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Genesis 2:16-17 (NIV)  And the Lord God commanded the man, “You are free to eat from any tree in the garden; but you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for when you eat of it you will surely die.  Man was sovereign under a Sovereign, free to choose, but within the limitations imposed by God.  With the spirit they communed with God.  With the will they obeyed Him.  With the body they served…

Genesis 1:26a (NIV)  Then God said, “Let us make man in our image, in our likeness…”  The image of God in man consisted of several things.  First, a SPIRITUAL likeness of personality with: Intellect (Psalm 139:1-4), sensibility (Heb. 3:10); and will (Col. 4:12).  Second, the likeness of God is reflected in our MORAL likeness— “in righteousness and true holiness” (Eph. 4:24).  Third, we have a PHYSICAL likeness in that our physical form is made after the spiritual form of God…

Genesis 1:31 (NIV)  God saw all that He had made, and it was very good… The work of the Creator is perfect.  In each step of creation God sees that it is  “good,” perfect in its particular stage of development.  Each step fulfills its purpose and conforms to God’s plan.  Finally, when He completes His creative work, God sees that it is  “very good,” perfect in every detail.  This perfect work is a source of encouragement to the believer who…

Psalm 14:1 (NIV)  The fool says in his heart, “There is no God.”  The Bible makes no attempt to prove the existence of God.  Genesis 1:1 takes it for granted as a matter of course.  Natural science had its beginning on each of the  “six days”  of creation: Cosmic light/Physics (1:3-5); clouds/Meteorology (1:6-8); Plant life/Botany (1:9-13); sun, moon, stars/Astronomy (1:14-19); animal life/Zoology (1:20-25); and man (Anthropology (1:26-31).  It all came into being as a result of God’s powerful word: God…

Isaiah 53:6 (NIV)  All we, like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned to his own way; and the Lord has laid on Him (Christ) the iniquity of us all.  Genesis chronicles the failure of mankind under every condition provided by God: amid an ideal environment (Eden), under the rule of conscience (from the fall to the flood), and under Patriarchal rule (from Noah to Joseph).  Genesis points to redemption by blood and the salvation of man by…

Matthew 19:4 (NLT)  “Haven’t you read the Scriptures?”  Jesus replied….  As He taught, Jesus confirmed the authenticity and inspiration of Genesis (Matt. 19:4-6; 24:37-39).  It was not written as poetry or in a mythical style; it records history and fact—not fable.  Unlike other  “sacred”  books held by other faiths, our Bible is constructed throughout in a simple, perfectly intelligible, and well-sustained plan.  Its pages are  “inspired” (God-breathed).  Moses wrote Genesis during the forty years in the wilderness as he met…

Genesis 1:1 (NIV)  In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.  The word  “Genesis”  means  “beginning”  and so many beginnings are recorded here:  “the beginning of the revelation of God (1:1), the material universe (1:1;2:3), the human race (1:26-31); human sin (3:1-7); the revelation of redemption (3:21); the human family (4:1-15); a godless civilization (4:16; 6:7); the nations of the world (10: 1-32); the languages of the world (11:1-9); and the Hebrew race (11:10-50:26).  It is one of…

Genesis 1:1a (NIV)  In the beginning God…  What is the greatest revelation of Genesis 1?  “It is not the details of creation, as interesting as they may be.  Nor is it the description of man, although that is important.  It is, rather, that there is a God, and through Him all things came into being.  Genesis 1:1 is the answer to the atheist, who denies the existence of any god; to the animist, who lives in fear of spirits and…

Exodus 14:31   And when the Israelites saw the great power the Lord displayed against the Egyptians, the people feared the Lord and put their trust in him and in Moses his servant.  God’s victory over the Egyptians changed Israel’s attitude toward God and Moses, though only temporarily.  Many more lessons awaited them.  But this was the beginning of discovering a new paradigm—a return to the promises of their fathers and an opportunity to fulfill God’s call as a nation. …

