Alexander the Great was the first conqueror of the world. Even today, as we recognize leaders who have left their imprint and impact on the world, he is considered one of the most remarkable men of history.
Late in his life an artist was commissioned to paint a portrait of him. In discussing the content of the painting Alexander informed the artist that he was anxious to conceal the scar on his face.
To accommodate him, the artist painted the portrait of Alexander in a reflective mood with his head resting on his hand and a finger covering the scar. This act of insight and kindness by the artist worked perfectly, and the scar was hidden.
That is love in action - reflecting the mercy of one who honors the needs of others.
The Apostle Peter summed up the behavior that we, as Christians, are to show to others: “Most important of all,” he wrote, “continue to show deep love for each other.”
Love is always expressed in deeds of kindness that we offer to those in need. If we say that we have love for others yet do nothing to help them in their times of need, we do not reflect our appreciation for the deeds of kindness that God, through Christ, has shown us.
We can only show our gratitude for the grace of God in our lives by what we do to and for others. Words are not works, and thoughts do not bring change or help to those in need.
Prayer: Help us, Lord, to show our gratitude to You for the love, grace, and mercy You shower on us each day. Give us hearts of compassion and hands that help others. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.
Scripture For Today: Above all, maintain constant love for one another, since love covers a multitude of sins. 1 Peter 4:8
Mercy. Who Needs It?
Alexander the Great was the first conqueror of the world. Even today, as we recognize leaders who have left their imprint and impact on the world, he is considered one of the most remarkable men of history.
Late in his life an artist was commissioned to paint a portrait of him. In discussing the content of the painting Alexander informed the artist that he was anxious to conceal the scar on his face.
To accommodate him, the artist painted the portrait of Alexander in a reflective mood with his head resting on his hand and a finger covering the scar. This act of insight and kindness by the artist worked perfectly, and the scar was hidden.
That is love in action - reflecting the mercy of one who honors the needs of others.
The Apostle Peter summed up the behavior that we, as Christians, are to show to others: “Most important of all,” he wrote, “continue to show deep love for each other.”
Love is always expressed in deeds of kindness that we offer to those in need. If we say that we have love for others yet do nothing to help them in their times of need, we do not reflect our appreciation for the deeds of kindness that God, through Christ, has shown us.
We can only show our gratitude for the grace of God in our lives by what we do to and for others. Words are not works, and thoughts do not bring change or help to those in need.
Prayer: Help us, Lord, to show our gratitude to You for the love, grace, and mercy You shower on us each day. Give us hearts of compassion and hands that help others. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.
Scripture For Today: Above all, maintain constant love for one another, since love covers a multitude of sins. 1 Peter 4:8
Late in his life an artist was commissioned to paint a portrait of him. In discussing the content of the painting Alexander informed the artist that he was anxious to conceal the scar on his face.
To accommodate him, the artist painted the portrait of Alexander in a reflective mood with his head resting on his hand and a finger covering the scar. This act of insight and kindness by the artist worked perfectly, and the scar was hidden.
That is love in action - reflecting the mercy of one who honors the needs of others.
The Apostle Peter summed up the behavior that we, as Christians, are to show to others: “Most important of all,” he wrote, “continue to show deep love for each other.”
Love is always expressed in deeds of kindness that we offer to those in need. If we say that we have love for others yet do nothing to help them in their times of need, we do not reflect our appreciation for the deeds of kindness that God, through Christ, has shown us.
We can only show our gratitude for the grace of God in our lives by what we do to and for others. Words are not works, and thoughts do not bring change or help to those in need.
Prayer: Help us, Lord, to show our gratitude to You for the love, grace, and mercy You shower on us each day. Give us hearts of compassion and hands that help others. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.
Scripture For Today: Above all, maintain constant love for one another, since love covers a multitude of sins. 1 Peter 4:8
Do Our Words Really Matter?
It was the mid-week prayer service. The crowd was small but the singing loud. The final hymn before the Bible study was “For You I Am Praying.”
A visitor turned to a member of the church who was standing next to him and asked, “For whom are you praying?”
“No one, really,” came the response. “I’m just singing.”
Often the hymns we sing and the words we speak are completely disconnected from the lives we live. Sometimes our faith is so frail that we fail Him.
But if our relationship with God is what He expects it to be, we must give Him our love and our lives, our heads and our hearts, our desires and our dreams. And, we must ask Him to empower us, by His grace and goodness, to live lives that will be pleasing to Him.
God’s first expectation of us is that we totally commit our lives to Him. Paul, writing to the Romans said, “I beg you, in view of all that God has done for you, to make a decisive decision to present all that you are or have to God as a living sacrifice - which is only reasonable.”
If we do that - make that decisive decision to surrender our lives to Him - the songs we sing and the words we speak will be obvious in our lives and consistent with His expectations.
Prayer: Help us, Heavenly Father, to be certain that our walk matches our words and that we behave what we say we believe. Give us Your courage to be consistent. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.
Scripture For Today: I beg you, in view of all that God has done for you, to make a decisive decision to present all that you are or have to God as a living sacrifice - which is only reasonable. Romans 12:1
A visitor turned to a member of the church who was standing next to him and asked, “For whom are you praying?”
“No one, really,” came the response. “I’m just singing.”
Often the hymns we sing and the words we speak are completely disconnected from the lives we live. Sometimes our faith is so frail that we fail Him.
But if our relationship with God is what He expects it to be, we must give Him our love and our lives, our heads and our hearts, our desires and our dreams. And, we must ask Him to empower us, by His grace and goodness, to live lives that will be pleasing to Him.
