Clicking on the Scripture links above will open a new window where you can read the scripture from the Holman Christian Standard Bible at Biblegateway.com or choose the Bible version you prefer to read. Check back each day to get the Scripture to read in the One Year Bible Reading Plan.
What will you do with Jesus?
NOT GUILTY!
Each one of us must, at some time in our lives, answer the question: “What will I do with Jesus?” When the Jewish religious leaders brought Jesus before Pilate, demanding that Jesus be executed, Pilate found no fault in Him. Not one sin. Not one wrong doing. And not one law broken. The Bible is clear that Jesus was guilty of nothing. This is the same man who compassionately healed the sick, made blind people see, raised people from the dead, fed more than 5000 people with 5 loaves of bread and 2 small fish. He had done nothing but good. Yet, the people now yelled for his death.
In the moment that Jesus stood before Pilate, Jesus’ earthly life was in Pilate’s hands. Not that Pilate could “take” Jesus’ life. Jesus willingly laid down his life for us. But Pilate could not find one thing Jesus was guilty of and he tried to weasel his way out of the situation through an annual custom where he would release a prisoner. He asked the crowd if they wanted him to release Jesus who was innocent of any wrong or Barabbas, a hardened criminal. The same crowd who just days before were laying palm branches and crying, “HOSANNA!” now cried out for the release of Barabbas – a murderer. Pilate then asked, “What then shall I do with Jesus who is called Christ?“
The people’s response: “CRUCIFY HIM!”
You too must choose
Every single one of us must answer this all important question. The answer we choose will determine our eternity. We can reject Him and live our own way or we can choose to surrender our lives to Him as our Savior. The time to answer the question for yourself is now. It’s a decision that must be made in this life. You can’t wait until after you die and then decide. None of know how long we have on this earth. Tomorrow could be too late. You are not even guaranteed the next breath. 2 Corinthians 6:2 says, “Look, nowis the acceptable time; nowis the day of salvation.” If you haven’t answered question, “What then shall I do with Jesus who is called Christ?” for yourself yet, then let me ask you…what are you waiting for? What will you do with Jesus, who is called Christ?
What will you do with Jesus in this moment?
For those of us who have chosen salvation, we too much answer the same question every day. As temptations come our way or when we feel God tugging at our heart to do something He’s calling us to do, we must answer the question – What will I do with Jesus right now in this moment? Will you seek Him to help overcome the temptation? Will you obey Him and answer the call?
Pilate, who was governor, should have done the right thing at the beginning and released Jesus, but it was God’s plan for Jesus to pay the penalty for our sins. Pilate, nor the people, were never in control of Jesus’ life or death. The crowd had to decide what to do with Jesus – they chose crucifixion. Pilate had to decide what to do with Jesus. He listened to and gave in to the crowd who just kept getting louder and louder to the point that Pilate was afraid of a riot starting. At that point it was too late for him to do the right thing. He chose to appease the crowd and handed Jesus over to be crucified.
The people intended evil – but God used it for our good
The crowd intended a very big evil against Jesus who was without any sin or wrong, but what they intended for evil, God used for the good of all people everywhere for without the cross and death of Jesus, there could be no resurrection and salvation. We would have no hope of redemption and fellowship with God. There would be no eternal life in heaven. We’d all be doomed to eternity in hell.
Pilate may have thought he was appeasing an angry crowd, but in reality he was setting into motion the final steps of God’s plan of salvation for you and for me. A plan that started in the Garden of Eden with the very first sin and traced through the pages of the Bible until this very moment. God sent Jesus to cross – but Jesus willingly went to the cross. Man nailed him to a cross, but the King of glory allowed them too. Why? Because, “God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son that whosoever believes in Him would not perish by have everlasting life.” (John 3:16)
So let me ask you today – What will you do with Jesus, who is called the Christ?
