Good Words for Today

Nothing seems more natural than to hate those who have mistreated us. After I had preached on this topic, a man said to me, “Everything the world says about human relationships is wrong!” The world says, “Get even.” God says, “Seek the good of those who have harmed you.” The world says, “Get angry.” God says, “Pray for them.” The world says, “Don’t waste time loving bad people.” God says, “Love them anyway.”

Your enemies may have meant it for evil, but God still means it for good. Their malicious hatred cannot overcome God’s faithfulness to you.

Self-pity is the enemy of all spiritual growth. As long as you feel sorry for yourself, you'll make a thousand excuses for not facing your own problems, and you'll never get better.

Here's a profound truth. Sometimes we need to eat. Sometimes we need to sleep. Sometimes we need to eat and sleep even more than we need to pray. There's a time for everything. There is a time for crying out to God; and there is a time to roll over in bed, close your eyes, and get a good night's sleep. And there is a time when what you need is a Big Mac, French fries, and a chocolate milk shake. We all need a good night's sleep and a good meal. Sometimes we just need to let our hair down and have a blast. For some that means going waterskiing. For others it means hiking in the mountains. For some it means sitting in a comfortable chair and knitting with your friends. For me it means walking 10,000 steps each day. That's why God commanded man to work for six days and to rest on the seventh day. We need to work and work hard and serve the Lord, and we also need some downtime. We need some rest, and we need some relaxation. Sometimes the most spiritual thing you can do is to get up and have a good meal because you'll feel so much better.

“My dear children, for whom I am again in the pains of childbirth until Christ is formed in you” (Galatians 4:19). Here is the true goal of all ministry: To help others become like Christ. John Calvin remarked that “if ministers wish to do any good, let them labor to form Christ, not themselves, in their hearers.” We must labor to form Christ in our hearers, not an image of ourselves. It doesn’t matter if a pastor is known as a wonderful preacher, so long as the people go away knowing that Christ is a wonderful Savior.

The Bible predicts a time in the last days when God will shake the nations so that those things that cannot be shaken will remain (Heb. 12:26-27). When Eugene Peterson paraphrased the last part of verse 27 in The Message, he said that God will shake the earth, "getting rid of all the historical and religious junk so that the unshakable essentials stand clear and uncluttered." Unshakable essentials. That says it all. God is shaking the earth so that we will figure out what matters most.

Three frogs are sitting on a log. Two decide to jump off. How many are left? The answer is three. You haven't jumped off the log because you decided to jump off. Deciding counts for nothing. You're still on the log until you jump off the log. You can say, "I have decided to follow Jesus." You can sing it. You can shout it. But until you're following him, you're not following him. It's not your decisions that matter; it's what you actually do.

We often mistake faith and our feelings. Faith isn't about my feelings, much less about my circumstances. Faith is a conscious choice I make, a moment-by-moment decision to believe that God is fully involved in my situation, regardless of my current circumstances. Faith chooses to believe when it would be easier to stop believing.

Of all the things that plague modern Christianity, nothing is more troublesome than spiritual indecision. We can't decide which team we're on. In the great battle between light and darkness, we live in the twilight. We say we're on Team Jesus, but we struggle about which uniform to wear. We can say it more succinctly. If you're going to be a Christian, be one!

"Courage is being scared to death, and saddling up anyway." John Wayne

You will never make an impact on the world until you are willing to be disliked. As long as you make popularity your goal, you will never make waves or swim against the tide. But if you ever decide that faithfulness to God matters more than popularity with the world, you can be like Elijah, who defeated the prophets of Baal and saved his nation.

If we are willing to obey, God will take care of the details. He can send the ravens to feed us when the world has forgotten us.

Death cannot destroy the promises of God.

We all have a job to do, and we will be happier in it if we realize that most everyone else we know will be doing something different. Our challenge is to do what we do with grace, courage, zeal, and humility, and leave the judging of others to the Lord.

