Jesus told a Samaritan woman at the well of Jacob that God is seeking those who will worship Him in Spirit and in Truth. Most of us at least now and again enter into wholehearted worship overwhelmed by God’s Spirit, but to worship God in Truth we must come to a point of awe at God’s worthiness to be worshiped. Only then can we fully enter into the spirit of worship which God desires from us.

On the night He was betrayed to die on the cross in our place so that we might be forgiven of our sins and restored into fellowship with God, Jesus gave His disciples “a new commandment” that we love one another, saying that people would recognize that we are His disciples through the love we exhibit for one another. But exactly how do we show this love that Jesus has commanded for our brothers and sisters in Christ. Paul tells us that our love for one another must be genuine, and gives some concise characteristics of this love in Romans 12:9-17.

None of us are perfect and all of us need God’s power to help us make it in this world. The holy ordinances of Baptism and the Lord’s Supper are two of the greatest gifts given to us directly from Jesus, our Savior and Lord. Baptism allows the believer the opportunity to announce to the world that they have given their heart and control of their life to Jesus. It symbolizes death to self, burial into Jesus Christ, and resurrection into a new life. Participation in the Lord’s Supper helps us proclaim the death of Christ as necessary for our salvation and proclaim our anticipation for His eventual return. Participation in the Lord’s Supper requires us to be in right relationship with Jesus and unifies the bride of Christ, His Church, together around the supper table of the Lord.

Every believer understands the command by Jesus to “Go therefore and make disciples”, but very few strive to make evangelism part of their daily lives. When we allow our hearts to be in tune with our Savior’s, evangelism then becomes something which will flow from our mouths and our actions more naturally. It is the duty and privilege of every Jesus follower to set their life on a course which helps fulfill this great command from Jesus. Lives are at stake, and we must train ourselves for the work of an evangelist, whether we want to or not.

We need to look at salvation and what it really means for the person who chooses God over self. Our salvation has more to do with Him than it does with who we are. Yes, we are special and the greatest of His creation, but our salvation demonstrates the mercy and grace of a loving God.

When we pause to consider the condition of the world we live in, it’s extremely difficult to envision the things of this world as being part of God’s Kingdom. Our only hope is that people will put their faith in Jesus Christ as their Savior and Lord. In the meantime, we wait patiently on the coming of our Lord. Till this day comes, the Kingdom of God exists within the hearts and lives of those who love Him.

It’s safe to say that no one is immune to moments of fear, or doubt, or frustration, or weariness, or fatigue. When Jesus was arrested and eventually crucified on the cross, His followers fell apart and briefly struggled with His departure from their lives. They were frightened, discouraged, defeated, confused, demoralized, and perhaps even depressed. In a word, their world had just crashed in on them and they were left with empty tanks. At this point, they were running on “E”. Fortunately, Jesus’ appearance some three days later rejuvenated them and began the process of filling their tanks back up.

Christians need to hear the Good News just as much as unbelievers do. We need to remind ourselves daily of the salvation we have in Christ, remembering what our Savior sacrificed in order for us to possess eternal life. Consequently, we need to preach the Gospel to ourselves in daily preparation for meeting the challenge to preach it to the lost we encounter in our day-to-day lives.

All human life has intrinsic value from the moment of conception through all eternity. Our value comes not from society nor form our own sense of self-worth, but from our creator, to whom we belong.