Turning Point

Turning Point; David Jeremiah – Giving Thanks

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And [King David] appointed some of the Levites to minister before the ark of the Lord, to commemorate, to thank, and to praise the Lord God of Israel.
1 Chronicles 16:4

Recommended Reading: 1 Chronicles 16:7-10

Children usually approach their parents to request something. Less frequently, it is to thank their parents. And the same happens in our relationship with God. We normally approach Him with requests rather than to give thanks. But based on the infinite reasons we have to be thankful, prayers of thanksgiving should far outnumber our prayers of petition.

When King David brought the Ark of the Covenant to Jerusalem for the first time, he appointed some of the Levites “to minister before the ark of the Lord, to commemorate, to thank, and to praise the Lord God of Israel.” They were a permanent choir of leaders whose assignment was to offer thanks and praise to God. That choir of worship leaders were the forerunners of the choirs we have in our churches today—worship leaders who lead the congregation in songs of praise and thanksgiving.

How often do you dedicate a portion of your prayer life to giving thanks to God for the benefits and blessings of knowing Him? Begin the practice of allocating more time in prayer to giving thanks.

No duty is more urgent than that of returning thanks.
Ambrose

 

 

 

https://www.davidjeremiah.org

Our Daily Bread

Our Daily Bread – Awesome God

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You, God, are awesome in your sanctuary. Psalm 68:35

Today’s Scripture

Psalm 68:1-4, 19-20, 32-35

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Today’s Devotion

As a landscape photographer, I’m drawn to photos I find online. Recently I came across “10 of the Most Breathtaking Places in the U.S.” A photo of a geothermal spring depicts a massive basin of multicolored luminescence. A snapshot of the Hoh Rain Forest shows a dense, mossy forest that looks like something straight out of The Hobbit. A stunning picture taken in Monument Valley, Arizona, could be a panorama of Mars.

These awesome images make me think of our awesome God. In Psalm 68, David gushes about God’s majesty: “Sing to God . . . extol him who rides on the clouds” (v. 4). Vividly, the psalmist proclaims God’s power over enemies: “May you blow them away like smoke” (v. 2). Yet God’s sheer majesty and power are contrasted with His intimate love: “Praise be to the Lord . . . who daily bears our burdens” (v. 19). David’s epic psalm reaches a climax with his breathless praise: “You, God, are awesome” (v. 35).

In landscape photographs, I find both immensity and intimacy. The sheer expanse of these vistas speaks personally to my soul. It makes me wonder if the landscapes of our world are really glimpses of God Himself—reflections of how He’s awesomely immense and breathtakingly loving. In that light, might we look for His reflected beauty around us today. When we see it, we might whisper to Him, “You, God, are awesome.”

Reflect & Pray

What visual experience has reminded you of God’s awesome ways? What about God does that reflect?

Dear God, please help me see Your breathtaking beauty.

Today’s Insights

Psalm 68 celebrates God as a mighty warrior who’ll defeat evil (vv. 1-2). It draws on the imagery of the song in Exodus 15 that celebrates God delivering His people from Egypt. In Psalm 68, He’s depicted as “[riding] on the clouds” (v. 4) while scattering “his enemies” (v. 1). The retelling of the exodus deliverance concludes by describing a victory parade that ends with God dwelling and reigning as king (v. 18).

The rest of Psalm 68 (vv. 19-35) praises the enthroned God, recognizing that His people are completely dependent on Him. The psalm entreats, “Summon your power, God; show us your strength, our God, as you have done before” (v. 28). God is a gentle warrior who fights for justice, who “leads out the prisoners with singing” (v. 6) and “daily bears our burdens” (v. 19). Today, as we reflect on the awesomeness of God, we can celebrate His great love for us.

 

 

 

http://www.odb.org

Denison Forum

Denison Forum – How to respond to global religious persecution

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In June 2026, the Pew Research Center released its annual report on global restrictions on faith. The findings were staggering. According to their research, roughly three-fourths of the global population live in nations that limit the free practice of religion due to government restrictions, social hostilities, or both.