If God is for us . . . We have a Friend in high places. The angel of the Lord encamps around us. Christ will never leave us. The peace of God will fill our hearts. The Holy Spirit will lead us. The joy of the Lord will be our strength. The devil cannot defeat us. We will not give in to fear. If God is for us, who can be against us?

You can have the pleasures of sin or you can have the joy of the Lord, but you can't have both at the same time.

Don't gossip about the weakness of others. Pray about it, and keep moving. You've got more important things to do.

Sin does not cease to be sinful just because it has become fashionable.

Prince of Peace, show me what it means to be a peacemaker in a world filled with war. Amen.

Christ has won the victory. He is risen indeed! No one can put him back in the grave.

Love is a choice. You’ll find out what that means when you decide to love someone who hates you.

My God, you are the Lord of the changing seasons of life. Without you, I could hardly face tomorrow, but as long as you are with me, I will have no fear. Amen.

Over 100 times the Bible tells us to "fear not." That ought to be enough to carry us into the new year. How have you seen God's faithfulness this year? What prayers has God answered? When did God come through for you or your loved ones? Sleep well tonight. God's grace carried us through 2025; His promises will lead us into 2026.

“Soon He’s coming back to welcome me,     Far beyond the starry sky; I shall wing my flight to worlds unknown,     I shall reign with Him on high.”

Lord, help me to appreciate what I have while it is still mine to enjoy. Amen.

Only two things in this world are eternal—the Word of God and people. It only makes sense to build your life around those things that will last forever. The Word of God will last forever. People last forever. Everything else disappears.

Spirit of God, make me more like Jesus today. Amen.

May God deliver us from a casual relationship with Jesus. We can get so comfortable with our Lord that he no longer amazes us. When that happens, miracles vanish because we no longer expect them. Don’t take Jesus for granted! Deliver us, O Lord, from casual Christianity. Open our eyes to see you as you are—the mighty Son of God from heaven. Amen.

In order for Christ to be our Savior, three conditions had to be met: He must be a man. An angel could not die for our sins. He must be an infinite man. A mere mortal could not bear the infinite price that had to be paid for our sins. He must be an innocent man. A sinner could not die for the sins of others. The Virgin Birth guarantees that our Lord fulfills all three conditions. Because he was born of Mary, he is fully human. Because he was conceived by the Holy Spirit, he is fully God. Because he was born holy, he is sinless in thought, word, and deed. Thus he is fully qualified to be our Savior. Joy to the World! The Lord is come!

Christ gained nothing by becoming man because all things belonged to him already. We who had nothing at all gained everything when God became a man.

"He came down to earth from Heaven, Who is God and Lord of all. And his shelter was a stable, And his cradle was a stall. With the poor and mean and lowly, Lived on earth our Saviour Holy." From "Once in Royal David's City," Cecil Frances Alexander, 1848.

The scribes in Jerusalem knew so much but did so little. The Wise Men knew so little but did so much. Don't fall into the trap of thinking your knowledge will save you. It won't! God give us the faith of the Wise Men who came so far to meet Jesus. Wise men still worship Him!

We sometimes hear that Christmas proves how important we are to God. After all, he sent his Son to save us. That's true, but it's not the whole story. Christmas proves how messed up we are. Jesus didn't come for perfect people because perfect people don't need a Savior. If you don't see yourself as a sinner, then Christmas is just another holiday. But if you are willing to admit that you are lost, then you can be found. Christmas is for broken people who aren't ashamed to admit it. The self-righteous need not apply. They missed Jesus when he came the first time, and they still miss him today.

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Joseph had to give up his own ideas about how things should be done. It’s the same with us. We have to let go of our ideas and let God work his plan. Then the miracles happen.

Promises made. Promises kept. That’s not just a slogan. That’s Christmas in four words.

Here's a good word for every pastor who stands in the pulpit. Don't forget the people who come to hear you week after week. Many are struggling, some are just barely hanging on. They need to hear from God, so tell them the truth with clarity, compassion, and conviction. Preach so that God's weary children will find the courage to believe all over again.