Godly Confidence - Romans 15

S - Romans 15:13 I pray that God, the source of hope, will fill you completely with joy and peace because you trust in him. Then you will overflow with confident hope through the power of the Holy Spirit.
O - Paul is talking about how Jesus came not only for the Jews but also for the Gentiles. Because of this the Gentiles could have a confident hope in their life through the power of the Holy Spirit.
A - I too am a Gentile and because Jesus came for not only His people but the entire world, I can have this same confident hope that Paul promised to the Romans. This hope is not only that I will be spendning eternity with God in heaven, which is truly amazing and will be wonderful, but this confident hope also is all the promises that He made to His people. Promises like He will never leave or forsake me, He will protect me, and He will overflow my cup with blessings. This doesn't mean that my life will be perfect and that there will be no challenges but this means instead that He will always be near me and I can give all my cares and anxieties to Him because He cares for me.
P - Heavenly Father, You are truly wonderful and all the words of praise don't even begin to give you the praise and glory that you deserve. I am so very thankful for all of the confident hope that I have through the Holy Spirit because of the sacrifice that your son Jesus gave for me. Help me to let my light shine for you and your kingdom and be an example to my children and wife. Help me to show this confidence and use it throughout this life for your good and your glory. Bless my family and me today.

Don't Judge Others - Romans 14

S - Romans 14:12 So then each of us shall give account of himself to God.
O - Here the author is talking about Christians not judging others because of what one eats or doesn't eat. Instead each person will be judged in the end only by God.
A - Throughout my life I need to be very aware of this verse. I need to be concerned about my actions and only my actions. I am a father and a husband that is to lead and be the spiritual leader of my house and family but in the end I can not and should not be judging the actions and thoughts of any one else but my self. I am to train my children with His word and His commands so that they too will live a life pleasing to Him, but outside of these children when they are in my house I shouldn't be judging anyone else. Instead I should live a life that others can look at and see the love of Jesus in my eyes and heart. By judging them I am only creating a barrier that causing a division and there is then no way for me to influence them in a positive God-loving way.
P - God, help me to be the father and husband that you want me to be and to train and teach my children to grow up loving and wanting to serve you with everything they do. Help me to daily live my life for you and to look and judge only my thoughts and actions. Help me to be a light to others as I may be the only way that they see the true love and acceptance of Jesus. Bless my family and me today and everyday.

What Truly Saves - Romans 10

S - Romans 10:10 For it is by believing in your heart that you are made right with God, and it is by confessing with your mouth that you are saved.
A - Again it is talking about how people are saved, not through obeying the law, but instead through believing in God and confessing Him.
O - What a reassuring verse. Many make us believe that it is more than this to be saved. You must obey His commands, you must be baptised, you must... These things are important and God tell us to do these things out of respect and obedience to Him, but these acts are not what saves us. All that we need to do is believe in Him and confess Him with our mouths. Plain and simple. He did all the work for us and because of this we don't need to earn our way to Him. I should be willing, excited, and motivated to obey His commands and act in the way that He wants but it should be only because I love and honor Him and since He is now in my heart, it is hard not to do these things.
P - God, thank you for your son Jesus Christ and the sacrifice that He gave for me. I can't even begin to thank you enough for this and it motivates me to act in a way that is pleasing to you to show you my love and appreciation. Help me to be bold with your message and to help share this great news with others that I am around today. Bless me and my family.

Trust in Him - Romans 9

S - Romans 9:32 Why not? Because they were trying to get right with God by keeping the law instead of by trusting in him. They stumbled over the great rock in their path.
O - Here he is talking about Israel and how they were not all going to be saved even though they were His chosen people. They were too busy trying to keep His laws that they weren't trusting in Him.
A - I too need to be aware of this same thing. God has placed commandments and authority with rules in my life but if all I do is try to follow these without trusting in Him, I will be missing the greatest command of all, To love the Lord with all my Heart, Soul, and Mind. By following this command I am really trusting Him with my life. If I do this, all of the other commandments and rules should fall into line because my heart is right and my trust is squarely placed on Jesus.
P - Heavenly Father, today I firmly place my trust in you! I give you my life and my heart. Lead me and protect me. I desire to be with you and to follow your paths. Make straight your path and help me to have the strength to follow and be open with others of this complete and utter trust I have in you. I love you. Bless my family and me today.

