ExpressYourself4Him

Passage of the Day:

It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery. ² Mark my words! I, Paul, tell you that if you let yourselves be circumcised, Christ will be of no value to you at all. ³ Again I declare to every man who lets himself be circumcised that he is obligated to obey the whole law. ⁴ You who are trying to be justified by the law have been alienated from Christ; you have fallen away from grace. ⁵ For through the Spirit we eagerly await by faith the righteousness for which we hope. ⁶ For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision has any value. The only thing that counts is faith expressing itself through love, Galatians 5:1-6.

Reflection:

The Church at Galatia was infiltrated by a religious sect which attempted to make Christianity more Jewish. This group known as the Judaizers added stipulations to salvation, pressuring new converts who were Gentiles to become circumcised. This is the context to the apostle Paul’s message to Christians in Galatia. Being religious is following a rigid and strict set of rules on a daily basis. One of the reasons Jesus came was to set people free from the chains of sin. Like the image presented by Jesus in Matthew 11:28-30, freedom through faith occurs when you experience rest for your soul.

Prayerful Action:

“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. ²⁹ Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. ³⁰ For my yoke is easy and my burden is light,” Matthew 11:28-30.

Fueling your Faith this Spiritual Season:

The Bible refers to faith as a journey and a marathon. One of Paul’s motives for writing the Galatian Church was to find out what was preventing them as Christians from running a good race, Galatians 5:7. There are numerous environments and factors in your community, at home, or work which negatively impacts your faith. This is why it’s important to cast your burdens at the feet of Jesus in prayer. In worst case scenarios, you may have to alter and change relationships that are dragging you down. As Christians follow the advice King Solomon in Proverbs 27:17, your faith will be sharpened by interacting with godly men and women.

Song of the Day:

Final Thoughts:

Sometimes the obstacles to faith, trap Christians into a life and world that they never imagined. May the lyrics to House of their Dreams, give you hope that one day soon you’ll experience freedom through faith.

by Jay Mankus

Passage of the Day:

These are the things God has revealed to us by his Spirit. The Spirit searches all things, even the deep things of God. ¹¹ For who knows a person’s thoughts except their own spirit within them? In the same way no one knows the thoughts of God except the Spirit of God. ¹² What we have received is not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, so that we may understand what God has freely given us. ¹³ This is what we speak, not in words taught us by human wisdom but in words taught by the Spirit, explaining spiritual realities with Spirit-taught words.^[c] 14 The person without the Spirit does not accept the things that come from the Spirit of God but considers them foolishness, and cannot understand them because they are discerned only through the Spirit. ¹⁵ The person with the Spirit makes judgments about all things, but such a person is not subject to merely human judgments, ¹⁶ for,“Who has known the mind of the Lord so as to instruct him?”^[d] But we have the mind of Christ, 1 Corinthians 2:10-16.

Reflection:

As a former seminary student, I spent several night classes with head strong individuals. After class discussions, I would go home, looking up several of the terms in a dictionary that I didn’t know or completely understand. Subsequently, brilliant minds like the philosophers of Corinth were hard to persuade. This is the context of 1 Corinthians 2 as worldly minds of the highly educated could not grasp the simplicity of the good news about Jesus Christ, Romans 6:23. The apostle Paul makes an important transition at the end of today’s passage emphasizing that Christian faith is built upon the mind of Christ. Over educated individuals tend to develop an elitism, becoming too smart for God.

Prayerful Action:

The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds. ⁵ We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ, 2 Corinthians 10:4-5.

Fueling your Faith this Spiritual Season:

The Parable of the Sower suggests that faith can be lost. According to Matthew 13:18-19, infant Christians who haven’t been introduced to the mind of Christ can have the seed of faith sown into their heart snatched away by the Devil. The early stages of a new Christian’s life are extremely important as faith can be fragile like a feeling that fades away. When you take into consideration the apostle Paul’s call to action in 2 Corinthians 10:4-5, the Father of all lies, John 8:44, is working overtime to drag new believers back toward their former way of life. Unless there is a foundation of faith, Colossians 2:6-7, rooted in the mind and precepts of Christ, faith can fade away.