It’s a mind-boggling statistic, and an increase since their last report. The stark reality is that billions of people from all faiths or none are susceptible to persecution every day. It should spur new action.

However, these findings come at a time when the priorities of the United States and Europe are shifting, resulting in reduced political and financial support for defending religious freedom worldwide. To discern a way forward, we at the Everett Center for Global Religious Freedom at Dallas Baptist University undertook months of research, interviewing advocates from across the religious and political spectrum.

Based on our findings, no easy or quick answers exist. Yet our report, International Religious Freedom Advocacy in a Time of Disruption, does see a way forward for civil society and faith groups.

Continue reading Denison Forum – How to respond to global religious persecution →

Greg Laurie

Harvest Ministries; Greg Laurie – A Living Communion

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 So he gave them what they asked for, but he sent a plague along with it. 

—Psalm 106:15

Scripture:

Psalm 106:15 

The psalmist’s words in Psalm 106:15 remind us that prayer isn’t something to be taken lightly. Referring to God’s response to the complaints and cravings of the Israelites, who were freed from slavery in Egypt but then proved unfaithful in their trek to the Promised Land, the psalmist writes, “So he gave them what they asked for, but he sent a plague along with it” (Psalm 106:15 NLT).

Having a direct line of communication with the Creator of the universe is not a privilege to be taken for granted. God’s Word has much to say about prayer, and it all begins with the right attitude.

I sometimes hear people say, “I’ve been wrestling with God in prayer.” My first thought always is “I hope you lost.” If you’re trying to bend God your way with your prayers, you might as well save your breath. That’s not how prayer works. Prayer gives us the opportunity to bend God’s way.

That’s a lesson that’s probably been driven home to you time and time again if you keep a prayer journal. If you look back on some of your prayer requests, perhaps when you were a new Christian, you probably see some efforts to get God to come around to your way of thinking. To get Him to substitute your will for His will. And chances are, you cringe when you see them and rejoice that God had a better plan.

I’m certainly glad that God didn’t say yes to every prayer I ever prayed. When I look back on some things I’ve prayed for, I realize that if the Lord would have allowed them, they could have destroyed me. They were not the right things or the right situations. So, God graciously and lovingly said no.

Maturing as a believer includes learning how to pray—and especially, what to pray for. In John 15:7, Jesus gives an incredible promise regarding answered prayer. He says, “But if you remain in me and my words remain in you, you may ask for anything you want, and it will be granted!” (NLT). From the original language, this verse could be understood as, “If you maintain a living communion with Me, and My Word is at home with you, I command you to ask at once for yourself whatever your heart desires, and it will be yours.”

When I read a promise like that, I gravitate immediately toward the part that says I can ask whatever my heart desires and it will be mine. But before that, Jesus said, “If you maintain a living communion with Me, and My word is at home with you. . . .” If this is happening in your life, then you’re going to want what God wants. If you’re maintaining a living communion with God and His words are at home in your heart, then your outlook, desires—and in time, your prayers—will change.

And when you unleash the full power of prayer in your life, it will never be the same.

 

Reflection question: What would a living communion with God look like in your life? Discuss this with believers like you on Harvest Discipleship!

 

 

 

Harvest.org | Greg Laurie

Days of Praise

Days of Praise – Jeremiah and Inspiration

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by John D. Morris, Ph.D.

“Then I said, I will not make mention of him, nor speak any more in his name. But his word was in mine heart as a burning fire shut up in my bones, and I was weary with forbearing, and I could not stay.” (Jeremiah 20:9)

Contained within the books of the Old Testament are nearly three thousand claims to its precise trustworthiness. Over and over again, the various authors claim to be communicating the very words of God.

A number of such claims were recorded by Jeremiah in his book. As we see in our text, Jeremiah was somewhat discouraged with the lack of response to his ministry. But, just as he decided to refrain from passing on God’s word to the people, he felt an inner burning, recognizing that these words were much too important to ignore. These words had come from God Himself!

