I will share about Christian books I have read or listened to.
I will be sharing about my life before and after Christ. I will include stories about my pet and other pets I have encountered.
The Beginning of Our Journey
God has been working within history for thousands of years. His redemptive plan has culminated in the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus. All of God’s promises in the Old Testament find their fulfillment in Jesus.
The book of Acts, which details the life of the early church, contains many long speeches which cover the historical timeline of God’s redemptive activity. Acts 3 is one of those speeches, given by Peter to a group of Israelites. Peter’s speech not only includes historical details, but also a right response to all of this information.
The right response to hearing about what God has done throughout history is to repent and believe in Jesus. When we learn of all that God has done for us, it’s only fitting that we should turn our lives back to Him.
Repentance is when we recognize the truth and we turn towards it. Usually it involves turning away from our own way of life and turning towards God’s way. Repentance is the beginning of our faith journey.
When we repent, God forgives us. We no longer live according to our past mistakes and offenses. Rather, God gives us a new life that is forgiven of those things.
This is why Peter says that times of refreshing follow repentance. Repentance leads to rebirth. We are made into a new creation. We are empowered to walk in the newness of life with God. After beginning this journey with Jesus, we continue it by the power of the Holy Spirit.
If you haven’t started that journey, begin today by repenting of your sins and turning back to God. He is faithful to forgive you. Pray for Him to guide your life. Continue to read about God’s ways in Scripture so you can grow in your knowledge of Him.
Live Prepared
Pause and think of the people who, at a moment’s notice, have to be ready for anything. Maybe your list includes first responders, the military, athletes, teachers, parents, pilots, surgeons, or pastors.
But does your list include you?
As followers of Jesus, we are called to…
“…Be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect.”
1 Peter 3:15 NIV
We can’t expect people to observe what Jesus has commanded unless we are also observing His commands ourselves.
Do we want people to learn about God’s love? Then we need to show God’s love to people. Do we want people to learn about Jesus’ compassion? Then we need to be compassionate. Do we want people to give generously? Then we need to be good stewards of our own money. Do we want people to study God’s Word? Then we need to study it for ourselves.
When you give Jesus control over your life, you allow His ...
