Sometimes when Christ-followers say Jesus is our everything or that He is everything to us, it can sound a bit cliche. But for those who are in Christ, it is not just a statement we make; it is the foundation of our hope — the foundation of our life in Him.
When we are saved, He takes us from death to life (Ephesians 2:1-5). He takes our sin and exchanges it for His righteousness (2 Corinthians 5:21). Our old life passes away in His death and new life is born through His resurrection (2 Corinthians 5:17, Colossians 3:9-10, Ephesians 4:17-24). He builds us up and establishes us (Colossians 2:6-7).
Not only is Jesus faithful in salvation, but He is faithful in keeping us and protecting us. Think about it: if we can trust Him to do what He says and save us — if He can bring us from death to life in Him, isn’t He powerful enough to protect us and “guard [us] against the evil one”?
The answer is yes.
As the author of Hebrews put it: “He who promised is faithful” (Hebrews 10:23). And I sure am thankful He is!
Thank You, Lord, for being the One who never fails, never lies, and never changes. When He say You will do something, You do it. When You promise, You fulfill it. When You love, You don’t let go. There is no one else in the universe faithful like You — definitely not us! Thank You for being faithful to build us up and protect us from evil. Amen.
All through the month of November, our Christ Community Church family is focusing on what we are thankful for and expressing our thanks to our “great God and Savior Jesus Christ, who gave Himself for us to redeem us” (Titus 2:13-14).
This, like the #DailyWisdomChallenge we went through in October, is a challenge from our pastor John Goldwater — the #GRATITUDEandHOPEchallenge — where we have the opportunity to post Bible passages that move us to thanksgiving or in which we find hope. May this lead you to be grateful and find your hope in Jesus!
I say this a lot, but it is because I am blessed. Much to my regret, I have not always realized this and took it for granted for too long. Lord willing, I won’t forget — or let her forget it!
This passage from Genesis 2 is when Adam awoke from the sleep God put him in and saw his bride for the first time. I love the phrase “at last” there because it communicates the worthiness and excitement that comes with his declaration. He had named all the animals and there “was not found a helper fit for him” (Genesis 2:21).
At last God parade something in front of him worthy of him. If you’ll forgive the pun, Adam’s reaction was “Woah, man!” He was excited and happy to meet his bride. It was a match made in Eden.
I can still remember the first time I laid eyes on Candice. I can remember the glint of the sun on her hair on the afternoon I asked her to marry me. I remember seeing her on our wedding day when the doors of the church opened. And I get to look over to my left and see my beautiful bride right now as I type this. Woah, man, I’m blessed!
If you are blessed to have a wife, let her know. It doesn’t hurt to do it on social media, but it is best to be done regularly and rightly in person. Recognize how God has blessed you with her, thank Him for giving her to you, and thank her for putting up with you as well!
Lord, thank you for Candice. Thank you for letting me spend every day with my best friend and for waking me up to realize the gift you have given me in her. Let Keri, Xander, and me tell her often that we love her and show her more than we say it. Help others who are reading this to be thankful for their wives, too, and move their hearts to tell their wives they are thankful as well as showing them. Amen.
All through the month of November, our Christ Community Church family is focusing on what we are thankful for and expressing our thanks to our “great God and Savior Jesus Christ, who gave Himself for us to redeem us” (Titus 2:13-14).
This, like the #DailyWisdomChallenge we went through in October, is a challenge from our pastor John Goldwater — the #GRATITUDEandHOPEchallenge — where we have the opportunity to post Bible passages that move us to thanksgiving or in which we find hope. May this lead you to be grateful and find your hope in Jesus!
So many are filled with anxiety right now as they watch the election results roll in. Honestly, I feel it, too. But there is One we can trust no matter the outcome of this election, or if He tarries, the outcomes of the next or the next. His name is Jesus, and He is truly trustworthy.
I chose this passage today because it is a good reminder of why we should trust the Lord rather than put our trust in worldly things.
To trust in “chariots” and “horses” was trusting in military prowess. Their might is contrasted with the “saving might” of God’s “right hand” in v. 6 and compared to the way His people can continue to stand when their worldly trusts “collapse and fall” in v. 8.
