those who ask Him and opens the door when His children knock. If you want the Holy Spirit to change and guide your life, the Bible makes it clear: all you need to do is ask.

Tuesday, September 5, 2023

Tuesday, September 5, 2023
Galatians 5:22-23
But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.

Have you ever met someone and just known they were a believer, even before they told you? When someone commits their life to Christ, His Spirit begins living through them, producing “fruit” like love, joy and peace. The fruit of the Spirit is obvious, and it’s the evidence that someone has truly given their life to the Lord. You might not always feel like you’re producing much fruit; sometimes you might doubt whether the Holy Spirit is inside you at all. But if your desire and prayer is for the Spirit to live in you, your willing heart is all that God needs to change you for the better.

Monday, September 4, 2023

Monday, September 4, 2023
John 14:26
But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he will teach you all things and bring to your remembrance all that I have said to you.

When Christ died for the sins of the world, the veil separating God from mankind was torn in two. Now God could be with His children right here on earth, in the form of the Holy Spirit. Jesus described the Holy Spirit as a helper; one that would guide His followers, change them, and give them the power and bravery they would need to spread the gospel to the world. And that same Holy Spirit is still given to anyone who puts their faith in Jesus, even today! It’s a gift to those who have repented, whose desire is to be more like Christ here on earth. The Lord has given you and I a mission: to be lights in a dark world. And that light isn’t our own… it’s the Spirit of God.