In verse 3 of Psalm 51, David says: For I acknowledge my transgressions: and my sin is ever before me. My first step was admitting that I was not as perfect as I pretended to be. I had to acknowledge that the fault lay directly at my feet, as I began to do that, the Holy Spirit was faithful to lead me.

This old world has a lot of pretty shiny things to offer us, to tempt us, to catch our eye, but I doubt any of it can hold a candle to what the Lord has waiting for us. Don’t waste your time chasing hay and stubble, when we could be winning incorruptible crowns to lay at the feet of our Savior.

Homecoming… one of my favorite days of the year at our little country church. It has it all: old friends, food, fellowship, and worship. I love seeing old friends and hearing about what’s going on in their lives.

Inside each Christian, there are two factions, warring for control. The physical carnal self, and the new creation - the purified soul cleansed by the blood of Christ.

We look on the beauty of the spring and we see the visible evidence of God’s power, but if we take time to read His Word, we can feel the evidence of His power changing our very lives.

Who is this Jesus that we’ll be celebrating? Can you imagine the celebration we will be part of as we spend eternity celebrating Him?

Garbage in… Garbage out. We have to put into our mind, body, and spirit things that will give the results that we want to see. If we dull our spiritual appetite by constantly filling our mind with useless information or less than wholesome images and sounds, we never get hungry for the good stuff we should and could be feasting on.

We are all striving, pushing for ‘something’. Whether it be finally making our own parents happy, reaching some self-appointed position or goal, or creating children that fit the mold that we’ve cast for them. But, in truth, we should only be working to seek what God has for us.

We have a tree growing in a place it seems like it shouldn’t be able to, and while doing so, it provides shelter, protection, and life to those around it. Isn’t that exactly what we should be doing as Christians?

We all have decisions to make, every single day. Which aspect of our life are we going to feed? Are we going to feed our hunger for physical comfort, our hunger for mental entertainment, or our need for spiritual growth?

A good man leaveth an inheritance to his children's children: Proverbs 13:22 What heritage are you creating for your children? Today is not too late to start crafting a heritage of faith.

In your daily life, take note of your many blessings. It won’t take long to realize that God provides all we need, and many times is calling gently to us to turn our eyes to Him.

I held on when my Lord called me back to Him until the conviction weighed so heavily on me that I could no longer bear it. And still He called. He won’t give up on us. He will call to us until we return to Him. The question is, how long are you going to hide?

Are you hanging on to guilt for sins from your past? As a Christian, if you’ve repented of them, He has removed them as far as the east is from the west. Psalm 103:12

One purpose of the Hebrew Law was to highlight our inability to live a perfect life. To show us our sins, and thereby show us our need of a Savior. If we don’t understand what God expects of us, we can not possibly expect to understand how much grace He has shown us through Christ’s pardoning death on the cross.

Today is the first day of a new year. Resolve to put our Lord first in your life, let Him in to every area, be willing to accept the changes that He wants to make in your life, and see just how much He loves you. I can promise that He will never let you down.