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“You did not choose me, but I chose you . . . ” John 15:16 NIV Remember elementary P.E.? When it was time to play kickball or dodgeball or softball, teams were formed by captains who chose players, one by one, collecting players back and forth, until everyone was on a team. Those who had the best skills were chosen first. Others (like me) who didn’t care for running or kicking or hitting were chosen last. If this vision brings back good or bad memories, I am about to reveal another true color of being a…
“We have also received an inheritance in Christ. We were destined by the plan of God, who accomplishes everything according to his design.” Ephesians 1:11 CEB Fall’s spectacular colors are beginning to show. The trees and bushes will no longer mask themselves with a healthy growing green. Food-producing time is over and now we witness the true colors of each living plant. As the foliage uncovers great beauty beneath, it’s a perfect time for us to reflect and unearth the true colors of our spirits; the true intentions of our Creator who has plans and purposes…
“And what do you benefit if you gain the whole world, but lose your own soul? Is anything worth more than your own soul?” Matthew 16:26 NLT Baby chicks can entertain in many unique ways. One spring in my first grade classroom a chick discovered a blue wood chip among the plain colored wood chips lining the brooder. The excited chick ran around holding the chip tightly in its beak like he had found the treasure of the century. The other chicks began chasing him for the coveted chip creating a squabble until I removed the…
“He said to Thomas, ‘Put your finger here; see my hands. Reach out your hand and put it into my side. Stop doubting and believe.” John 20: 27 Humans like to know what is going on. And they like to see it with their own eyes. When my husband and I got our first high-efficiency washing machine with auto-sensing water fill, we did not trust the machine to put enough water in the tub to wash the clothes well. We chose the deep-fill mode a few times. And even when we finally tried auto-sensing mode, we…
“For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.” John 3:16-17 NIV Generosity is a hallmark of God’s love. He is a God who gives and gives and gives over and over again. When God gave us his Son, his ultimate act of love displayed the power of his passion to break down every barrier that could possibly…
“As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you.” John 15:9 NIV As we continue to study God’s love, let’s remember that God’s love is a sea we never swim out of. Vast and wide, his love showers us in a constant stream of splendor. When we immerse ourselves in the truth of his love, a relationship flourishes; forming a bond to strengthen, to sustain, to satisfy. To refine something is to bring out the very best of its qualities. This week let’s look at the very best of God’s love through the lens…
“Love never fails.” 1 Corinthians 13:8 The first three gospels all contain the account of a lawyer who asks Jesus how to inherit eternal life and Jesus responds “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.” “You must love your neighbor as you love yourself.” Matthew 22:37, 39 Love is the key that opens every door. Love is the first step on every ladder. Love is what God made us to do, but our love cannot be fully…
“Faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance of what we do not see.” Hebrews 11:1(NIV) We visit the same story as last month, but examine a different question. The disciples are crossing a lake in a boat with Jesus who is taking a nap. A fierce storm comes upon the boat, tossing it from side to side and the men are afraid. When they awaken Jesus, he calms the storm and asks them, “Where is your faith?” Luke 8:25 He asks this question, not in an accusatory manner, but in a way that…
“Your Kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in Heaven.” Matthew 6:10 The words above are ones we repeat often collectively, especially if we attend church regularly. However, using these words in our everyday living as we pray for situations around us brings a power and focus to our prayers like no other. These words belong to the larger prayer known as the Lord’s Prayer, given to the disciples when they asked Jesus how to pray. With this power-filled phrase, Jesus invites us to bring God’s kingdom to our own lives here…
“I am the Resurrection and Life.” John 11:25 The middle of August is a good time to think back to the joy of Easter morning and resurrection! Resurrection translates from the Greek word anastasis which means “raising up” or “standing up again.” Resurrection brought Jesus back to us after a brutal death, fully restored and in a manner even better than before. Resurrection contrasts the dark, lifeless bonds of death with the vibrancy of new life and possibility! Before his death, Jesus gave a clearer picture of resurrection in John 12:23-24 (NIV). Now the time has…
Christian poetry on Christ Art
https://www.thewayback2ourselves.com/journal/notjustawaterfall
Janice Gibson was an elementary school teacher for 33 years and used Jesus Christ as a model for her interactions and instruction with students. She is also the author of Spiritually Fit: God’s Workout for You available on Westbow Press Amazon or Christianbook.