On other occasions, he heard the words of God directly and was commanded to pass them on with precision. “Thus saith the LORD; Stand in the court of the LORD’s house, and speak unto all the cities of Judah, which come to worship in the LORD’s house, all the words that I command thee to speak unto them; diminish not [literally ‘to shave’ or ‘to lessen in effect’] a word” (Jeremiah 26:2). This straightforward teaching of verbal inspiration is applied to the written accounts, as well: “The word that came to Jeremiah from the LORD, saying, Thus speaketh the LORD God of Israel, saying, Write thee all the words that I have spoken unto thee in a book” (Jeremiah 30:1–2).

This book, which throughout contains such strong condemnation of falsehood and was written over a period of more than two thousand years by numerous authors without any contradiction, surely is the Word of the eternal, holy God. It is the information our Creator knows we need. JDM

 

 

 

https://www.icr.org/articles/type/6

Joyce Meyer

Joyce Meyer – How to Finish What God Called You to Do

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Jesus said to them, My food (nourishment) is to do the will (pleasure) of Him Who sent Me and to accomplish and completely finish His work.

John 4:34 (AMPC)

I believe the Lord wants us to finish whatever He calls us to do, even when it requires patience, perseverance, and hard work. God wants us to grow roots and learn to endure until the fruit of His promise is manifested.

Be willing to endure patiently to see God’s plan take place in your life. If God has given you a vision of something He wants you to accomplish, keep doing whatever He has given you to do, even when the excitement for the work is over, and all the goose bumps are gone. If you don’t have a vision, ask God to show you something that you need to do, and then commit your work to the Lord until it is completed.

Prayer of the Day: Lord, please give me the patience and endurance to finish what You’ve called me to do. And when the excitement fades, help me stay rooted in Your promise and committed to Your plan, amen.

 

 

http://www.joycemeyer.org

Max Lucado

Max Lucado – Sufficiency in All Things 

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Soon after I began following Jesus, I sensed a desire to write Christian books. I cobbled together a manuscript and mailed it to fifteen publishers. Fourteen rejected it. I was beginning to think I should take the hint when one said, “Yes.” Before I knew it, my writing ministry was airborne.

It’s been over forty years and nearly fifty books. I seem to have more book ideas than I have time to write them. I am a testimony to God’s provision. Trust him. If he calls you, he will equip you. He will give you what you need when you need it.

“God is able to make all grace abound toward you, that you, always having all sufficiency in all things, may have an abundance for every good work” (2 Corinthians 9:8 NKJV).

 

 

 

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Today in the Word

Today in the Word – Moody Bible Institute – Testify to the Truth

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Read John 18:1–40

In 1521, Martin Luther was summoned before the assembly of the Holy Roman Empire to recant his critique of the Catholic Church. He refused unless proven wrong by Scripture, stating, “Here I stand; I can do no other.” Luther’s unrelenting position led to his excommunication—and the start of the Protestant Reformation.

John 18 documents a series of intense confrontations, from the Garden of Gethsemane to the courtyard to the courtroom, culminating in the crucifixion of Jesus. Again and again, Jesus and His disciples were challenged. Would they speak truth—even when the stakes were incredibly high?

In the garden, the all-knowing Jesus initiated a conversation with the Roman soldiers by twice asking, “Who is it you want?” (vv. 4, 7). When they answered, “Jesus of Nazareth,” Jesus disclosed His identity. The arresting party fell to the ground in response.

When Annas and Caiaphas questioned Jesus about His teaching, Jesus replied: “I have spoken openly to the world” (v. 20a). He had communicated the truth with boldness—in synagogues and temples. Meanwhile, in the courtyard, the once-brash Peter was confronted by bystanders, asking about his association with Jesus. Out of self-protection, Peter denied Jesus three times. We see that, under pressure, our communication can reject truth as easily as we can confess it.

Finally, Pilate asked Jesus directly, “Are you the king of the Jews?” (v. 33). Jesus redirected the question, exposing Pilate’s assumptions and ultimately articulating His mission: “The reason I…came into the world is to testify to the truth” (v. 37b). Pilate’s cynical question—“What is truth?”—signaled his inability to understand Jesus’ message. Truth stood before him, but he did not see.

Go Deeper

How has God called you to speak truth even when it’s difficult? What can we learn from watching Jesus respond to His opponents?

