Posts in 31 Days of Prayer
recent posts
“I do not ask on behalf of these alone, but for those also who believe in Me through their word; that they may all be one; even as You, Father, are in Me and I in You, that they also may be in Us, so that the world may believe that You sent Me…” (John 17:20-23 NASB)
In verse 23, the Lord Jesus prays “…that they may be perfected in unity, so that the world may know that You sent Me…” Those who are unsaved will react to our message by what they hear us say and, more importantly, do. It is imperative that we show unity and love as Christians, if that is what we want to show others…
“A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this all men will know that you are My disciples, if you love one another.” (John 13:34-35 NIV84)
When someone learns that you are part of McLean Bible Church, what reaction usually follows? The most typical comment I hear notices our size — “Oh, you go to that huge church.” More to the point, what do we want people to notice, or better yet, what would Jesus want them to say? According to John, the distinguishing mark He wants men to notice is our love for one another. If we hope to impact the secular community around us with…
“For the Son of Man has come to seek and to save that which was lost.” (Luke 19:10 NASB)
Zacchaeus, though small in stature, was guaranteed to have a large quantity of enemies throughout Jericho. He was the chief tax collector, and had, no doubt, attained much of his wealth through questionable (if not criminal) activities. Zacchaeus climbed up the tree to catch a glimpse of Jesus, and surprisingly the Lord greeted him from the base of the sycamore tree. It would seem like an odd course of action for Christ to approach the biggest sinner in the city, share a meal with him, and ultimately extend an invitation for eternal life. You might ask, why is this the man…
“You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.” (Matthew 5:14-16 NIV84)
Have you ever been house hunting? Here’s one ad you might have missed: “House situated in hillside town with lovely pastoral views. This single room home will accommodate any size family with plenty of space for your cows and donkeys. It only takes one candle to light up the whole…
Therefore, accept one another, just as Christ also accepted us to the glory of God. (Romans 15:7 NASB)
Thirteen years ago, I walked into a church for Wednesday night youth group for the first time after several years of walking away from my faith. When I walked into the gym I immediately was overwhelmed. “What am I doing here?” I thought to myself. “There is no way they are going to understand what I’ve been through!” As I was turning around to leave I was nearly tackled by a man named Bob who immediately introduced me to several others and invited me to play basketball. Eventually I was discipled by that very same man who accepted me that night.
I often…
Be devoted to one another in brotherly love; give preference to one another in honor. (Romans 12:10 NASB)
Find parking. Smile at greeters. Grab a bulletin. Find a seat. Give a cordial greeting to the person next to you. Sing (or not). Listen to the sermon. Leave as soon as possible to beat traffic. Evaluate how “good” the service was. Back to real life.
This seems to be the weekly experience for so many of us who “go to church.” As for the people we interact with, we may pick up a few friends along the way but for the most part, our experience is often primarily a network of loosely connected, cordial relationships.
Most would agree that this isn’t the extent…
…and let us consider how to stimulate one another to love and good deeds, not forsaking our own assembling together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another; and all the more as you see the day drawing near. (Hebrews 10:24-25 NASB)
Throughout the New Testament, the Apostles give us some great examples of what Christ-like encouragement looks like. In the first chapter of Ephesians, we see the Apostle Paul exemplifying this type of encouragement by making it a priority to remind the church in Ephesus of Christ’s promise to work supernaturally through them by His power (v. 19), as well as praising them for the fruit in their lives that he was already seeing by way…