Keep us from temptation is part of the Lord’s prayer because the Lord knows our weaknesses. We can better resist temptation when it is far from us. Adam and Eve fell into sin because they relied on their strength and became easily manipulated by satan. Instead of staying away from the tree, they were not …
Do you have a desire to be compassionate? Is the Lord prompting you to grow in compassion for others? If we are honest, I believe this is God’s desire for all of us. “Compassion is a deep awareness of and sympathy for another’s suffering. Jesus is the model of compassion.”[1] No matter your past, the …
Jesus gives grace to believers, but what about those who don’t have faith? The Bible tells us those people will be separated from the Lord in eternity because they have not accepted the free gift of salvation. Jesus’ last words on the cross were, “It is finished.” What was finished? His sacrifice was payment for …
Is hope in failure possible? Failure can be an unpleasant experience but also a time of learning. Failure in a positive way can be humbling and leads to being more teachable. Sometimes, we won’t listen to anyone because we are prideful and think we know better. When failure comes, we begin to realize we were …
Lord, forgive me are the words of a repentant sinner who releases a great weight like setting down a heavy backpack. I remember hiking in the Rocky Mountains; my pack seemed more burdensome over time. It would have been easier if I had dressed like a distance runner with lightweight clothes and shoes. Unfortunately, when …
Praying, “Lord, help me in my shame,” is humbling. Merriam-Webster defines shame as a painful emotion caused by consciousness of guilt, shortcomings, or impropriety.[1] Guilt results from knowing we have done something wrong, but shame tells us we are wrong. When shamed, we think we are not worthy and have trouble accepting forgiveness. Andrew Comiskey …
Why would we revolt against sin? Paul has this advice for the Roman church. Romans 6: 12 Do not let sin control the way you live; do not give in to sinful desires.[1] Paul has just explained to the Romans that through Jesus, God has given us new life and a new nature. The Gospel is …
Seeing ourselves compared to God’s holiness makes us suddenly aware of our sinfulness. In life, we compare ourselves to others and think we are not too bad and better than most. The problem in comparing ourselves is that we can develop a false image of ourselves as we try to elevate ourselves. As God gave …
God works through sinful people, which gives insight into His mercy and grace. When we are honest with ourselves, we are sinful people who fall short daily, yet God still enables us to share the good news of Jesus. Many of the people of the Bible were not perfect, and God used them. God told …
The consequence of sin is something we don’t like to think about. We want to ignore the thought as we push the envelope in the wrong direction. Throwing caution to the wind may work when playing a board game, but life is different. I remember ministering in a jail in Central America where some inmates …