Pray with Us

Jesus, You are our example for how to respond in difficult situations. You spoke truth with authority, but without fear or arrogance. Teach us how to do the same.

The reason I was born and came into the world is to testify to the truth. Everyone on the side of truth listens to me.John 18:37

 

 

 

https://www.moodybible.org/

Turning Point

Turning Point; David Jeremiah – Friends Don’t Forget

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Then [King David] said, “Is there not still someone of the house of Saul, to whom I may show the kindness of God?” And Ziba said to the king, “There is still a son of Jonathan who is lame in his feet.”
2 Samuel 9:3

Recommended Reading: John 15:7; John 15:13-15

Saul and Jonathan died in battle, and David ascended to the throne over Israel. But David remembered his friendship with Jonathan and inquired whether any members of Saul’s house still lived.

David learned that Jonathan had a crippled son, Mephibosheth, who was living as an outcast; David summoned this son to his court. When Mephibosheth arrived, he feared for his life. But David showed him “kindness for Jonathan’s sake” (2 Samuel 9:1). He restored property to Mephibosheth and made him a resident of his court. David did this to honor his friendship with Jonathan who had saved his life when Saul sought to kill him. Jesus mirrored this kind of friendship with His disciples (John 15:13-17). Just as Jonathan had pledged to meet David’s needs (1 Samuel 20:4), so Jesus made the same pledge to His disciples who were His friends (John 15:7, 13).

Are you that loyal of a friend? Ask God for grace to be the kind of friend who is faithful in adversity.

Friendship is the greatest of worldly goods.
C. S. Lewis

 

 

 

https://www.davidjeremiah.org

Our Daily Bread

Our Daily Bread – Loving Children as God Does

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The kingdom of God belongs to such as these. Mark 10:14

Today’s Scripture

Mark 10:13-16

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All summer long, the children in the house behind ours spend hours swinging on their swing set. Their noisy swing set. Its creaky noise doesn’t bother the children who seem, some days, to swing endlessly. Complaining, I asked my husband why their parents don’t oil the swing. Praying about it, however, I noticed a change in my heart. I could see the children’s laughter and joy bursting from the trust they find in their family’s yard, and in having parents within calling distance nearby.

Jesus spoke of such trust when speaking of children. People were bringing their children to Jesus so He could bless them, but His annoyed disciples scolded the parents, rebuking them (Mark 10:13).

Seeing this, Christ “was indignant” (v. 14). “Let the little children come to me,” He told them, “and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these.” He added, “Anyone who will not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it” (vv. 14-15).

He’d already taught His disciples this when they’d argued who among them was greatest. Taking a child in His arms, on another occasion, Jesus said, “Whoever welcomes one of these little children in my name welcomes me” (9:37). Demonstrating the same idea, “He took the children in his arms, placed his hands on them and blessed them” (10:16). What beautiful reminders to be childlike in our trust in Jesus.

Reflect & Pray

What do you enjoy about the joy of children? How can you learn to love those who annoy you at times?

Please grow my love for others, ever-present and loving God.

Today’s Insights

The scene from today’s Scripture passage (Mark 10:13-16) occurs not long after Jesus had made another comment about children. As Christ and the disciples were “[passing] through Galilee” (9:30), His disciples got into a quarrel about which of them was the greatest (vv. 33-34). Jesus knew what they’d been discussing, of course, but He didn’t preach a sermon against their sinful ambition. Instead, “He took a little child whom he placed among them” and said, “Whoever welcomes one of these little children in my name welcomes me” (vv. 36-37). His object lesson about humility was obvious. That’s why it’s surprising when they “rebuked” people who were literally “bringing little children to Jesus” (10:13). They still hadn’t learned that “the kingdom of God belongs to such as these” (v. 14). As we express our childlike trust in Christ, we’ll want to welcome all who’re overlooked and undervalued.

For further study, read A Child’s Compassion.

