Blog Archives - Bible Inspired

Made Alive!

11/30/2019

"For as in Adam all die, so in Christ all will be made alive." -I Corinthians 15:22 (NIV)

We live our lives, but we may not be truly living. We may search for things that help us feel alive. Anything that we find on earth may temporarily make us "feel alive," but these feelings will pass. To truly feel alive, we need to find the eternal source of life!

Sin entered the world through Adam and Eve, but it still impacts us. When left to our own devices, we sin. No matter how hard we try, we cannot avoid sin in our lives. Continuing in sin leads us to death. However, God has a different plan for us. Through Jesus Christ we can be redeemed from our sin and be made alive now and for eternity!

Accept Jesus Christ and be made alive!

Prayer:
Dear God-
Thank You for forgiveness and life! Help me to live alive for You. Through Jesus I pray, amen.

Watchful

11/29/2019

"The Lord will keep you from all harm--He will watch over your life; the Lord will watch over your coming and going both now and forevermore." -Psalm 121:7-8 (NIV)

Whenever we are out, I keep a watchful eye on my daughter. I know that evil and danger lurk in the world and can even make its way into the church. I don't want her to be harmed, but I also know that I cannot be with her all of the time. Fortunately in our lives, we have a Heavenly Father that is always able to keep His eye on us!

God is always with us and always keeping a watch over us. He knows that evil and danger fill the world. He knows that we will be tempted. As we go about our lives, we need to stay connected to God. When we are connected to God, we can hear His guidance. We can then follow Him to safety, to the refuge that He provides for each and every one of us!

Stay connected to God, who is watchful and ready to keep you from harm!

Prayer:
Dear God-
Thank You for watching over me. Help me to always hear Your voice so I can follow You to safety. In Jesus' name I pray, amen.

Ups & Downs, but Thankful!

11/28/2019

"You have turned for me my mourning into dancing; You have loosed my sackcloth and clothed me with gladness, that my glory may sing Your praise and not be silent. O LORD my God, I will give thanks to You forever!" -Psalm 30:11-12 (ESV)

Thanksgiving offers a reminder that we should regularly take time to reflect and be thankful. Life has its ups and downs. Things may not always go our way. However, God will always be by our side, guiding us to a glorious end!

Whether we have mourned or danced or felt sorrow or gladness, we have reason to be thankful and to praise God! The greatest gifts from God are His love and Salvation through Jesus Christ. No matter what we have faced, are dealing with, or will contend with in the future, God will continue to love and redeem us. For all that He does, we should praise God for all of His blessings!

Praise God and give thanks for His love and Salvation!

Prayer:
Dear God-
Thank You for Your love and for saving me from sin. All praise and glory to You! In Jesus' name I pray, amen.

Just the Right Time!

11/27/2019

"You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly." -Romans 5:6 (NIV)

We may have experienced those perfect moments when everything just seems to fall into place. We may be at the right place at the right time or we may meet a person that helps us make the connection that fills a need or opens other doors. While we may want to do things on our schedule, we need to know that God knows just the right time!

God knows just what we need and exactly when we need it. We need to trust and have faith in God's plan. While we may attempt to schedule and plant, it is God that knows us best. He knew that our own planning and trying would not be enough to save us. He knows the limitations that we experience. In spite of our limitations and stubbornness, God knew we needed Jesus Christ, so He sent Him to die for our sin...at just the right time!

Believe in Jesus Christ and trust in God's perfect timing in Your life!

Prayer:
Dear God-
Thank You for sending Your Son to die for my sin. Help me to always trust in You and in Your timing in my life. Through Jesus, my Savior, I pray, amen.

No Separation!

11/26/2019

"For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord." -Romans 8:38-39 (ESV)

Poet and artist Khalil Gibran expressed that "love knows not its own depth until the hour of separation." Sometimes we fear losing people or the love and comfort they provide. Fortunately, we do not have to fear separation or losing God's love!

No matter what we do or where we go, we cannot be separated from God. God is with us through our highs and lows, even through life and death. Nothing in all of creation can keep us from God. We do not have to worry about experiencing separation from God. As long as we have accepted Jesus Christ and chosen to follow God, we can experience His full love and a closeness that will last for eternity!

Don't worry about being separated from God - nothing can separate you from God and His love!

Prayer:
Dear God-
Thank You for always being with me. Help me to sense Your presence close to me through all things! In Jesus' name I pray, amen.

