Posts

LOVE: Out of a Pure Heart

Dear Ones, Today we explore the fruit of the Spirit by seeing how broadly love applies to our lives.  Here is truth stated by the Apostle Paul to Timothy. 1 Timothy 1:3-5 NIVAs I urged you when I went into Macedonia, stay there in Ephesus so that you may command certain people not to teach false doctrines any longer or to devote themselves to myths and endless genealogies. Such things promote controversial speculations rather than advancing God’s work– which is by faith. The goal of this command is love, which comes from a pure heart and a good conscience and…

Our Anointing

Brothers & Sisters, As we continue pressing in to explore Jesus’ teaching in John 13-16, we are also examining the work of the Holy Spirit in the life of Jesus on earth.  We read in Matthew 3:16-17 about the unique baptism of Jesus and find that The Father and The Spirit were present and active. Matthew 3:16-17 NIVAs soon as Jesus was baptized, he went up out of the water. At that moment heaven was opened, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and alighting on him. 17 And a voice from heaven said, “This is…

Two Gifts

Dear Friends, As we close our memory verses for this month let me celebrate with you. We are hiding God’s word in our hearts and God is pleased with us! 2 Thessalonians 2:16-17 NIVMay our Lord Jesus Christ himself and God our Father, who loved us and by his grace gave us eternal encouragement and good hope, encourage your hearts and strengthen you in every good deed and word. Paul mentions two gifts: encouragement and hope. God gives these by His free grace; we cannot earn them or buy them. They are free and exceedingly valuable! God has, in Christ,…

Stand Firm and Hold Fast

Dear Friends, Today we meditate on just one verse in 2 Thessalonians 2:15. 2 Thessalonians 2:15 NIVSo then, brothers and sisters, stand firm and hold fast to the teachings we passed on to you, whether by word of mouth or by letter. Paul uses twin metaphors to challenge us! We are to stand firm like a soldier on duty and to hold fast like a student in study. Both remind us we have no reason be lazy in this life while we await the return of our Lord Jesus. “Stand firm” is a verb found ten times in the New…

Blessed Future

This month of December 2025, we are memorizing 2 Thessalonians 2:13-17. Paul wrote this letter to healthy disciples, who were looking forward to the glorious return of our Lord Jesus Christ. We will see evidence of this theme in this prayer. 2 Thessalonians 2:13-17 NIVBut we ought always to thank God for you, brothers and sisters loved by the Lord, because God chose you as firstfruits to be saved through the sanctifying work of the Spirit and through belief in the truth. 14 He called you to this through our gospel, that you might share in the glory of our…

The Able One

We conclude our memory verses this month with Ephesians 3:20-21. Surely, we believe that our God is able! Ephesians 3:20-21 NIVNow to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen. Here, we find a comprehensive list of affirmations about God: When God glorifies Himself, we are blessed! We will be exalted in heaven and on the earth. Since this is true, let us pray that…

Fullness of God

We are memorizing a most magnificent prayer this month! So far we have observed the praying in  Ephesians 3:14-17a, which celebrates our unity in this forever family and our security in the One who indwells each of us! Today we will see the love that God has given to us! Ephesians 3:17b-19 NIVAnd I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, 18 may have power, together with all the Lord’s holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, 19 and to know this love that surpasses knowledge– that you…

Indwelt by God

Dear Brothers and Sisters, In Ephesians 3:14-15, we observed Paul on his knees praying to our Father for the entire forever family. What an exciting introduction to his prayer! Today we will see the security everyone in His family has in Christ. Ephesians 3:16-17a NIVI pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. Jesus Christ does dwell in our hearts by faith! This is a fact which begins the moment we trust in Jesus as our Savior He…

Great Unity

This November 2025, we are memorizing another prayer of Paul from Ephesians 3:14-21. This will be a powerful group of verses to memorize to inspire us to pray with greater faith in our God who is the Able One! Ephesians 3:14-15 NIVFor this reason I kneel before the Father, from whom every family in heaven and on earth derives its name. In Ephesians 3:7-13, Paul was celebrating the wonderous gift of salvation made available to all people. In verse 12, he pinpoints a great blessing for every believer. We can come to God in prayer for anything at any time!…

See the Hand

Dear Friends, “He does the most for God who is the highest skilled in prayer.”  E.M. Bounds Paul has prayed for the Ephesians to know God better, to embrace their hope and their inheritance in Christ. Now he seeks God to reveal His power to them! Ephesians 1:19-21 NIVand his incomparably great power for us who believe. That power is the same as the mighty strength he exerted when he raised Christ from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly realms, far above all rule and authority, power and dominion, and every name that is…

Co-Heirs with Him

Dear brothers and sisters in the one, true faith, Ephesians 1:18-19 NIVI pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in his holy people, and his incomparably great power for us who believe. It seems a little strange for Paul to say that our hearts have eyes! But the truth is that we are totally dependent on the Spirit of God to teach us. See 1 Corinthains 2:6-16. Paul wants them to know the hope, the inheritance, and…