 

 

 

http://www.odb.org

Denison Forum

Denison Forum – Why the Supreme Court ruling against Donald Trump is good news

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The US Supreme Court ruled yesterday that President Trump must pay E. Jean Carroll $5 million in damages, finalizing a verdict that found him liable for defamation and sexual abuse. My response today has nothing to do with partisan politics or the merits of the case and everything to do with the system that led to the verdict.

By way of background: The justices denied Mr. Trump’s initial request to take up the case in June, leaving the verdict against him in place. He asked the court to reconsider that decision, but it refused Monday. Mr. Trump now has no more options to appeal the ruling against him, ensuring that the $5 million in damages he has been ordered to pay Carroll will stand.

She received $5.6 million in the case—the $5 million award plus interest—through a court-controlled account in July. The latest ruling will give her the freedom to spend this money and ensure it is no longer tied up in legal proceedings.

I believe America’s founders would be extremely pleased and perhaps surprised by this news, for reasons that are vital to the democratic republic they envisioned.

Continue reading Denison Forum – Why the Supreme Court ruling against Donald Trump is good news →

Greg Laurie

Harvest Ministries; Greg Laurie – As Far as the East Is from the West

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 He has removed our sins as far from us as the east is from the west. 

—Psalm 103:12

Scripture:

Psalm 103:12 

Often, people’s reputations precede them. Sometimes that’s a good thing. Sports heroes and other celebrities are welcomed and celebrated in most places. Sometimes, however, it’s not such a good thing. If you’ve ever been in a social setting in which everyone suddenly got quiet when a certain person walked in, you know what I’m talking about. Some people are doomed to be remembered for the lowest point in their lives or for the worst decision they ever made or for the time they didn’t come through for someone else.

That can be a tough pill to swallow. What makes it even tougher is when the person doing the remembering is the person whose reputation was ruined. The reality is that many people find it hard to forgive themselves.

But that attitude runs counter to the message of Scripture, where forgiveness is found in abundance. The story of the paralyzed man whose friends brought him to Jesus for healing is well-known as an illustration of friendship, determination, and faith. When the friends couldn’t get to Jesus because of the crowd, they cut a hole in the roof and lowered the paralyzed man to Him.

Jesus did indeed heal the man’s physical paralysis. But first He did something more amazing and more profoundly important. “Seeing their faith, Jesus said to the man, ‘Young man, your sins are forgiven’” (Luke 5:20 NLT).

The word forgiven, in this context, has the basic meaning of sending or driving something away. “Your sins are driven away from you” is what Jesus essentially said. Genuine confession involves more than simply saying, “Oops, my bad”; it also involves repentance, a turning away from the sin. Likewise, genuine forgiveness involves more than simply saying, “No problem”; it also involves a cleansing, a removal of the sin from our lives.

King David wrote, “As far as the east is from the west, so far has He removed our transgressions from us” (Psalm 103:12 AMPC). You can’t get much farther apart than that. As we saw in an earlier devotion, David had very personal reasons to celebrate God’s complete removal of sin.

In Hebrews 8:12, God says, “And I will forgive their wickedness, and I will never again remember their sins” (NLT). If God wipes our sins from His memory, who are we to hold on to guilt and shame over our wrongdoing? There’s no reason for us to have a longer memory than God when it comes to our failings.

If you’re guilty of sin, confess it and repent of it. Turn away from your wrongdoing and ask God to forgive you. Then embrace His gracious forgiveness. Release any grudge you may be holding against yourself. Ask God to help you see yourself as He sees you—covered by the righteousness of Christ, spotless before Him.

 

Reflection question: Where do you need to be reminded that you’ve been forgiven? Discuss this with believers like you on Harvest Discipleship!

 

 

 

Harvest.org | Greg Laurie

Days of Praise

Days of Praise – The Spiritual Senses

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by Henry M. Morris, Ph.D.

“O taste and see that the LORD is good: blessed is the man that trusteth in him.” (Psalm 34:8)

Frequently, Scripture uses our five physical senses in a figurative way to help us comprehend our interaction with God’s spiritual presence and power.

We can “see,” for example, with spiritual eyes. Paul prayed thus for the believer: “The eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that ye may know what is the hope of his calling, and what the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints” (Ephesians 1:18).

