Jesus reduced life’s significant priorities to just two: Loving God—with all your heart, soul, and mind—and loving others, as you already do love yourself (Matthew 22:36-38). Contrary to an avalanche of humanistic propaganda, there is no third commandment to “love yourself” in this key passage of Scripture. Perhaps surprisingly to some, our inherent “love of self” does not…
Friendships and families tend to fragment when the glue holding them together is feeling-based “love.” This type of “love” takes little effort and requires almost no attention, since it is self-oriented and dependent on others for personal gratification. In other words, feeling-oriented love is linked to what we believe others think about us, how others…
What is the purpose of life? This question has been asked for centuries. The Bible gives us a clear answer – Life is about relationship. From the book of Genesis through the book of Revelation, the Bible shares a relational message. This message is called the Gospel, or the Good News. When people understand the…
Illusion of Love Relationships Pornography is a worldwide business that entraps people in various ways and to differing degrees and, in the process, produces $100 billion annually. This financial inflow depends on millions of people succumbing to the three “me, myself, and I” temptations that are listed in 1 John 2:16: The above hooks of self-centeredness diabolically work together to…
Pornography is a worldwide business that entraps people in various ways and to differing degrees and, in the process, produces $100 billion annually. This financial inflow depends on millions of people succumbing to the three “me, myself, and I” temptations that are listed in 1 John 2:16: The above hooks of self-centeredness diabolically work together to lure pornography’s adherents into…
Excerpted from Joyful and Worry Free Joy overflows when Jesus is the center of your life. This joy is observable, as should be a companion characteristic noted in Philippians 4:5, “Let your reasonableness be known to everyone. The Lord is at hand” (ESV). Some translators say that Philippians 4:5 is one of the greatest translation challenges in Scripture.…
Loving a supposedly unlovable mate may seem impossible—and it is when we rely on our own strength. The impossible, however, becomes possible when the power of Christ’s love controls us. Jesus demonstrated the dimensions of God’s love while here on earth. Apart from supernatural power, none of us can display the consistent love that Jesus…
Forgiveness Forgiveness is at the heart of God’s message to you in His Word and in His Son. Take time to rest in God’s comfort and assurance as you review some of the matchless aspects of His forgiveness provided through Jesus Christ. Ephesians 1:7, In Him [Jesus] we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of…
God’s love is one of the characteristics of His very Being (God is love . . . 1 John 4:8). His love is obviously perfect and beyond our full comprehension in this life. Only when believers are in the presence of Jesus in the life to come will we be able to fully understand and…
Biblical Perspectives in Everyday Life Today I saw two wildly differing views of God’s involvement in our lives. One man, in a local newspaper, referred to God as “the guy that lives a bazillion miles away up in the sky.” The other viewpoint was displayed in a poem on a website that was sent to…