Then Jonah prayed unto the Lord his god out of the fish's belly. Jonah 2:1

In spite of where you are, god is not against you.  Jonah had directly disobeyed God, was rebellious and ended up in the fish's belly and yet he was still confident that he could turn back to God.  He confidently called on god to ask for forgiveness and to be delivered out of the situation he got himself into and god was there for him. 
God is always eager to have you back on track and willing... Read More

"Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you" (Matt. 5:44)

There was a man who had become a friend and mentor to me, but a conflict arose between us that we were unable to resolve. I never imagined that this man would go from being one of my best friends to an enemy. I asked god to show me how I should treat this man, and the words of Jesus came to mind, "Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you."

"Come near to god and he will come near to you." James 4:8

The final two verses of Psalm 73 form a conclusion and a resolution. Listen to them once again: "Those who are far from you will perish; you destroy all who are unfaithful to you. But as for me, it is good to be near God.

I have made the Sovereign Lord my refuge; I will tell of all your deeds" (vv.2... Read More

Ephesians 5:3-5
Let there be no sexual immorality, impurity, or greed among you. Such sins have no place among God's people.  Obscene stories, foolish talk, and coarse jokes-these are not for you. Instead, let there be thankfulness to God. You can be sure that no immoral, impure, or greedy person will inherit the Kingdom of Christ and of God. For a greedy person is an idolater, worshiping the things of this world.
 
Over the course of my life, I've heard a lot of crappy sermons pre... Read More

"For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me will save it." (v. 24): Luke 9:18-27

Suppose a tiny seed had a will of its own and decided to save itself by refusing to be buried. It would abide alone. It would save itself but would not save others. When it decided to be buried and die, then the result would be a golden harvest.... Read More