Similarly, we are privileged to hear the voice of the Lord with spiritual ears. “My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me” (John 10:27). “A stranger will they not follow . . . for they know not the voice of strangers” (John 10:5).

The sense of touch is the sense of feeling, and God can both touch and be touched. We read, for example, of “a band of men, whose hearts God had touched” (1 Samuel 10:26). Of Jesus Christ, it is said that He is not a remote deity “which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities” (Hebrews 4:15). Even people who never knew Him can perhaps “feel after him, and find him” if they truly desire His great salvation (Acts 17:27).

We can even become “unto God a sweet savour of Christ” (2 Corinthians 2:15). To the world, the faithful Christian life and testimony can either be “the savour of death unto death” to those who refuse it or “the savour of life unto life” (v. 16).

Finally, we are exhorted actually to taste the Lord and see that He is good! His Word will be, according to our needs, either “sincere milk” (1 Peter 2:2), “strong meat” (Hebrews 5:14), or “sweeter also than honey and the honeycomb” (Psalm 19:10). HMM

 

 

 

https://www.icr.org/articles/type/6

Joyce Meyer

Joyce Meyer – The Power of Knowledge

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[And I pray] that the participation in and sharing of your faith may produce and promote full recognition and appreciation and understanding and precise knowledge of every good [thing] that is ours in [our identification with] Christ Jesus [and unto His glory].

Philemon 1:6 (AMPC)

The renewing of the mind is the most important thing a person needs to do after receiving Jesus Christ as their Savior. Jesus died for our sins, and He wants us to enjoy the life He has provided. God’s Word teaches us that He has provided a good plan for each person, yet they will never experience it unless they know about it and also know how to access it (Romans 12:2). People perish and their lives are destroyed for a lack of knowledge (Hosea 4:6). Knowledge and understanding are power when applied properly.

Many fears are the result of something that happened in the past and that we fear will happen again. If a person’s mother died of cancer, she might fall prey to a fear that she will die the same way. She could become paranoid and fear that every little ache, pain, or strange feeling in her body is cancer. Fear that you will suffer causes suffering already while you are in fear. Don’t be afraid that your life will end; instead, believe that it’s just beginning.

Prayer of the Day: Lord, I believe that You have a good plan for my life and that I can access it every day. Please renew my mind through Your Word. Help me overcome fear with truth, and to look to You regarding every aspect of my life and ask You to be Lord and King, amen.

 

 

http://www.joycemeyer.org

Max Lucado

Max Lucado – It’s Not Just You 

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“There was food every day for Elijah and for the woman and her family. For the jar of flour was not used up and the jug of oil did not run dry, in keeping with the word of the Lord” (1 Kings 17:15-16 NIV). Each day Elijah, the widow, and her son gathered around a table and had a miracle for a meal. Heaven’s delivery system continued as long as the trio needed it.

Jesus spoke of God’s faithful generosity. “But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is alive and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will he not much more clothe you…?” (Matthew 6:30 ESV). You aren’t one scoop away from empty. It’s not just you and your depleted energy. It’s not just you and your concerns. You don’t face the assignment alone. If it’s God’s will, it’s God’s bill.

 

 

 

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Today in the Word

Today in the Word – Moody Bible Institute – Addressing Conflict

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Read Matthew 18:15–20

How do you address conflict? Experts suggest several tools to help. One is active listening—using eye contact and body language to build trust, then paraphrasing to confirm understanding. In active listening, we empathize with the other person’s perspective, even if we disagree. The second tool is “I-messages.” We use I-statements (e.g., I feel frustrated when…) rather than you-statements, which communicate blame. The third tool involves finding common ground. We look for those places where we still agree—our shared values and goals. Then we brainstorm solutions.

But how do we address conflict between believers? Jesus addresses this issue in Matthew 18. Here, He is teaching His disciples about life in His kingdom, including themes of humility, the lost sheep, and forgiveness. Verses 15–20 provide an important template to use when addressing sin in the church setting. Jesus called the church community to not avoid these difficult conversations, but to approach them with compassion and a goal of restoration. He gives clear steps to follow. First, the person who has observed the sinful behavior is to approach the offender privately (v. 15). Ideally, this conversation will bring confession and forgiveness and settle the matter.

