Christians must avoid these manners of speech:
• Speaking lies or "half-truths"
• Sharing gossip about others
• Complaining about your hard times
• Using coarse/dirty jokes
• Speaking lies or "half-truths"
• Sharing gossip about others
• Complaining about your hard times
• Using coarse/dirty jokes
❤3👍3
September 14: Going Your Own Way
#Devotional
Jonah 1:1–4:11; Acts 13:1–12; Job 22:1–13
I work hard to make my disobedience socially acceptable: “I have a stubborn streak,” I explain, or “I’m just like my dad.” But the truth is that my weaknesses aren’t cute or transitory—and they’re not anyone else’s fault. Instead, my disobedience is a deep-rooted, rebellious tendency to follow my own path when I should be humbling myself, seeking wisdom, or obeying leaders who know better.
The book of Jonah illustrates these opposing responses to God’s will. We can easily identify with Jonah’s stubborn character. When God tells Jonah to warn Nineveh of its coming judgment, Jonah not only disobeys, but he sets off in the opposite direction. As Jonah’s story progresses, however, we see God orchestrate a reversal. In His incredible mercy, He breaks Jonah’s stubborn streak and replaces it with humility. God also has mercy on the Ninevites—a “people who do not know right from left”—and they repent in sackcloth and ashes (Jonah 4:11).
It’s easy to diminish or rationalize our persistent faults. Yet when we’re faced with circumstances or people who hold up a mirror and show us who we truly are, we have the opportunity to change. God is molding us into people who want to follow His will, and He’ll provide opportunities to shape us to that end. We just have to respond to His calling.
How are you stubbornly insisting on your own way? How can you respond in a way that honors God?
#Devotional
Jonah 1:1–4:11; Acts 13:1–12; Job 22:1–13
I work hard to make my disobedience socially acceptable: “I have a stubborn streak,” I explain, or “I’m just like my dad.” But the truth is that my weaknesses aren’t cute or transitory—and they’re not anyone else’s fault. Instead, my disobedience is a deep-rooted, rebellious tendency to follow my own path when I should be humbling myself, seeking wisdom, or obeying leaders who know better.
The book of Jonah illustrates these opposing responses to God’s will. We can easily identify with Jonah’s stubborn character. When God tells Jonah to warn Nineveh of its coming judgment, Jonah not only disobeys, but he sets off in the opposite direction. As Jonah’s story progresses, however, we see God orchestrate a reversal. In His incredible mercy, He breaks Jonah’s stubborn streak and replaces it with humility. God also has mercy on the Ninevites—a “people who do not know right from left”—and they repent in sackcloth and ashes (Jonah 4:11).
It’s easy to diminish or rationalize our persistent faults. Yet when we’re faced with circumstances or people who hold up a mirror and show us who we truly are, we have the opportunity to change. God is molding us into people who want to follow His will, and He’ll provide opportunities to shape us to that end. We just have to respond to His calling.
How are you stubbornly insisting on your own way? How can you respond in a way that honors God?
September 14 - The Correct Response of Souls Seeking Jesus
#LifeOfChrist
“Jesus turned and saw them following, and said to them, ‘What do you seek?’ They said to Him, ‘Rabbi (which translated means Teacher), where are You staying?’ He said to them, ‘Come, and you will see.’ So they came and saw where He was staying; and they stayed with Him that day, for it was about the tenth hour” (John 1:38–39).
As Andrew and John walked after Him, “Jesus turned and saw them following, and said to them, ‘What do you seek?’” He already knew what the two wanted. The Lord asked the question to challenge them to consider their motives. He did not ask them who they were seeking, but what they were seeking.
By asking “Where are You staying?” Andrew and John were not just asking where He was staying; they were courteously requesting an extended private interview with Him. The question also signaled their willingness to become His disciples.
Jesus’ immediate response, “Come, and you will see,” was the invitation Andrew and John were hoping for. Jesus knew their hearts, that they were honest, sincere seekers.
John does not record what they discussed that memorable evening, but the Lord undoubtedly “opened their minds to understand the Scriptures” (Luke 24:45). Whatever He said was enough to persuade them that He was indeed Israel’s Messiah, as Andrew’s excited testimony to his brother Peter the next day indicates (John 4:40–41).
In your service to Christ, be sure your motives are pure. Otherwise the Lord will know.
Ask Yourself
“What do you seek?” is a good question for us to ask ourselves as we approach the Lord, challenging our motives. What would you say you are seeking Him for? And if you’re not finding it, is it because you’re seeking amiss or for the wrong reasons—or perhaps seeking something God knows you don’t need?
