Archive | Devotions

A few weeks ago I shared thoughts on preaching the Gospel to yourself. I find myself continually returning to this theme. Perhaps that’s because we so easily forget what is meant to be the mainspring of our lives – the relationship made possible with God through the saving work of Jesus Christ. I’ve been thinking about where my motivation for godly living comes from. How do we remain motivated to pursue a life of holiness and fruitfulness, regardless of our circumstances? Here’s what happens to me. I’m doing well for a season. Quiet times are going great, I’m experiencing grace in resisting temptations,  and seeing some …

When Jesus heard this, he said to him, “One thing you still lack. Sell all that you have and distribute to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow me.” (Luke 18:22) You probably recognize this verse as being Jesus’ response to the rich young ruler’s question, “What must I do to inherit eternal life?” (Lk. 18:18) (I had the privilege of preaching from this passage yesterday morning at my church. If you’d like to hear an MP3 after Tuesday, you can download it here.)  At first glance, it might seem that Jesus is saying that if anyone wants to have eternal life, they need to give up all their material possessions. …

“But the tax collector, standing far off, would not even lift up his eyes to heaven, but beat his breast, saying, ‘God, be merciful to me, a sinner!’" (Luke 18:13) Yesterday morning Chris Silard, one of our pastors, preached a message from Luke 18:9-14 on the Pharisee and the tax collector. It was wonderfully convicting and encouraging. Chris highlighted many of the differences between the attitudes and actions of the two men. He pointed out that the Pharisee mentions God only once in his prayer, while he uses the pronoun "I" five times. His goal isn’t to seek God but to impress Him. HIs prayer, rather than being an expression …

This comes from the prayer “Reproofs” in The Valley of Vision:Teach me how to take reproofs from friends,Even though I think I do not deserve them;Use them to make me tenderly afraid of sin,More jealous over myself, More concerned to keep heart and life unblameable.Cause them to help me reflect on my want of spirituality,To abhor myself, to look upon myself as unworthy,And make them beneficial to my soul. May all your people know how little, mean, and vile I am,That they may see I am nothing, less than nothing,To be accounted nothing,That so they may pray for me aright,And have not the least dependence upon me.In His mercy, God often sends …

And you, who once were alienated and hostile in mind, doing evil deeds, he has now reconciled in his body of flesh by his death, in order to present you holy and blameless and above reproach before him, if indeed you continue in the faith, stable and steadfast, not shifting from the hope of the gospel that you heard, which has been proclaimed in all creation under heaven, and of which I, Paul, became a minister. (Col. 1:21-23) Do you find your life is often an emotional roller coaster? Is your perspective dependent on the trials or blessings your’e currently experiencing? That’s not God’s intention. He wants us to remain "stable and steadfast, …

One of my historical heros is the hymn writer Isaac Watts (1674-1748). Two years ago, my oldest daughter, Megan, surprised me with a 1798 copy of a book Watts had written on the priority of loving God from the heart. Like most Puritans, Watts never lacked for words when it came to titles. He called his treatise “Discourses on the Love of God And It’s Influences On All The Passions: With A Discovery of The Right Use and Abuse of Them in Matters of Religion. Also, A Devout Meditation Annexed To Each Discourse.” I read through the book in a few days, and was encouraged by the pastoral, biblical, and clear way he promoted the use of emotion …