Song of the Day:

Final Thoughts:

As a former youth pastor, I’ve seen my share of young Christians walk away from faith. Most of these individuals either had a difficult environment at home or lacked a faith built upon the mind of Christ. As a former prodigal myself, we serve a God of second chances. It’s never too late to come back to Jesus as long as you’re alive. May Seeds of Faith inspire you to draw closer to the Lord.

by Jay Mankus

Passage of the Day:

You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly. ⁷ Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous person, though for a good person someone might possibly dare to die. ⁸ But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us. ⁹ Since we have now been justified by his blood, how much more shall we be saved from God’s wrath through him! ¹⁰ For if, while we were God’s enemies, we were reconciled to him through the death of his Son, how much more, having been reconciled, shall we be saved through his life! ¹¹ Not only is this so, but we also boast in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received reconciliation, Romans 5:6-11.

Reflection:

Today’s featured passage is the apostle Paul’s version of John 3:16-17. However, rather than Jesus unveil God’s plan to redeem human beings, Paul unfolds the inspiration for faith. Mankind didn’t do anything to deserve the grace and mercy of God. Yet, as God demonstrates His own love for us while we were still sinners, this makes reconciliation with God possible. When a stranger does something to save your life or protect you from harm, you feel obligated to repay this individual. As Jesus took the place of sinners on a cross, to become the perfect lamb of God, Hebrews 4:14-16, this is the inspiration for faith.

Prayerful Action:

Therefore, since we have a great high priest who has ascended into heaven,^[f] Jesus the Son of God, let us hold firmly to the faith we profess. ¹⁵ For we do not have a high priest who is unable to empathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are—yet he did not sin. ¹⁶ Let us then approach God’s throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need, Hebrews 4:14-16.

Fueling your Faith this Spiritual Season:

Evangelism Explosion uses Romans 6:23 for their Bridge Illustration to explain the good news about Jesus Christ to the world. The apostle Paul uses a what if technique in this passage beginning with the negative. Romans 6:23a, “For the wages of sin is death.” The point Paul makes is that if you continue on your current path of sin, you will receive death as a payment for what you earned. However, Paul saves the best news for last in Romans 6:23b, “but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” This promise in the Bible gives me all the inspiration that I need to place my faith in Jesus.

Song of the Day:

Final Thoughts:

The lyrics of Confidence provide an Old Testament perspective on faith. Sanctus Real builds upon the spiritual character of godly leaders in the Bible which inspires me to place my faith in Jesus.

by Jay Mankus

Passage of the Day:

Now those who had been scattered by the persecution that broke out when Stephen was killed traveled as far as Phoenicia, Cyprus and Antioch, spreading the word only among Jews. ²⁰ Some of them, however, men from Cyprus and Cyrene, went to Antioch and began to speak to Greeks also, telling them the good news about the Lord Jesus. ²¹ The Lord’s hand was with them, and a great number of people believed and turned to the Lord.²² News of this reached the church in Jerusalem, and they sent Barnabas to Antioch. ²³ When he arrived and saw what the grace of God had done, he was glad and encouraged them all to remain true to the Lord with all their hearts. ²⁴ He was a good man, full of the Holy Spirit and faith, and a great number of people were brought to the Lord, Acts 11:19-24.

Reflection:

After covering some famous passages on faith early in November, I wanted to give a broad perspective of what faith was like in the first century. Subsequently, today’s message begins 23 consecutive days where I will highlight a passage from the last 23 books of the New Testament. In the aftermath of Ananias and Sapphira’s deaths in Acts 5, the idea of faking Christianity or merely pretending to be a follower of Jesus ceased. According to Luke, only genuine, God-fearing believers gathered together to meet and worship at Solomon’s Colonnade. Anyone who thought of joining the first century church with impure motives feared being struck down by God. While some religious leaders eventually came to faith later on in life, the first century church was a body of believers who emulated and lived out the teachings of Jesus, Acts 11:25-26.

Prayerful Action:

The apostles performed many signs and wonders among the people. And all the believers used to meet together in Solomon’s Colonnade. ¹³ No one else dared join them, even though they were highly regarded by the people. ¹⁴ Nevertheless, more and more men and women believed in the Lord and were added to their number, Acts 5:12-14.

Fueling Your Faith the Spiritual Season:

Nearly 2000 years later, Christian denominations and theology has divided Christians in the United States and throughout the world. Rather than coming together in the name of Jesus, churches have built up mental barriers such as, “you’re not baptized, you don’t speak in tongues, or you don’t know basic Christian doctrine?” Instead of seeking to love your neighbor by demonstrating faith, most churches have become like social cliques, gathering with people that we’re comfortable with. As you follow along the rest of November, may the power of the Holy Spirit convict you to become more like the faith of first century Christians.