#LifeOfChrist
“Jesus turned and saw them following, and said to them, ‘What do you seek?’ They said to Him, ‘Rabbi (which translated means Teacher), where are You staying?’ He said to them, ‘Come, and you will see.’ So they came and saw where He was staying; and they stayed with Him that day, for it was about the tenth hour” (John 1:38–39).
As Andrew and John walked after Him, “Jesus turned and saw them following, and said to them, ‘What do you seek?’” He already knew what the two wanted. The Lord asked the question to challenge them to consider their motives. He did not ask them who they were seeking, but what they were seeking.
By asking “Where are You staying?” Andrew and John were not just asking where He was staying; they were courteously requesting an extended private interview with Him. The question also signaled their willingness to become His disciples.
Jesus’ immediate response, “Come, and you will see,” was the invitation Andrew and John were hoping for. Jesus knew their hearts, that they were honest, sincere seekers.
John does not record what they discussed that memorable evening, but the Lord undoubtedly “opened their minds to understand the Scriptures” (Luke 24:45). Whatever He said was enough to persuade them that He was indeed Israel’s Messiah, as Andrew’s excited testimony to his brother Peter the next day indicates (John 4:40–41).
In your service to Christ, be sure your motives are pure. Otherwise the Lord will know.
Ask Yourself
“What do you seek?” is a good question for us to ask ourselves as we approach the Lord, challenging our motives. What would you say you are seeking Him for? And if you’re not finding it, is it because you’re seeking amiss or for the wrong reasons—or perhaps seeking something God knows you don’t need?
DAY 14: What did Paul mean by warning believers to not become “unequally yoked together with unbelievers”?
https://telegra.ph/DAILY-BIBLE-09-14
https://telegra.ph/DAILY-BIBLE-09-14
Telegraph
DAILY BIBLE
Reading for Today: Isaiah 19:1–20:6 Psalm 106:40-48 Proverbs 25:13 2 Corinthians 6:1-18 Notes: Isaiah 19:18 five cities. Humanly speaking, the chances of even one Egyptian city turning to the Lord were remote, but divinely speaking, there will be 5 times…
“A rebuke goes deeper into a man of understanding
than a hundred blows into a fool.” Proverbs 17:10
O Lord, make us receptive to all worthy correction.
than a hundred blows into a fool.” Proverbs 17:10
O Lord, make us receptive to all worthy correction.
🙏1
Flee, from the wrath that is to come.
Luke 3:7
Divine judgment hangs over the head, of every Christ rejecting soul.
Luke 3:7
Divine judgment hangs over the head, of every Christ rejecting soul.
🙏3
“The lot is cast into the lap, but its every decision is from the Lord.” Proverbs 16:33
God really wants us to be aware of his meticulous sovereignty.
“You ought to say, ‘If the Lord wills, we will live and do this or that.’” James 4:15
God really wants us to be aware of his meticulous sovereignty.
“You ought to say, ‘If the Lord wills, we will live and do this or that.’” James 4:15
❤3
It's incredibly important to take our children to Church on Sundays.
And, it's even more important that our kids see us live out on Monday through Saturday what we said we believe on Sunday.
And, it's even more important that our kids see us live out on Monday through Saturday what we said we believe on Sunday.
👍2❤1😁1
WEEK 3 — Fruitfulness & Fulfillment (Sep 14–20)
September 14 (Monday)
Dear Daughter,
Fruit does not strain to grow — it simply stays attached, and growth happens as a result, not a striving.
This week, stop trying so hard to produce a good marriage. Abide. Fruit is the byproduct of connection, not effort alone.
Strain less. Attach more.
'He who abides in me… bears much fruit' (John 15:5).
Where have you been straining for fruit instead of simply abiding?
#DearDaughter #MondayReset #StrongMarriage
September 14 (Monday)
Dear Daughter,
Fruit does not strain to grow — it simply stays attached, and growth happens as a result, not a striving.
This week, stop trying so hard to produce a good marriage. Abide. Fruit is the byproduct of connection, not effort alone.
Strain less. Attach more.
'He who abides in me… bears much fruit' (John 15:5).
Where have you been straining for fruit instead of simply abiding?
#DearDaughter #MondayReset #StrongMarriage
🐳2
At the Cross, God gave His all for you and me, the love of God is supernatural, and He loves because it is His nature to do so.
❤2🆒2
Sep 14 (Mon)
New week, new mercy! 🌅💪 Start again — grace doesn't run out on Mondays! Lam 3:23 ❤️
What will you begin fresh this week? #StrongMarriage #September
New week, new mercy! 🌅💪 Start again — grace doesn't run out on Mondays! Lam 3:23 ❤️
What will you begin fresh this week? #StrongMarriage #September
It's Monday. A new work week is in front of you.
