Let Omnipotence Fuel Your Step
Today’s devotional is from our new study, Kingdom Life by Stephen Yuille. He reminds us: When it comes to God’s power, there is no match, no equal, and no rival. “If it is a contest of strength, behold, he is mighty!” (Job 9:19). God never acts without prevailing, never resists without conquering, and never decides without accomplishing. Here is strength when struggling with strong temptations, encouragement when languishing under difficult circumstances, and hope when facing powerful enemies. We stand firm in the knowledge “that power belongs to God” (Ps. 62:11).
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The Jaw-Dropping Beauty of Jesus Christ
This week, we are taking a short break between series and re-airing a favorite episode in which John is joined by a long-time friend and fellow minister, Jordan Thomas. You may recognize Jordan as a contributor to the studies Behold Your God: Rethinking God Biblically and Behold Your God: The Weight of Majesty. John and Jordan spent a few weeks discussing the descriptions of Jesus found in the book of Hebrews. This week's discussion focused on Hebrews 1 and the 34 descriptions of Jesus in those 14 verses.
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O For a Heart…a Copy, Lord, of Thine
Today’s devotional is a hymn by Charles Wesley that echoes the heart of a believer longing to be like the Lord Jesus. Hymns can be so helpful in stirring our hearts in private worship as well as in public worship. Let your soul sing, “O for a heart to praise my God, a heart from sin set free, a heart that always feels Thy blood, so freely shed for me.”
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A Life of Joy V: Christ Is All
There is a secret to finding contentment. The secret has been revealed in the Bible, and Christians have proclaimed it for 2000 years. Despite this, humanity seems stubbornly confused about the source of happiness. We are naturally inclined to look for it in all the wrong places. The secret to finding contentment is that you don’t find it by pursuing contentment itself, but by looking for it in Christ.
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Removing the Masks
In ancient times, an actor in a Greek drama was known as a hypokrites, a compound word derived from hypo (under) and krites (judge). The hypokrites would use multiple masks to portray different characters, but the audience never saw his actual face. Moreover, these masks depicted various emotions without necessarily reflecting the actor’s true emotional state. We can easily see how the term hypokrites quickly moved from the theater into common parlance, where it was used to describe someone who pretends to be what he is not—one who literally hides behind a mask. Christ makes it clear that we are to avoid hypocrisy (a desire to please man) and pursue sincerity (a desire to please God). What kind of impact would such an approach to religious life have upon the church?
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A Life of Joy IV: Contentment Combats Complacency
In this episode of The Whole Counsel, John Snyder and Justin Miller explore why biblical contentment is never passive, indifferent, or spiritually stagnant. Rather than settling for “enough” of Christ, the believer who is truly content finds that satisfaction in Him creates an even greater desire to know Him, obey Him, and enjoy deeper fellowship with Him.
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The Secret of a Happy Life
The Prince of Preachers unveils the secret of a happy life found in Psalm 16. If our Lord, who bore all our sins and griefs, could say his lines had fallen in pleasant places, surely we can say the same. Living in God’s presence and trusting in his presence leads to a life of contentment and confident hope.
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A Life of Joy III: Obstacles to Contentment
Contentment is one of the distinguishing marks of the Christian life—but it is also one of the most difficult graces to cultivate. Why is it so hard to gain and so easy to lose?
In the third episode of our “A Life of Joy” series, Justin Miller and Dr. John Snyder examine five of the greatest obstacles to Christian contentment: worldliness, busyness, bitterness, grief, and opposition.
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The Spark from Heaven
A smoldering candle must be handled gently. If you blow too hard, it will go out. However, coax it with a soft breath, and it can be rekindled. Richard Sibbes reminds us of Christ’s kindness toward His wavering children.
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A Life of Joy II: The School of Contentment
If contentment is not something we naturally possess, how do we learn it? In this episode, weexplore Paul’s statement, “I have learned to be content.” Paul wasn't naturally content. He learned contentment as he trusted God through everycircumstance of life. He found contentment in the God who is both sovereign and good.
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Blessedness in the Unchanging God
Do you want to be blessed (happy)? Of course you do. Happiness is our most fundamental pursuit. Happiness does not reside in changing conditions or circumstances but in an unchanging God. As the psalmist declares, “Blessed are you, O Lord” (Ps. 119:12). How do we find this blessedness? Dr. Stephen Yuille helps us to understand in today’s devotional.
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A Life of Joy I: Contentment, Not Complacency
In this new series, John Snyder is joined by Justin Miller to discuss his upcoming book. Whether you're facing trials, dealing with disappointments, seeking answers, or longing for a deeper joy in Christ, this conversation offersa foundation for understanding a vital yet often overlooked grace in the Christian journey: contentment.
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