Alive and Active

Kindness may be viewed as a weak thing, but it is a fruit of the spirit. In 2 Samuel 2, David showed kindness to his men and he looked out for their households because he cared deeply for them. Jesus showed us the ultimate kindness by sacrificing his sinless life for our sin filled life so that we may be restored with God and have eternal life.
Download Study Guide Here

In Mark 10, blind Bartimaeus cried out to the Lord despite the opposition. Jesus stopped everything for Bartimaeus and He healed him and Bartimaeus followed Jesus. Do we let our circumstances or anything get in the way of our joy in Jesus Christ or do we get entangled in the affairs in this life? God uses circumstances for us to be conformed into the image of Jesus Christ. Keep your eyes open, look around, see what the Lord is doing and don't let anything interrupt our relationship with Jesus Christ.
Download Study Guide Here

Brook Berringer, a highly skilled backup quarterback for the Nebraska Huskers was a winner on the field but he also faced incredible adversity. When Brook gave his life to Christ, his definition of success changed and now he offered his circumstances to the Lord. Brook believed in John 3:16, which says, "For God so loved the world that He gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life."

In Matthew 18, the disciples asked Jesus, "who is the greatest in the Kingdom of heaven?" Jesus told his disciples that they must become like children and be humble. Jesus used a young boy to show what reliance on the Father looks like.  It's not where we've been in life, it's where we are going and we can humbly submit to our heavenly Father in all things.
Download Study Guide Here

In Daniel 1, Nebuchadnezzar,  King of Babylon,  came to Jerusalem and besieged it. The best of the young men, which included Daniel, were taken to Babylon for the King's service. They tried to change their diets and minds, but Daniel  understood the times and he courageously requested to not defile himself with the food and wine. What seemed like a demotion, quickly turned into a spiritual promotion. One man changed the culture because his mind was on the Lord and God provided favor in the midst of the wicked Babylonian empire.

In Deuteronomy 6, we are told to impart the commandments on our children throughout their entire day. Jesus was fully man and fully God and he went from a boy to a man because he desired to do his Father's work. We can teach our kids about the Father's work and we can set a high bar for our kids so they go from boyhood to being a man of God. Jesus matured and increased in stature and wisdom and He matured and grew in His faith and that's what happens when we engage in the Father's business.

In 1st Samuel 31, an Amalekite shows up and tells David that Saul is dead, but the Amalekite was lying about how Saul died in order to gain favor with the soon-to-be new King David. David mourns Jonathan and Saul's death and he determines that the Amalekite was lying and he had no respect for the position God gave Saul. God cares about our character through the ups and downs of life and we are to be conformed to the image of Christ and we must yield and give full access to God through the Holy Spirit. David was a Man after God's heart and his fellowship is new and fresh each day. In this upcoming new year -each one of us can put a stake in the ground to get back in the game for Jesus Christ.

The Prophet Isaiah predicted the coming of the Savior Jesus Christ and the conditions he would arrive under. Jesus came into oppression and evil was all around Him as He was born in a humble stable. King Herod executed all male babies 2 and under trying to do everything possible to try and kill the baby Jesus.  When challenges arise because of Christ, we must always remember that Jesus left His heavenly throne to come to earth in order to suffer, sacrifice & die a brutal death & rise again for our sake and for payment of our sins so that those who trust in Him may have eternal life.

Godliness with contentment is great gain. Are we chasing after the wrong stuff in life? We need to look past this earth and to the next kingdom or everything will crumble. Learn to stiff arm treasures on earth and learn how to embrace the treasures of heaven.

In John 13, Jesus explains to his disciples what it looks like to serve and he tells us to follow his example. Service starts through the Lord Jesus and we need to see things from a Kngdom perspective. Jesus must increase and we must decrease (John3:30). Which kingdom are we living out of?