1 Peter 1:3-9Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His great mercy has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to obtain an inheritance which is imperishable and undefiled and will not fade away, reserved in heaven for you, who are protected by the power of God through faith for a salvation ready to be ...  Read More

Sanctification & Access to GodAt the moment of salvation, Jesus sanctified you with His blood by applying it to your life (Heb. 13:12). This means you were set apart as God’s child to live for Him from that time onward. The best way for me to describe sanctification is to compare it to a period that comes at the end of an event. You were saved, redeemed, justified, reconciled, and sanctified, peri...  Read More

Justification & ReconciliationThe Word of God alerts us that the wrath of God will rightly fall on sinful mankind (Rom. 5:8-10), but those who are justified by the blood of Christ will be saved from that dreadful punishment. Justification means that the Father accepts the death of His Son as full payment for our sin (Rom. 3:23-26). Jesus is a satisfactory substitute because He is the sinless Lamb ...  Read More

Matthew 21:1-11When they had approached Jerusalem and had come to Bethphage, at the Mount of Olives, then Jesus sent two disciples, saying to them, “Go into the village opposite you, and immediately you will find a donkey tied there and a colt with her; untie them and bring them to Me. "If anyone says anything to you, you shall say, 'The Lord has need of them,'and immediately he will send them.”  ...  Read More

Redemption & ForgivenessApart from the blood of Christ, no one can have a relationship with the heavenly Father. Because God is holy, our sin blocks any chance of connection with Him. But in love, He planned and initiated a course of reconciliation with fallen humanity. The blood of Jesus provides all that we need to draw near to the Father.To “redeem” means “to buy something back.” Jesus Christ c...  Read More

The Precious Blood of JesusWhen was the last time you heard a sermon or sang a song about the blood of Jesus? Some churches today find the concept antiquated or even gruesome. Songs that mention “the blood” have even been removed from hymnbooks. Yet without it, there’s no hope of a relationship with God, no assurance of salvation, and no confidence that our prayers are heard.Scripture never shies ...  Read More

Day 6Grace is the key to rest.Many Christian books and articles about rest have come out in the past few years. I think this is because our society has a collective felt-need for real rest. It is no secret that multi-tasking, extracurriculars, and productivity are king according to our culture. Doing more is rewarded in our workplaces and schools. In fact, even the foster care agency I worked with...  Read More

Day 5Grace is the foundation for growth.Part of my journey as an adoptive parent has involved going through lots of training on the effects of childhood trauma. One interesting thing that we learned early in our training is that children who feel safe and have a secure attachment to a trusted caregiver take more risks. Children who do not experience consistent, loving attachments quickly begin to ...  Read More

Nehemiah 3:-4Then Eliashib the high priest arose with his brothers the priests and built the Sheep Gate; they consecrated it and hung its doors. They consecrated the wall to the Tower of the Hundred and the Tower of Hananel.  Next to him the men of Jericho built, and next to them Zaccur the son of Imri built.  Now the sons of Hassenaah built the Fish Gate; they laid its beams and hung its doors wi...  Read More

Day 4Grace doesn’t “just” save you from death; it is effective in the here and now.I am a children’s ministry director and one of the themes that every curriculum nails into our children’s conscience is that Jesus is the source of eternal life. Being a Christian means you are saved from death and damnation by Jesus’ grace. That is true, and that is good news! But, because death is not the primary ...  Read More

Day 3You don't outgrow the need for Jesus' grace.Yesterday, I spoke to my pastor about two different Hebrew words the Bible uses for sin. One of the words means doing something wrong. The other word has to do with doing something wrong in the confines of a relationship, adding an element of betrayal to that same wrong deed.The story of the sinful woman in Luke 7 demonstrates that Jesus’ grace is g...  Read More

Day 2You don't deserve grace; that's the point.Some days, I don’t feel worthy of calling myself a mother, wife, or teacher-- let alone a Christian! I go through the day without opening my Bible, even though I know I should. I am short with my children or unforgiving towards my husband. I let my feelings justify actions that I know are not Christ-like. And as the cherry on top, on days like these, ...  Read More