Spiritual Growth / Godliness

  • Seduction Resisted

    Genesis 39

    Sin can destroy relationships, lead to illness, and make our lives this side of eternity miserable. For many, a deterrent to sin is fear — fear that God will zap them when they sin. Instead of law, however, the gospel provides ...Read More

  • Serving God in the Here and Now

    1 Corinthians 7:17–24

    If our primary concern in life is to change our present situation, then we will have little room to serve God wherever we are. It is not inherently wrong to seek a change in circumstances, and, indeed, a change may ...Read More

  • The Benefits of Trials

    James 1

    Have you ever been through a time of suffering that left you a milder, more sober, more “centered” person than before? What “bad” aspects of your life were refined and what good aspects of your life were strengthened? As hard ...Read More

  • The Bride and Her Husband

    Ephesians 5:22-33

    Jesus certainly loves us individually and justifies us via our personal faith in Him. However, the relationship between Christ and His bride is a relationship between the sovereign Lord and a corporate body. Jesus loves a people as His bride ...Read More

  • The Christian’s Toil

    1 Timothy 4:10

    Scripture never depicts our pursuit of salvation as something that is without a reward. While we should never serve God simply for a reward, it is not wrong to expect many blessings as a result of our service. If you ...Read More

  • The Desire for Riches

    1 Timothy 6:9

    Each day we should ask ourselves whether we are content with the gifts God has given us or whether we are coveting (not simply wanting) something else. That something could be money, a relationship, a job, recognition, or any number ...Read More

  • The Dreamer

    Genesis 37

    The jealousy of Joseph’s brothers — exacerbated by Jacob’s favoritism — led to their selling him into slavery and subsequent lies that a wild animal had killed him. Though we cannot blame their sin on Jacob, the story does illustrate ...Read More

  • The Enemies of the Cross of Christ

    Philippians 3:18–19

    Although we are rightly distressed when we see professing Christians pervert the grace of God into an excuse for sin, we should not be surprised that such things happen. After all, if people could glory in their shame while the ...Read More

  • The Imitation of Christ

    Ephesians 5:1

    The Apostle Paul’s teaching on our sanctification is ultimately a call to the imitation of Christ (1 Cor. 11:1). Therefore, we should pay close attention to the words and actions of Jesus if we want to understand what ...Read More

  • The Imitation of Christ

    Ephesians 5:1

    God has given us the spiritual disciplines so that we might fulfill the call to imitate His holiness and righteousness. Therefore we must endeavor to study His Word, pray, fellowship, and evangelize, always remembering that if we do such things ...Read More

  • The Mystery of Godliness

    1 Timothy 3:16

    For those of us who have been Christians for a long time, it can be easy to take the wonder of our salvation for granted. Therefore, we should never cease to reflect daily for at least a short while on ...Read More

  • The Ninth Commandment

    Exodus 20:16

    Take some time today to consider what you say to others. Do you repeat things told to you even if you are not sure that they are true? In your drive to get ahead do you subtly introduce doubts about ...Read More

  • The Ninth Commandment

    Deuteronomy 5:20

    There are a number of different ways in which we can break this rule against false witness. If we teach or proclaim wrong things about God’s character, we are bearing false witness. If we gossip and backbite to destroy ...Read More

  • The Revealer

    Psalm 119:105

    All of us have asked the question: What is God’s will for my life? This query is usually posed when we are selecting a vocation or spouse. Specific answers to these questions for each individual are not given in ...Read More

  • The Sin of Sloth

    Proverbs 21:25–26; 26:13–16

    Make specific changes in your life to fight laziness. This can include your vocation, physical exercise, and spiritual disciplines like prayer, Bible study, attendance at worship, and service. If you have children, establish guidelines for housework, school work, and spiritual ...Read More