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.
Pursue What Matters Most
In the book of Romans, Paul begs Christians to give their entire lives over to God because God sacrificed everything for them. Jesus gave up His life so that we could experience His unending love and grace. We cheapen His gifts if we refuse to align our lives with the way Jesus lived.
But we give our lives to God by making Him the one thing we pursue above anything else.
So here are 5 steps you can practice—right now—to help you put God first.
Give thanks
“We give thanks to you, O God; we give thanks, for your name is near. We recount your wondrous deeds.”
Psalms 75:1 ESV
Right now, take a moment to thank God for what He’s already done for you. Reflect on His faithfulness, and recount the stories you have seen and heard of His wonderful power.
Spend 5 minutes in silence
“Abide in me, and I in you.”
John 15:4 ESV
Abiding in Jesus starts with stillness. So right now, pause, take a deep breath, and give anything concerning you over to God. Spend 5 minutes centering your heart on the One who matters most.
Remember Whose you are
“You are not your own, for you were bought with a price.”
1 Corinthians 6:19-20 ESV
God loves you. The price He paid for you cost Him everything. So remind yourself of Whose you are, and reflect on some of the things God says about you.
Meditate on God’s Word
“Oh how I love your law! It is my meditation all the day.”
Psalms 119:97 ESV
One of the best ways to find out how Jesus wants you to live is by spending time in Scripture. As you do, ask God to speak to you through His Word about what His will is.
Focus on what is excellent
“…If there is any excellence … think about these things.”
Philippians 4:8 ESV
You have been given the mind of Christ. If you’re not sure what you should think about, try asking yourself: What is praiseworthy? What thoughts and actions would honor God?
Make a list of whatever comes to mind, and pursue those things.
By practicing these steps every day, you can create habits that will help you pursue intimacy with God every day, and put Him first above everything else.
Luke 10
“After these things the Lord appointed other seventy also, and sent them two and two before his face into every city and place, whither he himself would come. Therefore said he unto them, The harvest truly is great, but the labourers are few: pray ye therefore the Lord of the harvest, that he would send forth labourers into his harvest. Go your ways: behold, I send you forth as lambs among wolves. Carry neither purse, nor scrip, nor shoes: and salute no man by the way. And into whatsoever house ye enter, first say, Peace be to this house. And if the son of peace be there, your peace shall rest upon it: if not, it shall turn to you again. And in the same house remain, eating and drinking such things as they give: for the labourer is worthy of his hire. Go not from house to house. And into whatsoever city ye enter, and they receive you, eat such things as are set before you: and heal the sick that are therein, and say unto them, The kingdom of God is come nigh unto you. But into ...
God Is With You
The prophet Isaiah wrote the words of Isaiah 7:14 nearly 600 years before Jesus was born. At the time of this writing, the Israelites were doing all the right religious things, but weren’t practicing justice as God commands. Like many prophets during Isaiah’s time, this was a warning against that injustice. But among that warning was a glimmer of hope that God would set things right.
Here, the prophet Isaiah is giving the people of Israel a reason to hope because of God’s good promise—the promise that He will provide a sign and He will show up for us. Because that’s what Immanuel means: God with us.
But what does “God with us” mean for us today?
It means we can share in that hope by fixing our eyes on Jesus and trusting in Him. We can trust that from Christ’s birth to His current reign in Heaven—Jesus is God with us.
He’s with us in our pain when we lose a loved one.
He’s with us in our anger when we see injustice and don’t know where to turn.
He’s with us ...
