Category: Verse of the Day

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Verse of the Day

1 Peter 2:12

Be careful to live properly among your unbelieving neighbors. Then even if they accuse you of doing wrong, they will see your honorable behavior, and they will give honor to God when he judges the world.

1 Peter 2:12

Living for the Lord

Everywhere you go, people are watching. It seems as though nonbelievers watch the things believers say and do. We can influence the people around us by the way we live. I remember a girl I knew that was working with youth. She told a story of how one of her youth girls saw her out at a restaurant drinking with a friend. It was not that she shouldn’t be out with a friend, but the way she was behaving made the youth girl question her faith. The youth leader was laughing about the incident; however, it had a big impact on the youth.

If we want others to grow in their faith, then we must be careful how we live. We have to live wisely, pointing others to Jesus.

A Prayer to Remember

Dear Lord,
Help me be an example to others. Guide me in the way I should live. Amen.

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Verse of the Day

1 Peter 2:11

Dear friends, I warn you as “temporary residents and foreigners” to keep away from worldly desires that wage war against your very souls.

1 Peter 2:11

The World is not your Home

This world is not our permanent home. As this verse says, we are temporary residents. Nothing in this world will last. We should not cling to things of this world because as 1 John 2:17 says, “the world and its desires will pass away.” The desires of this world wage war against you. The enemy wants to fight for your soul, so it will make everything seem pleasing and acceptable. You must be on guard against the enemy.

Live as though you are not a resident of this world. Live as though you belong somewhere else. Make decisions based on your future home and not the world.

A Prayer to Remember

Dear Lord,
Thank you for your salvation that saved me from the world and its desires. Amen.

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Verse of the Day

Colossians 2:23

These rules may seem wise because they require strong devotion, pious self-denial, and severe bodily discipline. But they provide no help in conquering a person’s evil desires.

Colossians 2:23

Freedom From the Law

The rules this verse refers to is from Colossians 2:22. They are the rules that man devises: made-up rules. The Pharisees hated Jesus because they did not think he followed their rules and claimed to be someone they did not believe him to be. They were very strict with their rules and did not allow for any grace which made faith very difficult.

However, Jesus came to free man from the law and offer salvation from sins. The law was never meant to be a strict list of rules with no grace, but instead to show man the need for a Savior. That is why there is freedom in Christ. Some Christians and church people have taken the law even further and added their own rules for how to live. This is why some nonbelievers do not want anything to do with church- it can seem like a list of rules. As believers, we must show others the freedom of Christ and live in such a way that points others to Him.

A Prayer to Remember

Dear Lord,
Thank you for your grace and forgiveness. Thank you for giving me the law so I know how much I need you. Amen.

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Verse of the Day

1 Peter 2:13-14

For the Lord’s sake, submit to all human authority—whether the king as head of state, or the officials he has appointed. For the king has sent them to punish those who do wrong and to honor those who do right.

1 Peter 2:13-14

Submit to Authority

This is a difficult verse, especially when the human authority does not appear to submit to the Lord. We have to remember that kings and rulers come and go, but the Lord stands forever. There is nothing beyond his control. No one has been put in a position that God didn’t already foresee or allow. If we live our lives respecting his authority above everyone else’s, then we will grow in our relationship with him and become more respectable people. We will be trustworthy and responsible.

Instead of complaining about authority, spend time in prayer each day for your leaders. Pray for their wisdom and that God will lead them to his saving grace.

A Prayer to Remember

Dear Lord,
I pray for the leaders in my life, whether that be political or spiritual. Help me to submit to authority everyday. Amen.

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Verse of the Day

Philippians 2:17-18

But I will rejoice even if I lose my life, pouring it out like a liquid offering to God, just like your faithful service is an offering to God. And I want all of you to share that joy. Yes, you should rejoice, and I will share your joy.

Philippians 2:17-18

Rejoice in the Lord

These words are some of the most difficult to pray, yet they seem so easy coming from Paul. He was willing to lose his life for Christ because he had found his life in him. He thought he had found his fullness in the law but it still left him empty. Once he found Christ, he found completion, fullness, wholeness in him. He was willing to pour out his life because he knew it wasn’t his to begin with. It belonged to God.

Maybe you are not there and that is okay. The more you spend time with God and submit to him and his will, the closer you will be to the Lord. Never be satisfied with where you are in your walk. Amen.