Beginning, Patience, & End

11/25/2019

"Better is the end of a thing than its beginning, and the patient in spirit is better than the proud in spirit." -Ecclesiastes 7:8 (ESV)

There are tasks that seem daunting. When we stare down a challenge, we may be tempted to turn around and not take the first step in completing the task. Even though it may sometimes be hard to get started, we need to remember that the rewards at the end are worth the energy to get going!

A lot of times we would like to skip from the initial steps to the end result. Our busy lives may point us to the shortcuts or easy ways to get to the end as quickly as possible. Even though we may face these temptations, we need to remember to be patient, to learn the lessons that are in store as part of the journey. God has much to teach us. We need to be prepared for the beginning, patient during the journey, and thankful to God for His guidance and the rewards at the end!

Trust in God and take the first steps. Be patient in God's direction during the journey. Be thankful and praise God through it all and especially in the end!

Prayer:
Dear God-
Thank You for Your direction and for the motivation and guidance You provide. All praise to You! In Jesus' name I pray, amen.

Make the Impossible Possible!

11/24/2019

"Jesus looked at them and said, 'With man this is impossible, but not with God; all things are possible with God.'" -Mark 10:27 (NIV)

Nelson Mandela reminded us that, "It always seems impossible until it is done." When we look at the challenges around us, we may see many "impossible" things. Even if we don't know where to start, we don't need to worry. We just need to call on God!

Jesus said to us that nothing is impossible for God. No matter what we see in the world, God can overcome it. No matter what challenges we face in our personal or professional lives, God can overcome them. We just need to have faith. We need to call on God and trust that He will hear us. We can keep God in our hearts and minds and praise Him as He makes the impossible possible!

Pray to God and have faith that He will make the impossible possible!

Prayer:
Dear God-
Thank You for the blessings and miracles that You show. Help me overcome any and all challenges so I can serve You in this life and for eternity. In Jesus' name I pray, amen.

Continual Thanksgiving!

11/23/2019

"Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus." -I Thessalonians 5:16-18 (NIV)

We all know that life has its ups and downs. In spite of the highs and lows we experience, many of us join together once a year to give thanks. We spend time preparing for the celebration, but do we take enough time to be truly thankful?

God is great and He shows this to us in many different ways. As we prepare for the upcoming Thanksgiving holiday, we need to remember that we should be thankful throughout the year. We should rejoice. We should pray. We should give thanks. In all that we face and for all that we have, we need to be thankful for all of the blessings that God gives each of us!

Rejoice and give thanks for all of God's blessings!

Prayer:
Dear God-
Thank You for all of the blessings in my life. I rejoice in Your presence and praise You for Your power, grace, mercy, and love. In Jesus' name I pray, amen.

Uncompromising Peace

11/22/2019

"Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God." -Matthew 5:9 (ESV)

Many of us likely want to live in peace. However we cannot find peace simply by avoiding conflict. As I recently read, "If we avoid conflict to keep the peace, we start wars within ourselves." How can we find peace without starting wars within ourselves?

God calls us to live out His love. We are also reminded to be peacemakers. While we may not agree with the people or events around us, we need to find ways to get along. We do not have to compromise our values. Instead, we need to ask God to help us live in ways that show His love and promote an uncompromising peace that only He can provide!

Allow God to show you His love and to help you lead for peace!

Prayer:
Dear God-
Thank You for the peace and love that You bring to my life. Help me to show others the peace and love that You have to share. In Jesus' name I pray, amen.

Wicked Thoughts or Gracious Words?

11/21/2019

"The thoughts of the wicked are an abomination to the LORD, but gracious words are pure." -Proverbs 15:26 (ESV)

Our thoughts can have an impact on our actions - how we live our lives. When we are consumed with negative thoughts, we view our circumstances as worse than they really are. However, positive words can elevate our moods and, in turn, our approach to the situations in which we find ourselves. We have a choice in how we respond!

God is ready to help us with our thoughts and words. When we find ourselves being sucked into negative or wicked thoughts, we need to turn to God. We need to focus on His love, grace, and mercy. It is with God that we can move from wicked thoughts to gracious words. God will fill our hearts. He can change our minds. He can transform our lives and the situations of this world!

Move from wicked thoughts to gracious words through faith in God!

