I bear God’s image and have God-given purpose.
The remedy for a troubled heart is faith. The key is not the strength of that faith - that would just leave us troubled that our faith is not strong enough. No, the key is the object of our faith. See how you can calm your troubled heart by believing in Jesus: the way, the truth, and the life!
In the end, every king and every kingdom will fail until the perfect King comes. As we start the new year, find real hope in God, whose mercies are new every morning. And whatever the year brings - rise or fall - hope in the Perfect King.
Isaiah brings God's message of hope in this passage. He tells them that their trouble will turn to peace, their gloom will turn to joy, and their darkness will turn to light. Why? Because the Prince of Peace is coming. In troubled times, hope in the Prince of Peace.
In the book of Micah, things are looking hopeless for the people of Judah. God uses Micah to bring a prophecy about God's Eternal Ruler to be born in little Bethlehem that was meant to keep them hoping in God's promises rather than their circumstances. In dark times, we too can hope in God's Eternal Ruler.
God would come in the flesh as Immanuel (God with us) to fulfill His promises and save His people. Because God Himself fulfills His promises, hope is never lost. Do not be afraid, God-with-us will keep His promises.
In epic fashion, as the serpent, Adam, and Eve ruin God's perfect creation, God promises that there will One to come who will slay the Serpent. Hear this prophecy in Genesis and understand what it means to find victory in God's Serpent-Slayer.
As Jesus prepares His disciples for His departure, He tells them exactly what they are to do to show the world they are His followers. He tells them exactly what it looks like to be a Christian.
As much as we hate to admit it, like Judas we are betrayers. Each of us, knowing who Jesus is, has chosen to commit the very acts of sin that put Him on the cross. Yet He loves us. Come to the Savior who loves even those who betray Him.
Jesus shows the disciples His love and what He came to do - to get messy as He cleans up our filth. And He is showing them exactly what they need to do - humbly help others find cleansing in Jesus, too. In perfect love, Jesus cleanses our filth so we can humbly help others get clean too. Watch, rinse, and repeat.
Many who encountered Jesus, the light of the World, tried to ignore the truth through distractions - giving their attention to other things. In John 12:37-50, Jesus calls the crowds to believe in Him while there's still time. What is distracting you from Jesus? Believe in Him before the night falls.
Jesus explains his death is the most productive, worthwhile, and glorious thing he could do. Shockingly, he also teaches that Christians should follow his example. This passage calls us to consider why the glory of Jesus lifted up on the cross draws all people to believe and follow.
It's part of our culture to pursue feeling comfortable. When Jesus conquered death, He opened our eyes to the reality of eternity and taught that this life is for the next life. He taught that this present life on earth would be a challenge and that those who follow Him need to be prepared to be uncomfortable in this life, setting their hopes on the comfort promised in eternity.
If we aren't careful, we can begin to worship our expectations of God, rather than worshipping God for Who He is. We worship the blessings we expect, the joy He promised, or the forgiveness He offers. Consider what it means to worship the Savior-King for Who He is, and not based on our expectations of Him in John 12:12-19.
What if you were pulled in only one direction? As crazy as that sounds, that’s exactly how God designed us to live. When we understand that Jesus gave His life for us, it is the right response to live for Him - everything else in our lives flows from that and results in a life of extravagant worship.
We often live like Jesus died in order to make our lives more comfortable - and so we get upset with God when something uncomfortable happens. John 11 makes abundantly clear why Jesus died - to pay for our sins, and to offer us salvation by faith.
In the face of tragedy, Jesus is both loving and powerful. He is the Resurrection and the Life. As such, He is completely trustworthy through the tragedies of life and forevermore.
Jesus is asked whether He is truly the Savior the people are looking for and He answers that He is the only qualified Savior because He is God. We all need a hero. Trust in Jesus because His words and works declare His identity as Savior-God.
In John 10, Jesus makes it clear that abundant life can only be found in Him. He's the Good Shepherd, and we can only find abundant life in His flock.
When the pure light of the truth shines on our lives we must admit that we are wrong. In John 9, Jesus encounters two kinds of blindness. One man, willing to acknowledge his blindness, receives both physical and spiritual sight. Others, unwilling to admit their spiritual blindness, deny Jesus and remain in the dark. We must see we are blind in order to believe in Jesus the light.