Our Verse Mapping download is FREE and includes 6 pages: 3 pages of instructions for using the template and the 2 page template, plus the cover page. If you’re looking to go deeper into God’s Word, learn more about God and develop a stronger spiritual life, Verse Mapping will help you dig into the scriptures. As you apply God’s Word to your life, you will develop a more intimate knowledge and relationship with God.
Click here to listen to our devotions on Spotify be sure to follow us.
Visit our three retail experiences:
Bible study and Self Care Resources
Christian Tees, Bags, Mugs & More
We are an affiliate of CBD. We earn a commission on any purchase you make when you enter the store through this link. However, your CBD price is the same. Visit CBD for Bibles, Bible studies, gifts & more
Tee of the Week: The Greatest Valentine’s Day
Be Still
On Valentine’s Day, we celebrate love and there’s no greater love than Christ who laid down His life so that we can have eternal life. From John 3:16, this design is on t-shirts, long-sleeved tees, kids tees, mugs, bags, tumblers and more. Click the link to see all the available products in this design.
This book includes 365 daily activities and takes you on a guided journey through Biblical principles about Godly marriage that you can then apply to your marriage, as well as helping you talk through concepts that can help you develop a solid relationship. Inside you will find simple, quick activities that include:
Scripture to memorize and meditate on
Conversation Starters
Concepts from the Bible on Godly marriages
Romance Builders
Relationship Builders
Personal reflections
Date ideas
Group date ideas for you and other Christian couples
Available in hardback, paperback and ebook from Westbow Press Bookstore, Christian Book Distributors, Amazon, and Barnes & Nobel. Click the icons below to purchase from your preferred bookstore. Now also available at WalMart online.
Join the community of couples on Facebook who are committed to intentionally growing their marriage and learning how to have a marriage that honors God. Here you can post photos of the different activities as you do them, ask questions of other couples, share how God is using this book to strengthen your marriage, and grow with other Christian couples. We’ll see you in the community.
Bible Studies, Bibles, Books & More
Everything Christian for less!
Looking for a Bible Study, Bible, book or Christian gift? We are an affiliate with Christianbook Distributors and receive an 8% commission on any item purchased through one of our links. However, the commission never increases your cost of any item. View some of our favorite items by clicking on the logo and thank you for supporting our ministry.
Wellspring Christian Ministries receives an 8% commission on any purchased made from Christian Book Distributors through any affiliate link on this site. Your price for any item is the same as purchasing from CBD directly.
Clicking on the Scripture links above will open a new window where you can read the scripture from the Holman Christian Standard Bible at Biblegateway.com or choose the Bible version you prefer to read. Check back each day to get the Scripture to read in the One Year Bible Reading Plan.
What will you do with Jesus?
NOT GUILTY!
Each one of us must, at some time in our lives, answer the question: “What will I do with Jesus?” When the Jewish religious leaders brought Jesus before Pilate, demanding that Jesus be executed, Pilate found no fault in Him. Not one sin. Not one wrong doing. And not one law broken. The Bible is clear that Jesus was guilty of nothing. This is the same man who compassionately healed the sick, made blind people see, raised people from the dead, fed more than 5000 people with 5 loaves of bread and 2 small fish. He had done nothing but good. Yet, the people now yelled for his death.
In the moment that Jesus stood before Pilate, Jesus’ earthly life was in Pilate’s hands. Not that Pilate could “take” Jesus’ life. Jesus willingly laid down his life for us. But Pilate could not find one thing Jesus was guilty of and he tried to weasel his way out of the situation through an annual custom where he would release a prisoner. He asked the crowd if they wanted him to release Jesus who was innocent of any wrong or Barabbas, a hardened criminal. The same crowd who just days before were laying palm branches and crying, “HOSANNA!” now cried out for the release of Barabbas – a murderer. Pilate then asked, “What then shall I do with Jesus who is called Christ?“
The people’s response: “CRUCIFY HIM!”
