Friday, August 25, 2006 

Trust only God for your future

Today's word: Deuteronomy 18:9-14

9 When you enter the land the LORD your God is giving you, do not learn to imitate the detestable ways of the nations there. 10 Let no one be found among you who sacrifices his son or daughter in [a] the fire, who practices divination or sorcery, interprets omens, engages in witchcraft, 11 or casts spells, or who is a medium or spiritist or who consults the dead. 12 Anyone who does these things is detestable to the LORD, and because of these detestable practices the LORD your God will drive out those nations before you. 13 You must be blameless before the LORD your God.

How about you?
Do you read your horoscope or participate in fortune-telling activities? Although these may seem like harmless fun, God's Word clearly speaks against them. When you try to find out your future in these ways, you are showing God you don't trust Him.

To memorize: Psalm 84:12
O LORD Almighty,
blessed is the man who trusts in you

8:27 AM | |

Thursday, August 24, 2006 

Pay attention to God's word

Today's word: Psalm 119:33-40

33 Teach me, O LORD, to follow your decrees;
then I will keep them to the end.

34 Give me understanding, and I will keep your law
and obey it with all my heart.

35 Direct me in the path of your commands,
for there I find delight.

36 Turn my heart toward your statutes
and not toward selfish gain.

37 Turn my eyes away from worthless things;
preserve my life according to your word. [a]

38 Fulfill your promise to your servant,
so that you may be feared.

39 Take away the disgrace I dread,
for your laws are good.

40 How I long for your precepts!
Preserve my life in your righteousness.

How about you?
Do you sometimes stop listening when you hear parts of the Bible you tink you already know? Do you skim over some verses because you're familiar to you? Never take for granted that you know everything about any part of the Bible. Allow God to speak to you through His Word each time you read of hear it.

To memorize: 2 Timothy 2:15
Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a workman who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly handles the word of truth

11:42 AM | |

Saturday, August 19, 2006 

Keep your body pure

Today's word: 1 Corinthians 6:19-20

19Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; 20you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your body.

How about you?
Have you been asked by friends to do something you know is wrong? It may happen, and if it does, "just say no". If you're a Christian, your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit. Use it to glorify God.

To memorize: Proverbs 1:10
My son, if sinners entice you,
do not give in to them

8:54 AM | |

Thursday, August 17, 2006 

Don't make fun of others

Today's word: Genesis 1:26-27

26 Then God said, "Let us make man in our image, in our likeness, and let them rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air, over the livestock, over all the earth, [a] and over all the creatures that move along the ground."

27 So God created man in his own image,
in the image of God he created him;
male and female he created them.

How about you?
Are you guilty of making fun of God's creation? Not only do you hurt others when you laugh at them, but you laugh at their creator. God made man in His image. You wouldn't laugh at God, would you?

To memorize: Proverbs 17:5
He who mocks the poor reproaches his Maker;
He who is glad at calamity will not go unpunished

12:18 PM | |

Wednesday, August 16, 2006 

Jesus will be your friend

Today's word: John 15:9-15

9"As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Now remain in my love. 10If you obey my commands, you will remain in my love, just as I have obeyed my Father's commands and remain in his love. 11I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete. 12My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you. 13Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends. 14You are my friends if you do what I command. 15I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master's business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you.

How about you?
Are you sometimes lonely? Perhaps you've had an imaginary friend. That can be fun for a while, but it's only make-believe. Jesus wants to be your best friend. Have you asked Him to come into your heart? If not, do that today. Then you'll have a real friend with whom you may talk at any time. Even better, you'll meet Him face to face someday.

To memorize: John 15:15
I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you

11:02 AM | |

Tuesday, August 15, 2006 

Follow Jesus

Today's word: Ephesians 5:1-4

1Be imitators of God, therefore, as dearly loved children 2and live a life of love, just as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.

3But among you there must not be even a hint of sexual immorality, or of any kind of impurity, or of greed, because these are improper for God's holy people. 4Nor should there be obscenity, foolish talk or coarse joking, which are out of place, but rather thanksgiving.

How about you?
As a Christian, are you carefully following your leader? Do all your activities please the Lord? Are the places you go the kind of places He would feel comfortable? Are your close friends the kind of kids He would want you to spend a lot of time with? If not, you may find yourself in trouble. You are apt to fall into all kinds of sin. Don't get caught in such things. Follow Jesus.

