The Bible Speaks to You: Think, Pray, Love like Jesus

388 – Yes! You are the light of the world.

One of Jesus’s most famous sayings is something he said in his Sermon on the Mount: You are the light of the world.

You’ve probably heard this hundreds of times. But this was a startling statement to his listeners. 

No one had ever referred to them that way before. The so-called religious authorities of the day were pretty judgmental of people and definitely didn’...

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YOU PROBABLY already know Jesus's first miracle was turning the water into wine at a wedding at Cana in Galilee.

Jesus and his disciples were there along with Jesus’s mother.

When the hosts ran out of wine, Jesus had the servants fill 6 large pots with water and then turned this water into wine. 

This story is often told a...

386 – You’re probably familiar with the story of Abigail in the Old Testament. 

When her husband refuses to be hospitable to David and the men following him, she quickly responds with kindness and generosity to provide food for David and his men.

Abigail is often held up as a model of feminine virtue for her attitude and behavior by Christians, but she actually breaks some of the unwritten rules many of these same Ch...

385 – Is loving your enemies still relevant?

One of the most challenging commandments Jesus has given us is to love our enemies. 

This was not a request nor a mere suggestion to follow through on only if we want to. It’s not just a recommendation or advice. 

It's a command directly from Jesus’s heart to yours and mine.

But what is the point of loving someone who is mean to you, has abused you, and has done e...

384 – How often do you think of and say Jesus is Lord?

One of the hallmarks of the way Christians refer to Jesus is to say Jesus is Lord. 

Sometimes referring to Jesus as their Lord is an open window on the deep sincerity of their devotion to Jesus and commitment to follow him at all costs.

But  all too often, there are times when some Christians refer to Jesus as Lord, almost too casually, sort of like it’s just...

383 – Do you want to see more healing in your life?

If you had lived 2,000 years ago, would you have asked Jesus to heal you?

Probably so! Unfortunately, since Jesus isn't here personally the way he was back then, some Christians have concluded God doesn't or can't heal the way He did in the Bible.

But there's a growing movement within the greater Christian church which is experiencing the healing power of God in their everyday ...

382 – How do you face opposition to your church going forward?

When you’re involved in church, there’s usually a lot of folks interested in helping the church grow. It might be trying to encourage new members to join the church. 

It might literally be a building project or helping to start or plant a new church. It could be helping the whole membership grow spiritually. 

The odd thing is that all too often ...

381 – Does God still heal today?

The Bible is full of people who were healed by God, both in the Old and New Testaments.

Many Christian churches today believe in and practice Christian healing in some way.

Personally I have seen many healings in my own life and I have friends in many different Christian denominations who have been healed through prayer.

But there are some churches who say God is no longer in the healing business,...

380 – Would you like to sit at the feet of Jesus?

Have you ever wondered what it would’ve been like to hear Jesus teach and preach? To see him heal people? To ask him to heal you? 

Would you have followed him or opposed him? 

Would your pride have rebelled at the strong moral demands he made on his followers? 

Or would you have sat at his feet, humbly listening to everything he had to say? Hopefully the latte...

379 – What does it mean to be a Christian?

There’s a mistake the Christian church has been making for hundreds of years, 1,700 years to be more accurate, that has radically changed the way Christians identify and represent themselves in the world, as well as among themselves.

The sad truth is that most Christians don’t realize they’re making this mistake or that it has such a long history. In fact, they find c...

378 – Do you ever ask God for a sign?

Have you ever had an important decision to make and you just didn’t know what to do? 

You’ve gone round and round trying to make the right choice. You even prayed about it, but the answer still wasn’t clear.

When you’ve tried everything, is it okay to ask God for a sign showing you what to do, to point you in the right direction? If so, what’s the best way ...

377 – Where does your confidence come from?

Are you a confident person? 

Or do you sometimes feel a lack of confidence in yourself that keeps you from accomplishing things or even attempting to do something? 

Or maybe you’re confident about some things and not so confident about others.

All too often, we get our confidence or lack of confidence from external factors like...family heritage, education, how much mone...

376 – Is longsuffering good or bad?

You’re probably familiar with the word longsuffering. 

It’s in the Bible, at least some translations of the Bible, multiple times. Sometimes it’s translated as patience.

And longsuffering is usually considered a virtue in the Bible. We are supposed to be patient with each other and not over-react when things don’t go the way we want.

But sometimes in the process of ...

375 – Do you ever tell God you Love Him?

When you’re going through a challenge, one of the most comforting things to remember is that God loves you. And it’s not just saying the words that help, but actually feeling God’s love and care for you in that particular moment.

But love is not a one way street. 

Love comes and goes in both directions in a healthy human relationship, and this is even more true in y...

374 – Are you using your spiritual riches?

Have you ever felt you didn’t have enough money to pay the bills, to buy food, to pay the rent, or whatever it might be? 

Maybe your job wasn’t paying enough. Or you’re not charging your customers enough for the products or services you provide or not enough people are buying your products or services. 

Maybe you didn’t get your share of an inheritance....

373 – Have you experienced God's redemptive grace in your life?

What did that feel like? How did it transform your life?

One of the most often quoted verses in the Bible is from Chapter 2 of Ephesians

For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—(Ephesians 2:8  NIV)

But if you talk to enough people, it’s pretty obvious there are lots of differe...

372 – Have you noticed? A spiritual awakening is taking place.

In spite of all the negative and evil influences in the world today, there’s a collective spiritual awakening going on in the lives of those who love and follow Christ.

Sometimes it’s subtle, quiet, personal, and almost unnoticed. Sometimes it’s loud and clear and obvious to anyone who is halfway paying attention.

The Holy Spirit is at work deep in ...

371 – Are you willing to let Jesus upset your apple cart?

What happened to you the first time you encountered Christ? 

Or maybe a better way to ask it: What happened to you first time you took the message of Jesus seriously, accepted it, and tried to live it in your life?

When you accept Christ into your life, it should have a profound effect on you. Something changes. 

The commitment to follow Christ gives you a whole ...

370 – Have you ever felt it's too late to do what God wants you to do with your life?

...that you missed the opportunity God gave you?

Or maybe you never got a clear message from God about what your purpose was. Or maybe you have heard God’s voice tell you exactly what to do, but you haven’t done it for whatever reason. 

And now it feels too late to start, to try again, or get back on track. Or you’ve wait...