Steve's Blog
It is God’s will that you should be sanctified: that you should avoid sexual immorality; 1 Thessalonians 4:3 (NIV)
“Saved, sanctified, and filled with the Holy Ghost!” It was not unusual in the churches I grew up in to hear people begin a testimony with that declaration. Is sanctified a word that has, for the most part, disappeared from our vocabulary? How many people know what it means? Is it still necessary?
The dictionary tells us that to be sanctified is to be set apart for a sacred pu...
The Lord appeared to us in the past, saying: “I have loved you with an everlasting love; I have drawn you with unfailing kindness. Jeremiah 31:3 (NIV)
It is possible, and perhaps all too common, to be underwhelmed by the thought that God loves us. It might be easier for us to accept that he saves us than it is for us to comprehend just how much he loves us. Granted, theologically, we may receive that God loves us in theory, but how often do we take a moment reverently and consider his great l...
Jotham grew powerful because he was determined to please the Lord his God. 2 Chronicles 27:6 (NET)
Determined is a good word. Some synonyms for determined include decisive, purposeful, resolute, steadfast, and even tenacious. Determination begins with a decision that we resolve to follow through to completion.
The Bible gives us examples of determined people. Daniel was determined not to defile himself by eating the food and wine given to them by the king. Daniel 1:8 (NLT) When Naomi rea...