Advent Christian Church of Corbin Ky

11/22/2024

11/22/2024

The Most Important Thing

When Jesus was asked in Matthew 22 what the most important command was, He didn’t hesitate to recite Deuteronomy 6:5:

"Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength." (NIV)

The starting point for all of our lives is wrapped up in loving God. We were created to love God and have a relationship with Him. We love because He first loved us!

Amid everything that you have to do in life, the most important thing is that you love God with everything that you are. If we become successful in life but don’t love God, we’ve missed the most important thing.

In Deuteronomy, God instructed the Israelites to constantly keep this command in their hearts and minds. They made physical reminders to help them remember to love God in everything they did. They taught this command to their children as the foundation of all other commands in Scripture.

Take some time to consider your life. Is loving God the primary motivation? Think about how good and merciful God has been in your life. Remember that God loves you more than you could ever imagine. The best motivation to love God is to constantly remember how much He loved us first.
(Taken from the Bible app)

11/21/2024

Loving Your Family

The word family can carry a lot of different meanings, depending on who you ask. But, the command to love your family comes straight from God.

In the Old Testament, the command to honor your father and mother was included in the Ten Commandments that God gave to Moses for the people of Israel:

Honor your father and your mother, so that you may live long in the land the Lord your God is giving you.
Exodus 20:12 NIV

As Paul, the author of Ephesians, is teaching the church in Ephesus about the implications of following Jesus, he repeats this command from the Ten Commandments. Paul knew that if we are to follow Jesus then we need to learn to love everybody, even those who are closest to us—and especially our own family.

Now, everybody grows up in different family circumstances. Some are born into nuclear families, some are raised in situations of brokenness, and others are welcomed into adoptive families. Regardless of how or where we grew up, God calls us to love those who raised us.

That may be a hard thing to do. Sometimes a family member seems like our greatest enemy because of how they’ve hurt us. But even in that, Jesus encourages us to love our enemies and pray for them.

While learning to love those who are closest to us may be one of the most difficult things we do, it is also one of the most life-changing. It increases our capacity to see and love others, as well as honor God with our life. Consider how you can take steps today to better love those God has placed in your life.
(Taken from the Bible app)

11/20/2024

11/20/2024

The people who walk in darkness will see a great light. For those who live in a land of deep darkness, a light will shine.

11/14/2024

Refreshed

Do you know someone who constantly pours themselves out?

They’re generous with their words, unselfish with their time, and openhanded with their money. And yet, somehow, they always seem to have more to give.

The author of Proverbs, a book traditionally attributed to King Solomon, said this:

“The generous will prosper; those who refresh others will themselves be refreshed.”
‭‭Proverbs‬ ‭11‬:‭25‬ ‭NLT

King Solomon knew a thing or two about prospering. Scripture tells us: “King Solomon was greater in riches and wisdom than all the other kings of the earth” (1 Kings 10:23). But he was also generous, spending years of his life funding and building the temple in Jerusalem, as well as sharing what he had learned with others.

Some of the most miserable people on earth are also the most selfish people on earth. But if you’ve ever been generous with your life—whether you’ve given financially, contributed your expertise, invested your time, opened up your home, or offered spiritual, emotional, and physical support—you know from experience: those who refresh others will themselves be refreshed.

Of course, we shouldn’t give to get. And we also must apply God’s wisdom when it comes to setting boundaries. But Jesus is the King of an upside-down Kingdom, where:

The last will be first.
The greatest will be a servant.
Those who give up their life will save it.

Jesus even told a story of a poor woman who gave more than anyone else—because she gave everything she had (Mark 12:41-44).

You don’t have to be rich to be generous; you just need a heart that is willing to serve.

So today, instead of a scarcity mindset, let’s have a mindset of abundance. Our God has unlimited strength, power, and resources.
(Taken from the Bible app)