Exodus 5:2 (NIV)   Pharaoh said, “Who is the Lord, that I should obey him and let Israel go?  I do not know the Lord and I will not let Israel go.”  Kingdom work is not easy.  Evil will not release its grip and seeks to find expression through people who yield to it.  God dealt severely with Pharaoh to answer his defiant question,  “to compel recognition of and submission to the sovereignty of God”  and as a universal testimony…

Exodus 4:2-4 (NIV) (vs. 3)   “Throw it down on the ground,” the Lord told him.  So Moses threw down the staff…”  God trained Moses in unquestioning obedience: throwing down the staff and picking it up again, putting his hand inside his cloak and taking it out again.  Miracles would be the norm for Moses and Israel.  God was training Moses to lead with  “instantaneous unquestioning obedience to the divine command …without paralyzing human rationalization (consequently causing modification or even…

Exodus 4:1-2 (NIV)   Moses answered, “What if they do not believe me or listen to me…Then the Lord said to him, “What is that in your hand?”  “A staff,” he replied. Moses’  credentials would not be a well-framed degree hanging on an office wall.  His credentials were  “the manifestation of the supernatural—the seal of his commission and the attestation of his divine accreditation.”  For Moses to lead well and exercise authority over others, he first had to submit himself…

Exodus 6:9 (NLT)   So Moses told the people of Israel what the Lord had said, but they refused to listen anymore.  They had become too discouraged by the brutality of their slavery.  Moses’  job included casting vision to people who were so overwhelmed by their circumstances that they couldn’t believe that life could ever be different.  Getting from a debilitating  “here”  to a marvelous  “there”  requires repeatedly casting the vision and assuring people that the  “there”  is worth all…

Exodus 3:10 (NLT)   (God to Moses) “Now go, for I am sending you to Pharaoh.  You must lead my people Israel out of Egypt.  T.D. Jakes says:  “We need a vision that is so big we have to be careful who we tell it to!”  Leaders see the  “God-thing”  out there on the horizon and inspire the people to walk toward it.  Leaders see more than the here and now.  They think deeply enough to move beyond the space…

Colossians 3:13b  …Forgive as the Lord forgave you.  No failure in a relationship has to permanently destroy that relationship if forgiveness is part of your life.  No failure is greater than God’s grace.  No hurt exists that God cannot heal.  The Church must be a conduit for repentance and forgiveness.  Marriage conflicts and disappointments are certain; but the issue is NOT the avoidance of conflicts but rather how we respond to them.  Are we willing to talk about it, offer…

I John 1:9 (NIV)  If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.  We live in a fallen world filled with imperfect people.  But God gives us a plan.  It starts with naming the sin—calling it what it is through confession.  We must be willing to admit our guilt, be truly sorry and willing to surrender our pride (no excuses).  We must be willing to change our…

Genesis 3:8 (NIV)  Then the man and his wife heard the sound of the Lord God as he was walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and they hid from the Lord God among the trees of the garden.   When Adam and Eve hid from God it was an attempt to cover their shame.  They made excuses for their behavior.  They blamed one another.  When they were expelled from the Garden, they no longer felt worthy…

James 5:16a (The Message)  Make this your common practice: Confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you can live together whole and healed… Sin harms relationships.  It disconnects relationships.  “Sin always splits the self (the soul) in some degree.  We become fractured people” (Dallas Willard).  We pick up the mask and begin pretending, begin protecting ourselves—and we let go of honesty and transparency in the process.  The first five commands in the Ten Commandments…

Romans 12:10 (NIV)  Be devoted to one another in brotherly love.  Honor one another above yourselves.  Businesses that make the most difference in this world allow space for connection.  Families that prioritize connection are the strongest: in the form of transparent conversations, in the form of honest living (no masks), and in the form of quality time spent together.  Do we recognize the importance of simply  “hanging out”  together with friends?  Do we make room in our busy lives for…

Genesis 2:18 (NLT)  Then the Lord God said, “It is not good for the man to be alone.  I will make a helper who is just right for him.”  We are hardwired to connect with God and others.  It is what gives purpose and meaning to our lives; and without it there is suffering.  Connection is why we are here: connection upward with God first, then connection outward to others (spouse, children, etc.)  Our connection to the Holy Spirit makes…