Everything Will Work Out - Romans 8

S - Romans8:28 And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them.
O - He is talking about how when we have the Holy Spirit living inside us that the Holy Spirit can speak in a way that is not understandable to us but that God the Father can understand it. And because of this God causes everything to work out good for those that love Him and have His Spirit within them.
A - What an awesome promise that I need to stand on daily. God has promised that everything will work out IF I love God AND are called according to His purpose. My first reaction is to say that I need to know what His purpose is for me as I know that I love Him. However, I think that I need to focus on the first area and the second will naturally align itself. Loving God means that I put His will and His desires ahead of mine. The times that I'm selfish for my own desires, this is me putting myself above God. God comes first in EVERY area of my life. I surrender to you God!
P - Heavenly Father, I thank you that you have given this promise for working out everything. I surrender my life to you and want to love you always and do what you want in my life as I know that if I try to work everything out myself and put me ahead of you I may work things out but may have missed your blessing. Help me to be the father and husband that can also teach this to my family and to be a mirror for your goodness and love to them. Bless my family and me today. I love you.

I Am Righteous - Romans 4

S - Romans 4:23 And when God counted him as righteous, it wasn’t just for Abraham’s benefit. It was recorded 24 for our benefit, too, assuring us that God will also count us as righteous if we believe in him, the one who raised Jesus our Lord from the dead.
O - Abraham was a man of faith and righteousness. It was recorded so that we too can be assured that God will count us as righteous when we believe.
A - At times in life I sometimes feel as though I am not living up to God's will and commands and can feel that I am not good enough to be with Him or talk with Him. These verses brings comfort to me to realize that I am righteous in God's eyes regardless of how well I am upholding His commands because Jesus was raised from the dead after dying for me and because of my faith in Him! What an awesome reassurance! This doesn't mean that I now have a free pass in life and don't need to obey or follow His commands and will. It means just the opposite. Because of the grace and "free pass" that He has given me, I should be even more driven to live a life that pleases Him to show Him my love and appreciation fro what Jesus did for me.
P - Heavenly Father, Thank you for the gift of your son Jesus Christ. I stand in awe of the amazing gift that he gave me and the love that you poured out on me and my family and everyone in the world even though you knew that we would not always live up to your commands. Help me today to live a life that makes you proud and to hear your voice and know your plans for me. You have promised that you have a plan for my life and that it will be good. Help me to stay on that path and plan. Bless my family and me today and help me to be a blessing to everyone that I have contact with today.

Preach to All Nations - Mark 13

S - Mark 13:10 For the Good News must first be preached to all nations.
O - Jesus' disciples had asked Jesus when the end of the world would come about and He was talking about the signs and events that would occur. Here He mentions that the good news must be preached to ALL nations.
A - This means to me that I need to be ambitious as to who I am talking about God with. I should be very open and forth-right with His good news and with the salvation message. Every opportunity that comes up and I sheep away from is one person that may not be able to be in heaven since only I was that one that may have been able to touch them. Even before I talk to them I need to behave and act in a way that shows that I am different than others and that I have something in me that they might desire.
P - Father, you truly are awesome and worthy of everything in this entire world. Give me the strength and courage to be bold with your message and good news. Help me to live a live of excellence and goodness that is different than the world and is peculiar, not for my glory but instead so others will look to understand who I have inside of me. Thank you for all of the blessings you have poured out on me and my family and continue to guide and protect us all.

