What Jesus did for us on the cross was a complete work. It is a finished work. While Jesus hung on the cross he said these words, “It is finished.” There is nothing more to do. He obeyed his Father completely. Our debt of sin is paid in full.

Main Points:

1. How foolish it would be to continue to try and pay for something that has already been paid for, yet that’s what many people do with their salvation. Jesus has paid their debt in full with his sacrificial death on the cross, yet they continue to try to pay for their salvation.

2. What Jesus had come to do was completed. The justice of a righteous and a holy God was satisfied. The penalty for sin had been given. The price had been paid in full.

3. There is nothing we can do to add to our salvation. But it’s here that many of us struggle. Surely there must be something for me to do to be saved. But there is not. Not good deeds, not cleaning up your life, not baptism, not religious activity. There is nothing we can do to add to our salvation. Our debt is paid in full.

Today’s Scripture Verses:

Colossians 2:13-14 - “You were dead because of your sins and because your sinful nature was not yet cut away. Then God made you alive with Christ, for he forgave all our sins. He canceled the record of the charges against us and took it away by nailing it to the cross.”

Revelation 13:8 Jesus…”the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world.”

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Which physical posture of prayer is the right one for you? I would say, none of them! Rather than the external posture, the Bible emphasizes the posture of the heart. Whether you are standing, sitting, or lying down, the important thing is that your heart is bowed in submission to the lordship of Christ.

Main Points:

1. True prayer is characterized by the posture of the heart, not the physical posture of the person praying.

2. So, what is the right posture of our hearts as we come to God in prayer. I believe it must include three things: reverence, humility, and gratitude.

3. As you pray today, it may be that you’ll sense God leading you to a particular posture of prayer. Maybe you’ll kneel, stand, or even lift your hands. Whichever posture of prayer you choose, don’t forget about the posture of your heart.

Today’s Scripture Verses:

Ephesians 3:14 - “For this reason, I kneel before the Father.”

Psalm 95:6 - “Come, let us worship and bow down, Let us kneel before the Lord our Maker.”

Hebrews 12:28 - “Since we are receiving a Kingdom that is unshakable, let us be thankful and please God by worshiping him with holy fear and awe.”

John 14:13 - “Whatever you ask in my name, this I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son.”

1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 - “Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus.”

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I want to assure you today that no matter what you are experiencing or what you feel, God’s face is turned towards you. He does know what you feel and He cares.

Main Points:

1. Perhaps you feel down today, thinking all your hope is gone, that even God has abandoned you. Yes, you may feel those things, but that doesn’t mean your feelings are true. The God of Heaven knows what you are feeling. He understands the pressure you are feeling. Most of all, He is there. He cares and He is with you.

2. In your loneliness, stand on this great truth from Scripture. God is with you. In fact, he has promised to always be with you.

3. What is it that lifts our spirits when we are lonely? What encourages our hearts? I believe the answer is found in worship. When we worship Jesus we experience a change in perspective. Our focus is no longer on our loneliness, the absence of friends and family, and what we do not have. Our focus now is solely upon Jesus, his comforting presence, his love for us, and his promise to always be with us.

Today’s Scripture Verses:

Genesis 2:18 - “The Lord God said, “It is not good for the man to be alone.”

Hebrews 13:5 - “Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you.”

Isaiah 43:2 - “When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and when you pass through the rivers, they will not sweep over you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned; the flames will not set you ablaze.”

Psalm 27:10 - "Even if my father and mother abandon me, the LORD will hold me close.”

Proverbs 18:24 - “There is a friend who sticks closer than a brother.”

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I started this episode talking about how the world calculates self-worth, but the truth is, you can’t calculate your self-worth. It’s already been determined. Your self-worth was set by Jesus. You are so valuable Jesus laid down his life for you. Paul said, “I live by faith in the Son of God who loves me and gave himself for me.”

Main Points:

1. Don’t buy into the lies that your value is determined by your performance. Don’t accept the labels others put on your life. Don’t let the rejection you have received from others keep you from receiving acceptance from Jesus.

2. The opinion of others makes no difference in your self-worth. Because who you are, with Jesus, matters more than what other people tell you about yourself. Because you are made in His image, He is the one who determines your self-worth.

3. Rest in this truth: Your life has value. God has established your worth.

Today’s Scripture Verses:

Galatians 2:20 - “I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.”

