Month: August 2025

In our journey of faith, we often encounter verses or passages from the Bible that seem to speak directly to our hearts. However, the true power of Scripture lies not just in isolated verses, but in understanding the full context of God’s message. Today, let’s explore why context matters and how it can deepen our understanding of God’s Word.

The Danger of Misinterpretation

It’s amusing, and sometimes concerning, how easily Bible verses can be taken out of context. For instance, did you know that the Bible says “there is no God”? Of course, this isn’t the full story. Psalm 14:1 actually states, “The fool has said in his heart, ‘There is no God.'” This example illustrates how drastically meaning can change when we cherry-pick parts of Scripture.

Another common misinterpretation occurs with 2 Chronicles 7:14, the well-known verse about God healing the land if His people humble themselves and pray. While it’s a powerful promise, it’s crucial to understand that this was originally addressed to the Jewish people facing exile. We can certainly draw inspiration from this verse, but we must also respect its original context.

The Importance of Gentle Instruction

In 2 Timothy 2:14, we’re reminded not to “fight about words.” How often do we find ourselves in heated debates over minor theological points or Bible translations? These arguments often lead to division rather than unity in the body of Christ.

Instead, we’re called to instruct others with gentleness. As 2 Timothy 2:25-26 states, “Opponents must be gently instructed, in the hope that God will grant them repentance leading them to a knowledge of the truth, and that they will come to their senses and escape from the trap of the devil, who has taken them captive to do his will.”

This gentle approach doesn’t mean we compromise on truth. Rather, it means we present the truth in love, understanding that it’s ultimately God who changes hearts and minds.

Growing in Spiritual Maturity

As we grow in our faith, we should be moving away from “youthful passions” and pursuing righteousness, faith, love, and peace. This isn’t about age, but about spiritual maturity. Whether you’ve been saved for one year or fifty, the goal is continual growth and sanctification.

We’re called to be “workers who do not need to be ashamed and who correctly handle the word of truth” (2 Timothy 2:15). This requires diligence and dedication to studying God’s Word in its full context.

The Pitfall of Pointless Arguments

How much time do we waste arguing about things that don’t ultimately matter for eternity? Whether it’s debating the color of the church carpet or arguing over minor doctrinal differences, these disputes often breed quarrels and division.

Instead, we should focus on what truly matters – pointing people to Jesus. Every conversation, every action should either be pushing people towards Christ or inadvertently pushing them away. We must choose wisely where we invest our energy and words.

Living Set Apart for God

When we decide to live fully for God, setting ourselves apart for His purposes, He honors that commitment. This doesn’t mean life will always be easy, but it does mean God will give us favor and use us in ways we might never expect.

This commitment to holiness isn’t about perfection – we’ll always be sinners this side of heaven. But as we grow in Christ, we should be becoming more like Him, putting away the “youthful passions” and pursuits that once defined us.

The Beauty of Unity in the Body

One of the saddest realities in church history is how often arguments and divisions have led to the formation of new denominations or churches. Instead of working through differences with love and patience, people often choose to separate.

But what if we approached disagreements differently? Imagine if we could voice our disagreements respectfully and then continue in unity, supporting the decisions made by the church body, even if we personally disagree.

This kind of unity doesn’t mean we never have differing opinions. It means we value the body of Christ more than our personal preferences. It means we trust that God is ultimately in control, even when decisions don’t go our way.

Applying These Truths

So how do we put these principles into practice?

1. Study the Bible in context. Don’t just read individual verses – read entire chapters and books to understand the full message.
2. Approach disagreements with gentleness and humility. Remember, the goal isn’t to win arguments but to point people to Christ.
3. Focus on what truly matters for eternity. Avoid getting caught up in pointless disputes that don’t further the Kingdom of God.
4. Commit to living set apart for God. Trust that as you pursue holiness, God will honor your commitment and use you for His purposes.
5. Value unity in the body of Christ. Work through differences with love and patience, always seeking to maintain the bond of peace.
6. Be willing to admit when you’re wrong. If you’ve misinterpreted or misapplied Scripture, have the humility to acknowledge it and learn from the experience.

As we navigate our faith journey, let’s commit to understanding and applying God’s Word in its full, rich context. Let’s approach others with gentleness and love, even in disagreement. And above all, let’s keep our focus on what truly matters – growing in Christ and helping others do the same.

May we be a people who are known not for our arguments or divisions, but for our love, our unity, and our faithful handling of God’s truth. As we do so, we’ll not only grow in our own faith but will also be powerful witnesses to a world desperately in need of the hope and truth found in Christ.

