It is only thoughtful people who become thankful people.

If we do what we do to receive praise, we will have an ever increasing hunger for praise and an ever decreasing satisfaction with what we receive.

The word grace is used so often that we can become dull to the meaning of the word. We are constant recipients of God’s grace and that consistent blessing often allows us to take it for granted. May God’s grace stay amazing.

The blood of every person who has died at the hand of evil men cries out for justice. Man can never satisfy that cry. The blood of Jesus however speaks better things than the blood of men.

This body will one day be done away with and at that time we will receive a new sinless body. God will finish His work of redemption by making all things new.

We have been set apart for God and we are being shaped by the Spirit of God that lives in us. We will not reach perfection on this side of eternity but we should be more Like Christ every day.

The law has found us guilty and that condition leaves us condemned and without hope. The work of Christ to take our sin on Him allows God to declare us legally justified by God.

There must be a realization of our condition before God that drives us to our need of the work of the Gospel within us. We can do nothing of ourselves to fix our condition but we rest fully on the work of the Gospel.  

The Christian life is not measured by the mountaintops or the reward ceremonies but it is measured by the daily walk with God. The call to all Christians at all times is to be faithful - not successful but faithful. May He find us faithful.

Life can change in an instant and as we adjust to those changes we can find ourselves discouraged or depressed. As we seek to find the help we need, let us look to the unchanging God of the Bible for our hope and anchor in a changing and unstable world.

The Gospel is people who come to Jesus come because they recognize a need and have heard that He can help.

The Church is never a building or a denominational system. The church is the people of God called out of the world and sent back to the world.

If you love me keep my commandments. This is often used as ram rod to guilt people into a legalistic obedience to many things but the goal of his text is that we would love one another as we have been loved and by doing so be a light in a dark world.

Provoke not your children to wrath? How are we cultivating anger in the heart of our children not just toward us but toward those who disagree with us. May we teach them to love as God loves and hate what God hates. May we not conform them to our image but to Christ's Image.

A humble walk with God is a life this is fully aware of our sinfulness and how we could not handle God’s judgement. Humility cries out for mercy because we are aware of how desperately we need mercy. Doing justly is not demanding justice. Loving mercy is not loving it only when I receive mercy. Do you want justice? Do you love mercy? Do you walk Humbly?

The motive is paramount in all we do. We can be thankful for right actions based out of duty but right actions based out of a relationship are rewarding and sustainable. Duty is a hard task master but His yoke is easy and his burden is light.

Death is a reality in this fallen world and the need for a life-giver is evident everywhere we look. However we are called to admit our condition and if we will not admit the need then He will not bring life. What stones do we need to roll away and allow Him to bring life.