However, if the offender persists, a small delegation should approach the person, seeking truth and understanding (v. 16). If the offender still refuses to listen, the church should be made aware, and the offender should be treated like an outsider (v. 17). Finally, verses 18–20 connect this process to heavenly authority. God’s people are to know that we are not alone in navigating these difficult conversations. Jesus promised His presence with His church amid conflict resolution and restoration (v. 20).

Go Deeper

Have you applied the principles of Matthew 18 to any situations of sin or conflict resolution? What is helpful about this format?

Pray with Us

Heavenly Father, we know You deeply value unity. When we are struggling with conflict, please help us remember each of us is precious to You. Guide us to love others with compassion and patience.

Even if they sin against you seven times in a day and seven times come back to you saying “I repent,” you must forgive them.Luke 17:4

 

 

 

https://www.moodybible.org/

Turning Point

Turning Point; David Jeremiah – A True Friend

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NEW!Listen Now

A man who has friends must himself be friendly, but there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother.
Proverbs 18:24

Recommended Reading: 1 Samuel 18:1-3; 1 Samuel 20:1-4

The saying “blood is thicker than water” originated as a way to prioritize the bonds of kinship over friendship. But Solomon, evidenced by Proverbs 18:24, might have begged to differ. And he might have been drawing on the experience of his own father, David.

David was the youngest of eight brothers and was anointed by Samuel to succeed Saul as king of Israel (1 Samuel 16). But when David arrived at the camp of Israel’s army, his brothers treated him with disdain and ridicule (1 Samuel 17). Ironically, it was Saul’s own son Jonathan who became David’s best friend, protecting him from the attacks of Saul (1 Samuel 18). When Saul devised a plan to kill David, it was Jonathan who saved him. Jonathan’s words to David exemplify the words of a true friend: “Whatever you yourself desire, I will do it for you” (1 Samuel 20:4). David never heard similar words of loyalty from his own brothers. This experience may have inspired Solomon to write that there “is a friend who sticks closer than a brother.”

Solomon also suggested that to have such a friend, one must be such a friend.

Friendship doubles our joy and divides our grief.
Unknown

 

 

 

https://www.davidjeremiah.org

Our Daily Bread

Our Daily Bread – Plague of Lies

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Do not lie to each other, since you have taken off your old self with its practices. Colossians 3:9

Today’s Scripture

Colossians 3:9-15

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Today’s Devotion

“What a cruel act to be untruthful,” Daniel Ladinsky once wrote in a poem that contrasts relationships built on trust with those damaged by lies. Inspired by German theologian and monk Meister Eckhart, he described truthful, loving words as “wonderful spices mixed into the days.” But lies are like earthquakes in the mind and poison to the soul: “Havoc is created in the mind that can no longer trust someone once loved . . . . a plague is spread by one who cannot tell the truth.”

The imagery of a plague spread by falsehoods might seem stark. But to take speech seriously resonates with how our words and their impact are described throughout Scripture. When Paul explains to new believers the difference between life before and after their union with Jesus, words take center stage. “Do not lie to each other,” the apostle emphasizes, “since you have taken off your old self with its practices and have put on the new self” (Colossians 3:9-10).

There are many reasons to be tempted to lie or distort the truth. Sometimes we might think it’s the best way to protect ourselves or others. But through Christ’s love, through His Spirit at work in our hearts, we learn a different way—one transformed by “compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience” (3:12). And we learn how forgiveness and love can create the kind of trust and peace that brings rest to our souls (v. 15).

Reflect & Pray

How have you seen damage caused by a lie? How does forgiveness and love help you live with honesty?

Loving Savior, please help me bless others with words that can be trusted.

