Psalm 28:7
The Lord is my strength and my shield; my heart trusts I him, and he helps me. My heart leaps for joy, and with my song I praise him.
Christian Growth Resources
Bible Verses
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John 2:19
Jesus answered them, "Destroy this temple, and I will raise it again in three days." - John 2:19
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Isaiah 41:10
So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.
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John 16:33
"In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world." - John 16:33
Revelation 1:17-18
..."Do not be afraid. I am the First and the Last. I am the Living One; I was dead, and now look, I am alive for ever and ever! And I hold the keys of death and Hades." - Revelation 1:17-18
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Psalm 61:2-3
From the ends of the earth I call to you. I call as my heart grows faint; lead me to the rock that is higher than I. For you have been my refuge, a strong tower against the foe.
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Romans 6:23
"For the wages of sin is Death but the gift of God is Eternal Life in Christ Jesus our Lord." - Romans 6:23
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Luke 24:36
"Was it not necessary that the Christ should suffer these things and enter into His glory?" - Luke 24:36
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Matthew 21:5
"See, your king comes to you, gentle and riding on a donkey."
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John 11:25
Jesus said to her, "I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me, though he may die, he shall live. And whoever lives and believes in me shall never die. Do you believe this?"
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Isaiah 64:4
Since ancient times, no one has heard, no ear has perceived, no eye has seen any god besides you who acts on behalf of those who wait for him.
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John 14:6
Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.
Luke 20:17
"The stone the builders rejected has become the cornerstone."
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Psalm 34:17-18
The righteous cry out, and the Lord hears them. He delivers them from all their troubles. The Lord is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit.
Matthew 26:26
While they were eating, Jesus took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and gave it to his disciples, saying, “Take and eat; this is my body.”
John 19:30
So when Jesus had received the sour wine, He said, “It is finished!” And bowing His head, He gave up His spirit.
John 20:6-8
Then Simon Peter came along behind him and went straight into the tomb. He saw the strips of linen lying there, as well as the cloth that had been wrapped around Jesus’ head. The cloth was still lying in its place, separate from the linen. Finally the other disciple, who had reached the tomb first, also went inside. He saw and believed.
John 15:13
Greater love has no one than this: To lay down one's life for one's friends. - John 15:13
Hebrews 13:8
Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever. - Hebrews 13:8
John 12:32
"And I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all people to myself." - John 12:32
Matthew 21:42
"Have you never read in the scriptures: 'The stone the builders rejected has become the cornerstone; the Lord has done this, and it is marvelous in our eyes." - Matthew 21:42
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Isaiah 40:31
But those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.
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1 John 3:16
This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers and sisters.
From the Sermons
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Jesus Has You
"The Bible has Jesus, and I've got great news for you: Jesus has you."
God is Working in Your Life
"We all try to look inside ourselves to find some shred of goodness or merit. And people never find it. Because the reality is, there is only one person who is strong enough to save us. And His name is Jesus."
We could lose everything good in our lives, but as Christians, we would still have the only thing that really matters: God Himself, who lives with us and promises to never leave us.
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The Kingdom is Not a Place
When we look to the Law, we find condemnation, every single time. So, is it possible for us to gain eternal life?
The answer is simple: We need to look to a savior; to someone who can keep the law perfectly for us and pay the price for our sins to reconcile us to God. This savior is Jesus, God made flesh, the only human able to live a perfect life, who died on the cross to pay the price for our sins and took up His life again in His Resurrection. His life is now ours. He alone is where we find the Kingdom of God.
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The Radical Love of Jesus
"Love your enemies". It's what Jesus did when he died for the world on the cross. And we're called to do it too, by giving to those who hurt us, treating them with true peace and kindness, and being a blessing to them, no matter who they are.
The Face of God
When we look at God face to face someday, we will be looking at Jesus, our Savior. But until that day, we still live every single moment in His presence, with His loving gaze on us. This might cause us to wonder: "Are we really worth His gaze?"
As we read in Romans 5, "But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us."
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It's All About Jesus
"Where is Jesus? And by the way, He is on every single page of the Bible. Because it's all about Him."
