Nourishment and refreshment for your soul.

18 For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.

1 Corinthians 1:18

I love words. When I was a child I would repeat multi-syllabic (now that’s a good word) rhyming words over and over; fascinated by the way they rolled off my tongue. Long words, archaic words, unusual words, foreign phrases, and word origins are very intriguing to me.  Because I love words, I also love crossword puzzles. For years, the only reason we subscribed to the Sunday edition of the newspaper was so I could get the crossword puzzle. Crosswords … cross words.

Cross words.

The cross is full of words also.

love … sacrifice … joy … pain … forgiveness … hope …

restoration … redemption … blood … healing … purpose

life … grace … peace.

Cross words are powerful words; foolishness to the world, but salvation to those of us who love cross words.

Action Points:

1. What cross word is most meaningful to you?
2. Pray your cross word into your life today.
3. Listen for God to speak your cross word to you through music, other people, radio messages, billboards, etc.

Life is sweet!

Nourishment and refreshment for your soul.

When He had called the people to Himself, with His disciples also, He said to them, “Whoever desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me. 35 For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake and the gospel’s will save it.

Mark 8:34

Come after Me. Jesus issues a call to all people to come to Him. The word come in the original Greek is erchomai, which means “to come from one place to another.” I have been a few places.

Come …

… walk out of darkness and into light.

…  walk out of sin and into righteousness.

… walk out of condemnation and into grace.

… walk out of death and into everlasting life.

In Mark 8:34, Jesus invites whoever desires to come and follow Him. Desires means to will, to determine, to purpose, to find pleasure. The “cross-walk” (following Jesus) leads to a life of purpose, joy, and fulfillment.

Before we can cross-walk, we must first deny ourselves … self or cross.  Self-walk or cross-walk. We can’t do both. If we decide to cross-walk, we will leave footprints of hope, struggle, peace, pain, joy, and life that will lead others to the foot of the cross.

Action Points:

1. Which way are you currently walking, self-walk or cross-walk?
2. Who else desperately needs to know how to cross-walk?
3. Is there an area of your life you haven’t laid down at the foot of the cross?
4. What do you need to do to lay it down?

Life is sweet!

Nourishment and refreshment for your soul.

“Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, 2 looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God.”

Hebrews 12:1-2

While we are walking out our life on this earth, a great cloud of witnesses have their eyes on us. In order to walk correctly, we need lay aside any distraction and every sin,that clouds our vision and keep our eyes on Jesus. Their eyes are on us. Our eyes are on Jesus. Eyes on the cross. Cross-eyed.

Scientific research proves where the eyes go, the body follows (Research Article). Therefore, if we keep our eyes on the cross, we will follow Jesus.

Verse 2 uses the term looking unto Jesus, which transliterates into one Greek word, aphorao. Aphorao means “to turn the eyes away from other things and fix them on something, to turn ones mind.” Aphorao descends form another verb horao, which means “to see with the eyes and mind, to become acquainted with by experience, to perceive, to know. ”

Mind … body … eyes. All connected. All leading somewhere. Eyes on Jesus. Eyes on His word. Eyes on the cross.

Cross-eyed.

Action Points:

1. Are you cross-eyed?
2. What is getting in the way of seeing Jesus? Do you need to lay something aside?
3. What do you think about and meditate on? What do you fill your mind with?
4. Do you know Jesus? How can you get to know Him better?

Life is sweet!

Nourishment and refreshment for the soul.

1 Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, 2 looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Hebrews 12:2

The air is full of madness, March Madness. Throughout the dismal days of March, we’ve all been glued to our devices with our crumpled brackets in hand, cheering for our favorites. (What else is there to do in March?) Now we are down to the Final Four.

As I watched the news this morning, I was moved by a photograph of a player from Duke, arms out-stretched, muscles quivering, body straining, and eyes intensely focused on the prize–the basketball. I admired his determination and perseverance to pursue his goal against all odds, sacrificing himself for the prize.

We have a final four as well: Self. World. Sin. Jesus. They all vie for our attention in a battle for mastery over our souls. Which ever one we focus on we will master us. Where the eyes are focused, the body will follow.

Action Points:

1. Where do you want to end up? Are your eyes focused in the right direction?
2. Do your current habits help or hinder your goal?
3. How can you better focus your eyes on Jesus?

We live in busy times. Modern conveniences are meant to decrease our workload, but in reality the opposite has proven true. Instead of wash on Monday, iron on Tuesday, mend on Wednesday … we can now accomplish all those tasks before ten a.m. and still make it to the gym before lunch.

Sometimes, because of unforeseen circumstances, (little children, grown children, accidents) we don’t have time for our usual Bible study. Bible Journal-graphic: 3-2-1 Go! is the perfect answer!

Get your Bible, run a copy of Bible Journal-graphic: 3-2-1 Go! helps to organize your  Bible study when you are short on time.

To get your copy of 3-2-1 Go!, please click on the link below!

Bible Journal-graphic:3-2-1 Go!

Hammers, nails and power-tools are necessary for building projects, but don’t forget building materials! Quality materials will ensure that a building will stand the test of time. As God’s construction workers we also must choose quality materials–but what shall we build with? To do the Bible Study, Under Construction, please click on the link.

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