You too must choose
Every single one of us must answer this all important question. The answer we choose will determine our eternity. We can reject Him and live our own way or we can choose to surrender our lives to Him as our Savior. The time to answer the question for yourself is now. It’s a decision that must be made in this life. You can’t wait until after you die and then decide. None of know how long we have on this earth. Tomorrow could be too late. You are not even guaranteed the next breath. 2 Corinthians 6:2 says, “Look, nowis the acceptable time; nowis the day of salvation.” If you haven’t answered question, “What then shall I do with Jesus who is called Christ?” for yourself yet, then let me ask you…what are you waiting for? What will you do with Jesus, who is called Christ?
What will you do with Jesus in this moment?
For those of us who have chosen salvation, we too much answer the same question every day. As temptations come our way or when we feel God tugging at our heart to do something He’s calling us to do, we must answer the question – What will I do with Jesus right now in this moment? Will you seek Him to help overcome the temptation? Will you obey Him and answer the call?
Pilate, who was governor, should have done the right thing at the beginning and released Jesus, but it was God’s plan for Jesus to pay the penalty for our sins. Pilate, nor the people, were never in control of Jesus’ life or death. The crowd had to decide what to do with Jesus – they chose crucifixion. Pilate had to decide what to do with Jesus. He listened to and gave in to the crowd who just kept getting louder and louder to the point that Pilate was afraid of a riot starting. At that point it was too late for him to do the right thing. He chose to appease the crowd and handed Jesus over to be crucified.
The people intended evil – but God used it for our good
The crowd intended a very big evil against Jesus who was without any sin or wrong, but what they intended for evil, God used for the good of all people everywhere for without the cross and death of Jesus, there could be no resurrection and salvation. We would have no hope of redemption and fellowship with God. There would be no eternal life in heaven. We’d all be doomed to eternity in hell.
Pilate may have thought he was appeasing an angry crowd, but in reality he was setting into motion the final steps of God’s plan of salvation for you and for me. A plan that started in the Garden of Eden with the very first sin and traced through the pages of the Bible until this very moment. God sent Jesus to cross – but Jesus willingly went to the cross. Man nailed him to a cross, but the King of glory allowed them too. Why? Because, “God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son that whosoever believes in Him would not perish by have everlasting life.” (John 3:16)
So let me ask you today – What will you do with Jesus, who is called the Christ?
Our Verse Mapping download is FREE and includes 6 pages: 3 pages of instructions for using the template and the 2 page template, plus the cover page. If you’re looking to go deeper into God’s Word, learn more about God and develop a stronger spiritual life, Verse Mapping will help you dig into the scriptures. As you apply God’s Word to your life, you will develop a more intimate knowledge and relationship with God.
Click here to listen to our devotions on Spotify be sure to follow us.
Visit our three retail experiences:
Bible study and Self Care Resources
Christian Tees, Bags, Mugs & More
We are an affiliate of CBD. We earn a commission on any purchase you make when you enter the store through this link. However, your CBD price is the same. Visit CBD for Bibles, Bible studies, gifts & more
Tee of the Week: The Greatest Valentine’s Day
Be Still
On Valentine’s Day, we celebrate love and there’s no greater love than Christ who laid down His life so that we can have eternal life. From John 3:16, this design is on t-shirts, long-sleeved tees, kids tees, mugs, bags, tumblers and more. Click the link to see all the available products in this design.
This book includes 365 daily activities and takes you on a guided journey through Biblical principles about Godly marriage that you can then apply to your marriage, as well as helping you talk through concepts that can help you develop a solid relationship. Inside you will find simple, quick activities that include:
Scripture to memorize and meditate on
Conversation Starters
Concepts from the Bible on Godly marriages
Romance Builders
Relationship Builders
Personal reflections
Date ideas
Group date ideas for you and other Christian couples
Available in hardback, paperback and ebook from Westbow Press Bookstore, Christian Book Distributors, Amazon, and Barnes & Nobel. Click the icons below to purchase from your preferred bookstore. Now also available at WalMart online.
Join the community of couples on Facebook who are committed to intentionally growing their marriage and learning how to have a marriage that honors God. Here you can post photos of the different activities as you do them, ask questions of other couples, share how God is using this book to strengthen your marriage, and grow with other Christian couples. We’ll see you in the community.