Song of the Day:

Final Thoughts:

The lyrics of Up and Up talk about using your past as a conduit for the future. As you learn about a first century perspective of faith, may the Holy Spirit inspire you to learn from the sinful tendencies of your past. This is how faith can be demonstrated in modern times.

by Jay Mankus

Passage of the Day:

Now there was a Pharisee, a man named Nicodemus who was a member of the Jewish ruling council. ² He came to Jesus at night and said, “Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher who has come from God. For no one could perform the signs you are doing if God were not with him.” ³ Jesus replied, “Very truly I tell you, no one can see the kingdom of God unless they are born again.^[a]” ⁴ “How can someone be born when they are old?” Nicodemus asked. “Surely they cannot enter a second time into their mother’s womb to be born!” ⁵ Jesus answered, “Very truly I tell you, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless they are born of water and the Spirit. ⁶ Flesh gives birth to flesh, but the Spirit^[b] gives birth to spirit. ⁷ You should not be surprised at my saying, ‘You^[c] must be born again.’ ⁸ The wind blows wherever it pleases. You hear its sound, but you cannot tell where it comes from or where it is going. So it is with everyone born of the Spirit,” John 3:1-8.

Reflection:

As I look back on my life, there have been plenty of times when I tried to change without asking for God’s help. Despite this lack of transformation, I pressed on, thinking I could do this on my own. Perhaps, the Pharisee Nicodemus who met with Jesus at night thought he could be religious, relying on his own spiritual zeal and self-discipline. Jesus quickly corrected this ungodly belief. While Nicodemus uses sarcasm as if it was possible for a grown adult to be shoved back into his mother’s womb, Jesus makes it clear that “you must be born again.” Genuine spiritual faith is a byproduct of becoming born again.

Prayerful Action:

I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me, Galatians 2:20.

Fueling Your Faith this Spiritual Season:

The apostle Paul explains the born-again process which dumbfounded Nicodemus. To the educated and well-schooled, Jesus’ advice was foolish. A similar stumbling block which the philosophers of Corinth struggled with as well, 1 Corinthians 2. Yet, if you want to experience the promised abundant life of John 10:10, you must be born again, gradually transformed through the power of the Holy Spirit, 2 Peter 1:3-4. This is where faith is conceived via rebirth in Christ.

Song of the Day:

Final Thoughts:

Like the Pharisee Nicodemus, contemplating the concept of becoming born again takes time. May today’s blog and attached song help you sort through your own spiritual questions. When you’re ready, don’t be afraid to take the plunge of faith, Romans 10:9-11.

by Jay Mankus

Passage of the Day:

Jesus said to his disciples: “Things that cause people to stumble are bound to come, but woe to anyone through whom they come. ² It would be better for them to be thrown into the sea with a millstone tied around their neck than to cause one of these little ones to stumble. ³ So watch yourselves. “If your brother or sister^[a] sins against you, rebuke them; and if they repent, forgive them. ⁴ Even if they sin against you seven times in a day and seven times come back to you saying ‘I repent,’ you must forgive them.” ⁵ The apostles said to the Lord, “Increase our faith!” ⁶ He replied, “If you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mulberry tree, ‘Be uprooted and planted in the sea,’ and it will obey you, Luke 17:1-6.

Reflection:

Whether you realize it or not, people outside of church are watching you. You may be the only Bible that these individuals see. Is your faith gathering co-workers, neighbors and strangers closer to Jesus? Or is your attitude, driving habits and language scattering seekers further and further away from God like the ones Jesus rebuked in today’s featured passage. You only have two options when you wake up today: gather or scatter.

Prayerful Action:

See, I set before you today life and prosperity, death and destruction. ¹⁶ For I command you today to love the Lord your God, to walk in obedience to him, and to keep his commands, decrees and laws; then you will live and increase, and the Lord your God will bless you in the land you are entering to possess, Deuteronomy 30:15-16.

Fueling Your Faith this Spiritual Season:

First century Christians pleaded with Jesus to increase their faith. Jesus’ response includes either holding a mustard seed in his hand or pointing to a full-grown mustard plant. During Moses’ farewell address to Israel as their spiritual leader, he points to the choices that you make in life. Good decisions result in blessings from God which extend your days on earth. Unfortunately, poor choices are self-inflicted decisions which bring upon curses and unexpected death. Don’t let faith be a feeling that you have when you draw close to the Lord. Make a conscious effort daily to gather the lost, lonely and needy closer to God through your faith.

