Divine Nature

Guard Yourself Written by Dan Lee on 11/07/2015 Series: Weekly Devotional Tags: Lust, Pornography, Sex, Temptation “Your eye is a lamp that provides light for your body. When your eye is good, your whole body is filled with light.” Matthew 6:22 These words of Jesus tell us how important our eyes are, and how diligent we must be to watch what goes into our mind through our eyes. God’s word shows us several ways to do this: 1. Be Careful What You Look At Jesus said, “anyone who even looks at a woman with lust has already committed adultery with her in his heart” (Matthew 5:28). The first step to sexual temptation (and sometimes the sin itself) is looking. Today’s world can be full of temptations for the eyes. Advertisements, movies and television, and things on the Internet can all lead us to sin. You must carefully choose what you watch and where you go. If seeing women in bathing suits makes you think lustful thoughts, then you need to stay away from the beach. If Intern...

Does the Bible teach that sex before marriage is a sin? Written by Gary Schneider on 23/04/2019 Series: Weekly Devotional Tags: Marriage, Sex, Adultery, Pre Marital, Purity “Let marriage be held in honor among all…” Hebrews 13:4 Does the Bible even call sex before marriage a sin? A lot of people in today’s world aren’t sure. Our culture has told us that we should do whatever makes us feel good in the moment and that we shouldn’t even consider what the moral thing to do is. Here are several verses to consider when thinking about sex before marriage: 1. 1 Corinthians 7:2 “But because of the temptation to sexual immorality, each man should have his own wife and each woman her own husband.” In this verse, the apostle Paul describes any activity outside of marriage as “sexual immorality.” That means when we read of sexual immorality, it includes sex before marriage as one of many examples of sin. 2. Hebrews 13:4 “Let marriage be held in honor among all, and let the ma...

The Receiving is the Blessing! Written by Susan on 10/05/2016 Series: Weekly Devotional Tags: Blessings, God, Holy Spirit Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ, just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before Him. Ephesians 1:3-4 God has already done it all! If God has already provided all of His spiritual blessings for us, how do we get those blessings? Ephesians 1:3-4 and 2 Peter 1:3 say we have what we need already. “We have everything we need to live a life that pleases God. It was all given to us by God’s own power, when we learned that he had invited us to share in his wonderful goodness.” His provision is here - now. We need to understand and use the blessings He has provided. How do we do that? How do we receive blessings from God? You receive God’s blessings from His spirit. We must remember that spiritual...

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What does Jesus say about being blessed? Written by Joy on 29/08/2015 Series: Weekly Devotional Tags: Blessings, Favor, Jesus, Money, Wealth “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted. Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth. Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled. Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy. Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God. Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God…..” Matthew 5:3-12 To be blessed by God means having God’s favor and goodness. We often think of blessings as riches, high position, health, and happiness. However, Jesus’ famous words about blessings show us that God has a different definition of being blessed. Who is Blessed? Jesus’ list of blessed people in Matthew 5 include the needy, sad, meek, and persecuted. This might offend us since we val...

Regard the curious as thirsty for living water. Written by GodLife on 11/09/2018 Series: Weekly Devotional Tags: Questions, Answers, Reasons, Evangelism, Apologetics Honor Christ and let him be the Lord of your life. Always be ready to give an answer when someone asks you about your hope. 1 Peter 3:15 Have you ever asked a question, only to get another question as an answer? It’s not that uncommon, and it doesn’t mean the other person is avoiding your question. Here’s an example: “So Philip ran to him and heard him reading Isaiah the prophet and asked, ‘Do you understand what you are reading?’ And he said, ‘How can I, unless someone guides me?’” (Acts 8:30-31) People ask questions for all kinds of reasons. Sometimes they aren’t really asking for information—they either already think they know the answer or are raising a question as a cover for something. Here’s an example: “But he, desiring to justify himself, said to Jesus, ‘And who is my neighbor?’” (Luke 10:25–29) ...

