“But the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control” (Galatians 5:22-23 NLT).

September 20, 2022

DO YOU BEAR THE FRUIT OF THE SPIRIT? The apostle Paul wrote to the Galatian church to teach them the difference between walking in the flesh and walking in the Spirit. The word “walking” was a Hebrew idiom for “living.” It is that which both motivates and marks one’s life. Paul taught that those who

“I will praise you as long as I live, lifting up my hands to you in prayer” (Psalms 63:4 NLT).

September 19, 2022

DAVID’S SWEET PSALM OF PRAYER AND PRAISE David made a commitment to praise and pray to the Lord all the days of his life. The superscription of this psalm states that David was in the wilderness of Judah when he wrote it. Many scholars believe it was written during the time he was hiding from

“Let all that I am wait quietly before God, for my hope is in him” (Psalms 62:5 NLT).

September 18, 2022

HOW DO WE LET ALL THAT WE ARE WAIT QUIETLY ON GOD? Do many distracting thoughts and conflicting opinions seem to be battling it out within your mind? You try to quiet them, so that you can hear the Lord, but the cacophony remains. What do you do? Ask the Lord to help you, so

“Trust in the Lord always, for the LORD God is the eternal Rock” (Isaiah 26:4 NLT).

September 17, 2022

TRUST IN THE LORD ALWAYS When all else fails, we tend to finally shift our trust to the Lord. Yet Isaiah calls us to a better way. Trust in the Lord “always.” Those who try to take a stand on sand soon discover it only seems to work on sunny days. As soon as clouds

“How foolish can you be? After starting your new lives in the Spirit, why are you now trying to become perfect by your own human effort?” (Galatians 3:3 NLT).

September 16, 2022

LIVING IN THE SPIRIT, NOT HUMAN EFFORT The apostle Paul warned the believers in Galatia not to foolishly give up their freedom in Christ to be entangled once again under a yoke of slavery to religious rule-keeping. For since we are saved by faith, we must live and walk by faith. Self-effort neither saves nor

“Yet we know that a person is made right with God by faith in Jesus Christ, not by obeying the law” (Galatians 2:16a NLT).

September 15, 2022

JUSTIFICATION BY FAITH IN CHRIST ALONE Justification is the doctrine that God pardons, accepts, and declares a sinner to be just, “made right with God,” on the basis of Christ’s righteousness. Justification is by grace through faith in Jesus Christ apart from any works of our own. Paul was concerned that the Christians at Galatia,

“I received my message from no human source, and no one taught me. Instead, I received it by direct revelation from Jesus Christ” (Galatians 1:12 NLT).

September 14, 2022

THE GOSPEL IS FROM CHRIST, NOT MAN  The apostle Paul wrote to the believers in the Galatian churches to explain where he had received his gospel message. He wanted them to know that he had received it by personal, “direct revelation” from the Lord Jesus Christ. In his letter to the Corinthians, Paul described his

“I will climb to the highest heavens and be like the Most High” (Isaiah 14:14 NLT).

September 13, 2022

DOES YOUR HEART SAY “I WILL” OR “THY WILL?” Lucifer, whose name meant “Morning Star,” was cast down from heaven because of his rebellious heart that said, “I will be like the Most High.” Being cast down, he sought to corrupt and kill those whom God had made in His own image by tempting them

“Out of the stump of David’s family will grow a shoot— yes, a new Branch bearing fruit from the old root” (Isaiah 11:1 NLT).

September 12, 2022

ISAIAH’S PROPHECY CONFIRMED IN CHRIST JESUS Isaiah prophesied God’s coming judgment on Israel and Judah. Yet, he also prophesied that though the tree of David’s throne would be chopped down, leaving only a “stump,” a “shoot” would grow out of it. This shoot would grow into a “new Branch,” which is Christ, the Son of

“For when I am weak, then I am strong” (2 Corinthians 12:10 NLT).

September 11, 2022

CHRIST’S STRENGTH IN MY WEAKNESS Paul told the Corinthians that he had learned to glory in his weaknesses, for it was in weakness that he had experienced the power of Christ at work in and through him. He had learned that real strength comes out of weakness which, distrustful of itself, gives itself up to