Prayer:
Dear God-
Thank You for Your transforming power in my life. Help me to allow You to work in my life. In Jesus' name I pray, amen.

Love & Truth!

11/20/2019

"What a person desires is unfailing love; better to be poor than a liar." -Proverbs 19:22 (NIV)

I recently read a quote that said, "Hurt me with the truth, but never comfort me with a lie." We often want to be loved, but we also want honesty and truth. When we interact with each other, we need to remember to be honest and to show love!

God will not comfort us with lies, but He will guide us with His love and truth. He shows us love in His Word and through His presence in our lives. He loves us more than we could imagine. When we are seeking love, we should seek God. When we are looking for truth and honesty, we should seek God. Our desires can be satisfied when we focus on God and the riches of His blessings!

Seek God to find love and truth!

Prayer:
Dear God-
Thank You for Your love and for the truth in my life. Help me to continually move closer to You and Your will. Through Jesus I pray, amen.

Overcome!

11/19/2019

"For everyone born of God overcomes the world. This is the victory that has overcome the world, even our faith." -I John 5:4 (NIV)

Helen Keller said that, "Although the world is full of suffering, it is also full of the overcoming of it." We know there is suffering in the world. We can try to overcome the ills of the world, but we cannot do it alone. We need support for victory!

If we want to overcome the evils of the world, we need to rely on God. God is the only one that can provide the power and protection to help us overcome. When we believe in and follow God, He will be active in our lives now and He will prepare us to spend eternity with Him. We can overcome this world and be welcomed into eternity with God!

Rely on God to overcome this world and join Him for eternity!

Prayer:
Dear God-
Thank You for helping me overcome the evils of this world. Allow me to hear and follow You so I can be prepared for eternity with You. Through Jesus I pray, amen.

Loopholes?

11/18/2019

"Do not add to what I command you and do not subtract from it, but keep the commands of the Lord your God that I give you." -Deuteronomy 4:2 (NIV)

There are times when we are faced with expectations that we may look for loopholes or shortcuts. If we are seeking an advantage, we may look to make the path of others a little more challenging. However, God is clear. We do not need to add or subtract from His teaching and expectations!

God presents His expectations to us. He outlines how we should live. God also provides a plan to help us accomplish these things. God sent His Son to die as a sacrifice for our sin. We are called to accept Jesus Christ as our Savior. The path to eternal life is as simple as that. There is no less that we can do and there is no more that others have to do. As long as we truly accept Jesus and follow God, God will forgive us and help us to meet His expectations!

There are no loopholes, accept Jesus and allow God to help you meet His expectations!

Prayer:
Dear God-
Thank You for Jesus and Your plan to help me meet Your expectations. Please forgive me and help me to live as You want me to live. In Jesus I pray, amen.

Keep an Eye On!

11/17/2019

"I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will counsel you with my eye upon you." -Psalm 32:8 (ESV)

I enjoy teaching my students. However, I also like to hear about their lives after leaving my classroom. I like to "keep an eye on" the things that my students become involved in, when they need help, and their accomplishments. God also wants to teach us and to hear from us throughout our lives!

God offers us many lessons through His Word, the experiences in our lives, and our communication with Him through prayer. We can learn these lessons, but we also need to put them into practice. As we act on what we have learned, we may experience trials and successes. No matter what, we should know that God is keeping an eye on us and we should keep in touch with Him. If we struggle, He will help us. If we succeed, He will celebrate with us. God is there for us, we just need to talk to Him!

God is teaching you and keeping an eye on you. Stay in touch with Him!

Prayer:
Dear God-
Thank You for all that You teach me and for keeping an eye on me. Help me to act on the lessons You have taught me and support me throughout my learning and my life. In Jesus' name I pray, amen.

Completely Forgiven!

11/16/2019

"Then I acknowledged my sin to you and did not cover up my iniquity. I said, 'I will confess my transgressions to the Lord.' And you forgave the guilt of my sin." -Psalm 32:5 (NIV)

There is a quote that says, "It takes a lot of courage to forgive someone, but it takes even more courage to ask for forgiveness." While it can sometimes be hard to admit that we're wrong or have done something that needs forgiveness, we need to have courage. "Covering up" what we have done will only make things worse. We need to ask for forgiveness so we can begin to heal!

