Dear God, please rock my world and shake the self-centeredness out of my life. Love, Joyce

1. God’s good news is so much more than our circumstances! The joy of Christmas is based on the truth that God loves us, God is with us, and God is for us. 

2. If God created you for a mission, why would you think you are too ordinary to fulfill it?

“Go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age” (Matthew 28:19-20 NIV).

3. A Warning for my "Future" via the Prodigal Son

Before he started eating with pigs, he had a warm bed, a rich inheritance, a loving father, a secure future—and probably good food. But it wasn’t enough. He wanted “fun.” He wanted to run his own life and do whatever he desired. It resulted in a pig’s dinner.

Whenever a young person ignores the guidance of godly parents and the instruction of God’s Word, similar results occur. It always shocks me when someone who professes to know Jesus chooses a life that rejects God’s clear teaching. Whether the choices include sexual sin, addictive substances, a lack of ambition, or something else, any action that leaves God out risks ending badly.

4. Do you have “a willingness to let the other man have the credit”? (as J. B. Phillips translates it, from Romans 12:10 “Be kindly affectionate to one another with brotherly love, in honor giving preference to one another”) If you still want the credit to go to YOU—that ain't right.

5. Reaction

“How do I react when others aggravate me?” Do I respond with humility, meekness, and patience? (Col. 3:12). Or with intolerance and indignation?

To overlook an offense. To forgive 70 times 7. To bear with human frailty and failure. To show mercy and kindness to those who exasperate us. To gain such control over our souls—this is the work of God.