Psalm 20 is appropriate as it is a prayer for their nation’s king. As we pray tonight for the King of kings to grant us the president we need, we can stand in our trust of the Lord. If everything collapses, we can stand in our trust of Him. He won’t move. I’m reminded of the lyrics of the hymn: “Tis so sweet to trust in Jesus / how I’ve proved Him o’er and o’er.” The good news isn’t that we have proved Him but that He has proved Himself “o’er and o’er” and will again and again.
As you watch the election coverage — or if you are reading this once the results have come in, don’t put your trust in donkeys or elephants. They will all collapse and fail you one way or another. Put your trust in the name of the LORD our God. His name is Jesus — the King of kings, Lord of lords, and the Potentate of presidents. He will never fall or fail.
All through the month of November, our Christ Community Church family is focusing on what we are thankful for and expressing our thanks to our “great God and Savior Jesus Christ, who gave Himself for us to redeem us” (Titus 2:13-14).
This, like the #DailyWisdomChallenge we went through in October, is a challenge from our pastor John Goldwater — the #GRATITUDEandHOPEchallenge — where we have the opportunity to post Bible passages that move us to thanksgiving or in which we find hope. May this lead you to be grateful and find your hope in Jesus!
Keri and Xander are such a blessing to me. I’m thankful I get to be their daddy. Seeing them grow, mature, and change is amazing. More than that, I have a front row seat view of the Lord working in and through them.
Keri is kind and, although she hates the spotlight, she loves to serve the Lord and others. She genuinely cares about others and notices those who typically go unnoticed. She is quiet until she decides to let people in, but once she does, they get to see her corny humor and bubbling wit. Keri has also inherited some of her mama’s fire, which makes me happy because she is becoming a force to be reckoned with while balancing that with her typical kindness, care, and thoughtfulness.
Xander is kind, too, and protective of his people. He loves fiercely and often wears his heart on his sleeve. This is not a weakness as those who are loved by Xander can attest. Seeing him with his younger cousins and other littles sees this fast-paced flash slow down and be immensely patient and caring. His infectious laughter is only matched by his growing wit and love for puns. As he loves and serves others, I get glimpses of the man he is growing to be and cannot wait to see what the Lord continues to do in him.
Keri and Xander are not perfect by any means. They inherited that from their father. But I could not be more proud of them or thankful to get to be their daddy.
All through the month of November, our Christ Community Church family is focusing on what we are thankful for and expressing our thanks to our “great God and Savior Jesus Christ, who gave Himself for us to redeem us” (Titus 2:13-14).
This, like the #DailyWisdomChallenge we went through in October, is a challenge from our pastor John Goldwater — the #GRATITUDEandHOPEchallenge — where we have the opportunity to post Bible passages that move us to thanksgiving or in which we find hope. May this lead you to be grateful and find your hope in Jesus!
I’m thankful for the love of God! There is no other love like it. In fact, His love informs all other love — defines all other love.
In John 15:13, Jesus says that there is no “greater love” than one who will lay his life down for His friends. The day after He said that, He died on the cross for us, and proved that there is no “greater love” than His!
He loves us, and having experienced the love He has for us, we love Him in return. It is the same way that children learn what love is. They experience love from their parents and families, and they learn to reciprocate it. But it is not about the love we return. God’s love is so much more powerful and abundant than our meager offering back to Him.
I love the word that John used to describe the extent of God’s love here: propitiation. This is merely a big seminary or theology word. This is a Bible word. It describes a sacrifice that exchanges the wrath of God sinners deserve with the favor of God they don’t. Those who are saved experience the favor of God that His Son Jesus deserves because Jesus bore the wrath that our sin deserves. That’s love. And there’s no “greater love” than that!
Lord, thank You for loving me and all that You have saved. We don’t deserve Your love, especially not me, but I am thankful that You set Your affections on me despite my sin. Thank You for paying for my sin and covering me with Your blood. I love you, too, and long for the Day when we will be together forevermore.
All through the month of November, our Christ Community Church family is focusing on what we are thankful for and expressing our thanks to our “great God and Savior Jesus Christ, who gave Himself for us to redeem us” (Titus 2:13-14).
This, like the #DailyWisdomChallenge we went through in October, is a challenge from our pastor John Goldwater — the #GRATITUDEandHOPEchallenge — where we have the opportunity to post Bible passages that move us to thanksgiving or in which we find hope. May this lead you to be grateful and find your hope in Jesus!
Tomorrow is the Lord’s day, and I’m thankful to have the opportunity to gather with my faith family and worship Jesus!