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In a world of mistrust, God can be trusted. He can be counted upon. He keeps his promises, he fulfills his word, and he does what he says he will do. God is worthy of your trust, your faith, and your confidence.

Main Points:

1. The Bible teaches us that God is faithful. This means God is always reliable, all of the time. He does not fail or forget. He always keeps his word. His character is consistent and He never changes.

2. Think about the implications of this wonderful truth. If God never changes, his love never changes. His grace never changes. His forgiveness never changes. His power and his presence never change. His ability never changes.

3. If you are struggling to trust God, be assured of his character. There is no one like God. He does not change. He will be faithful in your life.

Today’s Scripture Verses:

Hebrews 13:8 says, “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, and today, and forever.”

Psalm 119:89-90 - “Forever, O Lord, your word is firmly fixed in the heavens. Your faithfulness endures to all generations.”

Malachi 3:6, "I the Lord do not change."

James 1:17 - “Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows.”

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I love the words of Jesus. I’ve discovered that most people do, even non-believers. You can even purchase Bibles that only have the words of Jesus printed. It’s been said that no one speaks like Jesus and I would agree. His words have power and they have life. These truths are encouraging, uplifting, inspiring, and challenging. They changed people’s lives in the first century, and they are still changing lives today. But you would have to agree that as much as we love the words of Jesus, we also recognize that Jesus said some hard things, some very hard things.

Main Points:

1. Today, as Christians, we view the cross as a symbol of forgiveness, grace, and love. But in Jesus’ day, the cross represented nothing but torturous death. The Romans forced convicted criminals to carry their own crosses to the place of crucifixion.

2. For the followers of Jesus, taking up our cross means “dying to self.” It’s a call to absolute surrender. It means choosing Jesus above all things. It means putting him first and dying to our desires, ambitions, and worldly pleasures. Jesus said if we “lose our life, we will find it.” The reward for choosing Christ over everything else is matchless.

3. We carry our cross and die to ourselves because Jesus alone is worthy.

Today’s Scripture Verses:

Luke 9:23 - “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me. For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me will find it.”

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The children of God are peacemakers. A peacemaker is someone who intentionally works to help people reconcile with God and others. Anyone who does the hard work of peacemaking will be blessed by God.

Main Points:

1. The word “peace” in Matthew 5:9 combines two Greek words. Together they mean to bring about wholeness, to bring all the essential parts together in wholeness.

2. Peace-making requires God’s power. Real and lasting peace is impossible to create without God’s help. You can’t make what you don’t have. The only way to have inner peace is to make peace with God through faith in Jesus Christ.

3. Peacemaking is such hard work that it’s easier to say…. “I’m staying out it.” We try and fail and get discouraged, so we give up. But through the power of the Holy Spirit, we can all work to be peacemakers, and in doing so we are a reflection of God’s character.

Today’s Scripture Verses:

Matthew 5:9 - “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God.”

Romans 5:1 - “Having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through the Lord Jesus Christ.”

2 Corinthians chapter 5:18 - “God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation.”

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God desires his church to be in tune with himself and with one another. Nothing interrupts the work of God and discredits the church like disunity. A church that is not in unity with God and one another is dysfunctional and ineffective. Disunity prohibits our message from being a beautiful sound to the community. But when a church comes together in unity, our message is compelling and contagious.

Main Points:

1. The goal is not unity in everything. Being humans, it’s normal to have differing ideas and opinions. We won’t always see eye to eye, and that’s not a bad thing.

2. The goal, as Paul tells us in Ephesians 4 is to make every effort to keep the “unity of the Spirit.” When a group of believers comes together in unity around the scripture, the work of the Spirit, and the great commission, that church will have an impact for Christ.

3. Let’s unite around the purpose of God, the mission of the church, the inerrancy of scripture, the power of the Holy Spirit, and a prevailing love for one another. If we can commit to this kind of unity, we will be in tune with one another and together we will make beautiful music for the world to hear.

Today’s Scripture Verses:

1 Corinthians 1:10 - “I appeal to you, brothers, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you agree, and that there be no divisions among you, but that you be united in the same mind and the same judgment.”

Ephesians 4:2-3 - “Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love. Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace.”

Psalm 133:1 - “Behold, how good and pleasant it is when brothers dwell in unity!”

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