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.
What do we truly need to live? Food, water, shelter, relationships? In Matthew 4:4, when Jesus is tempted with physical hunger, He responds with...
Revelation 1:1 says we need to know "the things that must soon take place". In His seven letters to the seven churches, Jesus is...
John Newton's well known hymn, "Amazing Grace" uses words taken directly from today's text. "I was blind but now I see" exclaims the man...