Truly Surrender and Love God - Mark 12

S - Mark 12:30 And you must love the LORD your God with all your heart, all your soul, all your mind, and all your strength.
O - Jesus is answering the Pharisees' question regarding which commandment is the most important. This passage is the first commandment that he answered with followed by loving your neighbor as yourself.
A - In my life I need to seriously and on-purpose love the Lord with all of my heart, soul, mind and strength. It is one thing to say that I love Him but to truly love Him with every fiber of my body is completely different. I am an open vessel for Him to move me in the way that He desires. I need to convey this same thought to my children so that they too may live under God's protection and blessings. I surrender my life to you Heavenly Father!
P - God, You are amazing and wonderful, full of power and glory! I stand before you today and surrender my life to you with a desire to do your will daily in my life. I ask for your constant and distinct voice to guide me in every step of my day and my life. Help me to focus on you continually and to teach this to my children, not only with my words, but also with my actions daily. I ask you for blessings on my family and I today and that you speak ever so clearly to both Christa and I about the adoption and the distinct path and child that you want us to raise.

No miracles without faith - Mark 6

S - Mark 6:5 And because of their unbelief, he couldn’t do any miracles among them except to place his hands on a few sick people and heal them.
O - Jesus was back in Nazarath and the people there couldn't understand why Jesus, who they knew and saw grow up, had such great wisdom and understanding and was able to perform miracles. Because of this, it says that he COULDN'T do any miracles because of there unbelief.
A - Jesus is the same today as He was back then. That means that He still is unable to perform any miracles or that we can't perform miracles, even though He said that we would have the same power and more that He had to perform miracles, when there is unbelief. I need to be always in belief that God can do the unthinkable. This is especially true for our finances, our business, our marriage, and our family. God will ALWAYS provide for us and when it looks like we may be in need, He WILL provide and I need to stand in belief and then He will provide. For this adoption, I need to believe that He will provide with a child that He has for us and that financially He will provide for us.
P - Father, you are awesome and amazing! He truly are the only one that can provide, protect, and nourish my family and I in a way that is self-less and always loving. I long to be with you and desire to have these moments with you were your presence is so strong. Guide me today and help me to be the man that you created me to be and the man that my wife and children need me to be. Thank you for all the miracles, no matter how big or small, that have occurred in my life so far and I believe that there will be more and that you will always provide. Bless my family and me today and guide us and provide for us on the journey that you have asked us to take.

My sins are forgiven - Mark 3

S - Mark 3:28 “Assuredly, I say to you, all sins will be forgiven the sons of men, and whatever blasphemies they may utter; 29 but he who blasphemes against the Holy Spirit never has forgiveness, but is subject to eternal condemnation”
O - Jesus has just been healing a multitude of people and the Pharisees are accusing Him of healing with demonic forces. Jesus then rebukes them and says that the unforgivable sin is blasphemy against the Holy Spirit.
A - I'm a bit confused with this verse as I don't really understand what the blasphemy against the Holy Spirit means. I think He's talking about saying that the good that He is doing is not from God but instead from Satan. However, the verse before it brings me comfort; all sins will be forgiven. What a great relief to know that all of the sins we commit are forgiven. Jesus sacrificed so much for us and took away all of our sins.
P - Heavenly Father, thank you so very much for your son Jesus and the sacrifices He made for me and my sins. I am eternally grateful for this and strive to be more perfect. However, I am glad that He took away my sins to be made perfect in your eyes. Help me to live a more perfect life and treat others with the love and respect that Jesus did while He was on the earth. Bless my family and me today.

Filling people's needs - Mark 2

S - Mark 2:8 But immediately, when Jesus perceived in His spirit that they reasoned thus within themselves, He said to them, “Why do you reason about these things in your hearts? 9 Is it easier to say to the paralyzed man ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or ‘Stand up, pick up your mat, and walk’?
O - From the way Mark tells us of this story it seems that Jesus was able to make a very quick decision as to what He would do with this man. It says that He saw their faith and had an opportunity to heal their friend. However, He was able to kill two birds with one stones by forgiving His sins first and challenging the Pharisees.
A - I too have opportunities to help people that I know and run into. I should always be aware of both their immediate needs and their eternal needs. To not pay attention to their eternal needs is a big mistake and not helping them to the full extent.
P - God, help me to be aware of the needs of people around me. When I perceive a need, help me to look even deeper and see the eternal need that only your son Jesus can fill and give me the courage to talk with them about it. Bless my family and me today and help me to be the man of God that you created me to be.