Fix your eyes on Jesus. Seek Him before success. Trust Him before your plans. Obey Him when it's difficult. And glorify Him in all that you do.
Whatever this week brings, Christ is enough.
Fix your eyes on Jesus. Seek Him before success. Trust Him before your plans. Obey Him when it's difficult. And glorify Him in all that you do.
Whatever this week brings, Christ is enough.
The most dangerous sins in your life may not be the ones everyone can see.
Pride.
Envy.
Bitterness.
Self-righteousness.
Unforgiveness.
Love of praise.
Secret sins still have a public audience:
God sees every one of them.
Pride.
Envy.
Bitterness.
Self-righteousness.
Unforgiveness.
Love of praise.
Secret sins still have a public audience:
God sees every one of them.
💯3
You do not need a new revelation from God. He has already spoken clearly to us in his written Word. Open your Bible and find everything you need for life.
💯2
The best way for a man to love his kids is to love Jesus and to love their mama.
👍4
Mormons say they’re Christians, however they:
- completely change who Jesus
is in their doctrine.
- change what salvation looks like
- believe you can become a God
- add to the Bible
- try to convert Christians to
Mormonism
Don’t be deceived. It’s not the same.
- completely change who Jesus
is in their doctrine.
- change what salvation looks like
- believe you can become a God
- add to the Bible
- try to convert Christians to
Mormonism
Don’t be deceived. It’s not the same.
🤝4
Just because you’re waiting doesn’t mean God isn’t working 🤍
❤2💯1
Four warning signs that you're in spiritual danger:
1. You love the praise of men.
2. You're holding on to secret sins.
3. You neglect regular prayer and Bible time.
4. You rarely go to church in person.
"Test yourselves to see if you are in the faith." (2 Corinthians 13:5)
1. You love the praise of men.
2. You're holding on to secret sins.
3. You neglect regular prayer and Bible time.
4. You rarely go to church in person.
"Test yourselves to see if you are in the faith." (2 Corinthians 13:5)
❤3
September 15: The Pain of Idolatry
#Devotional
Micah 1:1–3:12; Acts 13:13–14:7; Job 22:14–30
Idolatry causes pain. If this truth were present in our minds each time we placed something before God, we would make different decisions. Micah’s account of the sins of Samaria makes this fact painfully and dramatically clear:
“So I [Yahweh] will make Samaria as a heap of rubble in the field, a place for planting a vineyard. And I will pour down her stones into the valley and uncover her foundations. Then all her idols will be broken in pieces, and all her prostitution wages will be burned in the fire, and all her idols I will make a desolation. For from the wage of a prostitute she gathered them, and to the wage of a prostitute they will return. On account of this I will lament and wail. I will go about barefoot and naked. I will make a lamentation like the jackals, and a mourning ceremony like the ostriches” (Mic 1:6–8).
Throughout this section, God and the prophet’s voices intermingle, a common occurrence in prophetic literature. This device creates a sense of empathy, both for God’s perspective on idolatry and for the people’s pain as the consequences of their idolatry bear down on them. Micah’s position is one we should emulate. When we understand what God feels, we begin to see the world from His perspective. When we feel what others feel, we’re able to meet their needs and learn to love them as fully and radically as God loves us.
Micah’s depiction of idolatry—how God views it and what it does to us—should be a wake-up call. When God takes second place in our lives, we inflict pain on Him, ourselves, and others. We shove Him out of His rightful place and thus move ourselves out of relationship with Him. But when He is the focus of our lives, we have an opportunity to empathize with others and to love them—and our idols dissipate like smoke.
How are you combating idolatry in your life? How are you showing love to people who love idols?
#Devotional
Micah 1:1–3:12; Acts 13:13–14:7; Job 22:14–30
Idolatry causes pain. If this truth were present in our minds each time we placed something before God, we would make different decisions. Micah’s account of the sins of Samaria makes this fact painfully and dramatically clear:
“So I [Yahweh] will make Samaria as a heap of rubble in the field, a place for planting a vineyard. And I will pour down her stones into the valley and uncover her foundations. Then all her idols will be broken in pieces, and all her prostitution wages will be burned in the fire, and all her idols I will make a desolation. For from the wage of a prostitute she gathered them, and to the wage of a prostitute they will return. On account of this I will lament and wail. I will go about barefoot and naked. I will make a lamentation like the jackals, and a mourning ceremony like the ostriches” (Mic 1:6–8).