Over the next few days, there will be a lot of fearmongering and confusion as our country heads into a major election. We should all be feeling the weight of this moment in our nation. But this does not have to be a hopeless time. The Lord’s day reminds us that He is alive and well and already victorious no matter the events of this world (Revelation 1:17-18, Colossians 2:15); it reminds us that our ultimate hope is not in earthly governments or leaders but in the King of kings (Revelation 17:14, 1 Timothy 6:15).
As we prepare our hearts to gather and worship Jesus tomorrow, let us reflect on 1 Peter 1:3-5, one of the passages we will be reading in our worship gathering tomorrow. Peter reminds us that, through Jesus, we have been “born again to a living hope”, “to an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading”. This promise is a steady anchor in turbulent times (Hebrews 6:19).
For Peter and his original audience, the Roman empire was becoming increasingly more dangerous for Christians. Persecution was about to begin a steady incline that would end up killing thousands upon thousands of Christians in the empire, even Peter and the apostle Paul. This “living hope” was what carried them through the persecution to the arms of their Savior in eternity. For us, Jesus is still our “living hope” and untouchable by politics, economies, and any uncertainties in the world.
That’s good news!
And that’s what we are singing about tomorrow as we take the time to pause, lift our eyes to Jesus, and be reminded that our hope is in Him. We’ll remind ourselves of the goodness and faithfulness of our Lord (Psalm 145:13), the power of His Kingdom (Daniel 7:14), and the mercy He’s shown us and will continually show us every day no matter what troubles come our way (Lamentations 3:22-23). We can take this time, like our brothers and sisters in Peter’s day and the centuries of terror and persecution that followed, to lift our voices in worship and trust to the One who truly holds the future and has already “overcome the world” (John 16:33)!
So, today in preparation for gathering to worship Jesus with our faith family tomorrow, let’s approach the throne of God in prayer (Hebrews 4:16) and lay down all of our worries, what-ifs, and the weight of the world before the King of kings (Psalm 55:22). He is sovereign, good, and faithful (Psalm 100:5). Let us do so with the knowledge that whatever Tuesday’s election outcomes, King Jesus will be just as sovereign, just as good, and just as faithful on Wednesday — and all the days until the Day He returns to bring us to Himself (Hebrews 13:8, 1 Thessalonians 4:16-17)!
What about you?
Do you have a church home? Are you planning on gathering with your faith family?
If you are in or around Grenada, MS, we at Christ Community Church would love to invite you to gather with us and to point you to Jesus!
Here are our Scriptures & songs:
Scripture | Titus 3:1-7 —
1 Remind them to be submissive to rulers and authorities, to be obedient, to be ready for every good work, 2 to speak evil of no one, to avoid quarreling, to be gentle, and to show perfect courtesy toward all people. 3 For we ourselves were once foolish, disobedient, led astray, slaves to various passions and pleasures, passing our days in malice and envy, hated by others and hating one another. 4 But when the goodness and loving kindness of God our Savior appeared, 5 he saved us, not because of works done by us in righteousness, but according to his own mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit, 6 whom he poured out on us richly through Jesus Christ our Savior, 7 so that being justified by his grace we might become heirs according to the hope of eternal life.
3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! According to his great mercy, he has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, 4 to an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you, 5 who by God’s power are being guarded through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.
I’m thankful that His steadfast love will never run out.
Every day brings new hardships and trials. It seems sometimes that the difficulties of life are insurmountable. Too often, the idea of merely giving up is more appealing than it should be. But just as the trouble is at its peak — when the waves seem to be flowing over our heads, God brings fresh mercy.
God has more mercy than we will ever have troubles. His love is infinitely flowing and infinitely better than the worst this world has to offer. Every day brings with it trouble, but every morning brings new mercy from the LORD. His faithfulness is great. He will take care of His people.
That’s good news!
What’s more is that trouble has an expiration date. It’s shelf life will run out when our LORD and King returns. Trouble will be over, but God’s mercies and steadfast love will still be infinite!
Lord, thank you for fresh mercy every morning and an infinite supply of Your steadfast love. Thank you for being a God who is bigger than our trouble — bigger and more magnificent than everything, yet still being willing to remember your lowly people. Help us to remember your unfailing steadfast love and mercy when the waves are crashing against us so that we can hold fast to You.
