This is the most wonderful news in the universe — that Jesus Christ, the Son of God, died for our sins and was raised from the dead three days later. Jesus was crucified and died to pay the penalty for our sins on Good Friday, almost 2,000 years ago. His body was placed in a tomb and a large stone was rolled to block the entrance to the tomb and soldiers guarded the tomb.
Three days later, on the day we celebrate as Easter Sunday, Christ rose from the dead! The soldiers shook for fear and ran,…
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Added by ladyhumble_Happy on April 12, 2009 at 11:19pm —
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Each week we are looking at one of 6 Keys to Christian Growth. The second key is being filled with the Holy Spirit.
Who is the Holy Spirit? The Holy Spirit is God — here on earth, in an invisible form. How can we be filled with the Holy Spirit? The Holy Spirit comes and lives in us when we accept Jesus Christ as our Savior and Lord. We can then ask God to fill us and control us and empower us with His Holy Spirit each and every day.
What difference does this make? Without God in your life in t…
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Added by ladyhumble_Happy on February 11, 2009 at 6:14am —
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How can I most effectively help others?
This is the final day in this series. If you have followed these studies to this point, you have begun to set in place a solid foundation for your life as a believer. My goal at the outset was to help you explore some basic truths and establish patterns of thinking about your spiritual life. It was to build momentum toward a future in which you are vitally related to Christ. I am deeply grateful if these goals have been met. In fact, little could give me…
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Added by ladyhumble_Happy on February 7, 2009 at 6:25am —
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What do I do next?
The other day I was in a meeting with a woman, now in her eightieth year. She is one of the most godly, mature Christians I have ever known. Yet at one point she said wistfully, "I'm no where near where I want to be in my prayer life." This was not false humility. This was the heart-cry of one who has gone deeply enough with the Lord to know there is so much more.
Such a realization should not discourage us, but rather serve as a strong motivator to pursue spiritual growth w…
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Added by ladyhumble_Happy on February 7, 2009 at 6:25am —
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Why is the cross Jesus endured so vital to me?
As we near the end of our studies, I want to encourage you to "live near the Cross." This means to live moment by moment in the reality of what Jesus provided for us through His sacrificial death.
When I first heard someone urging that I "live near the cross," it seemed strange. The Cross is where a terrible death took place. The Cross is where nearly everyone abandoned Jesus. Why would I want to live in such a place? The reason is that the Cross…
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Added by ladyhumble_Happy on February 7, 2009 at 6:24am —
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How do I get back up after I fall?
One of the most critical moments in the lives of believers is when they stumble. We're all vulnerable, and it happens to everyone at some point. We are going along, progressing in our Christian walk. We're getting to know God. We're adjusting our thought life. We're overcoming some bad habits. Then, boom! Without warning, we do something "really stupid." Maybe it's an outburst of rage at something, or someone, in unrestrained anger. Or, maybe just as we start…
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Added by ladyhumble_Happy on January 25, 2009 at 8:27pm —
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How can I serve God in my work?
Our primary "calling" is always to Christ. Os Guinness in The Call says, "First and foremost we are called to Someone (God), not to something (such as motherhood, politics, or teaching) or to somewhere (such as the inner city or Outer Mongolia)" (p. 31). However, we who are called to Christ are also "called" vocationally. God's plan for us includes our work.
There is a common idea in Christian circles that people cannot fully serve God unless they go into some k…
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Added by ladyhumble_Happy on January 25, 2009 at 8:22pm —
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How do I keep my focus on that which is lasting and most important?
It is hard for us, when we are studying for an exam, changing the baby's diaper or closing a business deal, to give much thought to eternity. Most of the time, our focus is on doing the next thing -- that which is right before us.
But King Solomon, to whom God gave great wisdom, said, "[God] has also set eternity in the hearts of men" (Ecclesiastes 3:11NIV). That is why, even in the press of the daily round, something deep wit…
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Added by ladyhumble_Happy on January 23, 2009 at 7:33am —
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Is my future safe in His hands?
As we grow in our relationship with the Lord we find we can trust Him for more and more. When Wendy and I were beginning our family, we spent long hours talking about what kind of world our children would encounter. (Probably every generation has had such concerns.) While we still wonder where this troubled world is headed, our confidence has grown that the future is safely in God's hands. More than just trusting Him in whatever happens, we trust Him for whatever…
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Added by ladyhumble_Happy on January 23, 2009 at 7:31am —
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How do I talk with my Father in heaven?
It is a wonderful privilege that we can talk with the Lord of all heaven and earth at any time of the day or night. And we can discuss any subject with Him. We don't need to use formal written prayers -- although if these are more comfortable for us, that's all right.
One day Jesus' disciples asked Him a key question: "Can You teach us how to pray?" They had observed how much time Jesus spent quietly talking with His heavenly Father. The prayer He sugges…
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Added by ladyhumble_Happy on January 21, 2009 at 8:33am —
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Who has God linked me with?
