Today's Verse: For to be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace. ~Romans 8:6 Every believer has two natures. There is the old man, which represents our carnal, sinful nature. This nature lives to please its appetite and fleshly desires. The other nature is the new man in Christ, which is the Spirit life. The first is known as the carnal man. The second is known as the spiritual man. Paul describes the carnal mind, which only thinks about th

Today's Verse: For even hereunto were ye called: because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that ye should follow his steps: ~1 Peter 2:21 Has anyone ever said to you, “That’s a step in the right direction”? It’s a way of saying that you are headed on the right path, that you are making progress, and that you are going forward and not backwards. Our sinful nature tends to reject and go against what is right. When we decide to follow the Lord Jesus in every

Today's Verse: For this cause I Paul, the prisoner of Jesus Christ for you Gentiles, If ye have heard of the dispensation of the grace of God which is given me to you-ward: ~Ephesians 3:1-2 Have you ever been stuck in really bad traffic? This can be very frustrating and draining on your energy. Have you ever been stuck in a problem that made you feel bound and shackled with little certainty of getting out? Paul was in prison bound to two Roman soldiers. He referred to himse

Today's Verse: But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts: and be ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you with meekness and fear: ~1 Peter 3:15 Many times people have questions about the Bible and the Christian life. They might hear something said in the pastor’s message that they did not completely understand. In order to help someone get a good grasp on a subject, you allow them to ask questions. This enables them to o

Today's Verse: So being affectionately desirous of you, we were willing to have imparted unto you, not the gospel of God only, but also our own souls, because ye were dear unto us. ~1 Thessalonians 2:8 What are you passionate about? John Knox cried out, “Give me Scotland, or I die!” He was passionate about winning Scotland to Christ. Whatever you are passionate about, tell other people what is important to you. Whatever you are passionate about is what you give yourself to

Today's Verse: But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. ~Romans 5:8 Debt is a financial or moral obligation that we owe someone else. Debt is a liability. Debt offsets what we own. As a debtor, I am required to make sure my obligation is paid in full. When that obligation is paid off, I receive a notification from our creditor that the debt is paid in full. This morning, let us rejoice in the sin debt that has been paid in

Today's Verse: Rebuke not an elder, but intreat him as a father; and the younger men as brethren; The elder women as mothers; the younger as sisters, with all purity. ~1 Timothy 5:1-2 When I was growing up, my father, elders, and teachers in school placed a strong emphasis on respecting other people. The age we now live in has morphed into barbarism, crudeness, and disrespect. Sadly, we find disrespect in our Christian homes and even in our churches. Disrespect is an indicato

Today's Verse: Likewise, ye husbands, dwell with them according to knowledge, giving honour unto the wife, as unto the weaker vessel, and as being heirs together of the grace of life; that your prayers be not hindered. ~1 Peter 3:7 I recently read how UPS (United Parcel Service) handles an average of 20.1 million packages per day. This is substantially more than FedEx, which averages more than 16 million packages per day. A percentage of these shipped goods falls into a categ

Today's Verse: Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us, ~Ephesians 3:20 Paul referred to himself as the prisoner of Jesus Christ in Ephesians 3:1. He was a prisoner of Rome and used his time in prison to write to the church at Ephesus. The idea of being a prisoner presents someone who is held captive. It speaks of little to no liberty. It indicates that the prisoner is held by a power great

Today's Verse: For he is our peace, who hath made both one, and hath broken down the middle wall of partition between us; ~Ephesians 2:14 One of the great names of our Lord Jesus Christ is the Prince of Peace from Isaiah 9:6. As the Prince of Peace, He is the giver, sustainer, and complete authority for peace. Many noble men and women have lived their lives as activists for world peace. However, Jesus said, “In the world ye shall have tribulation.” Any kind of society or wo

Today's Verse: Therefore watch, and remember, that by the space of three years I ceased not to warn every one night and day with tears. ~Acts 20:31 Whenever we enter into a contract, purchase real estate, purchase insurance, incur a debt, or agree to a medical procedure, we want in writing the terms and conditions of what we are getting into. We want full disclosure of what are agreeing to, the risks, exclusions and limitations. We do not want any surprises after the fact, or

Today's Verse: There is no fear in love; but perfect love casteth out fear: because fear hath torment. He that feareth is not made perfect in love. ~1 John 4:18 When I was a toddler, my favorite book to have read to me was “Fraidy Cat.” I could identify with his character because I was so afraid of almost everything. Fear is the apprehension we have about a situation and the lack of courage to face it. Fear can be tortuous mentally and emotionally. We want to run and hide.

Today's Verse: On the morrow, as they went on their journey, and drew nigh unto the city, Peter went up upon the housetop to pray about the sixth hour: ~Acts 10:9 Every Christian believes in the importance of prayer. We know that prayer is a vital part of our fellowship with God. Jesus taught, “that men ought always to pray and not to faint.” Paul taught that “men should pray everywhere lifting up holy hands.” Prayer is the means by which the hand of God is moved to work

Today's Verse: He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches; To him that overcometh will I give to eat of the hidden manna, and will give him a white stone, and in the stone a new name written, which no man knoweth saving he that receiveth it. ~Revelation 2:17 Some people are collectors of stones. They collect stones that are colorful. They collect stones that date back to a different era. In some cases, they use these stones as decoration piece

Today's Verse: And he trembling and astonished said, Lord, what wilt thou have me to do? And the Lord said unto him, Arise, and go into the city, and it shall be told thee what thou must do. ~Acts 9:6 Have you ever been in a dark cavern or room where all you saw was pitch blackness? If you have, you know how eerie a feeling that is. You feel lost, blinded, unsure, and at a standstill. However, once you are able to see light again, you must act decisively. Saul (later Paul)

Today's Verse: So, as much as in me is, I am ready to preach the gospel to you that are at Rome also. ~Romans 1:15 Whenever a prosecutor prepares to take a criminal case to trial, he knows the importance of having witnesses who are credible and compelling. A compelling witness convincingly persuades the jury that what he saw and heard was real and unmistakable. When we apply this analogy to the witness of a Christian, we must ask ourselves, “Is my witness for Christ compellin

Today's Verse: First, I thank my God through Jesus Christ for you all, that your faith is spoken of throughout the whole world. ~Romans 1:8 Major corporations are driven by the quest to become a household name. There are established consumer brands, such as Coca-Cola and McDonald’s, which can be found in most countries of the world. Then, there are the tech giants such as Apple, Google, and Facebook, whose products and services have affected most areas of life. All of these

Today's Verse: Jesus saith unto them, Come and dine. And none of the disciples durst ask him, Who art thou? knowing that it was the Lord. ~John 21:12 It is a blessing and privilege when someone invites you to their home for a meal or a banquet celebration. The hosts go to great lengths in effort and expense to make this event something special and enjoyable. In our Western tradition of making invitations, the invited guest is asked to respond with an RSVP. This helps the ho

Today's Verse: By him therefore let us offer the sacrifice of praise to God continually, that is, the fruit of our lips giving thanks to his name. ~Hebrews 13:15 The idea of a sacrifice refers to something or someone being offered up without reservation. It conveys the idea of something being given up for a good purpose. When we study sacrifices in the Bible, we see that they are costly, consuming, and continuous. This morning, we are encouraged to make the sacrifice of pra

Today's Verse: Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see God. ~Matthew 5:8 A few years ago, I started to notice more floater activity in my right eye. I made an appointment with an ophthalmologist for a thorough eye exam and to make sure I did not have a detached retina or any other vision impairments. Thankfully, everything checked out well. Our vision and ability to see are important to us in everything we do. We want good visual acuity. We want to know that we ca