Monday, 4/3/06 Character is a matter of doing what is right even if no one will know. God does not ask us to do what is right only when others will see it but actually He says not to do things just so that others might see you doing right. What does this mean to us? Should we do wrong when others are watching? Absolutely not! We should always do what is right but if we are ONLY doing what is right when others can see us then we are doing it for our own glory.

Tuesday, 4/4/06 The best test of character is those instances when the wrong action has become primarily the excepted norm. Do we do the right thing when there are no visible consequences or possibly even visible bonuses to doing the wrong thing? I find our driving habits are a good test of this. How many drivers disobey the traffic laws? I would be willing to estimate at least 75-80% and that may be a conservative estimate. Do you rationalize doing the wrong thing or do you choose the right thing even when others will persecute you for it?

Wednesday, 4/5/06 Does this mean we can never make a mistake. No, that's God's grace is so important. It's important that we make the attempt to do the right thing but we also realize that we make mistakes. This does not mean that we just shrug it off and keep doing the wrong thing.

Thursday, 4/6/06 Free will. God gives us the ability to make choices. Everything we do in life is a choice and we can either make it the right one or the wrong one. Some make statements like "I didn't have a choice" but we ALWAYS have a choice. God provides us with the guidance to make the right choice it's up to us to have faith in His guidance.

Friday, 4/7/06 I’m not humble; I just know I’m Nothing without Christ.
Monday, 4/10/06 Too many people do not understand Christanity, what Christ was teaching and what it means to be a Christian. And all too often even the people in the church do not understand. This is the greatest mistake we have made in the church. It has infected the church to the point that there are now "christians" that don't believe all of the Bible is true and abominations described by God are permitted maybe even celebrated within the church. It is not judgement to warn people that their actions go against Christ. I'm not telling them that they are condemned instead just reminding them that they are placing themselves in danger. Christ told us to remove the plank from our own eye first but THEN to help our brother remove the sliver from his eye.

Tuesday, 4/11/06 If you review the Gospels then you will notice that Christ is constantly stating not to be like the Pharisees and this is what the Pharisees do and how it is wrong. Christ would tell people that "their faith has healed them" but then he would say "go and sin no more". Faith in Christ is what saves us but that does not mean we just live a sin filled life.

Wednesday, 4/12/06 Are you living for this world or are you living for eternity?

Thursday, 4/13/06 The great commission is Christ's command that we go out and spread the Good News and leave everything else to God. But what is encompassed in spreading the Good News? Does that merely mean that we tell people that Jesus died so that they might have eternal life or is it something more? Which is the greater witness our words or our actions? What part of Christ's teachings are we NOT supposed to tell them? Obviously people look at our actions and if we aren't any different than them then what importance do they perceive in Christ. We have to spread all that God teaches us not just the parts that we think won't "scare" people away. Those are probably the portions that they most need to hear. That doesn't mean that we have to confront them with everything the first time they walk through the door but the message does have to be there.

Friday, 4/14/06 How can we say that we should protect animals, the environment, and the less fortunate while killing our children? Babies are the very ones that need the greatest protection and yet we make them throw away. It is human and it is alive! It can not turn into an animal, vegetable, or mineral. There are those that will kill their child regardless of the law but that does not mean we should make it legal. If someone chooses to do the wrong thing and put themselves in danger then I feel sorry for them but I don't want them killing someone else just to avoid the consequences of their actions.
Monday, 4/17/06 The Bible is God's autobiography. Some people argue that the Bible was written and compiled by men and therefore is flawed and corrupt. But God is all-powerful and as such has the ability to control what is included in the description of Him. Why would God allow lies to be spread in such a way that we take it as the Truth? We have to have faith that the Bible is true or else we will end up allowing everything as permissable.

Tuesday, 4/18/06 Often times people view God's commands as bondage, chains that weigh us down. But they are actually an expression of God's Love. Parents direct their children because they want to protect them from harm. In the same way God's directions are meant to protect us, to free us from the bondage of sin. It is an exhilarating experience when we leave those chains behind and start trusting God.

Wednesday, 4/19/06 Christ's teaching is often twisted to suit the point of view that people want to validate. People use Christ's statement to give unto Caesar what is Caesar's and give unto God what is God's to say that certain things should be seperated from God. Unfortunately, this ignores the context of the statement. The Pharisees were trying to get Jesus arrested by the Roman authorities and it was not God's timing so Christ was answering in such a way that the Romans could not find anything to hold him. The real question is; what is God's? The answer of course is that everything is God's so when we realize that then what Jesus was saying was that to give everything to God. Wow! So instead of trying to solve things ourselves and removing God from everywhere then we need to ask Him to show us the way.

Thursday, 4/20/06 When the world looks at you what do they see? Do they see a mirror image or do they see Christ?

Friday, 4/21/06 As followers of Christ we are told that we are aliens to this world and that just as the world hated Him so it will hate us also. If your life is focused on the same as the world and you fear of being different from others then how can you be an alien to this world? I'm not suggesting that we should be different just for the sake of being different but when we are following His guidance then we ARE going to be different. Our lives will be focused on things that the world does not value and when others look upon us then they will see Jesus.
Monday, 4/24/06 I truly believe that some of the greatest people are people we have never heard of. We are all sinners and we all fall short of the Glory of God but I believe God works through us to show His love for us. When we are letting God provide our guidance through life then we probably aren't doing things that will make us famous by the world's standards.

Tuesday, 4/25/06 The world measures success by money, power, popularity, physical appearance, etc. but God measures success by faith. When we have faith then we trust that God is all-powerful, all-knowing and that what He tells us is for the best. That by doing these things our life will be better.

Wednesday, 4/26/06 Christ said that it was easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle than a rich man to get into heaven. Does this mean that having wealth condemns you? Absolutely not, we are to be good stewards with what God gives us and this includes money. Also, David who God loved was wealthy. What Jesus was warning that we can't worship both money and God. If you can't be comfortable with what God provides then you having more money won't solve the problem.

Thursday, 4/27/06 Do you fear death? If you believe that Jesus Christ is your Lord and Savior and that He conquered death then what do you have to fear? We trust that God has a reason for us to be here so we listen to Him for guidance. We don't fear death but we also live our life based on living.

Friday, 4/28/06 I see You in the strength of the mighty oak
I see You in the lightning that precedes the storm

I hear You in the joyful cry of a child
I hear You in the silence of a secluded forest

I feel You in the wind upon my cheek
I feel You in a friend’s loving embrace

I know that You surround me and care for me
You pick me up when I fall and comfort me when I cry

I will choose the path that leads to You and
I will forsake earthly desires for a Heavenly eternity

I will come before You as a child
With Jesus leading me by the hand
You will place me in Your lap
And embrace me with Your loving arms