Posted in In The Word
Have you ever noticed how windows always appear clean on the outside? They appear clean until the sun shines through them and exposes all the smudges, smears and fingerprints. Our lives are like that. We appear clean until the Son shines through us and exposes all the smudges, smears and fingerprints (SIN) in our lives.
"But everything exposed by the light becomes visible,
for it is the light that makes everything visible."
~ Ephesians 5:13-14
The light, Jesus, exposes our sins. Unfortunately, sin brings death. The Bible says "For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God." ~ Romans 2:23. We all have sin in our lives. It is impossible for God to allow sin in heaven. The thing is, we cannot do anything to remove the sin in our lives no matter how hard we try. But there is a way to have eternal life and heaven.
"For God so loved the world that He gave his only begotten Son,
that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life."
~ John 3:16
God does not want us to perish. He wants us to have eternal life with Him, so He sent his only Son, Jesus, the spotless lamb, to pay the price for our sins. Receiving the gift of eternal life is as easy as A…B…C.
"A" is for Admit. You must admit to God that you are a sinner. You must be sorry for your sins and turn away (repent) from sinning.
♥ For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. ~ Romans 3:23
♥ For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. ~Romans 6:23
♥ Repent, then, and turn to God, so that your sins may be wiped out, that times of refreshing may come from the Lord. ~Acts 3:19
♥ If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness. ~ 1 John 1:9
"B" is for Believe. You must believe that Jesus is God’s Son and that God sent Jesus to pay the penalty for sin.
♥ For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life. ~ John
♥ Jesus answered, "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me." ~John 14:6
♥ But God demonstrates His own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us. ~ Romans 5:8
"C" is for Confess. You must confess your faith in Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord.
♥ That if you confess with your mouth, "Jesus is Lord," and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you confess and are saved…. for, "Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved." ~Romans 10:9-10,13
After you admit to God that you are a sinner, repent and turn from your sin, believe that Jesus is God’s Son sent to die to pay for the sins of the world, and confess your faith in Jesus, you are a Christian and know Jesus as your Savior. Admit! Believe! Confess!
Here is a sample prayer that will help you begin:
Dear God,
I know that I am a sinner, and that I need Your grace. Thank you for loving me enough to send your Son Jesus Christ into the world to die for my sins. I believe that He arose from the dead and that He lives today. I confess my sins to You now, and ask that You place Your Holy Spirit in my heart that I may turn away from my sins. I love You, I believe in You, and I want to have a personal relationship with You.
In Jesus’ name I pray, Amen.
Posted in In The Word
Are you looking for a daily devotional for your children? Then check out
Kids4Truth
The daily devotions can be read online or printed as a handout. They also have a link where you can listen to the daily devotion. This is great for kids who are not really good readers yet. Also featured are daily Descriptions of God, and Q & A's.
Now is a great time to get your kids started with daily devotions.
Posted in In The Word
"A shoot will spring forth from the stump of Jesse,
and a branch out of his roots."
Isaiah 11:1
Yesterday our family started the season of waiting...Advent. Here are some great links for devotionals that you can use with your family and tips for making your own Jesse Tree.
Jesse Tree Instructions - A short history of the Jesse Tree, ideas on how to create a tree and ornaments, and suggested Scripture verses for each ornament.
Jesse Tree Family Devotions: Advent 2007 - Short daily devotions to share with your family . This seems perfect for younger children. For older children we added more Scripture reading. Here are directions for making your own Jesse Tree. The symbols and patters are available to download here.
Making a Jesse Tree for younger children. Here are some more colorful symbols that would appeal to younger children.
Table of Scripture Readings for the Story - I like to add these additional scriptures to the daily devotions here.
Fridge Art - Coloring sheets that correspond with the four weeks of advent.
Posted in In The Word
This is an awesome song!
Call On Jesus
by Nicole C. Mullen
Verse 1:
I'm so very ordinary, nothing special on my own.
Oh, I have never walked on water,
And I have never calmed a storm.
Sometimes I'm hiding away from the madness around me
Like a child who's afraid of the dark
Chorus:
But when I call on Jesus,
All things are possible
I can mount on wings like eagles' and soar
When I call on Jesus,
Mountains are gonna fall
'Cause He'll move heaven and earth to come rescue me when I call
La la la la la, la la la la la
Verse 2:
Weary brother, broken daughter,
widowed, widowed lover, you're not alone
If you're tired and scared of the madness around you
If you can't find the strength to carry on
Chorus:
When you call on Jesus,
All things are possible
You can mount on wings like eagles' and soar
When you call on Jesus,
Mountains are gonna fall
'Cause He'll move heaven and earth to come rescue you when you--
Bridge:
Call Him in the mornin', in the afternoon time
Late in the evenin' He'll be there
When your heart is broken,
And you feel discouraged,
You can just remember that He said
He'll be there
Chorus (2x):
When I call on Jesus,
All things are possible
I can mount on wings like eagles' and soar
When I call on Jesus,
Mountains are gonna fall
'Cause He'll move heaven and earth to come rescue me (back to top first time, 2nd time finish with "when I call")
La la la la la, la la la la la, la la la la la-a-a