To memorize: Ephesians 5:1
Be imitators of God, therefore, as dearly loved children

11:08 AM | |

Saturday, August 12, 2006 

Reflect Christ's love

Today's word: 1 Peter 2:21-24

21To this you were called, because Christ suffered for you, leaving you an example, that you should follow in his steps.
22"He committed no sin,
and no deceit was found in his mouth."[a] 23When they hurled their insults at him, he did not retaliate; when he suffered, he made no threats. Instead, he entrusted himself to him who judges justly. 24He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness; by his wounds you have been healed.

How about you?
Do you reflect Christ's love in your life when you talk with your friends or when you play? Or is your reflection of Him marred by mean and hateful actions? Yield to Christ each moment of the day so your life can be a true reflection of His love.

To memorize: 1 Peter 1:15
But just as he who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do

11:04 AM | |

Thursday, August 10, 2006 

God is in charge of storms

Today's word: Psalm 104:1-5

1 Praise the LORD, O my soul.
O LORD my God, you are very great;
you are clothed with splendor and majesty.

2 He wraps himself in light as with a garment;
he stretches out the heavens like a tent

3 and lays the beams of his upper chambers on their waters.
He makes the clouds his chariot
and rides on the wings of the wind.

4 He makes winds his messengers, [a]
flames of fire his servants.

5 He set the earth on its foundations;
it can never be moved.

Exodus 20:18-21
18 When the people saw the thunder and lightning and heard the trumpet and saw the mountain in smoke, they trembled with fear. They stayed at a distance 19 and said to Moses, "Speak to us yourself and we will listen. But do not have God speak to us or we will die."

20 Moses said to the people, "Do not be afraid. God has come to test you, so that the fear of God will be with you to keep you from sinning."

21 The people remained at a distance, while Moses approached the thick darkness where God was.

How about you?
Are you afraid of thunder and lightning? Many people of all ages and in all countries have been -and are- afraid of storms. But God is in the stormy darkness and the thunder and lightning just as He's in the sunshine. He'll take care of you. Talk with Him and tell Him about your fears. Praise Him for His care for you in storms.

To memorize: Exodus 20:21
Moses approached the thick darkness where God was

10:42 AM | |

Wednesday, August 09, 2006 

Love one another

Today's word: John 15:9-17

9"As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Now remain in my love. 10If you obey my commands, you will remain in my love, just as I have obeyed my Father's commands and remain in his love. 11I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete. 12My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you. 13Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends. 14You are my friends if you do what I command. 15I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master's business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you. 16You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you to go and bear fruit—fruit that will last. Then the Father will give you whatever you ask in my name. 17This is my command: Love each other.

How about you?
Has someone hurt you? God loves you and has graciously forgiven you. Will you love and forgive as He does? Be willing to overlook differences of opinion. Be telorant of different ways of thinking. Love others as God has commanded.

To memorize: 1 Peter 4:8
Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins

11:00 AM | |

Tuesday, August 08, 2006 

Be ready to witness

Today's word: Ephesians 6:14-20

14Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, 15and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. 16In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. 17Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. 18And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the saints.

19Pray also for me, that whenever I open my mouth, words may be given me so that I will fearlessly make known the mystery of the gospel, 20for which I am an ambassador in chains. Pray that I may declare it fearlessly, as I should.

How about you?
Are you ready at any time to tell others about Jesus- to be a witness for Him? That mean talking to someone about Him. It also means living in such a way that others can see that you belong to Him.

To memorize: Ephesians 6:14-15
Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, 15and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace.

10:49 AM | |

Monday, August 07, 2006 

Show love to your family

Today's word: 1 John 4:7-11

7Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God. 8Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love. 9This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son[a] into the world that we might live through him. 10This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for[b] our sins. 11Dear friends, since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another.

How about you?
Do your brothers or sisters know you care about them? Sometimes it's harder to get along with family members than with anyone else, but it's important that you do so. Ask the Lord to help you be a good testimony your family.

To memorize: 1 John 4:21
And he has given us this command: Whoever loves God must also love his brother

11:25 AM | |

Saturday, August 05, 2006 

Be a "Salty" Christian

Today's word: Colossians 4:2-6

2Devote yourselves to prayer, being watchful and thankful. 3And pray for us, too, that God may open a door for our message, so that we may proclaim the mystery of Christ, for which I am in chains. 4Pray that I may proclaim it clearly, as I should. 5Be wise in the way you act toward outsiders; make the most of every opportunity. 6Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone.

How about you?
Is you love Jesus, you can be "salty" in many ways, even in the songs you sing. Although some songs used by popular groups are all right, many are not. You can show your love for Jesus by not singing words that displease Him. Whenever possible, sing salty songs.

To memorize: Matthew 5:13
You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled by men

10:05 AM | |