A Prayer to Remember

Dear Lord,
You are always growing me. Thank you for the work you are always doing in and through me. Amen.

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Verse of the Day

Colossians 2:20-22

You have died with Christ, and he has set you free from the spiritual powers of this world. So why do you keep on following the rules of the world, such as, “Don’t handle! Don’t taste! Don’t touch!”? Such rules are mere human teachings about things that deteriorate as we use them.

Colossians 2:20-22

The Freedom of Jesus

To trust in Christ means freedom. There is so much freedom you can find in Christ. He set you free from the burden of sin when He went to the cross. He set you free from the bondage of the world. You are free from the hold sin tries to have on you. You are free from the desires of sin. You are free from death! Romans 6:23 says, “For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life through Christ Jesus our Lord.” Eternal life is the free gift through Jesus; even though the penalty of sin is death, Eternity is the free gift for the believer.

Live in your freedom instead of your sin, Believer! Do not be tied to this world or anything in it. Instead, bask in His glory and His freedom!

A Prayer to Remember

Dear Lord,
Thank you for your freedom. Thank you for freeing me from my sin and shame. Amen.

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Verse of the Day

1 Peter 2:10

Once you had no identity as a people; now you are God’s people. Once you received no mercy; now you have received God’s mercy.

1 Peter 2:10

We Are God’s People

We are God’s people. He has given us a new identity. Some people search their entire lives for identity and purpose. God gave you an identity and purpose at the moment of salvation. You do not have to search for meaning; you have a new meaning. You are God’s people. We are God’s people. We can live in his presence because we have received his mercy. Our sin has been washed away. We are clean in his sight.

Next time you find yourself in a broken place, take heart that you were created with a purpose and have been chosen as one of God’s people. You can live and act as though you have a higher purpose.

A Prayer to Remember

Dear Lord,
Thank you for giving me a purpose and an identity. May I serve you and fulfill that purpose. Amen.

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Verse of the Day

Colossians 2:11

For you were buried with Christ when you were baptized. And with him you were raised to new life because you trusted the mighty power of God, who raised Christ from the dead.

Colossians 2:11

To Trust in Christ

There is so much hope for the Christian. God has given joy and hope through Jesus Christ. He buried your sin when He went to the cross and died for the sins of mankind. Then, through the resurrection of the Savior of the world, your sins were forgiven and you were given new life. All it takes is trusting Jesus as your Savior.

To trust Jesus as your Savior means to give Him control of your life, know that He will be faithful, and continuously put your hope in Him for the rest of your life. Trusting in Him is a daily decision. Every day you choose to give Him control. Every day you choose to trust in His faithfulness. Every day you hope for what is to come. Put your trust in Him today and every day for the rest of your life.

A Prayer to Remember

Dear Lord,
You are so good and faithful. I know that if I put my trust in you for the rest of my life, you will be faithful to me. Amen.

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Verse of the Day

1 Peter 2:9

But you are not like that, for you are a chosen people. You are royal priests, a holy nation, God’s very own possession. As a result, you can show others the goodness of God, for he called you out of the darkness into his wonderful light.

1 Peter 2:9

A Chosen People

If you know the Lord, then you are a chosen people! You have been adopted into the family of God. You are a holy nation, part of God’s very own possession! You belong to him! Since you belong to him, you can show others the love, grace, and mercy of the father. You can show his goodness. He has transferred you from the darkness and into the light. You have been saved and given a new name and identity!

Live as though you are in the light. Live as though you belong to the Lord.

A Prayer to Remember

Dear Lord,
Thank you for including me in the family of God. May I shine my light to others! Amen.

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Verse of the Day

1 Peter 2:5

And you are living stones that God is building into his spiritual temple. What’s more, you are his holy priests. Through the mediation of Jesus Christ, you offer spiritual sacrifices that please God.

1 Peter 2:5

A Living Stone

As believers, you are the foundation of the Christian life. The word foundation means to establish. God builds or establishes his church on believers who have given their lives over to the Lord. Each one of us is a living stone that he is continuously building. When we show him how much we love him and worship him, we please him. We also please him when we selflessly put him above all else. These sacrifices are a beautiful aroma to him.

In order to become a firm foundation, we need to continuously work on our relationship with the Lord through devotion, prayer, and Bible Study. When we are all working on our own personal relationships with the Lord, we will build that foundation together.

A Prayer to Remember

Dear Lord,
Help us become a foundation for the Christian faith. May we all work together. Amen.