Luke 14 7–11 records a parable Jesus shared about a wedding feast. He observes how people jockey and compete to get the places of honor, for they will be seen, noticed, and honored there. Then, unexpectedly, He says the opposite:

“When thou art bidden of any man to a wedding, sit not down in the highest room; lest a more honourable man than thou be bidden of him… But when thou art bidden, go and sit down in the lowest room; that when he that bade thee cometh, he may say unto thee, Friend, go up higher: then shalt thou have worship in the presence of them that sit at meat with thee. For whosoever exalteth himself shall be abased; and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted.” (Luke 14:8, 10–11 KJV)

The Big Idea: Jesus is teaching us that the heart posture of the Kingdom of God is humility
Pretending to be humble to get promoted at work or at church later is not this. Humility is the natural outworking of the person who trusts God’s love and goodness for them and wants to put others first in all things.

The world around us teaches us the opposite. The systems of the world often elevate climbing and competing for the best. The one with the highest title, the fanciest office, or the most Instagram followers must be the best.
God’s Economy: Kingdom greatness is found by “laying down our crowns at the feet of Jesus.”

But in God’s Kingdom, the greatest are those who have exalted not themselves but lowered themselves in humble service to God and others.
Humility vs. Self-Promotion

We live in a culture that trains us to feel like we need to self-promote to be seen, to stand out, and to be successful. You hear this preached in the Church (loosely), at work, and even in some ministries.

Jesus is warning us that when we push and pull and self-promote for the seat of honor, we may be humbled and embarrassed instead of exalted. But when we choose humility, God Himself is the One who will lift us up in His time and in His way.

God Exalts the Humble
The principle is this: God opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble (James 4:6). When we empty ourselves and choose the “lowest seat,” we make room for God to fill us with His Spirit and to do the exalting.

Ask Yourself
Are we serving to be seen by others, or do we serve because we love God and are grateful?
Do we crave recognition and attention, or can we simply rest in God’s reasonable opinion of us?
Are we willing to take the lowest place and trust God’s timing to honor and lift us up?
Jesus, our Example
Jesus is the perfect example of this. We see in Philippians 2 7–9 that He humbled Himself and took on the form of a servant, becoming obedient all the way to death—even the death of the cross.
And so, because of His humility, God highly exalted Him.

At church: Choose to serve where no one else wants to. Count it a blessing. Find a place in ministry that most people would consider “behind the scenes.”
In your relationships: Be quick to yield, slow to speak, and slow to anger. Don’t have to have the last word or the best title.
In your heart: Surrender your pride and desire for recognition to God daily. Trust Him to honor you in His way and His time.

The “upper room” is not the way up in God’s Kingdom; rather, the way up is down. We lay down our crowns at the feet of Jesus, and He is the One who says, “Friend, go up higher.”

Day 1: The Gift of Grace Reading: Romans 5:12-21

Devotional: The pastor talked about how one man’s sin brought death to all of humanity. That convicted me because no matter how good I try to live, I am still a sinner. But God’s grace is so amazing! I need to meditate on that today. Where did I fall short yesterday? Where can I do better today? The good news is, Jesus paid the price for my sins. I just need to confess and turn away from those sins. Today, I need to make sure that I’m not trying to “earn” God’s love and grace. Salvation is Jesus plus nothing. I can live my life free to love and serve God, free to show others the grace God has shown me.

Day 2: Valuing Every Soul Reading: Luke 15:1-10

Devotional: The pastor talked about how Jesus’ payment on the cross was of equal value for every lost soul on the planet, saved and unsaved. God’s heart for every person is great. As I read this passage about the lost sheep and the lost coin, I need to meditate on this: Do I value every person like God does? Have I ever thought a person is not worth my time and effort to share the gospel? I can just ignore them. That’s not right. I need to ask God to give me his eyes to see the value of every person He created. Today, as I go about my day, I need to remember: EVERY PERSON MATTERS. I need to treat everyone as if they are a person Christ died for. Don’t let me miss any opportunities to let people know they matter to God.

Day 3: Living Out Your Faith Reading: James 2:14-26

Devotional: The sermon was on the fact that our good works don’t “pay the cost” for our salvation, but they are the expected result of our faith. The same theme is continued in James’ letter, in fact it makes it very clear that faith without works is dead. Today I need to be honest in my heart with God. Am I living out my faith? Is my faith showing any fruit of works? Is there something I am resisting to do that I should be doing? Maybe telling my testimony to someone. Maybe serving someone. We don’t do good works to “earn” our gift of salvation. We DO good works because of that gift. Today I need to ask God to help me do one tangible thing today as a result of my faith and gratitude for His gift to me.