Philippians 1:28  Don’t be intimidated in any way by your enemies (NLT) …not flinching or dodging in the slightest before the opposition (The Message) …without being frightened in any way by those who oppose you (NIV).  No matter how well you represent the love of God there will be hateful people determined to discredit and destroy you.  Jesus warned us that if they persecuted Him they would do the same to us; but the Holy Spirit enables us to stand unflinchingly before…

Philippians 1:27 (NIV)  Whatever happens, conduct yourselves in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ.  As the Japanese army forced Darlene Deibler Rose and her fellow missionaries into trucks to be taken away to prisoner of war camps, Darlene heard the voice of her beloved missionary mentor calling to her.  They were the last words she would hear from him before he died in that camp:  “Remember, be a good soldier of Jesus Christ.”  Through every trial in that…

Philippians 1:20 (The Message)  I can hardly wait to continue on my course.  I don’t expect to be embarrassed in the least.  On the contrary, everything happening to me in this jail only serves to make Christ more accurately known, regardless of whether I live or die.  They didn’t shut me up; they gave me a pulpit!   “Paul had the unconquerable attitude of a giant in the faith.  Paul was certain of his deliverance—because the Philippians prayed, and because…

Philippians 1:14 (The Message)  Not only that, but most of the Christians here have become far more sure of themselves in the faith than ever, speaking out fearlessly about God, about the Messiah.  Paul did not complain about his imprisonment, but rather rejoiced because his jailing was resulting in many influential people in Rome coming to faith in Jesus Christ.  His hands and feet may have been chained, but the gospel was not restricted, so Paul rejoiced.  Are people inspired…

Philippians 1:9 (NIV)  And this is my prayer: that your love may abound more and more in knowledge and depth of insight.  The Apostle Paul cared deeply for the Philippian church, and he prayed for them to grow in love, which brings knowledge and discernment.  When we judge people without attempting to understand them (their pain, experiences, history) then our testimony falls on deaf ears.  If we want to understand people from a culture that is different from our own,…

Philippians 1:6 (NLT)  And I (Apostle Paul) am certain that God, who began the good work within you, will continue His work until it is finally finished on the day when Christ Jesus returns.  Great joy comes from knowing that, no matter what difficulties come our way, the Lord is at work within us grooming our hearts and leading us into spiritual growth and maturity despite it all.  Of course, our rate of growth depends on how we choose to…

John 7:40-53 (focus verse: 46) (NIV)  No one ever spoke the way this man does…  Opinions about Jesus were divided.  Even the temple guards were impressed by His words.  Most of those who were deeply religious were filled up with their own religious ideas and had no space for Jesus.  Nicodemus, however, took his questions to Jesus and found his way to faith in Christ.  Bring your questions.  Jesus has answers.  It is an ever-unfolding faith. 

John 8:31 (NIV)  To the Jews who had believed Him, Jesus said, “If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples.  Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”    How are you holding on to Jesus’  teaching?  Are you really His disciple?  Does God’s Word linger in your mind and heart?  Or is it in one ear and out the other?  Be doers of the word (James 1:22).  Just like it takes…

John 21:2-7, 16-17 (focus verse 17b) (NLT)  Jesus said (to Peter) “Then feed my sheep.”  We must not live in a post-resurrection world with a pre-resurrection faith.  It is one thing to have expectations of Jesus and quite another thing to understand His expectations of us.  Jesus was never in a hurry.  This thing called discipleship is a long walk in the same direction.  Some of the greatest lessons in life come not in the miracle moments, but in the journey…

Philippians 3:8-9 (KJV)  …that I may gain Christ and be found in Him, not having a righteousness of my own…but that which is through faith in Christ—the righteousness that comes from God and is by faith. As we grow in our faith our behavior increasingly becomes inseparably linked with righteousness.  We continue to have an  “old nature” (false self) that is  “altogether corrupt and vile, ever seeking to rise up and darken your sense of acceptance and of access to…