Today’s Insights

Paul instructed believers in Jesus to live a faithful and fruitful “life worthy of the Lord and [to] please him in every way” (Colossians 1:10). Using a metaphor of replacing old clothes with new, he commands us to “put to death” our worldly, sinful habits (3:5-9) and adorn Christlike virtues (vv. 10-15). Paul singled out the importance of not engaging in harmful speech—“slander,” “filthy language,” and “lie[s]” (vv. 8-9). Truthfulness is essential for believers, for Christ is “the truth” (John 14:6). Elaborating in another letter, the apostle tells us to “stop telling lies [and] tell our neighbors the truth . . . . Let everything [we] say be good and helpful, so that [our] words will be an encouragement to those who hear them” (Ephesians 4:25, 29 nlt). When we “[speak] the truth in love” (v. 15), we bless others. And we’ll “[grow] in every way more and more like Christ” (v. 15 nlt).

How do I forgive someone who has hurt me?

 

 

 

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Denison Forum

Denison Forum – AOC for president? Body cameras on ICE agents?

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Three stories from the weekend caught my eye:

  • According to The Hill, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez now leads the field for the Democratic presidential nomination on the two best-known betting markets.
  • According to MS NOW, an outlet known for its liberal leanings, “military families are outraged” by conditions on the USS Abraham Lincoln. According to Secretary of War Pete Hegseth, such reports are “completely misrepresented.”
  • Acting Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Director David Venturella said agents will be equipped with body cameras by the end of the month. Some say they are needed to hold ICE agents accountable; others say they will protect agents from false accusations by critics.

How did these stories make you feel?

If you’re on one side and vehemently think the other side is wrong, that makes you typical in a time when, as John Mac Ghlionn writes in The Hill, “Americans now hate each other more than ever.” The reasons point to a fact about our faith that is relevant to our souls and to the future of our nation.

Continue reading Denison Forum – AOC for president? Body cameras on ICE agents? →

Greg Laurie

Harvest Ministries; Greg Laurie – Sheltered in His Wings

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 He will cover you with his feathers. He will shelter you with his wings. His faithful promises are your armor and protection. Do not be afraid of the terrors of the night, nor the arrow that flies in the day. 

—Psalm 91:4–5

Scripture:

I read a story about a farmer who watched in dismay as his farm burned to the ground. After the fire, he walked around the charred rubble of his farm and found the body of a hen that had been burned in the fire. Frustrated, the farmer gave the hen a kick with his boot, and it turned over dead. But underneath was a little chick, who was still alive. When the fire ignited, the mother hen scurried over to her chick and wrapped her wings around him to protect him. She lost her life in the process, but her chick lived.

The psalmist uses similar imagery to describe the safety and refuge that God’s people find in the Lord: “He will cover you with his feathers. He will shelter you with his wings. His faithful promises are your armor and protection. Do not be afraid of the terrors of the night, nor the arrow that flies in the day” (Psalm 91:4–5 NLT). The picture of a mother bird hovering around her young may not be the first thing that comes to mind when you consider your relationship with the Lord. But it’s a valid description—and a comforting one. God’s people can take refuge in the Almighty. He will put His wings around us. He will protect us.

That means we can have courage, even when the world around us seems hostile and frightening. That courage comes not because of who we are, but because God is with us. His truth is our shield. He is always present to guide and protect us.

Psalm 91:5 says, “Do not be afraid of the terrors of the night, nor the arrow that flies in the day” (NLT). God will be with us day and night, come hell or high water, through thick and thin.

Take special note of the psalmist’s use of the word arrow. The apostle Paul also uses it in Ephesians 6:16, where he warns us of “the fiery arrows of the devil” (NLT). In biblical times, arrows played a significant role in battle. Soldiers often would light their arrows and barrage their opponents with them. They would fire hundreds, even thousands, of flaming arrows. If you wanted to live, you had to protect yourself from those fiery missiles.

Spiritually speaking, the devil fires flaming arrows at us as well. Some might be flaming arrows of fear. Others might be flaming arrows of impure thoughts or flaming arrows of hatred. Whatever the case, God promises to protect us from all of them. We will still suffer difficulties in life, of course. But God promises that He will be with us no matter what we go through.

He will shield us, so we have no reason to fear.

 

Reflection question: What kind of arrows does the devil fire at you? Discuss this with believers like you on Harvest Discipleship!

 

 

 

Harvest.org | Greg Laurie

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