Day 4: Overcoming Habitual Sin Reading: Romans 6:1-14

Devotional: The pastor talked about the danger of living in habitual sin. The problem is, old habits are hard to break. We’re all in a fight with sin, but Paul gives us hope in Romans 6. The verses to meditate on today are: 6:11 “Consider yourself dead to sin but alive to God in Christ Jesus!” and 6:14 “For sin will have no dominion over you, since you are not under law but under grace.” (ESV) As I read these passages I need to be honest. Are there areas in my life where I live in habitual sin? Probably. I am no longer a slave to sin. I am alive to God IN CHRIST JESUS. I am a new creation. So how do I “consider myself dead to sin but alive to God”? I need to come up with some practical applications today to help me break those sin habits. Maybe an accountability partner? Replacing the sin habit with a good habit? I don’t know. But I need to remember that Christ’s resurrection has the power to break me free from the bondage of sin.

Day 5: Restoration and New Beginnings Reading: 2 Corinthians 5:17-21

Devotional: The sermon was about God’s heart for restoration all the way back in the Garden of Eden. The passage for today also talks about restoration, new creation and new beginnings. The old has gone, the new has come! The old me is gone, the new me in Christ lives now. I need to meditate on that today. How has God restored me? Am I living like I’m restored? Am I living like a new creation? God didn’t just reconcile us to himself in Christ. He’s given us the ministry of reconciliation. God is in the business of reconciliation and He wants to use us to share His good news of reconciliation with the world. He’s given us the ministry of reconciliation. Are we doing it? God, help me be an ambassador for you today. Let me use this day to share with others the great message of reconciliation.

Why do we spend so much time earning love, acceptance, and salvation? The crazy thing is that as soon as we understand that God’s gift is better than our performance, we will spend less time trying to earn something that is freely given.

The two gifts, trespass (sin) came into the world through Adam, and grace came into the world through Jesus Christ are not the same. It’s a gift you have to choose to receive, but the good news is it changes everything!

Sinlessness

Adam chose himself over God. He took what was not his to take. He deliberately sinned. One sin condemned the world, and it all happened because he thought he could choose himself over God.

Gracelessness

Jesus did not do it for himself. The act that brought grace to the world was the very opposite of Adam’s act. Jesus died for us, knowing full well many would turn away from him.

Deathless

Jesus paid the price for every sin – past, present, and future – not only for those who would receive Him, but for every man and woman who ever lived or who will live, and will ever live.

Grace for all

God so loved the world, He gave.

The gift is not performance-based

We can’t earn it, we don’t deserve it and yet it is freely given to all who believe. That is justification – being right with God not because of our own righteousness but because of Christ’s righteousness imputed to us.

Add-on foolishness

Our foolishness is to try and add on to this amazing, completely finished work on the cross. We think somehow we can enhance God’s love for us with our good deeds, our church attendance, our tithe. And it does not work. In fact, anything we do to earn God’s approval, takes away from the gift.

Good works are good works

The tricky bit is works are good, they are essential. What we do with them is the issue. We do good not to earn God’s grace, we do good because we have already received it. We don’t love others because they love us; we love others because God first loved us.

Jesus gave you a perfect diamond

Would you go and glue sequins on it? No. You don’t need to do that. You just need to open your mouth and show it off. That is how we should receive the gift of righteousness we have been given through Christ.

Gracious people see people differently

No one is too far gone, no one is beyond the reach of God’s grace. The price has been paid for every man, woman and child whether they are from Kenya or South Africa, Iran or Iraq, rich or poor, whatever their background, their circumstance, their past or present sins.

The future drug addict, the woman who will become an abuser, the child who will turn into a thief, are all as valuable as the most stalwart believer. The good news is when they get to that place and no-one will get through life without these problems, they are still as valuable in God’s eyes as a “perfect Christian” .

Your task is to tell people the good news

The gift is available to all but how will they know if no-one tells them? We can’t expect people to work it out for themselves or osmosis their way into some sort of spiritual understanding. We need to speak. We need to open our mouths.

It is not to smash people over the head with the Bible, it is not to beat them with their sins. It is to love them. To love them as they are just as Christ loves us in our sin.

Hospital for sinners, not a country club for saints

This means the Church should be a hospital for sinners not a country club for saints. It is to create a space where people can come and belong before they believe. It is to reach out to a world that is broken and hurting and say to them, “welcome, you are home”.

Church for kids

Children in church, not in Sunday school watching their parents but worshipping with their parents. Children who see by example what it is to follow Jesus. It is to create a space in the church where kids belong and are safe and loved.

Grace isn’t about rules and regulations. Grace isn’t about how many or which programs or how we look. Grace is about the power of God to change us from the inside out and the impact that has on our lives and the world around us.

We are not called to charge hell with a sword. We are not even called to charge the gates of hell with a AK-47. We are called to charge the gates of hell with a water pistol because God can do anything with a water pistol in the hands of those who love him with all their hearts, with all their minds, with all their souls, and with all their strength.