Bible Studies, Bibles, Books & More
Everything Christian for less!
Looking for a Bible Study, Bible, book or Christian gift? We are an affiliate with Christianbook Distributors and receive an 8% commission on any item purchased through one of our links. However, the commission never increases your cost of any item. View some of our favorite items by clicking on the logo and thank you for supporting our ministry.
Wellspring Christian Ministries receives an 8% commission on any purchased made from Christian Book Distributors through any affiliate link on this site. Your price for any item is the same as purchasing from CBD directly.
by Julia M. Bruce, MSPC, Mental Health Coach, Keynote Speaker, CEO, Wellspring Christian Ministries
Week 4 of Advent: Love
Reflecting on God’s love
Christmas is, of course a time of joy and celebration of the birth of our Savior. When we celebrate birthdays with cake, balloons, streamers, games, and ice cream. It’s a party. Wouldn’t you find it odd if your friends threw you a birthday party and as you walked into the room all your friends and family whispered, “surprise!” And then they spent the next 30 minutes singing soft songs about your life and quietly, reverently, and respectfully discussed your good qualities? However, if you attend a Christmas Eve service at your church, you will likely spend the evening holding a lit candle, singing some Christmas carols and your pastor will have a message that reflects on the true meaning of Christmas – the birth of our Savior.
It is good to take time to reflect on the love of God that made a way through the birth of Jesus for us to have the gift of salvation. We need to take some time away from the hustle and bustle of shopping, cooking, wrapping gifts, attending concerts and parties and just be still and quiet. But it seems odd to celebrate a birthday in such a way.
Love often doesn’t make sense
If we think about it, love often doesn’t make sense. We see this in the very reason that Jesus was born.
“For God loved the world so much that he gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life.”
God knew what was going to happen to His Son. God knows how evil and perverted this world is. He didn’t create the world this way. Our sinful nature takes everything God made and perverts it. As a mother, it can be hard to understand how God would allow Jesus to endure the cross. It’s the most well known statement in the world, but, as a parent, it is difficult to process. How could God do that to his own Son? I wouldn’t willingly put my kids in a dangerous place and let thugs beat the crap out of them and kill them. No sane parent would do that. On the surface this doesn’t make sense.
Love is foolish to those headed for destruction
But God explains Himself throughout the Bible for why He sent Jesus to us. Paul says in 1 Corinthians, “The message of the cross is foolish to those who are headed for destruction! But we who are being saved know it is the vey power of God.” For those who do not believe in Jesus this is all foolish and silly. Love does not make sense to those who do not know and understand the perfect love of God. 1 John 1:9 says, “God is love.” So for those of us who know Love (God), it is not silly and foolish. It is power. Power over sin, death, and hell. It is power of Satan and this world. Why? Paul tell us in Romans 8, “The Spirit of God, who raised Jesus form the dead, lives in you.”
So, Jesus coming into the world as God in the flesh may seem foolish to the disbeliever, but to me, He is the power that drives my life.
Love is always sacrificial
John 3:16 teaches us a second thing about love. It is always sacrificial.
Just because I obey the law does not mean I love the law. I obey the law because it honors God and I would prefer to not face the consequences of breaking the law. Many Christians misunderstand this concept in their Spiritual life. They think if they tithe a few dollars, go to church when they can, get baptized, and sign up a few times a year on the volunteer list then they are OK with God. But that’s not love. It isn’t sacrifice.
God love the world so much that he gave his one and only Son. God is love. He shows us what love is. Love is sacrifice. Jesus said, “If any of you wants to be my follower you must turn from your selfish ways, take up your cross, and follow me. If you try to hang on to you life, you will lose it. But if you give up your life for my sake, you will save it. And what do you benefit if you gain the whole world but lose your own soul? Is anything worth more than your soul?”