Throughout this section, God and the prophet’s voices intermingle, a common occurrence in prophetic literature. This device creates a sense of empathy, both for God’s perspective on idolatry and for the people’s pain as the consequences of their idolatry bear down on them. Micah’s position is one we should emulate. When we understand what God feels, we begin to see the world from His perspective. When we feel what others feel, we’re able to meet their needs and learn to love them as fully and radically as God loves us.
Micah’s depiction of idolatry—how God views it and what it does to us—should be a wake-up call. When God takes second place in our lives, we inflict pain on Him, ourselves, and others. We shove Him out of His rightful place and thus move ourselves out of relationship with Him. But when He is the focus of our lives, we have an opportunity to empathize with others and to love them—and our idols dissipate like smoke.
How are you combating idolatry in your life? How are you showing love to people who love idols?
🥰1
September 15 - Nathanael’s Encounter with Jesus
#LifeOfChrist
“Jesus saw Nathanael coming to Him, and said of him, ‘Behold, an Israelite indeed, in whom there is no deceit!’ Nathanael said to Him, ‘How do You know me?’ Jesus answered and said to him, ‘Before Philip called you, when you were under the fig tree, I saw you.’ Nathanael answered Him, ‘Rabbi, You are the Son of God; You are the King of Israel’” (John 1:47–49).
Of all the apostles, Nathanael had one of the more interesting first encounters with Jesus. After Philip told him he had found the Messiah—“Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph”—Nathanael was skeptical. His dubious reply, “Can any good thing come out of Nazareth?” reflects his incredulity that the Messiah could come from such an insignificant town. Yet he followed Philip.
As he approached, “Jesus saw Nathanael coming to Him, and said of him, ‘Behold, an Israelite indeed, in whom there is no deceit!’” Jesus recognized that Nathanael’s blunt, honest reply revealed his lack of duplicity and his willingness to examine Jesus’ claims for himself. Nathanael was “an Israelite indeed”—he was a genuine, true disciple from the beginning.
Taken aback by Jesus’ omniscient recognition of him, Nathanael was also surprised by Jesus’ supernatural knowledge of information known only to him. Not only did Jesus supernaturally see Nathanael’s physical location, but He also saw into his heart (cf. Ps. 139:1–4).
Whatever happened under the fig tree, Jesus’ supernatural knowledge of it removed Nathanael’s doubt. Overwhelmed, he acknowledged Jesus as the long-awaited Messiah.
Just think—Jesus knows you every bit as intimately as He knew Nathanael. The same acknowledgement of Christ’s deity ought to be on your lips as well.
Ask Yourself
Is Jesus’ intimate knowledge of you a source of fear and anxiety, or is it rather a source of comfort and security? If you’re living in the first state of mind, try putting into words why anything that keeps you from the latter could possibly be worth it.
#LifeOfChrist
“Jesus saw Nathanael coming to Him, and said of him, ‘Behold, an Israelite indeed, in whom there is no deceit!’ Nathanael said to Him, ‘How do You know me?’ Jesus answered and said to him, ‘Before Philip called you, when you were under the fig tree, I saw you.’ Nathanael answered Him, ‘Rabbi, You are the Son of God; You are the King of Israel’” (John 1:47–49).
Of all the apostles, Nathanael had one of the more interesting first encounters with Jesus. After Philip told him he had found the Messiah—“Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph”—Nathanael was skeptical. His dubious reply, “Can any good thing come out of Nazareth?” reflects his incredulity that the Messiah could come from such an insignificant town. Yet he followed Philip.
As he approached, “Jesus saw Nathanael coming to Him, and said of him, ‘Behold, an Israelite indeed, in whom there is no deceit!’” Jesus recognized that Nathanael’s blunt, honest reply revealed his lack of duplicity and his willingness to examine Jesus’ claims for himself. Nathanael was “an Israelite indeed”—he was a genuine, true disciple from the beginning.
Taken aback by Jesus’ omniscient recognition of him, Nathanael was also surprised by Jesus’ supernatural knowledge of information known only to him. Not only did Jesus supernaturally see Nathanael’s physical location, but He also saw into his heart (cf. Ps. 139:1–4).
Whatever happened under the fig tree, Jesus’ supernatural knowledge of it removed Nathanael’s doubt. Overwhelmed, he acknowledged Jesus as the long-awaited Messiah.
Just think—Jesus knows you every bit as intimately as He knew Nathanael. The same acknowledgement of Christ’s deity ought to be on your lips as well.
Ask Yourself
Is Jesus’ intimate knowledge of you a source of fear and anxiety, or is it rather a source of comfort and security? If you’re living in the first state of mind, try putting into words why anything that keeps you from the latter could possibly be worth it.