Put Christ at the Center of Your Life

“Because of the Lord’s faithful love we do not perish, for His mercies never end. They are new every morning; great is Your faithfulness! I say: The LORD is my portion, therefore I will put my hope in Him.” Lamentations 3:22-24, HCSB What do you do when you are...

“We plan the way we want to live, but only God makes us able to live it.” Proverbs 16:9, MSG God gives you the freedom to make plans, but it is only through God’s power and grace that you succeed. God equips you to  succeed in everything He calls you to do. God’s...

“A man who refuses to admit his mistakes can never be successful.” Proverbs 28:13, TLB In America, failure is almost the unpardonable sin and we idolize success. That kind of pressure creates major stress on people. It can cause you to be indecisive, a workaholic, and...

“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here.” 2 Corinthians 5:17, NIV Can a butterfly go back into a cocoon after it’s come out? Of course not! Once the caterpillar becomes a butterfly, it is what it is - a...

“We know the love that God has for us, and we trust that love...because God’s perfect love drives out fear.” 1 John 4:16, 18 NCV People who are afraid to give their lives fully to God generally give one of three reasons: They are afraid they will lose their freedom,...

“You fathers - if your children ask for a fish, do you give them a snake instead? Or if they ask for an egg, do you give them a scorpion? Of course not! So, if you sinful people know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Heavenly Father give...

“Stay alert and be persistent in your prayers.”Ephesians 6:18, NLT Why should you be persistent in your prayers, even when you don’t get an answer? Persistent prayers focus your attention. When you pray over and over, it’s not to remind God. It’s to remind you that...

“Don’t be afraid, Paul, for you will surely stand trial before Ceasar! What’s more, God in His goodness has granted safety to everyone sailing with you.”Acts 27:24, NLT Sometimes a setback is rooted in your own actions. You made a mistake or hurt another person. Maybe...

“Now choose life...that you may love the Lord your God, listen to his voice, and hold fast to him.”Deuteronomy 30:19-20, NIV God’s love for you is great, but he doesn’t force you to love him back.  It’s a choice: You either love God or thumb your nose at him and go a...

“It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm...You were running a good race. Who cut in on you to keep you from obeying the truth?” Galatians 5:1,7 NIV  Do you remember how you felt when you first became a  Christian? You felt a deep sense of joy and...

“It is by grace you have been saved, through faith - and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God - not by works, so that no one can boast.” Ephesians 2:8-9, NIV Your deepest need is salvation from sin because sin is what separates you from God and eternal...

“God opposes everyone who is proud, but he is kind to everyone who is humble. Surrender to God!”James 4:6-7, CEV Does this sound familiar? You make plans without consulting God. You think you can do a better job without involving the Creator of the universe. You...

“Anyone who intends to come with me has to let me lead. You’re not in the driver’s seat; I am.”Matthew 16:24 The Message You need to put Jesus in the “driver’s seat” of your life and let Him lead your every decision. Here’s what many of us do: we let him into the...

“Encourage one another and build each other up.”1 Thessalonians 5:11, NIV Encouragers are a rare commodity because we live in a negative culture. It’s easy to be critical or spread gossip in order to tear someone down. Yet God calls us to do the exact opposite. He...

“It is better to be satisfied with what you have than to be always wanting something else.”Ecclesiastes 6:9, GNT The first step in becoming a content person is to stop comparing your life to everyone else’s. You also must learn to admire without needing to acquire....

“Trust in the Lord with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding. Seek his will in all you do, and he will show you which path to take. Don’t be impressed with your own wisdom. Instead, fear the LORD and turn away from evil.” Proverbs 3:5-7, NLT Have...

“My God will supply every need of yours according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus.” Philippians 4:19 ESV Where do you put your security? Putting your trust in your bank account, your job, or your investments is a recipe for heartache, because you can lose all...

“Fill your minds with those things that are good and that deserve praise: things that are true, noble, right, pure, lovely, honorable.” Philippians 4:8 What do you fill your mind with? The more you think about something, the more it takes a hold of you. And when you...

“Dear Martha, you are worried and upset over all these details! There is only one thing worth being concerned about. Mary has discovered it, and it will not be taken away from her.” Luke 10:41-42 NLT Just because something is good doesn’t always mean it is best. Do...

“God shows how to distinguish right from wrong, how to find the right decision every time.” Proverbs 2:9, TLB The way to discover the truth is to start with God, for He embodies truth. What is right and wrong is determined by the character of God Himself. Dishonesty...

“Let’s not get tired of doing what is good. At just the right time we will reap a harvest of blessing if we don’t give up.” Galatians 6:9, NLT You’re going to walk through different seasons in life and some of them will be difficult. The Bible says, “There is a time...