When people become followers of Jesus, their highest priority is to nurture their new relationship with the Lord. There can be no substitute for developing a personal one-to-One bond.
Even so, as we emphasized on Day 11, we aren't supposed to be isolated, but rather joined to other believers in a common pursuit to discover God and walk in His ways. It has been said that the two sections of the cross -- the vertical and the horizontal -- symbolically represent our dua…
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Added by ladyhumble_Happy on January 18, 2009 at 7:06am —
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What work does God want me to do?
The true nature of God is wonderfully revealed in the life and words of Jesus. He said, "If you had known Me, you would have known My Father also" (John 14:7).
In almost every other religious form or tradition, the "god" (or "gods") being worshiped is passive and abstract or merely a historical figure. In contrast, Jesus declared that the true God is alive, active and engaged. "My Father has been working until now, and I have been working" (John 5:17). God did…
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Added by ladyhumble_Happy on January 18, 2009 at 7:05am —
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Why does truth matter?
If we were given the opportunity to sit down with the Apostle Paul over a good cup of coffee, and if we were to ask him what energized him to press on, here's what I believe he would tell us: "I do what I do, and endure what I endure because ‘God, our Savior ... desires all men (every person on earth) to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth'" (1 Timothy 2:3,4).
We might then ask Paul to comment on the question that has haunted men and women through the ages…
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Added by ladyhumble_Happy on January 18, 2009 at 7:04am —
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How do I stay close to Jesus?
If I could, in the course of these 30 days, leave you with one burning desire, it would be this: To stay closely connected to Jesus. The term used in the Bible is "to abide" with Jesus, which means to remain united with, to stay intimately connected. (A quick note here: when it comes to "abiding" -- staying close to Jesus -- I am still a learner. It's an area where I, and most Christians, need to grow.)
Some will say the key to staying close to Jesus is to learn "…
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Added by ladyhumble_Happy on January 18, 2009 at 6:59am —
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How do I handle tough times and temptations?
Some people falsely think that when a person becomes a follower of Christ, he or she is immune to difficulty. This idea doesn't align with scripture or our experience. Jesus said, "In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world" (John 16:33NIV). I don't know one region of the world today where God's people are not beset by trouble (including severe persecution in some nations). Even though I've been a Christian for man…
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Added by ladyhumble_Happy on January 12, 2009 at 7:55am —
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Do I love myself?
Here is the "surprise" from yesterday's lesson: the reference point for loving others is our love for ourselves. "You shall love your neighbor as yourself" (Matthew 22:39).
How should we love ourselves? Jesus' concept of loving ourselves has nothing to do with the weary drone of today's pop psychology -- "feeling good about yourself" is all that counts. Marketers blatantly link "good feelings" with acquiring everything from pep pills to protruding biceps; fabulous manicures t…
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Added by ladyhumble_Happy on January 12, 2009 at 7:54am —
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How do I relate properly to others?
Just as God created us to be in close fellowship with Himself, He designed us to be tightly related to others. In that order! Our tendency is to focus on human relationships -- friends, family, co-workers, neighbors -- and make God an afterthought.
In the lesson on Day 6 we saw that loving God is our highest priority -- "the first and great commandment," according to Jesus (Matthew 22:38). Then He added, "And the second is like it: You shall love your neighb…
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Added by ladyhumble_Happy on January 12, 2009 at 7:54am —
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What does it mean to renew my mind?
Our scripture on Day 1 described the extent of change in our new life in Christ:
If anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold all things have become new (2 Corinthians 5:17).
"All things" includes our minds. The Lord has plans to renew our minds, along with everything else!
You may say, "I have a perfectly good mind. It has been well trained and highly educated. I can reason, and think clearly. I'm not in a fog. My mind…
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Added by ladyhumble_Happy on January 12, 2009 at 7:53am —
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How am I supposed to live the Christian life?
If we try to answer this question from a human perspective we will always gravitate toward a rules-orientation -- do this, don't do that -- implemented by self-will and human effort. This approach is destined to fail. It simply is not God's design.
The Apostle Peter said God has given us everything we need for life and godliness (see 2 Peter 1:3). The key to living the Christian life is to draw upon God's provision. One main way that provision come…
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Added by ladyhumble_Happy on January 8, 2009 at 2:24am —
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When will the good changes begin?
When we make any kind of significant change in our lives, the first 30 days are critical. Studies show it takes this long to shed an old habit, or establish a new one.
I mention this now to encourage you to press on with this study. Let the "habit" of studying God's word, His character and His ways become well rooted. In the remaining three weeks we'll consider several more topics that are essential to forming a firm spiritual foundation and walking out the ne…
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Added by ladyhumble_Happy on January 8, 2009 at 2:23am —
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