On Christmas, we hope that our loved ones will use the gifts we give them. We don't expect to see the items hidden in the basement, tucked away in a shed, or tossed in the trash. We expect to see our gifts on a mantle, or used and worn with appreciation. When God gifted us the Holy Spirit inside of us, he also provided spiritual gifts, and guess what? We're called to use them! In this text, Paul urges us to "fan into flames" God's gifts to us. Like Paul in prison, we must keep our eyes on the Kingdom and shake off the hindrances of our day.
Hunger for the Lord is the single greatest proof you know the Lord. In fact, there is no spiritual growth apart from spiritual hunger....
As followers of Christ, we eagerly anticipate His glorious return, when all things will be made new. But while we wait, Scripture makes it...
A clean house, a clean car, clean clothes, even the proverbial 'clean slate' - why do we so enjoy things that are clean? Perhaps...