All through the month of November, our Christ Community Church family is focusing on what we are thankful for and expressing our thanks to our “great God and Savior Jesus Christ, who gave Himself for us to redeem us” (Titus 2:13-14).
This, like the #DailyWisdomChallenge we went through in October, is a challenge from our pastor John Goldwater — the #GRATITUDEandHOPEchallenge — where we have the opportunity to post Bible passages that move us to thanksgiving or in which we find hope. May this lead you to be grateful and find your hope in Jesus!
I’m thankful for the gospel — the good news of Jesus Christ — that tells us that He died for our sins on the cross we deserved, was buried, and rose from the dead defeating death, hell, and the grave.
That’s good news!
Literally, that’s what the word “gospel” means: good news!
Lord, thank you for the good news that we do not have to remain dead in our sins. Thank you for being willing to send Your Son to die in our place and giving the opportunity to come to You by grace through faith in Jesus and be made alive in Him.
All through the month of November, our Christ Community Church family is focusing on what we are thankful for and expressing our thanks to our “great God and Savior Jesus Christ, who gave Himself for us to redeem us” (Titus 2:13-14).
This, like the #DailyWisdomChallenge we went through in October, is a challenge from our pastor John Goldwater — the #GRATITUDEandHOPEchallenge — where we have the opportunity to post Bible passages that move us to thanksgiving or in which we find hope. May this lead you to be grateful and find your hope in Jesus!
Here we are FINALLY finished with the #DailyWisdomChallenge! What took some 31 days, only took me 56. But this challenge is not about an amount of time or some mark we check off, is it? No, it is about getting God’s Word in us and through us — Him producing results and us giving Him our time, minds, and lives to spend time with Him in His Word and share it with other. I have enjoyed spending this time with Him and sharing Him and His Word with you.
This last proverb is one that has been on my mind. I have typed and retyped this post because I just couldn’t seem to articulate it — to get my words right. Today, it is what it is and ain’t what it ain’t. Let’s dive in.
Much of Proverbs 31 (vv. 10-31) is about the virtuous wife/woman. I was tempted to pick some verses from that section and speak well of my wife, which I do as often as I can because she is amazing. But Proverbs 31:8-9 is about using our voices — in this case, my voice and platform — to speak for those who have no one to speak for them. I will always speak up and advocate for Candice, but what of those who have no advocate?
It might help to understand what it means to advocate for someone. Let’s break it down. There are two forms of the word, both spelled the same; one is a verb (meaning to support or speak in for — or in favor of — someone or something) and a noun (meaning one who supports or speaks for someone or something). To use both in a sentence: an advocate advocates for people or issues. That’s the English teacher take on it, but we need a more pastoral perspective here.
In 1 John 2:1-2 give us a good picture of Jesus as our Advocate (the ESV even using that exact word):
My little children, I am writing these things to you so that you may not sin. But if anyone does sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous. He is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the sins of the whole world.
In this brief passage, we see Jesus almost as an advocate or defense attorney in courtroom. We know that Satan is known as the “accuser” in Revelation 12:10 and is “day and night” putting our sin in the form of an accusation or case against us “before our God”. Satan wants God to look at our sin and cast us out as he was so long ago. He wants to hurt God by showing Him how His children sin against Him and others. He also wants to hurt us and see us destroyed (1 Peter 5:8). We really don’t need an accuser to understand this because just like our great-great-great-great-uncle Cain, our sin cries out like Abel’s shed blood (Genesis 4:10), and God knows it, too.
Who would stand as an advocate for one who is clearly guilty? How many courtroom dramas have feature hot shot defense attorneys remarking that only a fool would ask their client if they are guilty. In this case, we know we are guilty. All have sinned (Romans 3:23) and none stand before God as righteous in their own standing (Romans 3:10). Yet John clearly says that those who are in Christ who sin (which includes any and everyone who has ever and will ever be saved) has an advocate: Jesus Christ the righteous.
Jesus stands for us when our sin cries out against us, reminding the Father that He has cast our sin as far as the east is from the west (Psalm 103:12).
Jesus stands for us when the accuser comes before the Father and reminds him that He has exchanged our sin and shame for His righteousness and standing as a son (1 Corinthians 5:21).
He speaks for us when the recollection of our sin silences us and shuts the mouth of accuser, reminding us that He has saved us and him that his doom is sure.
