10/01/03 Galatians 6:7-8
Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows this he will also reap. For the one who sows to his own flesh will from the flesh reap corruption, but the one who sows to the Spirit will from the Spirit reap eternal life.
RESULTS
What I think each day matters. The actions I take as a result of what I think are critical. My entire life is made up of individual choices. Today I must choose to do the right thing. Jesus is returning soon.
10/02/03 Galatians 5: 19-22
Now the deeds of the flesh are evident, which are: immorality, impurity, sensuality, idolatry, sorcery, enmities, strife, jealousy, outbursts of anger, disputes, dissensions, factions, envying, drunkenness, carousing, and things like these, of which I forewarn you, just as I have forewarned you, that those who practice such things will not *inherit the kingdom of God. But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.
FRUIT
Christ must be in control of everything I do. I must spend enough time with Jesus so that I am prepared for every thing that will happen to me each day. The fruit of the Spirit is the result of a Christ centered life.
10/03/03 1 John 3:16-18
We know love by this, that He laid down His life for us; and we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren. But whoever has the world’s goods, and sees his brother in need and closes his heart against him, how does the love of God abide in him? Little children let us not love with word or with tongue, but in deed and truth.
SACRIFICE
Sodom and Gomorrah were condemned for their selfishness. If I hold on tightly to what the Lord has given me then I am acting selfish. Who I am and what I have is all from God. My life is to be a life of trust. I trust the Lord for what I need and God trusts me with what He gives me. I am my brother’s keeper.
10/04/03 Luke 6:35
Love your enemies, and do good, and lend, expecting nothing in return; and your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High; for He Himself is kind to ungrateful and evil men.
PEOPLE COUNT
People count. Jesus died for me and He died for each one of us. There are no specially favored children in the family of God. We are all the objects of God’s love.
10/05/03 John 15:13
Greater love has no one than this, that one *lay down his life for his friends.
SACRIFICE
Sacrifice involves giving. It will cost me. It will honor God. The world will call it ridiculous and will not understand. I will be blessed by every single sacrifice I make for Jesus. I will see a lost person saved, a friend encouraged, or maybe even a dismal situation brightened. When I sacrifice is when I am most like Jesus.
10/06/03 John 15:9-11
“I have loved you even as the Father has loved me. Remain in my love. When you obey me, you remain in my love, just as I obey my Father and remain in his love. I have told you this so that you will be filled with my joy. Yes, your joy will overflow!
OBEDIENCE
The Lord calls me to obey him so that I might enjoy His presence and peace. Jesus knows the future and He knows what is best for me. The Lord loves me and you.
10/07/03 John 16:20
Truly, truly, I say to you, that you will weep and lament, but the world will rejoice; you will grieve, but your grief will be turned into joy
JOY
The Lord loves me. This is for eternity. Whatever happens, whatever difficulty comes my way Jesus will not desert me. I belong to the Lord. I can share in His joy because the victory over death has been won.
10/08/03 Hebrews 12:2
[Let us fix] our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.
JESUS
If I make Jesus the focus of my life I will never be caught short. I will experience real life and be equipped daily to face life with courage and strength. When Jesus is in control the peace of God is present.
10/09/03 John 14:27
Peace I leave with you; My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Do not let your heart be troubled, nor let it be fearful.
COURAGE
Truth is the foundation of courage. If I know Jesus and understand His love for me I will have courage. I may not know the answer to the problems I face but I belong to the One who does know the answer. Jesus loves me and He will never leave me. I can count on that.
10/10/03 Hebrews 12:14-15
Try to live in peace with everyone, and seek to live a clean and holy life, for those who are not holy will not see the Lord. Look after each other so that none of you will miss out on the special favor of God. Watch out that no bitter root of unbelief rises up among you, for whenever it springs up, many are corrupted by its poison.
HOLINESS
The end result of time spent with Jesus will be my understanding of life and how Jesus would have me live it. When I live my life the way Jesus directs I will act like Jesus. Holiness is being like Jesus.
10/11/03 Philippians 4:6-7
Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
ANXIETY
The Lord is good. Every thought that the Lord Jesus has toward me is a thought for good. Jesus brings peace. When I trust Jesus and have his peace my life will become peaceful.
10/12/03 Ephesians 4:1-2
THEREFORE I, the prisoner of the Lord, implore you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling with which you have been called, with all humility and gentleness, with patience, showing tolerance for one another in love.
DAILY WALK
I am called to base my life on Jesus and not my circumstances. Circumstances change but Jesus never changes. The Lord is alive and lives in my heart.
10/13/03 Colossians 1:9
So we have continued praying for you ever since we first heard about you. We ask God to give you a complete understanding of what he wants to do in your lives, and we ask him to make you wise with spiritual wisdom.
PRAYER
We need to pray for each other. Our lives are fast paced and often full of obstacles. Prayer equips us for real life.
10/ 14/03 2Ti 1:13
Hold on to the pattern of right teaching you learned from me. And remember to live in the faith and love that you have in Christ Jesus.
LIFE
Life is a blessing from the Lord. Every breath I take every moment I live is another opportunity for me to be a blessing to someone. Life in Christ is a journey of opportunity.
10/ 15/03 2Ti 2:22
Run from anything that stimulates youthful lust. Follow anything that makes you want to do right. Pursue faith and love and peace, and enjoy the companionship of those who call on the Lord with pure hearts.
WISDOM
When I run away from evil I am listening to the Lord. Evil actions stimulate us through curiosity first. When we experience the evil we find ourselves seduced by its attraction. Run from evil or you may be overrun by evil.
10/ 16/03 Mt 22:39
A second is equally important: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’
LIFE
When I love someone I treat them with respect and honor. When things go wrong I give them the benefit of the doubt. I look out for those I love and I do for them. If I love my neighbor I will treat them like someone that counts. I count with God. My neighbor should count with me.