“No matter what I say, what I believe, and what I do, I’m bankrupt without love.” 1 Corinthians 13:3, The Message A life without love is wasted. You need to receive God’s love so that it overflows and allows you to love others. You need God’s love because you aren’t...

“[Moses] regarded disgrace for the sake of Christ as of greater value than the treasures of Egypt, because he was looking ahead to his reward.” Hebrews 11:26, NIV Everyone lives by a set of values. If your values are based on circumstances, events, and other people,...

“Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing.” Luke 23:34, NIV Forgiveness may be the most misused, misapplied, and misunderstood quality in our culture. There are a multitude of myths about forgiveness. Here are just a few: forgiveness must be...

“All of you should be of one mind. Sympathize with each other. Love each other as brothers and sisters. Be tenderhearted, and keep a humble attitude.” 1 Peter 3:8, NIV In order to live in harmony with your spouse, your friends, or anybody else, you must have empathy....

“When a fool is annoyed, he quickly lets it be known. Smart people will ignore an insult.”Proverbs 12:16, GNT Some people are so frustrating; they will send you to your knees in prayer. We all get frustrated by different things: a slow driver, a friend who never...

“Jesus told him, ‘Go and do likewise.’” Luke 10:37, NIV Love is often inconvenient. If you want to serve like Jesus, be open to interruptions. This means holding on to your schedule with a loose grip. This may be difficult for you! For some people, just the thought...

“God does speak - sometimes one way and sometimes another - even though people may not understand it.” Job 33:14, NCV Do you know how to tune into God’s voice? God speaks through the Bible; His will is found in His Word. It shows you the right steps to take, which is...

“All the believers were together and had everything in common. They sold property and possessions to give to anyone who had need.” Acts 2:44-45, NIV No one sacrificed like the people in the early church. These early Christians didn’t just give their money. They were...

“In the morning, LORD, you hear my voice; in the morning I lay my requests before you and wait expectantly.”               Psalm 5:3, NIV When you ask God for help, you can wait with expectation. You pray to a God who honors His promises. He is a good Father who...

“If you abide in My word, you are My disciples indeed. And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.”  John 8:31-32, NKJV Nothing changes lives like the Bible. People struggling with addiction find sobriety, the broken find healing, the hopeless...

“About three o’clock in the morning Jesus cam toward them, walking on the water.”Mark 6:48, NLT Jesus wanted to go off by Himself to pray, so He sent the disciples ahead of Him in the boat to cross the lake. It wasn’t long before they were engulfed by a storm and...

“For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the Heavenly realms.” Ephesians 6:12, NIV There is more to the world than what you can see...

“It was faith that made Moses leave Egypt without being afraid of the king’s anger. As though he saw the invisible God, he refused to turn back.”Hebrews 11:27, GNT Do you ever feel lazy? Sometimes we just want to lie on the couch and be entertained. We don’t feel like...

“’Be quiet!’ Many of the people yelled at him. But he only shouted louder, ‘Son of David, have mercy on me!’ When Jesus heard him, he stopped and said, ‘Tell him to come here.’”Mark 10:48-49, NLT Fear can paralyze your potential, prevent you from reaching out for...

“Jesus asked him, ‘What do you want me to do for you?’ The blind man answered, ‘Teacher, I want to see.’” Mark 10:51, NCV After Bartimaeus chose faith over fear, Jesus asked him an important question, “What do you want me to do for you?” Why do you think Jesus asked...

“He does not punish us for all our sins; He does not deal harshly with us, as we deserve. He has removed our sins as far from us as the east is from the west.” Psalm 103:10, 12 NLT God gives you what you need, not what you deserve. We deserve judgement for our sins...

“This left Jacob all alone in the camp, and a man came and wrestled with him until the dawn began to break. When the man saw that he would not win the match, He touched Jacob’s hip and wrenched it out of socket.” Genesis 32:24-25, NLT For many people, wanting to be in...

“Many Samaritans from the village believed in Jesus because the woman had said, ‘He told me everything I ever did!’”    John 4:39, NLT What excuses have you been making to avoid being used by God? It doesn’t take years of following Jesus to do what God put you on...

“He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted.” Luke 4:18, NKJV Have you ever had a broken heart?  Doctors today say a broken heart is a medical reality with measurable physical effects. After experiencing stress or trauma, some of the hormones released by the brain...

“I want you to trust me in your times of trouble, so I can rescue you and you can give me glory.”Psalm 50:15, TLB When you are in trouble, where do you put your trust? Maybe you are continuing on your skills, money, friends, or power to get you through the trouble....