How can you build a stronger marriage that ultimately glorifies God? Written by Hope on 09/03/2014 Series: Weekly Devotional Tags: God, Husband, Jesus, Marriage, Relationships, Wife But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not carry out the desires of the flesh. ” Galatians 5:16 How can you build a stronger marriage that ultimately glorifies God? This week’s questions will guide you toward a stronger godly marriage. And as today’s scripture tells us, it all starts with living in the power of the Holy Spirit. 1. Are We Lovingly Honest with Each Other? We are called to “speak the truth in love” and grow “in every way more and more like Christ.” (Ephesians 4:15). A healthy marriage is built on mutual trust. Dishonest actions such as keeping secrets, telling partial truths, or hiding information about finances or relationships can hurt your spouse. If you are concerned or hurt because of dishonesty in your marriage, use the example of Jesus to be lovingly honest with yo...

How can you build a stronger marriage that ultimately glorifies God? Written by Hope on 09/03/2014 Series: Weekly Devotional Tags: God, Husband, Jesus, Marriage, Relationships, Wife But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not carry out the desires of the flesh. ” Galatians 5:16 How can you build a stronger marriage that ultimately glorifies God? This week’s questions will guide you toward a stronger godly marriage. And as today’s scripture tells us, it all starts with living in the power of the Holy Spirit. 1. Are We Lovingly Honest with Each Other? We are called to “speak the truth in love” and grow “in every way more and more like Christ.” (Ephesians 4:15). A healthy marriage is built on mutual trust. Dishonest actions such as keeping secrets, telling partial truths, or hiding information about finances or relationships can hurt your spouse. If you are concerned or hurt because of dishonesty in your marriage, use the example of Jesus to be lovingly honest with you...

What is God’s pattern for marriage? Written by June Hunt on 16/04/2019 Series: Weekly Devotional Tags: Husband, Marriage, Wife, Godly A man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and they will become one flesh. The man and his wife were both naked, and they felt no shame. Genesis 2:24-25 These two verses in Genesis establish the four elements in God’s perfect order for marriage. Separation — “A man will leave his father and mother.” Both the husband and wife leave the authority of their parents and become a separate family unit. In marriage, the loyalty to your parents should never be stronger than the loyalty to your spouse. Bonding — “And be united to his wife.” By an act of your will, bonding is a mental commitment to have a faithful, permanent relationship with your spouse regardless of difficulties. Oneness — “They will become one flesh.” Physical oneness is the consummation of sexual closeness. However, to achieve a lasting oneness, both of ...

Jonah’s story shows us what happens when we disobey God’s commands Written by GodLife on 20/03/2018 Series: Weekly Devotional Tags: Grace, Mercy, Obedience, Commands, God Now the word of the Lord came to Jonah the son of Amittai, saying, “Arise, go to Nineveh, that great city, and call out against it, for their evil has come up before me.” But Jonah rose to flee to Tarshish from the presence of the Lord. Jonah 1:1-3 When I started college, I felt God commanding me to fully commit to a church family so that He could work through fellow believers to shape me more like Jesus. How did I respond? I disobeyed and my life hit a sorrowful low as I continued to ignore the commands of Jesus. It was only by God’s grace and mercy that He received me back and I began to take his commands seriously again. Have you ever tried to avoid a direct command from the Lord? A story in the Bible of a prophet named Jonah shows us more clearly what can happen when a believer of God directly dis...

How far are you willing to go in destroying your life with an addiction? Written by David on 28/03/2017 Series: Weekly Devotional Tags: Repentance, Forgiveness, New Life, Restitution, Brokenness If you have sinned, you should tell each other what you have done. Then you can pray for one another and be healed. The prayer of an innocent person is powerful, and it can help a lot. James 5:16 The end of the line for an addicted person is a self-made prison with four walls — Terror, Confusion, Frustration and Despair. There seem to be no doors or windows, and fear fills your life as you see that you’ve embraced self-destruction of your own accord. There is no protection for what awaits you in the deepest, darkest, isolated, solitary moment of an out-of-control life of sin. God’s Word is there to give you hope. But first there must be a "death:" “In the same way, you must think of yourselves as dead to the power of sin. But Christ Jesus has given life to you, and you li...

Do you not know the purpose for your life? Written by GodLife Tags: Calling, Life, Purpose Do you know your purpose in life? Have you discovered what God wants you to do in His plan for this world? If not, send us a message by clicking on the button below to learn about God's purpose for your life.

