A New Future
Read: Isaiah 25:1-9 He will swallow up death forever. (v. 8) We have looked at what God has done for us to make us new creations in Christ, and what he is doing to conform us to the image of his Son. But the most glorious renewals are still in our future! God is making […]
A New Hope
Read: 1 Peter 1:1-9 He has caused us to be born again to a living hope. (v. 3) In his 1986 memoir, Adrift: 76 Days Lost at Sea, Steven Callahan recounts his desperate journey in a small inflatable life raft in the Atlantic Ocean. With little water and food, Callahan barely survived; he struggled daily […]
A New Lifestyle
Read: Ephesians 4:17-32 To put off your old self, which belongs to your former manner of life . . . (v. 22) Last year my youngest daughter, Meredith, adopted a dog that had spent a long time in the animal shelter. The grateful dog was enthusiastic in her love for both Meredith and her new […]
A New Commandment
Read: 1 John 4:7-21 Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God. (v. 7) The night before he was crucified, Jesus gathered with his disciples to observe the Passover. He had many things to share with them; he knew that, after his resurrection, the nature of their relationship would change. He would […]
A New Mission
Read: 2 Corinthians 5:14-21 Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ. (v. 20) God has renewed us in so many ways! He has given us new hearts and new minds, and has regenerated us through a new birth. We have a new song to sing, and have been adopted into a new family. But God’s work […]
A New Family
Read: Romans 8:12-25 You have received the Spirit of adoption as sons, by whom we cry, “Abba! Father!” (v. 15) Jesus once told his followers, “Everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or children or lands, for my name’s sake, will receive a hundredfold and will inherit eternal life” […]
A New Song
Read: Psalm 40 He put a new song in my mouth, a song of praise to our God. (v. 3) Life is not a musical; we do not spontaneously burst out in song as we go about our daily business. Or—do we? Have you ever experienced an overwhelming sense of God’s love and the joy […]
A New Mind
Read: Romans 12:1-13 But be transformed by the renewal of your mind . . . (v. 4) Whether we make New Year’s resolutions or not, we all know that change is one of the hardest things to attempt to do. Habits and behaviors become deeply ingrained in our psyche, and changing our thinking patterns is […]
A New Birth
Read: John 3:1-15 Unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God. (v. 3) While sitting in a hospital waiting room, I noticed a break in the background music that was playing. Suddenly, a short refrain of Brahms’s “Lullaby” sounded throughout the building. I was told this is played whenever a baby […]