God’s first expectation of us is that we totally commit our lives to Him. Paul, writing to the Romans said, “I beg you, in view of all that God has done for you, to make a decisive decision to present all that you are or have to God as a living sacrifice - which is only reasonable.”
If we do that - make that decisive decision to surrender our lives to Him - the songs we sing and the words we speak will be obvious in our lives and consistent with His expectations.
Prayer: Help us, Heavenly Father, to be certain that our walk matches our words and that we behave what we say we believe. Give us Your courage to be consistent. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.
Scripture For Today: I beg you, in view of all that God has done for you, to make a decisive decision to present all that you are or have to God as a living sacrifice - which is only reasonable. Romans 12:1
Do Our Words Really Matter?
It was the mid-week prayer service. The crowd was small but the singing loud. The final hymn before the Bible study was “For You I Am Praying.”
A visitor turned to a member of the church who was standing next to him and asked, “For whom are you praying?”
“No one, really,” came the response. “I’m just singing.”
Often the hymns we sing and the words we speak are completely disconnected from the lives we live. Sometimes our faith is so frail that we fail Him.
But if our relationship with God is what He expects it to be, we must give Him our love and our lives, our heads and our hearts, our desires and our dreams. And, we must ask Him to empower us, by His grace and goodness, to live lives that will be pleasing to Him.
God’s first expectation of us is that we totally commit our lives to Him. Paul, writing to the Romans said, “I beg you, in view of all that God has done for you, to make a decisive decision to present all that you are or have to God as a living sacrifice - which is only reasonable.”
If we do that - make that decisive decision to surrender our lives to Him - the songs we sing and the words we speak will be obvious in our lives and consistent with His expectations.
Prayer: Help us, Heavenly Father, to be certain that our walk matches our words and that we behave what we say we believe. Give us Your courage to be consistent. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.
Scripture For Today: I beg you, in view of all that God has done for you, to make a decisive decision to present all that you are or have to God as a living sacrifice - which is only reasonable. Romans 12:1
A visitor turned to a member of the church who was standing next to him and asked, “For whom are you praying?”
“No one, really,” came the response. “I’m just singing.”
Often the hymns we sing and the words we speak are completely disconnected from the lives we live. Sometimes our faith is so frail that we fail Him.
But if our relationship with God is what He expects it to be, we must give Him our love and our lives, our heads and our hearts, our desires and our dreams. And, we must ask Him to empower us, by His grace and goodness, to live lives that will be pleasing to Him.
God’s first expectation of us is that we totally commit our lives to Him. Paul, writing to the Romans said, “I beg you, in view of all that God has done for you, to make a decisive decision to present all that you are or have to God as a living sacrifice - which is only reasonable.”
If we do that - make that decisive decision to surrender our lives to Him - the songs we sing and the words we speak will be obvious in our lives and consistent with His expectations.
Prayer: Help us, Heavenly Father, to be certain that our walk matches our words and that we behave what we say we believe. Give us Your courage to be consistent. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.
Scripture For Today: I beg you, in view of all that God has done for you, to make a decisive decision to present all that you are or have to God as a living sacrifice - which is only reasonable. Romans 12:1
Profit And Loss
It was one of those days when nothing seemed to go right at work. Ralph had lost sale after sale and was three hours late for his lunch.
He sat down on his favorite stool in his favorite diner waiting to place his order. When the waitress asked for his order, he said meekly, “Please, I’d like two things: an order of pot roast and a few kind words.”
Looking at him kindly, she replied, “The kindest words I can think of right now are, ‘don’t order the pot roast.’”
Offering “kind words” is the responsibility of every Christian every day to everyone we meet. All of us, most of the time, welcome words of strength, hope, and encouragement to meet the challenges we face. Life, for most of us, has various shades of difficulty each day.
Have you ever asked, “What are the kindest words I can ever offer anyone?” Perhaps they are these: “Don’t forget the next world while living in this one.”
It is natural for each of us to put our values on the wrong things. No one is immune from being caught up “in the moment” when we are tired, vulnerable, discouraged, and weak. How sad it will be if we live our lives and, at the last moment, discover life’s greatest mistake: we did not include God in our plans. Jesus asked, “What do you benefit, really, if you gain the whole world and lose your own soul?”
Prayer: We pray, Lord, that we will recognize our greatest need: to accept You as our Savior. Then, help us if You will, to share our faith with others. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.
Scripture For Today: And what do you benefit if you gain the whole world but lose your own soul? Is anything worth more than your soul? Mark 8:34-38
He sat down on his favorite stool in his favorite diner waiting to place his order. When the waitress asked for his order, he said meekly, “Please, I’d like two things: an order of pot roast and a few kind words.”
Looking at him kindly, she replied, “The kindest words I can think of right now are, ‘don’t order the pot roast.’”
Offering “kind words” is the responsibility of every Christian every day to everyone we meet. All of us, most of the time, welcome words of strength, hope, and encouragement to meet the challenges we face. Life, for most of us, has various shades of difficulty each day.
Have you ever asked, “What are the kindest words I can ever offer anyone?” Perhaps they are these: “Don’t forget the next world while living in this one.”
It is natural for each of us to put our values on the wrong things. No one is immune from being caught up “in the moment” when we are tired, vulnerable, discouraged, and weak. How sad it will be if we live our lives and, at the last moment, discover life’s greatest mistake: we did not include God in our plans. Jesus asked, “What do you benefit, really, if you gain the whole world and lose your own soul?”
Prayer: We pray, Lord, that we will recognize our greatest need: to accept You as our Savior. Then, help us if You will, to share our faith with others. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.
Scripture For Today: And what do you benefit if you gain the whole world but lose your own soul? Is anything worth more than your soul? Mark 8:34-38
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