Bible Verse for Today

For God did not call us to be impure, but to live a holy life. Therefore, he who rejects this instruction does not reject man but God, who gives you his Holy Spirit.
— 1 Thessalonians 4:7-8 (NIV)
Thoughts on Today's Verse...The call to holiness is easy to ignore in a world which lives by much different standards. Satan gets us to compare our lifestyle with those around us, deluding us into devaluing our sins in comparison to others. But the issue is not comparison shopping our sin; the...

 

Because you are sons, God sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, the Spirit who calls out, "Abba, Father."
— Galatians 4:6 (NIV)
Thoughts on Today's Verse...The first vocalizations of many babies are the syllables "ab, ab, ba, ba." Not surprisingly in Jesus' day, that was the name babies used for their fathers. When God saved us, he gave us his Spirit. The Holy Spirit blesses us in many ways, but one of the key blessings is his work with us in prayer. He intercedes for us when...

 

Be wise in the way you act toward outsiders; make the most of every opportunity. Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone.
— Colossians 4:5-6 (NIV)
Thoughts on Today's Verse...Jesus warned about our giving account for every idle word (Matthew 12:36-37). Paul takes it a step further and emphasizes how important this is with those who don't know Christ. We want to seize every opportunity when around those who are not...

 

But when the time had fully come, God sent his Son, born of a woman, born under law, to redeem those under law, that we might receive the full rights of sons.
— Galatians 4:4 (NIV)
Thoughts on Today's Verse...Wow! What a rich passage full of many wonderful thoughts. Let's put it in cornbread English so that we can not only read it, we can also believe it. God made history ready for a savior and then sent his Son. That Son had to deal with all the difficulties of the Law and faced all...

 

It is God's will that you should be sanctified: that you should avoid sexual immorality...
— 1 Thessalonians 4:3 (NIV)
Thoughts on Today's Verse...Sanctified surely does sound "churchy," doesn't it? It means to be special, reserved for God's use and glory, and not common. We are to be an uncommon people! This is especially true in steering clear of sexual immorality. We're to stay far away from it, honoring God with our bodies (cf. 1 Corinthians 6:18-20) while celebrating God's plan...

 

Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love. Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace.
— Ephesians 4:2-3 (NIV)
Thoughts on Today's Verse...Effort, sweat, and dedication seem to have become the profanity of western Christianity. To our age of grace-abusers, the Holy Spirit reaches out with his truth and reminds us that relationships on earth, even those in Jesus' Church, are going to require a lot of effort, gritty...

 

Answer me when I call to you, O my righteous God. Give me relief from my distress; be merciful to me and hear my prayer.
— Psalm 4:1 (NIV)
Thoughts on Today's Verse...At first, this cry for help seems very demanding. However, closer inspection shows that this is really the cry of desperation. Have you been there? I surely have and I regularly hear from folks who are there now. But, read how this Psalm ends! What is the secret to surviving a long agony? I believe three things are...

 

Do not envy a violent man or choose any of his ways, for the LORD detests a perverse man but takes the upright into his confidence.
— Proverbs 3:31-32 (NIV)
Thoughts on Today's Verse...While many are seeking a cure for the rampaging violence that destroys lives, threatens schools, and makes our streets unsafe, why has no one bothered to remind us what God's wise servant taught us centuries ago? Let's not let any person, real or fictional, be our hero if his or her fame is built on...

 

He must become greater; I must become less.
— John 3:30 (NIV)
Thoughts on Today's Verse...For John the Baptist, this ultimate formula for greatness did not take many words. What's your formula? Paul told the Galatians that a similar formula was needed for them (Galatians 4:19). He told the Colossians that this is what he expended every ounce of his energy to have happen in the lives of Christians (Colossians 1:28-29). Paul told the Corinthians that this was what the Spirit was doing in...

 

"I am not the Christ but am sent ahead of him. The bride belongs to the bridegroom. The friend who attends the bridegroom waits and listens for him, and is full of joy when he hears the bridegroom's voice. That joy is mine, and it is now complete."
— John 3:28-29 (NIV)
Thoughts on Today's Verse...John the Baptist is an incredible example of a servant. He lived his life for one central and controlling purpose -- to prepare others to recognize, to welcome, and to follow Jesus Christ as...