October 2024 - Page 4 of 4

“How Are We Controlled by the Holy Spirit?” October 4

Oct 4, 2024

After explaining who we are in Christ for three chapters, Paul begins chapter 4 of Ephesians by saying, “I, therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you to walk worthy of the calling with which you were called.” Because of everything Christ has done for you, I’m begging you to walk worthy of that calling. Or to say it another way, he gives us a snapshot of what a Spirit-controlled life should look like. We’ll take a closer look at some of those characteristics today.

And our reading from the book of Isaiah could be headlines from today’s newspapers! “Our courts oppose the righteous,” “Justice is nowhere to be found,” and “Anyone who renounces evil is attacked” for starters.

“Can I Sin Now & Ask for Forgiveness Later?” October 3

Oct 3, 2024

“I’ll just sin now and ask for forgiveness later.” Have you ever been tempted with that thought?

The deceitfulness of sin tells us that we can go ahead and sin even though we know it’s wrong, then we can ask God to forgive us and that’s all there is to it! But that’s rebellion against God and you can’t be both rebellious (determined to go your own way) and repentant (turning to go God’s way) at the same time. But there’s an even bigger problem with this kind of thinking. What is it?

Also, in today’s post, read about chocolate-covered dirt, foolish talk, and dirty jokes.

“How Spiritually Mature Are You?” October 2

Oct 2, 2024

What does Christian maturity look like? Is it the things we do, like going to church or reading our Bibles? Is it the “big sins” we don’t do, like getting drunk or stealing? Or is Christian maturity something else? What did Paul mean when he said, “walk worthy of the calling with which you have been called” (Eph. 4.1)?

“A Blueprint for Prayer, Our Suffering Savior & Sarcasm” October 1

Oct 1, 2024

The Apostle Paul had a passion to see those he led to the Lord grow and become faithful followers of Christ. And the prayer recorded in today’s reading from Ephesians and others from his letters give us a blueprint for how to pray for those we love. How might his prayers be different from those we often pray?

We will also look at:

One of the most complete Old Testament pictures of the sufferings of Christ and all that would come about as a result. And what Proverbs has to say about sarcasm and mean-spirited joking.