Baptized with the Spirit
Read: Matthew 3:13-17 Thus it is fitting for us to fulfill all righteousness. (v. 15) I am the kind of student who “learns by doing.” I learn best by following someone else’s example. Some of the most effective teachers model a desired skill or attribute, then demonstrate how to become “like them.” Jesus’ earthly ministry begins […]
The Spirit-Filled Savior
Read: Isaiah 11:1-9 The Spirit of the LORD shall rest upon him. (v. 2) For more than a decade, superhero movies have dominated the film industry. I understand the appeal. I am attracted to stories in which good triumphs over evil. And I find inspiration in characters who have the power to bring order and justice […]
Take Not Your Spirit from Me
Read: Psalm 51:7-12 Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me. (v. 10) When I was a child, one of my biggest fears was breaking the rules and “getting in trouble.” As I grew older, the fear of getting in trouble was replaced by the fear of damaging my […]
A New Heart
Read: Ezekiel 36:22-27 I will give you a new heart, and a new spirit I will put within you. (v. 26) One of my favorite Christmas stories is Dr. Seuss’ classic How the Grinch Stole Christmas. As the story begins, its narrator explains, “The Grinch hated Christmas! The whole Christmas season! Now, please don’t ask why. […]
The Spirit That Is on You
Read: Numbers 11:16-18, 24-25 I will take some of the Spirit that is on you and put it on them. (v. 17) Though no one knows exactly where it originated, the expression “It’s lonely at the top” has been applied to leaders for more than a century. This phrase does not appear in the Bible, but […]
September 2022 Prayer Guide
INDONESIA — Pray for the young people who participate in the Booming Youth Community. The community members worship and study the Bible together. Pray that as they meet, the young people will come to know and love God more. Pray too that as their lives change, their behavior will attract others to learn more about […]
The Spirit at Creation
Read: Genesis 1:1-5; 2:7 And the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters. (v. 2) The Holy Spirit makes his first appearance in the opening verses of the Bible. In fact, all three persons of the Trinity— Father, Son, and Holy Spirit—are present in the creation account. God the Father calls all […]
Love
Read: 1 Corinthians 13 So now faith, hope, and love abide, these three; but the greatest of these is love. (v. 13) Love is the greatest and most costly Christian virtue, and it is the way in which we most imitate God. God does not need fortitude, temperance, or prudence because he is omnipotent and omniscient. […]
Hope
Read: Hebrews 6:13-20 We have this as a sure and steadfast anchor of the soul . . . Jesus has gone as a forerunner on our behalf. (vv. 19-20) On the front lawn of my Alma Mater, right outside the chapel, stands a giant anchor with the words of the college motto written below: Spera in Deo, “Hope in […]