Go in peace

As we go about our daily lives may we remember the great price that was paid on our behalf. Let the gift change how we see ourselves, let the gift change how we see others, and let the gift set us free to be crazy enough to share the good news, not with condemnation and judgment but with love and acceptance.

I cannot expect people to live a different way if I am not willing to live a different way. Let my life give testimony to the power of grace to transform. Let people look at me and say, “there’s something different about them, they’re not like other people.”

We live in a dark and sometimes a very hopeless world, but we have the ability to be the bearers of light and hope. Not because we are better than anyone else, not because we have it all together, but because we have received a gift that is better than all our works put together. We have received a gift that has the power to change everything.

The Gift is Given

The gift has been given. The price has been paid. Now it’s up to us to receive it, live in it, and share it with the world. Are you ready?

In a world that often feels chaotic and uncertain, it’s easy to lose sight of our true purpose and identity. But there’s a profound truth that can transform our perspective: we are deeply loved by God, even when we feel unlovable.

Imagine this: while we were still helpless, ungodly, and even enemies of God, Christ died for us. This act of sacrificial love is beyond comprehension. It’s like a soldier jumping on a grenade to save those who had been torturing him for months. That’s the kind of love God has for us – a love that defies human logic and surpasses our understanding.

But here’s where it gets even more incredible. Not only did God love us when we were at our worst, but He also adopted us as His children. We’ve gone from being enemies to being called sons and daughters of the living God. This isn’t just a nice sentiment; it’s a radical change in our identity and status.

Think about it: if you were a prince or princess, and your father was a king, you would be treated differently wherever you went. You would carry yourself with a certain dignity and authority. As children of God, we have an even higher status, yet too often we walk around defeated, acting like we’re still slaves to our old nature.

This transformation from enemy to child of God should revolutionize how we live. We’re no longer helpless or condemned. We’ve been reconciled to God through Jesus Christ, and now we have a new purpose: to help reconcile others to Him.

Our ministry, our calling, is one of restoration. We can’t save anyone ourselves – that’s God’s job. But we can introduce people to the One who can save them. We can be the ones who help others take one step closer to Jesus than they were before.

This calling plays out in everyday moments. When we’re at a restaurant, we can pray for our server and leave a generous tip, not to show off, but to demonstrate God’s love in a tangible way. We can look for opportunities in our daily interactions to plant seeds of faith, to put a “little stone in someone’s shoe” that might prompt them to think about God.

However, we need to be careful not to fall into the trap of hypocrisy. It’s not about being perfect or putting on a religious show. In fact, we’re cautioned against judging those who don’t know Christ. Remember, before we knew Jesus, we were living exactly as we were supposed to – separated from God. It’s not our job to condemn, but to love and point others to Christ.

This doesn’t mean we ignore sin or pretend it doesn’t matter. But our approach should be one of humility and grace, recognizing that we too were once lost. We don’t serve or share the gospel to make ourselves feel good or to earn brownie points with God. We serve because Jesus died for us and left us here with a purpose.

Now, here’s a challenging thought: are we living up to this calling? Are we faithful with what God has already given us? Sometimes we pray for more – more money, a better job, more influence – but we’re not stewarding well what we already have. God wants to bless us and use us more, but He’s looking for faithfulness in the small things first.

This ties into the concept of living “from victory to victory.” As believers, we’re not fighting for victory – Jesus has already won it for us. We’re fighting from a position of victory. The devil is a defeated foe, and while we can’t overcome him in our own strength, we can rebuke him in the name of Jesus.

So why do so many Christians live defeated lives? Often, it’s because we believe the lies of the enemy instead of standing firm in our identity in Christ. We need to remind ourselves daily of who we are in Jesus and the authority we have through Him.

To live out this calling effectively, we need to be people of prayer. Prayer is not just about asking God for things; it’s about aligning our hearts with His, seeking His will, and interceding for others. It’s through prayer that we gain the strength and wisdom to be effective ambassadors for Christ.

As we go about our days, let’s remember that our primary ministry is one of restoration. Every person we meet is an opportunity to demonstrate God’s love and help them take one step closer to Him. Whether it’s through a kind word, a generous act, or simply treating others with respect and dignity, we can be vessels of God’s reconciling love.

Let’s not forget where we came from and the incredible love that rescued us. And let’s not keep that love to ourselves. We have been reconciled to God – now it’s our turn to be agents of reconciliation in a world desperately in need of hope.

In the end, it’s not about how religious we appear or how many good deeds we do. It’s about living in the reality of God’s love for us and allowing that love to overflow to others. We are loved beyond measure, adopted into God’s family, and empowered to make a difference. Let’s live like we believe it.