Following Christ English

“The amount depends on how much the Lord has helped you earn.” 1Co 16:2  Jesus said, “If you have not been trustworthy in handling worldly wealth, who will trust you with true riches?” (Lk 16:11 NIV). In other words, if you are not faithful to Him with your finances, He will not trust you with greater blessings. What does it mean to be faithful in your finances? Paul writes: “On every Lord’s Day each of you should put aside something from what you have earned during the week, and use it for this offering. The amount depends on how much the Lord has helped you earn.” That means three things: (1) Regular giving. Note the words “every Lord’s Day.” This is systematic giving, not sporadic giving. It is not, “I feel good today, so I’m going to give to God.” If you try that with your mortgage holder, you will be without a house! You’re not supposed to give by impulse, but by a commitment to obey God’s Word. (2) Planned giving. “You should put aside something from what you have ear

Those who belong to Christ have nailed their natural evil desires to his cross and crucified them there. —Galatians 5:24  The strength for our conquering and our victory is drawn continually from Christ. The Bible does not teach that sin is completely eradicated from the Christian in this life, but it does teach that sin shall no longer reign over you. The strength and power of sin have been broken. The Christian now has resources available to live above and beyond this world. The Bible teaches that whosoever is born of God does not practice sin. It is like the little girl who said that when the devil came knocking with a temptation, she just sent Jesus to the door.

1. Unplug from social media and the news. Screen addiction is a real thing, and while these avenues may be informative, they’re also competing for your emotional and spiritual bandwidth. Give it a rest for an hour, a day, a week—whatever you can realistically spare. Romans 12:2: “Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.” Isaiah 26:3: “You keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on you, because he trusts in you.” 2. Go for a walk, and pay attention to God’s creation. God feeds the birds and dresses the flowers (Matthew 6:25-34). “Are you not much more valuable than they?” Think about that as you walk through your neighborhood or simply sit and gaze from your back porch. Matthew 6:33-34: “But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added unto you. Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow,

In moments of doubt, choose to believe the truth of God's Word. Psalm 145:7-9 Life can hit us with the most unexpected and undesirable circumstances. When that happens, we might wonder, Does God really care about me? Here are three truths to remember: 1. Scripture tells us, “God is love” (1 John 4:8). This means His very nature is characterized by compassion and concern. Love originated with God, and He is the greatest example of how to express it. Together with the reality that God is holy, this means our Father is perfect in His love—He’ll never make a mistake in the way He cares for us.  2. God loves us because He calls us His children. “To those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God,” writes John in his gospel (John 1:12 NIV). Sadly, for some who’ve had a difficult upbringing, this may not be encouraging news. But God is the perfect parent, and He loves us perfectly. 3. God gave the supreme demonstration of His love at the cross. God’

“He gave us his Son—will he not also freely give us all things?” Roman 8:32  ( He who did not spare his own Son but delivered him up on behalf of us all, how will he not also with him freely give us all things? –Romans 8:32 ) Do you like to collect Bible promises for challenging times? When your collection seems inadequate, do you add to it, thinking, “I just haven’t found the right promise yet?” Claiming the promise without understanding the all-sufficiency of the Promiser can disappoint you. Since there is no lack in God, He is all you need. And He is all you will ever need! The Bible says, He can do “immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine” (Ephesians 3:20 ). Seeking relief during a difficult time in life, author Hannah Whitall Smith visited a respected Bible teacher, hoping to find an answer. After listening attentively, the teacher told her, “Yes, all you say may be very true, but then, in spite of it all, there is God.” Frustrated, Hannah responded, “Surely you d

Q: I’ve worked hard to find happiness and have been successful, but my marriage has failed and my career is eating me up. The idea of happiness seems to me to be very deceitful. A: From the writings of the Rev. Billy Graham King Solomon was convinced he knew how to find happiness—and because he had vast resources at his command, he was able to pursue it. Wealth, fame, pleasure, power, lavish houses, a reputation for wisdom—you name it, King Solomon achieved it. And yet after gaining everything he had ever wanted, he reluctantly concluded that his life was still empty and without meaning. His search for lasting happiness had failed, and his soul was still empty. This is a common story. Many people are in danger of making the same mistake King Solomon made—convinced that the things of this world will bring happiness and peace and pursuing them with vigor. Don’t be deceived; they never will. And the reason is because we were made to know God. Later, King Solomon realized this.

My heart and my flesh crieth out for the living God. Psalm 84:2 Loneliness is one of the greatest problems people face today. It is a leading cause of suicide-that is now the third greatest killer of students in the United States. People feel various kinds of loneliness. One of the most common is the loneliness of solitude. Or there is the loneliness of suffering. Many people experience loneliness in society, or there is the loneliness of sorrow, guilt, and judgment. All of us feel at times a loneliness for God. Someone has called it cosmic loneliness. We don’t know what it is. It makes us restless. You see, man was made for God; and without God, he is lonely. But Jesus is knocking at the door of our heart, saying, “I want to come in. Let me in.” He doesn’t push His way through that door. We have to open it and invite Him in; when we do, He comes in to live forever and we are never lonely again.