Was your cup filled today? If the words of God had special meaning for you, please share your reflections in the comments section at the end of each post. We would love to hear Christ's impact on you.

“The one who enters by the gate is the shepherd of the sheep. The gatekeeper opens the gate for him, and the sheep listen to his voice. He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. When he has brought out all his own, he goes on ahead of them, and his sheep follow him because they know his voice.” (John 10:2-4 ESV)  If you have come to know Christ as your Savior, you know in your heart that He called you. You are His sheep. This Advent, we are called to remember the bir

“Again Jesus spoke to them, saying, ‘I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.’” (John 8:12 ESV) On this Advent day, we look at the Gospel of John, in his words, “the apostle whom Jesus loved.” John tells us of one of the many confrontations Jesus had with the Pharisees. Jesus had many confrontations with the Pharisees because instead of leading people to God, as they suggested, they were leading them away from

“So they said to him, “Then what sign do you do, that we may see and believe you? What work do you perform?    Our fathers ate the manna in the wilderness; as it is written, ‘He gave them bread from heaven to eat.’” Jesus then said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, it was not Moses who gave you the bread from heaven, but my Father gives you the true bread from heaven. For the bread of God is he who comes down from heaven and gives life to the world.” They said to him, “Si

The Preeminence of Christ “ He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things were created through him and for him. And he is before all things, and in him all things hold together. And he is the head of the body, the church. He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in everything he might be preemi

“Long ago, at many times and in many ways, God spoke to our fathers by the prophets, but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed the heir of all things, through whom also he created the world. He is the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of his nature, and he upholds the universe by the word of his power. After making purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high, having become as much superior to ange

Father,  We cherish the wonderful angelic message to mankind that You sent that first Christmas morning, when a heavenly choir sang its glorious refrain, “Glory to God in the Highest and peace on earth to men.” We rejoice knowing that You gave Your only begotten Son, our Savior, Christ Jesus, to be born into that which He created. Born so that by Your grace He would become the propitiation for our sins, and reclaim that peace between God and man that was lost in the garden, l

“For God has not destined us for wrath, but to obtain salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ, who died for us so that whether we are awake or asleep we might live with him. Therefore encourage one another and build one another up, just as you are doing.”  5:9-11 (ESV)   In chapter 5 of 1 Thessalonians, Paul continues his teaching of Eschatology (the study of end-time events, such as the Rapture, the Second coming of Jesus, the Tribulation, the Great White Throne Judgment, an

“Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which comes through faith in Christ, the righteousness from God that depends on faith—   that I may know him and the power of his resurrection, and may share his sufferings, be

Merciful Father, On this Thanksgiving Day, we have much to be thankful for and all by Your hand. We thank you for sending your only begotten Son on a mission of redemption, saving Your people from their sins. We thank you for your mercy and your grace, without which we would be condemned. We thank you for your patience with your sinful, rebellious people. We thank You for loving us despite that very same nature and for rejoining us believers in a living relationship with You

“The poor man died and was carried by the angels to Abraham's side. The rich man also died and was buried, and in Hades, being in torment, he lifted up his eyes and saw Abraham far off and Lazarus at his side. And he called out, ‘Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus to dip the end of his finger in water and cool my tongue, for I am in anguish in this flame.’”(Luke 16:22-24 ESV) There is a story about a reporter speaking to three men. First, a Jewish man. The rep

“The saying is trustworthy and deserving of full acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am the foremost. But I received mercy for this reason, that in me, as the foremost, Jesus Christ might display his perfect patience as an example to those who were to believe in him for eternal life.” (1 Timothy 1:15-16 ESV) The Oxford dictionary defines mercy as: compassion or forgiveness shown toward someone whom it is within one's power to punish or

“But we do not want you to be uninformed, brothers, about those who are asleep, that you may not grieve as others do who have no hope. For since we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so, through Jesus, God will bring with him those who have fallen asleep. For this we declare to you by a word from the Lord, that we who are alive, who are left until the coming of the Lord, will not precede those who have fallen asleep. For the Lord himself will descend from heaven wit

Heavenly Father, We come before You with hearts that recognize our need for Your grace. We do not deserve Your kindness, yet You pour it out freely. Teach us to receive Your grace with humility and gratitude. Help us to understand that Your grace is sufficient for every weakness and every challenge we face. Lord, grant us the grace to trust You more deeply when life feels uncertain. When doubts arise, remind us of Your promises and the steadfast love You have shown through C

“Now may our God and Father himself, and our Lord Jesus, direct our way to you, and may the Lord make you increase and abound in love for one another and for all, as we do for you, so that he may establish your hearts blameless in holiness before our God and Father, at the coming of our Lord Jesus with all his saints.” (1 Thessalonians 3:11-13 ESV) We’ve already established in Chapters 1 and 2 that Paul really loved the Thessalonian believers; as a matter of fact, he ends Cha

“And you, who were dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, God made alive together with him, having forgiven us all our trespasses, by canceling the record of debt that stood against us with its legal demands. This he set aside, nailing it to the cross.”   (2:14-15 ESV) Paul starts off Chapter 2 with some interesting information about his intended readers. First, even though this letter is addressed to the church at Colossae, it was also intended to be s

“Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places, even as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before him. In love, he predestined us for adoption to himself as sons through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of his will, to the praise of his glorious grace, with which he has blessed us in the Beloved. In him we have redemption t

“Good sense makes one slow to anger, and it is his glory to overlook an offense.” (Proverbs 19:11 ESV) Very early this morning, before the sun even thought to rise, I was pulling up to a stop sign along with another car. As the car reached the intersection first, I waited for the driver to proceed through the intersection before I went. As the car passed through my headlights, I saw the driver give me an unpleasant gesture with one finger raised as he sped off. My heart

Rejoice always, pray without ceasing,   give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. (1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 ESV) God spoke to Abraham, Moses, the prophets, and others. Before Christ, the Spirit of God dwelt with His creation in the Tabernacle and the Temple. Then God came to earth in the flesh, in the incarnation. God not only dwelt with, but shook hands, hugged, and ate with His creation. That is a pretty amazing fact. The fact tha

“I do not cease to give thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers, that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and of revelation in the knowledge of him, having the eyes of your hearts enlightened, that you may know what is the hope to which he has called you, what are the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints, and what is the immeasurable greatness of his power toward us who believe, according to the working of

Our God and Father, I come before You with an inspired heart full of amazement and gratitude. You are the Creator of all things, the Giver of life, and the Light that never fades. From Your love comes all things. I worship You for Your holiness, a righteousness that cannot be measured or fully comprehended. I glorify You for Your mercy, which never runs dry and is new every single day, and for Your love that reaches deeper than my failures and continues despite my rebellion.