Category Archives: Devotion

**The Gospel Reveals The Truth

¹² To whom it was revealed, that not unto themselves, but unto you, did they minister these things, which now have been announced unto you through them that ^[e]preached the gospel unto you ^[by the Holy Spirit sent forth from heaven; which things angels desire to look into.

1 Peter 1:12

**The Gospel Redeems Sinners

In whom we have our redemption, the forgiveness of our sins:

Colossians 1:14

**The Gospel Refines The Saints

For this is the will of God, even your sanctification, that ye abstain from fornication;

1 Thessalonians 4:3

And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose.   Romans 8:28

We are going to think about a wonderful verse today.  Romans 8:28 speaks to us in the good times and bad. We rely upon this assurance and through it we are reminded that God is always moving and working. Let us take a moment and dissect this verse in this post.

“And we know” It is a certain promise. We don’t have to guess and wonder about this promise. It is certain and sure.

“that God causes” It is a caused promise. God uses and works all things in our life to our ultimate good. The verse doesn’t say that God is the cause of evil or sin for we know He is not the author of such things. This scripture reminds us that God is able to turn evil for ultimate good.

“all things” It is a complete promise. God uses everything in our life to shape us, mold us, and conform us to the image of Christ. (Romans 8:29) God uses the good, the bad, the sweet, and the sorrowful to advance His cause in our life.

“to work together for good to those who love God” It is a conditional promise. Romans 8:28 is a guarantee for believers. It is not a general pledge to all mankind. It is ONLY for those who love God and those who are called to His purpose.

“to those who are called according to His purpose”  It is a consecrating promise. God is using all things to make us holy and sanctified. He calls us to be His witness (Acts 1:8) and His workmanship (Ephesians 2:10) so that we may fulfill His purposes.

Accomplishing God’s purpose for our lives brings true joy and peace. It is what we truly desire as Christians. As a result of this promise, let us commit to trust Christ, serve Him, and rely upon Him each and every day!

Tony French

**Love the Lord and Love Your Neighbor

²⁵ On one occasion an expert in the law stood up to test Jesus. “Teacher,” he asked, “what must I do to inherit eternal life?”²⁶ “What is written in the Law?” he replied. “How do you read it?”²⁷ He answered, “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind’^[c]; and, ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ ²⁸ “You have answered correctly,” Jesus replied. “Do this and you will live.”

Luke 10:25-28

**Pray Without Ceasing

¹⁷Pray continually.

1 Thessalonians 5:17

**Be At Peace

¹⁸ If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone. 

Romans 12:18

**Make Disciples

¹⁹ Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, ²⁰ and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”

Matthew 28:19-20

**Serve One Another

¹³ You, my brothers and sisters, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the flesh; rather, serve one another humbly in love.

Galatians 5:13

Be blessed this week!

Tony French

Let us give thanks for three aspects of God’s character and attributes as we live this day.

**God’s Greatness

For the Lord is great and greatly to be praised; He is also to be feared above all gods.

1 Chronicles 16:25

**God’s Goodness

For the Lord is good; His mercy is everlasting, And His truth endures to all generations.

Psalm 100:5

**God’s Grace

But He gives more grace. Therefore He says: “God resists the proud, But gives grace to the humble.”

James 4:6

Tony French

Every good thing given and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shifting shadow.  James 1:17

Every good gift, every perfect gift is from the Father. We are thankful for all that God does for us. Let us recollect a few of these wonderful gifts.

The gift of eternal life…………………..

“As Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up; so that whoever believes will in Him have eternal life. For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life.”

John 3:14-16

The gift of health…………………..

The LORD will give strength to His people; The LORD will bless His people with peace.

Psalm 29:11

The gift of His presence……………….

 “I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you.

John 14:18

The gift of His power………………….

But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be My witnesses both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and even to the remotest part of the earth.”

Acts 1:8

May God richly bless you today!

Tony French

Today, let’s talk about the three Ls of Christian growth. We find these principles scattered throughout the Bible. Let’s look at them for a few moments.

What is the first L?  It is listen. To grow in Christ one must learn to listen.  We must listen to God’s Word, listen for the promptings of the Spirit, and listen as God speaks through others. We love to talk, but, we would do much better if would learned to listen.

Psalm 34:1 Come, you children, listen to me; I will teach you the fear of the LORD.

Proverbs 12:15 The way of a fool is right in his own eyes, But a wise man is he who listens to counsel.

The second L is learn. Spiritual maturity requires us to learn more about Christ through the Scriptures. We are to be learning everyday of our lives. The growth we experience may arrive slowly. However, it will be steady if we are continually learning through the Bible, through the Church, and through the leadership of the Holy Spirit.

2 Timothy 2:15 Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.

The final L is love. To grow in Christ we must grow in love. There more we understand what Christ has done and who He is, the more we increase in love for Him. Jesus loved us more than we can ever understand (Romans 5:8-11).  Therefore, we should be continually flourishing in love day by day.

Matthew 22:37-40 Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself. On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.

Let us all make commitments this week to grow in the three Ls. May we master the art of listening. Let us seek to gain a greater grasp of the Word of God. And may the end result be a thriving love for God and for others.

Tony French

As children of the light let us……………………………………….

**Live Cautiously

This is a faithful saying, and these things I want you to affirm constantly, that those who have believed in God should be careful to maintain good works. These things are good and profitable to men.

Titus 3:8

**Live Compassionately

Matthew 22:38-40

**Live Consistently

**Live Confidently

 Being confident of this very thing, that He who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ

Philippians 1:6

Tony French