Asking each other for forgiveness is one necessary part of healing. However, the most important ask is to Jesus Christ. We need to ask Him to forgive our sin and we need to have faith that He will! Once we ask for forgiveness, we can be reassured that He will forgive us and so much more. He will not just "cover up" our sin. He will redeem and restore us. He will guide us. He will heal us and help us to become a complete person!

Ask for Jesus for forgiveness and be completely forgiven!

Prayer:
Dear God-
Thank You for Your plan of forgiveness and redemption. Please forgive me and help me to forgive others. In Jesus' name I pray, amen.

Try & Change!

11/15/2019

"Righteousness exalts a nation, but sin condemns any people." -Proverbs 14:34 (NIV)

When we look at the problems around us, we may point to shortfalls in society or government. We need to take a look at the policies that influence and guide what our lives. We need to be willing to advocate for changing these policies to help us become better!

When we set out to be the best that we can be, we need to make God the center of our plans and goals. We can ask God for His help as we try to move away from sin and toward His righteousness. Through the redemption provided by God and with His guidance, we can change, becoming better and having deeper faith in Him!

Rely on God so you can change to become better and exalted!

Prayer:
Dear God-
Thank You for redeeming me and for helping me move away from sin. Help me to be always moving closer to You. In Jesus' name I pray, amen.

Love and Prayers

11/14/2019

"But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you." -Matthew 5:44 (NIV)

We all have difficult people in our lives. Some of those people may even consider us to be enemies. When we are faced with people that attack us or work against us, we need to remember love and prayers!

We are not called to attack, we are called to show love. In order to love our enemies, we need to know God and invite Him to fill us with His love so we can show it to others. We also need to continually talk to God, asking for His intervention and guidance. Through prayer, we can be filled with love for others - no matter who they are or what they do - and reassured by God's presence and power!

Go to God in prayer, allow Him to fill you with love, and know that He will protect you!

Prayer:
Dear God-
Thank You for listening to my prayers and showing me love. Help me to show others love and to trust in Your timing. Through Jesus I pray, amen.

Draw Near!

11/13/2019

"Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded." -James 4:8 (ESV)

I can remember my Grandma calling my cousins and me in for dinner and reminding us to wash our hands. She enjoyed cooking and having everyone around for dinner, but she also expected us to wash up and be ready. God is ready for us, too, but we have to be willing to "clean up"!

God calls us and wants us to be near to Him, but He cannot tolerate sin. The Good News is that God doesn't expect us to clean up all by ourselves. God wants us to be purified and He has provided a plan to help. Through the sacrifice of Jesus Christ, we can be cleansed and redeemed. We can then draw near to God and know that He is near to us!

"Clean up" by accepting Jesus and then draw near to God!

Prayer:
Dear God-
Thank You for redeeming me and for wanting to be near to me. Help me to follow Your plan so I can continue to be near You. In Jesus' name I pray, amen.

Find Goodness!

11/12/2019

"I say to the Lord, 'You are my Lord; apart from you I have no good thing.'" -Psalm 16:2 (NIV)

We can sit, listen, and even talk about the problems we see around us each day. We may have problems at home, problems at work, and problems in the world at large. We can be overwhelmed with negativity, but we do have a source of goodness in our lives!

When we feel down and out, overtaken by "problems," we can turn to God. It is in God and through Him that we can find goodness, feel love, and prepare to make a difference in the world. God can overcome all the problems we see and face. We just need to go to God, call on Him, and allow Him to help us find His goodness!

Find goodness by finding God!

Prayer:
Dear God-
Thank You for the goodness You provide. Help me to always turn to You for Your guidance and goodness. In Jesus' name I pray, amen.

Kind Words

11/11/2019

"Anxiety weighs down the heart, but a kind word cheers it up." -Proverbs 12:25 (NIV)

According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, anxiety and depression affect over 8% of children (ages 6-17 years). Schools have started to take notice of these statistics and discussions have started about what to do in classrooms and communities. While there are many factors that impact children and adults, we can begin with kind words as we lovingly work toward solutions.

Kind words are not the entire solution, but they represent a starting point. Kind words can demonstrate empathy and caring. Starting with God's love, we can open our hearts to others and show this love and kindness. We can get to know others. We can understand the troubles that may be weighing us down and how we can lift each other up. We can share the faith in God and how His Word can give us the direction we need to lighten our hearts, to be kind, and to bring cheer to ourselves and those around us!

Turn to God's Word and then offer kind words and His love to overcome anxiety!