The purpose of your life is to bring God glory in everything you do: in your worship, your relationships, and your work. Series: New Believers Guide Have you ever wondered why you were born? Augustine, one of the early church fathers, said “Our hearts are restless until we find God.” You cannot truly experience peace and joy in your life without an open relationship with God. Romans 5:1-2 tells us, “Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom also we have obtained our introduction by faith into this grace in which we stand; and we exult in hope of the glory of God.” "But, indeed, for this reason I have allowed you to remain, in order to show you My power and in order to proclaim My name through all the earth." Exodus 9:16 "I cry out to God Most High, To God who accomplishes all things for me." Psalm 57:2 Your Purpose: Relationship with God The purpose of your life is to bring God glory i...

Why did God create us? Written by Gary Fleetwood on 06/02/2018 Series: Weekly Devotional Tags: Creation, Life, Love, Purpose, God who saved us and called us to a holy calling, not because of our works, but because of his own purpose and grace, which he gave us in Christ Jesus before the ages began. 2 Timothy 1:9 Have you ever wondered, “Why am I even here? What is my purpose in life?” One of the most important discoveries that a person can make is when they realize they were made for God. In fact, the Scriptures tell us that man was the very pinnacle of God’s creation. Obviously, God did not need to create man. It was not like God was lonely and needed someone with whom He could talk and share His feelings about things. God didn’t need to create someone so they could give Him some advice or some help later on -- not at all. So, if God did not really need man, then why did He create him? The reason that God created man was so that man could bring glory to God. That is impor...

How can we know the purpose for our lives? Written by GodLife on 09/04/2019 Series: Weekly Devotional Tags: Meaning, Love, Significance, Purpose, Destiny …everyone who is called by my name, whom I created for my glory, whom I formed and made. Isaiah 43:7 You've met them or heard of them — men and women of vision and passion. Driven by purpose and a life pursuit. They discover things. They build things. They do important things. Streets, colleges, battleships, cities and awards are named after them. They're fascinating! What makes them tick, and why aren't more people like them? One reason more people aren't like this may be that the single-minded pursuit of a mission tends to be hard on people. We sometimes call high achievers "workaholics." That makes it sound like an addiction. Addictions are destructive, unlike the diligence we associate with dedicated workers. How can your diligent attention be singularly significant, yet not hurt your friend...

God speaks about fear and anxiety in plain terms in the Bible. Written by Gary Fleetwood on 01/01/2019 Series: Weekly Devotional Tags: Anxiety, Fear, God, Stress, Trust Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Philippians 4:6-7 In Matthew 14:22-32, the disciples found themselves in a very stressful situation. They were in a small boat in the middle of the sea when a great wind came up, making their boat toss back and forth. Many of these disciples were fishermen, so they knew the dangers of the storms on the sea very well. Under their circumstances, most likely they felt that they may not make it through the storm alive. However, what is often missed in this story is that in verse 22 it says that Jesus “…made the disciples get into the boat and go before him to the other...

Facing our fear and anxiety. Written by Gary Fleetwood on 02/04/2019 Series: Weekly Devotional Tags: Anxiety, Fear Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Philippians 4:6-7 We are creatures of habit; and more often than not, it is difficult to get us to change our habits. We love our routine. We like schedules and disciplines and can find great spiritual value in them. In fact, for most people, it would be very difficult to survive without them. The problem with our busy lives, however, is that it can also become a habit to worry and fret about things over which we have no control. Worry never solves problems, but only makes them worse and creates problems that God never intended for us to have. So, how does someone actually overcome this anxiety? Overcoming anxiet...

One of Jesus' most famous cross-cultural encounters involved a woman in Samaria. Written by Hope on 06/10/2013 Series: Weekly Devotional Tags: Evangelism, Faith, Jesus, Testimony “So you received the message with joy from the Holy Spirit in spite of the severe suffering it brought you. In this way, you imitated both us and the Lord. As a result, you have become an example to all the believers in Greece — throughout both Macedonia and Achaia.” (1 Thessalonians 1:6-7). One Person's Story One of Jesus' most famous cross-cultural encounters involved a woman in Samaria. We are not told her name, and so she is known simply as "The Samaritan Woman" or "The Woman at the Well." When Jesus asked her for a drink, she must have been shocked. It was highly improper for men and women to converse in public. Not only that, but all Samaritans were despised by the Jews for their idol-worshiping and mixed blood. Jesus reached across both those divides with Hi...