Loving Jesus Style

  Scripture: John 15:18-25 (NIV) 18  “If the world hates you, keep in mind that it hated me first. 19  If you belonged to the world, it would love you as its own. As it is, you do not belong to the world, but I have chosen you out of the world. That is why the world hates you. 20  Remember what I told you: ‘A servant is not greater than his master If they persecuted me, they will persecute you also. If they obeyed my teaching, they will obey yours also. 21  They will treat you this way because of my name, for they do not know the one who sent me. 22  If I had not come and spoken to them, they would not be guilty of sin; but now they have no excuse for their sin. 23  Whoever hates me hates my Father as well. 24  If I had not done among them the works no one else did, they would not be guilty of sin. As it is, they have seen, and yet they have hated both me and my Father. 25  But this is to fulfill what is written in their Law: ‘They hated...

  Scripture: Colossians 1:25-27 (NIV) I have become its servant by the commission God gave me to present to you the word of God in its fullness— 26  the mystery that has been kept hidden for ages and generations but is now disclosed to the Lord’s people. 27  To them God has chosen to make known among the Gentiles the glorious riches of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory. Devotion:             Here Paul introduces himself to the Colossians as one who has become a servant to them by God’s commission. Today, many Christian leaders no longer seek to be servants of God’s people but lords  over them. We have seen repeated failures of high-profile  Christians because of this very issue. Those who seek leadership roles must be servant leaders. Ready to lay down their very lives if necessary to protect the flock God has given them to watch over.       ...

Scripture: Titus 3:4-7 (NLT) 4  But—When God our Savior revealed his kindness and love, 5  he saved us, not because of the righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy. He washed away our sins, giving us a new birth and new life through the Holy Spirit. 6  He generously poured out the Spirit upon us through Jesus Christ our Savior. 7  Because of his grace he made us right in his sight and gave us confidence that we will inherit eternal life. Devotion:             Here are the words of Paul to his co-worker Titus. These words confirm the promises made throughout the New Testament. God loves us, so much that he gave his only to die for us that we might experience eternal life through him. Paul seems to make it a point to drive home the gospel wherever he preaches and to whomever he preaches to.             This promise of the forgiveness of ...

Scripture: Titus 2:11-14 (NIV) 11  For the grace of God has appeared that offers salvation to all people. 12  It teaches us to say “No” to ungodliness and worldly passions and to live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives in this present age, 13  while we wait for the blessed hope—the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ, 14  who gave himself for us to redeem us from all wickedness and to purify for himself a people that are his very own, eager to do what is good. Devotion             Today’s scripture is from the book of Titus. Titus is a tiny letter tucked in at the end of the letters of Paul. It barely gets any attention at all from the church. When was the last time you heard a sermon or sat through a Sunday school lesson on Titus? Yet, we find in Titus encouragement to live Christ based lives. It is worth spending a few days of our meditation to consider the hidden tre...

  Scripture: 1 Timothy 3:1-5 (NLT) You should know this, Timothy, that in the last days there will be very difficult times. 2  For people will love only themselves and their money. They will be boastful and proud, scoffing at God, disobedient to their parents, and ungrateful. They will consider nothing sacred. 3  They will be unloving and unforgiving; they will slander others and have no self-control. They will be cruel and hate what is good. 4  They will betray their friends, be reckless, be puffed up with pride, and love pleasure rather than God. 5  They will act religious, but they will reject the power that could make them godly. Stay away from people like that! Devotion:             Giving a grade to an entire culture is a difficult and perhaps a dangerous thing, but I will attempt it regardless. The main problem with attempting to give a culture such as ours a grade is that we are so diverse. T...

  Scripture: 2 Timothy 4:3-5 (NLT) 3  For a time is coming when people will no longer listen to sound and wholesome teaching. They will follow their own desires and will look for teachers who will tell them whatever their itching ears want to hear. 4  They will reject the truth and chase after myths. 5  But you should keep a clear mind in every situation. Don’t be afraid of suffering for the Lord. Work at telling others the Good News, and fully carry out the ministry God has given you. Devotion             What Paul claims as a future event “for a time is coming.” I declare to you is a present situation. Our world is going after false teachers and false ideas at an ever-increasing rate. Examples abound all around us. What I am saying here is not a complaint against the world in which we live. For we should expect them to go into deeper and deeper delusions as time goes by because they have no standard o...

  Scripture: 1 Thessalonians 4:11-12 (NIV) [M]ake it your ambition to lead a quiet life: You should mind your own business and work with your hands, just as we told you, 12  so that your daily life may win the respect of outsiders and so that you will not be dependent on anybody. Devotion:             This scripture goes against the grain of what the world teaches us these days. Today people are expected to make themselves as big a deal as possible. If you are not the center of attention, the life of the party, and the latest viral internet sensation your life may be deemed a failure by the world. The world is a cruel and fickle judge of character. One minute you are on top of the world then the next minute you are cancelled and thrown out of popular culture.             The Holy Spirit through Paul in these verses urges we that strive for the opposite of the...