I am writing to you who share the same precious faith we have. This faith was given to you because of the justice and fairness of Jesus Christ, our God and Saviour. 2 Peter 1:1 (NLT)  Have you ever heard the old saying, “Birds of a feather flock together”?  Peter actually talked about this same idea when it came to believers. In today’s scripture, Peter specifically addressed his letter to those believers who “share the same precious faith” in Christ. Why?  Because in the middle of hardship, he had personally experienced the power of sticking with like-minded believers. In Acts chapter 4, after being released from prison under threat that they no longer share the Gospel, the first thing Peter and John did was return …

So they took Jesus in the boat and started out, leaving the crowds behind (although other boats followed). Mark 4:36 (NLT)  Jesus and His disciples had to leave the multitude and push through a storm to continue fulfilling God’s plans for them. Sometimes we have to do the same.But for many people, when storms begin to blow in their Christian walk, they feel tempted to row back to familiar shores. It might be alcohol, toxic friends or the same old spending habits.  It takes courage to put your face into the wind and say, “I’m pushing off from shore, away from the crowd and my comfort zone, and I’m following my destiny anyway.” For example, I’ve spoken to people who have told me how their …

As evening came, Jesus said to his disciples, “Let’s cross to the other side of the lake.” Mark 4:35 (NLT)  Never let storms decide your direction or your destiny. Some people go through life letting problems dictate where they go, what they do and whether they quit. Or they follow the “door theory.” They think, “If there’s an open door, it’s God, and if it’s a closed door, it’s God.” It’s the same concept as following whichever direction the storm blows, but that’s Old Testament theology.  The New Testament says, “For all who are led by the Spirit of God are children of God” (Romans 8:14, NLT). So, we follow Holy Spirit’s lead, not open or closed doors.  Can you imagine Jesus shrugging His shoulders …

The amazing grace of the Master, Jesus Christ, the extravagant love of God, the intimate friendship of the Holy Spirit, be with all of you. 2 Corinthians 13:14 (MSG)  When Jesus was with His disciples, they walked together, ate together and lived their lives together. They were connected. This is the type of relationship that the word “fellowship” describes. Fellowship is so much more than a shallow relationship between acquaintances.  When Paul prayed for the Corinthian church, he prayed that the “fellowship of the Holy Spirit” would be with them all (2 Corinthians 13:14, NLT). It’s interesting that he chose to say the fellowship of Holy Spirit, not the fellowship of God or Jesus. Although the three are one, I believe that he did this for …

Whoever accepts and trusts the Son gets in on everything, life complete and forever! John 3:36 (MSG)  Many people assume God is angry with them when they do wrong and loves them only when they do right. They read about how God poured out punishment on people who disobeyed Him in the Old Testament, and they assume He feels that way about them today. But in 2 Corinthians 13:14, Paul prayed that we would know the love of God, not the anger of God.  You see, before you made Jesus the Lord of your life, you were separated from God. When Adam disobeyed God, he acted on behalf of mankind. So by default we all start out in the same category as Adam. And when …