Jun 11 2025

Today's Bible Verse

For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.

Today's Bible study

In today's verse Paul writes to Timothy, whom he is training in ministry. Paul suspects that he will soon be executed by Emperor Nero, and he reminds Timothy that God did not give him a spirit of fear, but of power, love, and strength. If Paul could state these words with confidence from his prison cell, we know that he experienced them to be true. Today, we are also beneficiaries of this promise.

What does it mean to have a spirit of fear, and why is it so important that we fight it off? Think about something that you are afraid of. What causes you the most worry and anxiety? Now, think about who God is. He is omnipotent (all-powerful), omniscient (all-knowing), and omnibenevolent (all-loving). There is nothing you can fear that is not in the charge of the Lord, and we can trust His actions because we know that He is loving. Even if our fears do come true, we can rest knowing that the Lord's love endures. Knowing the character of God helps us reject a spirit of fear.

To replace our fear, we have power, love, and a sound mind. We have power through prayer… we have access to God almighty through our words! The Lord is always fighting for us; we are never left alone. We also have love through Jesus; we have experienced the love of God personally through our own salvation. We need only to look at the cross to remember His faithfulness to us. Finally, we have a sound mind, which is another way of saying self-control. We have the ability through Jesus to resist sin and to continue to follow the Lord, especially when it is difficult.

When power, love, and a sound mind reign in the place of fear, we will become more and more like Jesus. Instead of worrying about the future or being anxious, we will be able to rest in His name. The Lord wants more for us than to fight against our own emotions. He welcomes us into full life with Him. Paul knew this was true as he sat in prison, and we can be assured of it today.

Today's Prayer

Dear Lord, thank you for giving me a way out of anxiety and fear. Thank you for giving me power, love, and a sound mind. Please help me turn to you when I am troubled because you alone hold the answers I seek. In Jesus' name, amen.

Jun 10 2025

Yesterday's Bible Verse

In whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace; :

Yesterday's Bible study

In this verse from Ephesians, Paul talks about the forgiveness that we have through Jesus. Through the blood of Jesus, we have been forgiven in a beautiful act of grace. Today, we'll think about the gospel and how it has the power to change our lives using this verse.

Let's start with the first phrase: "In whom we have redemption through his blood." For someone to be redeemed, they must have been in a difficult position in the first place—they must need redemption. And that's all of us; without Jesus, our sin means that we would never be able to have a relationship with the Lord. We would always be separated from Him because we would be forever unholy.

But we don't have to be separated from God because Jesus made a way for us. His innocent death on the cross made possible our redemption. When He cried out, "It is finished," Jesus was talking about the payment for our sin. We, once and for all, had the ability to be reconciled to God forever. His innocent blood redeemed us, giving us final forgiveness of sins.

Now, once we have confessed our sins and repented (turned away) from the sins in our lives, we will never face judgment for them. We will not have to give an account that explains how we fell into temptation or hurt another person. This is because all of our sins have been taken care of—our sin debt was paid in full when Jesus died on the cross.

If we know Jesus, we are living in the riches of His grace. We have discovered true life through Him. Our entire lives have become a living testament to the mercy of the Lord, and we can rejoice in Him and the grace that He has shown us.

Yesterday's Prayer

Lord, thank you so much for the redemption and forgiveness you have given me. I did not deserve to be redeemed, but you made a way for me. Thank you for your goodness; thank you for being a gracious and loving God. I love you, Lord. In Jesus' name, amen.

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