10/ 17/03 Lu 6:27
“But if you are willing to listen, I say, love your enemies. Do good to those who hate you.
LOVE
Love involves sacrifice and service. I must struggle with this statement; do good to those that by their actions do not deserve good. I serve those that the Lord loves. God loves people and people count. I will strive to pray for, be kind to and value even those that hate me. Lord help me to do this.
10/ 18/03 1Jo 4:7
Dear friends, let us continue to love one another, for love comes from God. Anyone who loves is born of God and knows God.
LOVE
Love is a natural response by God for man. I am to love those I come into contact with. I am to do them good and to care for them just like the Lord cares for me. I must focus my heart and my life on Jesus to do this.
10/ 19/03 1Jo 4:8
But anyone who does not love does not know God – for God is love.
LOVE
I cannot hate someone and love God. Hate and love are mutually exclusive. When I find myself feeling hate or acrimony towards someone I am wrong. It doesn’t matter why I have these feelings, I am just wrong. At that time I must immediately get before the Lord and confess my feelings and ask Jesus to change those feelings. Then I must be willing to change. God does not make deals so that I can stay in sin and serve Him.
10/ 20/03 1Th 5:8
But let us who live in the light think clearly, protected by the body armor of faith and love, and wearing as our helmet the confidence of our salvation.
SALVATION
Whatever else may happen to me, this I know, Jesus has saved me. The Lord said ask and He would save me. I asked and He did save me. I will sin and I will make mistakes but I can live the rest of my life with this confidence, Jesus loves me and has saved me forever.
10/ 21/03 1Thessalonians 5:12-13
Dear brothers and sisters, honor those who are your leaders in the Lord’s work. They work hard among you and warn you against all that is wrong. Think highly of them and give them your whole-hearted love because of their work. And remember to live peaceably with each other.
HONOR
Our Christian leaders are not perfect but they are striving to serve us and the Lord. Appreciate your pastor and encourage him. Be a blessing to those that labor before the Lord for you.
10/ 22/03 2 Timothy 1:7
For God has not given us a spirit of fear and timidity, but of power, love, and self-discipline.
SELF-DISCIPLINE
I need the Lord. If I am to grow in the Lord I must spend time with Him. I can organize my life to make the Lord first. I can do this because the Lord will give me the wisdom, and self-discipline to accomplish this. I can do all things through Christ.
10/ 23/03 2 Timothy 1:9
It is God who saved us and chose us to live a holy life. He did this not because we deserved it, but because that was his plan long before the world began – to show his love and kindness to us through Christ Jesus.
SALVATION
God cared for me. He saw my need and came looking for me. Christ is the source and substance of my salvation. I am saved by the grace of God and by His grace I will be with Him for eternity.
10/ 24/03 2 Timothy 3:2
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.
EVIL
Evil is always evil. There is no middle ground. When we start the process of bargaining with evil we have lost the fight to stand for right. Evil questions God and destroys us. There is nothing about evil that you or I can accept. Jesus forgives our sin but we are the ones that decide to do the right thing.
10/ 25/03 Titus 3:4
But then God our Savior showed us his kindness and love.
LOVE
God loves me. He knows all about me and still loves me. Christ came that I might have life. Jesus moved me from a life that is full of sin to a life that is led by the Holy Spirit. That life begins right now and continues into eternity. Jesus is Lord.
10/ 26/03 James 1:12
God blesses the people who patiently endure testing. Afterward they will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love him.
TESTING
Life is serious and passes too quickly. I know the Word of God; I know the requirements necessary for me to live a Godly life. Jesus will equip me to face the daily difficulties of life. If I will accept His power and put it to work in my life I will stand. If I purpose to go my own way and live by my own power I will fail. Love is an action. If I love the Lord I will do what He says.
10/27/03 1Timothy 1:14
Oh, how kind and gracious the Lord was! He filled me completely with faith and the love of Christ Jesus.
ADEQUACY
I do not feel adequate to properly love and serve the Lord. God has made provision for this. Salvation is not by works. God has graced us in Jesus Christ so that we might be totally adequate to build a relationship with Him. It is because of Jesus that I can declare that I love the Lord and He loves me.
10/28/03 1 Timothy 6:10
For the love of money is at the root of all kinds of evil. And some people, craving money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many sorrows.
HAPPINESS
Man’s way is always the wrong way. If I focus my life on external circumstances I will never succeed in the Christian life. God has all of the resources that I need to accomplish His plan for my life. If I measure everything by dollars and cents I will never be happy. If I measure everything by Jesus Christ I will have real joy.
10/29/03 1 Timothy 6:11
But you, Timothy, belong to God; so run from all these evil things, and follow what is right and good. Pursue a godly life, along with faith, love, perseverance, and gentleness.
OBEDIENCE
Run from evil. Actively fight the battle of faith. Be obedient to Jesus. Spend time with the Lord. Ignore the world and its constant clamor for things and position. Jesus is God’s everything and He is everything I need.
10/30/03 Ps 33:18
But the LORD watches over those who fear him, those who rely on his unfailing love.
OBEDIENCE
God loves obedience more than sacrifice. The Lord is not seeking to barter with me for the least that I can do to accomplish His will and work. God knows all things and He knows me. I can trust the Lord.
10/31/03 Ps 57:10
For your unfailing love is as high as the heavens. Your faithfulness reaches to the clouds.
FAITHFULNESS
God is faithful. Jesus will never leave me. His commitment to me is greater than I can think, see or comprehend. The Lord is faithful to me. He guarantees that His faithfulness will extend forever and ever and ever. God is faithful.