Weep No More
"This world will give us something to cry about. It always does. And it is to us then that Jesus says, "Weep no more." Why? The Lion of the Tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has conquered."
Where Jesus Meets You
When we see the manger, we are also reminded of The Cross: We see Jesus in the lowest place, the place of shame, and the place that our King of Kings is far above. It's the place that we deserve. But Jesus came to take on our shame and sin, becoming the lowest for us for our salvation.
Where to Find Hope
In our fallenness and brokenness, we can often end up looking for hope in all the wrong places.
Where does our hope really come from? It's not from our own works or from the idea of the existence of God, but from the mercy and forgiveness that comes to us through Jesus' death on the cross.
Life With Jesus
Martha, with her questions and willingness to go to Jesus with all of her frustrations, represents Jesus' life, as well as our life with Him. Because that's often what life with Jesus looks like: It's asking, bringing Him your burdens and questions, and looking only to Him for all help.
God is at Work
"God is at work in the vineyard of your life, trying to get you closer to this message:
That Jesus died for you and that the tomb is now empty."
God's Story
Have you ever felt like your life is your story? And have you ever felt like you're the 'main character' in that story, while everyone else, including God, is merely a 'supporting actor'?
It's human nature to feel that way sometimes, isn't it? And yet, as Christians, we know that there's only one story, and it's not about us.
The story is God's. But how amazing is it that He invites us to be part of it!
Quotes to Note
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Martin Luther Quote
"Christ is no Moses, no exactor, no giver of laws, but a giver of grace, a Savior; he is infinite mercy and goodness, freely and bountifully given to us." -Martin Luther, Commentary on Galatians
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Martin Luther Quote
"In human affairs, we accomplish everything through prayer. What has been properly arranged we keep in order, what has gone amiss we change and improve, what cannot be changed and improved we bear, overcoming all trouble and sustaining all the good by prayer. Against force there is no help but prayer alone." -Martin Luther
Martin Luther Quote
"I have before me God's Word which cannot fail, nor can the gates of hell prevail against it; thereby will I remain, though the whole world be against me." - Martin Luther
Martin Luther Quote
"Prayer is not overcoming God's reluctance. It is laying hold of his willingness." - Martin Luther
Martin Luther Quote
"Prayer is a strong wall and fortress of the church; it is a goodly Christian weapon." -Martin Luther
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Martin Luther Quote
"Prayer is a powerful thing; for God has bound and tied himself thereunto." - Martin Luther
Martin Luther Quote
"We need to pledge ourselves anew to the cause of Christ. We must capture the spirit of the early church. Wherever the early Christians went, they made a triumphant witness for Christ. Whether on the village streets or in the city jails, they daringly proclaimed the good news of the gospel." - Martin Luther
J.R.R. Tolkien Quote
"The birth, death, and resurrection of Jesus means that one day, everything sad will come untrue." - J.R.R. Tolkien
Martin Luther Quote
"Prayer is a very precious medicine, one that certainly helps and never fails, if only you will use it." - Martin Luther
Martin Luther Quote
"We pray because we are unworthy to pray. Our prayers are heard precisely because we believe that we are unworthy. We become worthy to pray when we risk everything on God's faithfulness alone." - Martin Luther
Martin Luther Quote
"No one can believe how powerful prayer is and what it can affect, except those who have learned it by experience. Whenever I have prayed earnestly, I have been heard and have obtained more than I prayed for. God sometimes delays, but he always comes." - Martin Luther
Martin Luther Quote
"Once sure that the doctrine we teach is God's Word, once certain of this, we may build thereupon, and know that this cause shall and must remain; the devil shall not be able to overthrow it, much less the world be able to uproot it, how fiercely soever it rage." - Martin Luther
Martin Luther Quote
"A fiery shield is God's Word; of more substance and purer than gold, which, tried in the fire, loses nought of its substance, but resists and overcomes all the fury of the fiery heat; even so, he that believes God's Word overcomes all, and remains secure everlastingly, against all misfortunes; for this shield fears nothing, neither hell nor the devil." - Martin Luther