Bible Verse for Today

He [Jesus] is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not only ours but also for the sins of the whole world.
— 1 John 2:2 (NIV)
Thoughts on Today's Verse...Psst! I've got a great secret. Jesus died to set you free from the guilt and punishment of your own sins. Psst #2! He didn't do it just for you; he did it for everyone else, too! Spread the word.

My Prayer...I am humbled to the point of silence, Almighty God and Heavenly Father, that you would take your most precious gift and...

 

Rid yourselves of all the offenses you have committed, and get a new heart and a new spirit ... Repent and live!
— Ezekiel 18:31-32 (NIV)
Thoughts on Today's Verse...God reminds us to turn away from our own self-seeking ways. He calls us to turn to him with a willingness to obey his will. If we refuse, we must know that we are walking the road that leads to death. God longs to do the work of rebirth and renewal, but he asks us to turn from our destructive ways and offer our hearts to...

 

Produce fruit in keeping with repentance.
— Luke 3:8 (NIV)
Thoughts on Today's Verse...Grace is given to us as a free gift. It cannot be earned or merited. But salvation that does not move us out of our self-destructive and rebellious ways is counterfeit. Repentance is a life change. It is a realization that we have been going the wrong way on a one-way street. It is an acknowledgement that trying to guide our own lives is always going to end in disappointment, disaster, and death...

 

The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.
— 2 Peter 3:9 (NIV)
Thoughts on Today's Verse...Far from being a vindictive God looking for some reason to condemn us, God wants all people, of all races and languages, to come to know him, to turn to him in repentance, and follow his Son as Lord and Savior. That's why Jesus came (cf. John 3:16)! That's why Jesus' return...

 

How can they preach unless they are sent? As it is written, "How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news!"
— Romans 10:15 (NIV)
Thoughts on Today's Verse...How beautiful are your feet? People with beautiful feet are either "sending folks" or they are "going folks" who share the good news of salvation in Jesus Christ. Which are you? If we're not one of those two options, we're Christians with ugly feet. Now would anybody want that to be said of him or her? So let's make a...

 

We always thank God for all of you, mentioning you in our prayers.
— 1 Thessalonians 1:2 (NIV)
Thoughts on Today's Verse...Why is it so hard to share with others that we have thanked God for bringing them into our lives? God let his Son Jesus know his love and approval. Remember his words at Jesus' baptism and transfiguration? "This is my Son, whom I love ...." The apostle Paul also let the struggling churches he started know that he was praying for them regularly (cf. Philippians...

 

And my God will meet all your needs according to his glorious riches in Christ Jesus.
— Philippians 4:19 (NIV)
Thoughts on Today's Verse...Paul gives the Philippians this promise only after he has emphasized to them that he had found the Lord's grace sufficient in good times and tough times, in times of plenty and in times of lack. The key to this promise is not just God's provision, but also our trust in him to satisfy what we most need in Christ Jesus. When our hearts yearn to be...

 

Arise, LORD! Lift up your hand, O God. Do not forget the helpless.
— Psalm 10:12 (NIV)
Thoughts on Today's Verse...We are very much aware that we live in a broken world. Unfortunately, our broken world is also filled with broken people. In days of pain and anguish, in days when those who hurt know their helplessness, we have no other source than God to whom we can turn. The LORD, the covenant God of Israel, who kept his promises, preserved his people and produced his Messiah, is also...

 

Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world.
— James 1:27 (NIV)
Thoughts on Today's Verse...Yesterday James reminded us how important our "talk" is. Today he reminds us about our walk. True religion is not all talk. We must live and love as Christ did. Caring for widows, orphans, and others who are forgotten and overlooked while we are keeping ourselves...

 

If anyone considers himself religious and yet does not keep a tight rein on his tongue, he deceives himself and his religion is worthless.
— James 1:26 (NIV)
Thoughts on Today's Verse..."It's no big deal!" That's the whine of a believer rationalizing vulgar, inappropriate, or hurtful speech. However, a friend confessed to me a long time ago, "Our moral plunge in the office began when we let our language slip. It didn't seem like that big a deal at the time, but what it led to was...