Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it….A good person produces good things from the treasury of a good heart, and an evil person produces evil things from the treasury of an evil heart. What you say and do flows from what is in your heart. (Proverbs 4:23; Luke 6:45) Input and Output I took …
The Best Optimism
I wait for the Lord, my whole being waits, and in His word I put my hope….Put your hope in the Lord, for with Him is unfailing love and full redemption. God Himself will redeem us from all our sins. (Psalm 130:5-8) Christian Optimism Jesus’ followers navigate through God’s world with Christ-centered thinking and living. We must go through many …
True Optimism in Christ
God says: I will put enmity between you (the serpent) and the woman, and between your offspring and hers; He will crush your head, and you will strike His heel….Christ’s reign (His kingly rule) will and must continue until every enemy has been conquered….And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love Him, …
Optimism in Jesus
The faithful love of the Lord never ends! His mercies never cease. Great is His faithfulness; His mercies begin afresh each morning. (Lamentations 3:22-23) By nature, some of us tend to focus on the hole instead of the doughnut. We might be labeled pessimists instead of optimists. But Scripture says: “Always be joyful. Never stop praying. Be thankful in all …
Naomi: Hero of Faith
Return to your God, observe kindness and justice, and wait for your God continually….Wait for the Lord; be strong and let your heart take courage; yes, wait for the Lord….Behold, as the eyes of servants look to the hand of their master, as the eyes of a maid to the hand of her mistress, so our eyes look to the …
Jesus-like Love (Part 6)
Love does not rejoice at wrongdoing, evil, or injustice, but rejoices with the truth….I was overjoyed to find some of you walking in the truth, just as the Father has commanded us….Love must be sincere. Hate what is evil; cling to what is good. (1 Cor 13:6; 2 John 4; Rom 12:9) Love was so important to Jesus that shortly …
Jesus-like Love (Part 5)
When you pray, say: Forgive us our sins, for we also forgive everyone who sins against us. And lead us not into temptation….For if you forgive other people when they sin against you, your Heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive others their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins. (Luke 11:2-4; Matthew 6:14-15) …
Jesus-like Love (Part 4)
A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another. (John 13:34-35) Coca Cola, Apple, IBM, FedEx, Nike, and McDonald’s all have famous logos. These trademarks make the products easily identifiable, even if we can’t …
Jesus-like Love (Part 3)
My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends. You are my friends if you do what I command. (John 15:12-14) Max Dunn (1922-2017) was a retired executive and a committed Christ-follower. I never met Max, but what I’ve read tells me …
Jesus-like Love (Part 2)
We love because He first loved us. Whoever claims to love God yet hates a brother or sister is a liar. For whoever does not love their brother and sister, whom they have seen, cannot love God, whom they have not seen. And He has given us this command: Anyone who loves God must also love their brother and sister. …