Jesus Thoughts …

  • “There is no condemnation for those who belong to Christ Jesus.” (Romans 8:1, NLT)

    Do you get it right all the time? Of course you don’t! None of us do. None of us is perfect.

    There is a lot of pressure in our society to have it all together, to be successful in every endeavor, to be everything to everyone. But those expectations are unrealistic. Why? Because you are human. And being a Christian does not make you a superhuman.

    The Bible says you won’t be perfect after you become a Christian. If someone tells you that, that person is not telling the truth. You’re going to mess up. You’re going to fail at times. And most likely you will beat yourself up for your failures.

    But, if you’re a follower of Jesus, you can be sure of this: God never condemns you.

    Way too many believers live in fear, bitterness, and insecurity. Although they’re saved, you’d never know it by how they live. They’re too stressed out with fear that God will condemn them for what they’ve done wrong. They’re walking around with tension in their mind and body, and it shows in how they look at the future and how they treat others. Instead of dealing with their own guilt, they often pile it on others.

    Yet the Bible says there’s no need: “There is no condemnation for those who belong to Christ Jesus” (Romans 8:1, NLT).

    In other words, God doesn’t judge you for all the things you’ve done wrong if you’ve trusted Christ. Jesus took all that judgment upon Himself on the cross. God doesn’t have to judge you because Jesus was judged. He took the blame for your sins.

    That’s amazing news. That is Good News — the Gospel! There’s no reason for a Christian to walk around in shame. There’s no reason to be bitter. Before you were ever born, God knew all the sins you’d ever commit — and He paid the price for every single one of them.

    Whatever you’ve done in your past, whoever you’ve hurt, no matter what other people tell you — you can be sure of this: If you’ve given your life to Christ, you’re forgiven. It is finished!

    Prayer

    Lord, help me to live my life free of guilt and shame. Give me Your peace and love each day, and let me live in Your promises, which are true and eternal. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

    Stay encouraged!

    Pastor Mike


From the Past Week …

  • Devotion for March 27, 2024

    “I love God’s law with all my heart. But there is another power within me that is at war with my mind. This power makes me a slave to the sin that is still within me.” (Romans 7:22-23, NLT) You have a war inside of you that will rage for your entire life between who…

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  • Devotion for March 26, 2024

    “Paul devoted himself … to preaching, testifying to the Jews that Jesus was the Messiah. But when they … became abusive, he … said … ‘From now on I will go to the Gentiles.’” (Acts 18:5-6) The apostle Paul had become God’s “chosen instrument to proclaim [Jesus’] name to the Gentiles and their kings and…

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  • Devotion for March 25, 2024

    “If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us.” (1 John 1:8, NIV) We lie to ourselves all the time: “I haven’t gained any weight.” “I’m not hurting anyone.” “No one even noticed.” But one lie is more dangerous than most: “It’s not really a problem.” We…

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  • Devotion for March 24, 2024

    “To the one who is victorious, I will give the right to eat from the tree of life, which is in the paradise of God.” (Revelation 2:7) To live in Ephesus meant being surrounded by the worship of false gods. The temple to Artemis was one of the seven wonders of the ancient world. The…

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  • Devotion for March 23, 2024

    “Let us strip off every weight that slows us down, especially the sin that so easily trips us up.” (Hebrews 12:1, NLT) The most important word to remember for your spiritual journey may be a surprising one: No. Your faith journey is a long one. Too many people start off well in their spiritual journey…

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  • Devotion for March 22, 2024

    “Gather to me my consecrated ones …” (Psalm 50:5a) In this psalm, God summons all the people of Earth before Him and addresses them: Those who have been faithful to their special connection and those who haven’t. To the faithful, He says he will deliver them (verse 15), and to those who have dishonored Him,…

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