Prayer:
Dear God-
Thank You for Your Word, love and guidance. Please lighten my heart, fill it with love, and help me to lighten others' hearts. In Jesus' name I pray, amen.

Do No Harm...Love!

11/10/2019

"Love does no harm to a neighbor. Therefore love is the fulfillment of the law." -Romans 13:10 (NIV)

John Wesley gave the advice to, "Do no harm. Do good. Stay in love with God." As we approach the people in our lives, we should consider how God calls us to live. We should be people of love!

God calls us to love our neighbors. The people in our lives may not always be the easiest to get along with. However, there are times when we may be difficult, too. In all situations, we should focus on love. By accepting and sharing God's love, we can be sure to do no harm and, in fact, can do good by helping others see the goodness and glory of God!

Do no harm by accepting God's love in your life and sharing it with others!

Prayer:
Dear God-
Thank You for the love that You have shown me. Help me to accept and show Your love. In Jesus' name I pray, amen.

Committed Ideas!

11/9/2019

"Commit your work to the Lord, and your plans will be established." -Proverbs 16:3 (ESV)

If you ask some people that know me, they could tell you that I have lots of ideas...maybe even too many ideas! We may have ideas, but these ideas won't be effective if we cannot translate them into action. To put our ideas into action, we need the proper support!

To go from ideas to action, we can find others to support and help us. However, the best support we can find is from God. When we commit our lives to following God, we can commit our hearts, minds, ideas, and work to Him. Being committed to God and asking for His support will allow our ideas to become plans and our plans to become actions that serve Him and others!

Commit your ideas and work to God and allow Him to bless your actions!

Prayer:
Dear God-
Thank You for blessing me and for offering Your support. Help my ideas, plans, and work to align with Your will and to serve You and those around me. Through Jesus I pray, amen.

Better Wisdom!

11/8/2019

"For the wisdom of this world is folly with God. For it is written, 'He catches the wise in their craftiness,' and again, 'The Lord knows the thoughts of the wise, that they are futile.'" -I Corinthians 3:19-20 (ESV)

We can become educated and we can become wise. We can seek new learning opportunities. We can become caught up in what we know and can do. However, our learning and skills are meaningless unless we can use them in the right ways!

Wisdom that we think we can find on our own or comes from this world will not stand the test of time. Only the wisdom that God provides will be true and lasting. When we learn from God and gain wisdom from Him, we can find purpose and see the benefits of our efforts. We can have better wisdom than what the world offers and we know that God will help our actions to be fruitful, not futile!

Have a better wisdom by gaining wisdom from God and not the world!

Prayer:
Dear God-
Thank You for the learning and wisdom that only You can provide. Help me to take action with this wisdom so I can be fruitful for Your Kingdom. Through Jesus I pray, amen.

Peace through it All!

11/7/2019

"Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ." -Romans 5:1 (ESV)

We all know that life is filled with ups and downs. There are times of turmoil and times of rest. Through everything that we face, we can find peace. We can have peace in the quiet times and we can have peace in the most challenging times. We only need to know where to find it!

We can find peace by keeping our faith in God. We can believe in His promises and trust in His power and grace. When we have faith and trust in God, we know that He will work things out in the end. He will redeem and restore us. He will give us peace and this peace will sustain us through the highs and lows of our lives. God's peace will last forever!

Have faith and find peace through God, no matter what you face in life.

Prayer:
Dear God-
Thank You for redeeming me, comforting me, and keeping me through all that I face in life. Help me find the peace that only You can offer. In Jesus' name I pray, amen.

Beyond the Little Things!

11/6/2019

"If then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth." -Colossians 3:1-2 (ESV)

A lot of times we get caught up on the little details. These little things can bog us down and keep us from reaching our full potential. When we feel ourselves getting caught up or brought down by these small things, we need to remember our greater purpose. We need to look to God above!

God has called us to be part of His family. We can look to God and set our hearts and minds on Him and then rest assured in His power. Living Christ-centered lives, we can look forward to God's support now and being with Him forever in eternity. As God's followers, we don't have to worry about the small things and we have God to help us focus on the big things to which He has called us!

Follow God and allow Him to take care of the little things so you can look forward to eternity with God!

Prayer:
Dear God-
Thank You for caring for me and for helping me move beyond the small details. Help me to always keep my eyes on the "big" things to which you have called me. In Jesus' name I pray, amen.