Song of the Day:

Final Thoughts:

No one likes to be yelled at in public. However, when you’re drifting away from God, conviction from the Holy Spirit usually motivates me to stand in faith. May the lyrics of today’s song inspire you to be consistent in gathering others closer to God daily.

by Jay Mankus

Passage of the Day:

“You unbelieving and perverse generation,” Jesus replied, “how long shall I stay with you? How long shall I put up with you? Bring the boy here to me.” ¹⁸ Jesus rebuked the demon, and it came out of the boy, and he was healed at that moment. ¹⁹ Then the disciples came to Jesus in private and asked, “Why couldn’t we drive it out?” ²⁰ He replied, “Because you have so little faith. Truly I tell you, if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you,” Matthew 17:17-20.

Reflection:

The context of today’s passage occurs after Jesus sent his disciples out in pairs of two. Apparently, the individual who laid hands upon this demon possessed boy was unsuccessful. While Matthew doesn’t mention body language or facial expressions, Jesus wasn’t happy about the lack of faith of his disciples. As His time on earth was coming to an end, Jesus points to a tiny mustard seed which can grow up to 20 feet tall in full bloom. Perhaps, Jesus is merely urging Christians to stretch their faith, trusting in God’s power rather than the mountain currently standing in your way.

Prayerful Action:

Therefore, brothers and sisters, we have an obligation—but it is not to the flesh, to live according to it. ¹³ For if you live according to the flesh, you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the misdeeds of the body, you will live, Romans 8:12-13.

Fueling Your Faith this Spiritual Season:

As a former competitive golfer, the saying golf is 90% mental holds true. The moment you begin to doubt your swing, question your grip or allow negative thoughts to enter your mind, any confidence that you had in the past about your playing abilities can quickly vanish. The same holds true to your faith. The disciple who tried to heal this demon possessed boy, likely looked at how bad his condition was rather than trust in God’s supernatural power. Stretching your faith involves keeping your eyes on Jesus and your mental trust in the power of the Holy Spirit, 2 Peter 1:3-4.

Song of the Day:

Final Thoughts:

Faith can be diligent, especially when you experience difficult trials in life. However, when Christians overcome a delicate fade spiritually, faith will be stretched and tested by fire, 1 Peter 1:6.

by Jay Mankus

Passage of the Day:

What good is it, my brothers and sisters, if someone claims to have faith but has no deeds? Can such faith save them? ¹⁵ Suppose a brother or a sister is without clothes and daily food. ¹⁶ If one of you says to them, “Go in peace; keep warm and well fed,” but does nothing about their physical needs, what good is it? ¹⁷ In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead, James 2:14-17.

Reflection:

The epistle known as one of the Catholic Letters, written to Christians scattered throughout the Middle East following Christian persecution, has always held a special place in my heart. My wife and I named our first son James as a way to honor this book of the Bible. Since I’ve never been a big reader, I enjoy shorter books that I can easily get through. While James 2 starts with the biblical view on favoritism, the second section of this chapter is devoted to faith and deeds. As the little brother of Jesus, James doesn’t hold back God’s view on faith. Perhaps, James is having a flashback to what Jesus said in Luke 11:23. Faith is either in action where you are gathering up heavenly blessings or your faith is dead as you lead others away from Jesus.

Prayerful Action:

“Whoever is not with me is against me, and whoever does not gather with me scatters,” Luke 11:23.

Fueling Your Faith this Spiritual Season:

My last baseball coach in high school played with members of the Big Red Machine in the minor leagues. No one in Cincinati likely remembers Coach Dillon as his playing days ended abruptly due to a career ending injury before being called up to the Cincinati Reds. While Coach Dillon never made it to the place he dreamed about, he coached every play hard, wanting each to reach their full potential. Every time I made a bad play, committed an error or made a mental mistake, Coach Dillon would get after each player so that this wouldn’t happen again. Perhaps, Jesus was so sick and tired of interacting with lukewarm Christians that he gave believers two options: gather or scatter. Put your faith in action by following after me, Matthew 16:24-27. This is what God desires.