What a joy it is to have someone speak for you when you are in trouble (Psalm 34:17)! What a relief it is to have someone advocate for you to receive help in your time of trouble (Psalm 46:1)!
That’s the point of our final proverb together: use the voice and platform God has given us to be an advocate for those in need and in trouble, people who do not have anyone to speak for them. Worldly wisdom says mind your business and stay in your lane when it comes for helping folks in precarious situations. God’s wisdom says speak up for those who have no one to speak up for them (“the destitute”) and no voice of their own (“the mute”). God’s wisdom says that we are to “defend the rights of the poor and needy” — to make sure that people can get the help they need.
Now, the argument that comes up here is always something like “What about those who are misusing the help they receive?” or some citing of something like 2 Thessalonians 3:10 and some variation of “if you don’t work, you don’t eat”. Remember this is not a blanket statement of foolishness or reckless speech; it says “judge righteously” right here in the proverb. But we are to err on the side of help rather than stinginess — advocating for help rather than silence.
So, what about you? Are you silent for the suffering or speaking for them to receive help? Does Jesus the righteous advocate for you and yet you remain silent for others?
This is the culmination, not only of the #DailyWisdomChallenge for me, but the pinnacle of the challenge of whether I will yield to God’s wisdom or roll with the world’s. John has challenged us to speak and share God’s Word with others. Now, God in His Word has challenged us to speak and share God’s Word FOR others, too.
Won’t you join me?
For the month of October (and finally finished 25 days into November), we are answering the challenge John Goldwater, pastor of Christ Community Church in Grenada, MS, laid out — the #DailyWisdomChallenge. Each day, we are going to read through a chapter of Proverbs corresponding to the day of the month.
This fits with what we have studied in Colossians, specifically Colossians 3:1-2, namely that we should seek “the things that are above, where Christ is” and set our minds like a thermostat “on things that are above, not on things that are on earth”. Imagine what a month meditating on God’s Word daily can do for us.
Won’t you join us on this #DailyWisdomChallenge and set your minds on Christ?
We are getting close to the end of the #DailyWisdomChallenge (and by we, I mean me as everyone else finished in October), and Proverb 30:5 embodies what we were meant to discover in this journey through Proverbs: God’s Word is true and feeds/nourishes God’s people.
In the modern church era – especially among more conservative denominations, people say things like the Bible is the inspired, inerrant, and infallible Word of God. That is a true statement. God’s Word is inspired – breathed out by God (2 Timothy 3:16-17). The original manuscripts of the Bible were God’s words exactly as He intended them and gave them by the Holy Spirit to the men who wrote them down (2 Peter 1:20-21, Psalm 19:7). God’s Word is not fallible, meaning that it will not fail in its purpose and will always accomplish what God intends (Isaiah 55:10-11, Psalm 119:89-91, Matthew 24:35, 1 Peter 1:24-25). What is at issue, though, is the way we live our lives.
It is one thing to say a thing and another entirely to live it out. Functionally, most of us (and by most, I mean all of us who profess to be saved fail in this at least some of the time) live our lives like we do not believe God’s Word is true. We too often live marching to the beat of our own drum and ignore the clear teachings of Scripture. But, if we are saved, God’s Word points us to Jesus who is the foundation and bedrock of our faith. When the chips are down, God’s Word is where we go to find God and receive help and comfort. It is in those moments when we need to hear God’s voice that we do not sit with an ear toward heaven but with our BIbles open reading the inspired, inerrant, and infallible Word.
Tonight, if you are struggling – or especially if things are going well, meditate on the good news of Proverbs 30:5.
Every, single word of Scripture is true.
Everyone who turns to the Lord for a refuge will be shielded by Him.
He said that to us in His Word. And He means it today and forevermore.
That’s good news!
For the month of October (and November for slowpokes like me), we are answering the challenge John Goldwater, pastor of Christ Community Church in Grenada, MS, laid out — the #DailyWisdomChallenge. Each day, we are going to read through a chapter of Proverbs corresponding to the day of the month.
This fits with what we have studied in Colossians, specifically Colossians 3:1-2, namely that we should seek “the things that are above, where Christ is” and set our minds like a thermostat “on things that are above, not on things that are on earth”. Imagine what a month meditating on God’s Word daily can do for us.
Won’t you join us on this #DailyWisdomChallenge and set your minds on Christ?
Just Keith Harris 