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.
Transformation
Do you want to be new?
All around the world, humans long for change. We long to throw off old habits and ways of thinking if they aren’t serving us anymore. Thousands of self-help books, podcasts, articles, all kinds of media exist for this very reason. We want to change! And yet, it can feel impossible! Paul, one of Jesus’ disciples, shares this powerful truth in Romans 12:2 (NIV):
Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.
Transformed by the renewing of our minds. What does this mean?
Transformation is a massive change. It’s thorough. Complete. A total difference. Like a caterpillar becoming a butterfly, transformation brings an end to the old and a beginning to the new.
Paul is showing us that transformation isn’t work we do from the outside in. Transformation happens from the inside out. It begins with our mind. And for our minds to change, we need Truth to grab hold of.
God’s Word is this Truth.
“All Scripture is breathed out by God…”
2 Timothy 3:16-17 ESV
“For the word of God is alive and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.”
Hebrews 4:12 NIV
“... Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.”
Matthew 4:4 NIV
God’s Word guides us when we are lost, strengthens us when we are weary, challenges us when we are compromising, and encourages us when we are overwhelmed. God’s Word changes everything.
And this very moment, you hold God’s Word in your hand. Transformation is in your grasp. Read the Bible closely, dig into its verses, wrestle with its teachings, and treasure what you discover about the love and grace of God.
The best place to bring your desire for newness is to God and His Word. God’s Word renews our minds. Transformation inside-out begins here.
Giving What You’ve Been Given
Christians should be the most loving people on the planet. We have accepted the ultimate gift from God. We have not only received salvation and eternal life, but we’ve received the gift of God Himself—love.
But that doesn't mean everyone is easy to love! Most of us have relationships in our lives that are difficult or painful to engage in. However, Scripture encourages us to make every opportunity possible to love those around us.
God the Father gave us the breath that we breathe. Jesus brought us to Himself so that we might be saved by His power. The Spirit of God lives within us and empowers us for every good deed. All of these things have been freely given to us with no strings attached.
Having received this amazing love and mercy from God, we ought to love others in the same way. When we love others in the same manner that God has loved us, we exhibit the greatest evidence that we are children of God.
If we fail to love those around us, we also fail ...