Song of the Day:

Final Thoughts:

You Need to Know is one of my favorite songs from college. May the lyrics of this Bob Hanson song speak to your heart and inspire Christians to place their faith into action.

by Jay Mankus

Passage of the Day:

So from now on we regard no one from a worldly point of view. Though we once regarded Christ in this way, we do so no longer. ¹⁷ Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come:^[a] The old has gone, the new is here! ¹⁸ All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation: ¹⁹ that God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting people’s sins against them. And he has committed to us the message of reconciliation. ²⁰ We are therefore Christ’s ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us. We implore you on Christ’s behalf: Be reconciled to God. ²¹ God made him who had no sin to be sin^[b] for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God, 2 Corinthians 5:16-21.

Reflection:

Prior to becoming a high school Bible teacher, I wanted to help any students who were overwhelmed by all of the terminology in the Bible. Since I was lost when my own faith journey began, stumbling around in the darkness of the great unknown, I felt compelled to write a pamphlet entitled Finding a New Life in Christ. I compared today’s featured passage to doing laundry, taking off dirty clothes by putting on Christ. This is where faith begins.

Prayerful Action:

For in Scripture it says: “See, I lay a stone in Zion, a chosen and precious cornerstone, and the one who trusts in him will never be put to shame.”^{[b] 7} Now to you who believe, this stone is precious. But to those who do not believe, “The stone the builders rejected has become the cornerstone,”^{[c] 8} and, “A stone that causes people to stumble and a rock that makes them fall.”^[d] They stumble because they disobey the message—which is also what they were destined for, 1 Peter 2:6-8.

Fueling Your Faith this Spiritual Season:

People don’t have a come to Jesus moment when times are going great in your life. Rather, most people suffer their own prodigal experience where you hit rock bottom, Luke 15:14-16. Unfortunately, when you do turn to Jesus for the first time, Romans 10:9-11 or come back after a season, there is plenty of dirty language and stains that need to be addressed. This is where the assurance of faith and reconciliation with God provides hope for all come to the feet of Jesus, Matthew 11:28-30. After confession, James 5:16, comes the daily process of taking off the old and putting on the new, Colossians 3:1-4.

Song of the Day:

Final Thoughts:

Listening to Christian music has helped my transition from living according to human nature toward the Holy Spirit, Romans 8:5. Like the Alcohols Anonymous model, take one day at a time, taking off your old self and practices by covering your life in prayer to put on Jesus daily.

by Jay Mankus

Passage of the Day:

All the believers were one in heart and mind. No one claimed that any of their possessions was their own, but they shared everything they had. ³³ With great power the apostles continued to testify to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus. And God’s grace was so powerfully at work in them all ³⁴ that there were no needy persons among them. For from time to time those who owned land or houses sold them, brought the money from the sales ³⁵ and put it at the apostles’ feet, and it was distributed to anyone who had need. ³⁶ Joseph, a Levite from Cyprus, whom the apostles called Barnabas (which means “son of encouragement”), ³⁷ sold a field he owned and brought the money and put it at the apostles’ feet, Acts 4:32-37.

Reflection:

I recently had a Christian tell me that they didn’t need a church. This person went on to share their rationale for coming to this conclusion. Unfortunately, like many beliefs that individuals develop over this course of their own life, this isn’t biblical. Sometimes you have to find out the hard way like Moses in Exodus 18 who attempted to be a spiritual leader all by himself. Perhaps, one of Jesus’ disciples came to this conclusion in 1 Peter 5:8. I heard a sermon years ago on this verse where the pastor made our community aware of the Devil’s schemes. When Christians isolate themselves from their church or Christian community, the Devil will pounce by placing doubts, lies and ungodly beliefs into their thought life and mind. If this believer doesn’t immediately reach out to someone in their community of faith, this slow fade will continue until souls are ravaged or faith is lost.

Prayerful Action:

They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. ⁴³ Everyone was filled with awe at the many wonders and signs performed by the apostles. ⁴⁴ All the believers were together and had everything in common, Acts 2:42-44.

Fueling Your Faith this Spiritual Season:

I didn’t know what a community of faith was until my junior year of college. When a mutual friend was speaking at a church that met in a local high school, David and I decided to visit. There was about 20 people gathered together on that day, sitting in folding chairs. On the surface, this was an infant church plant, but deep inside my heart I felt a special connection with the leaders. This became my home church, where I was baptized, served and taught a college and career Bible Study. Like the spiritual blueprint in today’s prayerful action, this body of believers introduced me to and convinced me of the importance of having your own community of faith.

Song of the Day:

Final Thoughts:

While today’s song doesn’t use the term community of faith, Group One Crew highlights that Jesus is the cornerstone of faith. May today’s lyrics inspire you to become an active member of your community of faith.

by Jay Mankus