Love is sacrifice. A genuine follower of Jesus does not decide what part of their life to give to God, they give their all. We all make mistakes. We all sin. Not a single person is perfect, so it is a struggle. I can claim to love God, but, love isn’t defined by what I say, or even what I do. I can do religious stuff and not sacrifice a thing. Love is sacrifice. This is the message Jesus teaches.
Have I sold out my life for Jesus?
It is easy to accept things the way they are and maintain a status quo. Most of us have problems with change. So, We do church the way we always do it and we get stuck in a rut in our relationship with Jesus because we do not take the time to intentionally invest in our relationship with Him by identifying the areas of spiritual growth that need attention. We allow the kids, careers, hobbies, and relationships become more important.
The sad result is that we do not have the intimate relationship with Jesus that He longs to have with us. Getting stuck in a rut isn’t love. Love is sacrifice. A great place to start evaluating your relationship with God is to reflect on the question: “Have I sold out my life for Jesus?” And what better time to reflect on this question than on Christmas Eve as we reflect on His birth. God simply gave you His Son because He loves you. But we cannot assume for a moment that God will allow us to abuse His great sacrifice by living the same way we’ve always lived. Love is sacrifice. Jesus demands your life in exchange for His. But when we think about that, it isn’t even a bargain. It’s a rip off for Him because while we take on his righteousness, he took on our sins as He bore them on the cross.
A Christmas Revolution Challenge
So this Christmas Eve, as you pause the celebration of Christ’s birth, I want to challenge you to ask the Holy Spirit what you are sacrificing. As a part of our human nature we have a tendency to slip into the comfortable and the routine. There is not sacrifice in the routine. There is no sacrifice in comfort. It is spiritually necessary for us to contemplate our journey with God and ask on simple question with huge implications: “Have I sold out my life for Jesus?” I want to challenge you to not set a resolution to sell out to Jesus – but instead have a revolution. There is no turning back in a revolution. A resolution is simply a stated desire or opinion. A revolution, however, is a change in thinking and a complete replacement of what you are. Revolutions take a crowd and if we have a spiritual revolution, we would see the revival our world so desperately needs.
Give Jesus your life. Everything you are. Everything you own. Ask God to use it all for His purpose and for His glory. Have you sold out your life for Jesus? What do you need to sacrifice today?
Click here to listen to our daily devotions on Spotify – and be sure to follow us on Spotify
Visit our three retail experiences:
Bible study and Self Care Resources
Christian Tees, Bags, Mugs & More
We are an affiliate of CBD. We earn a commission on any purchase you make when you enter the store through this link. However, your CBD price is the same. Visit CBD for Bibles, Bible studies, gifts & more
Do you have an event on the calendar and need a speaker?
We’re offering 30% off our speaker fees as our gift to you if you book any 2022 event with us by December 31, 2021. Call today and use the discount code: CHRISTMAS2021. .
We’re thankful for the opportunity to be a part of your ministry and can’t wait to see you – no matter what size your event.
904.239.8937
Help support our ministry:
Need some music to get you through the day? Check out one of our Playlists on YouTube
Ready for Christmas music?
Christmas YouTube Playlist
We’ve created a YouTube Christmas playlist (click here) of both Christian and fun Christmas music to enjoy while you decorate for the holidays and help you get those gifts wrapped, cookies baked, and all the other preparations you are doing this holiday season. So click the link and listen to our Christmas playlist in the car, at home, or while you work.
Need some relaxing Christmas tunes? Here’s a smooth Jazz playlist to sit back and with it quietly in the background while at the office, wrapping gifts, or decorating the house. We hope you’ll enjoy the songs of the season – jazz style.
Click here for the Contemporary Christian Playlist
Click here for the Southern Gospel Playlist
Or Click here for the Hymns Playlist
Animated videos that dig deep into God’s Word
You can also watch our animated devotionals on the YouTube Channel
God, Love and Marshmallow Wars is a book that includes 365 daily activities and takes you on a guided journey through Biblical principles about Godly marriage that you can then apply to your marriage, as well as helping you talk through concepts that can help you develop a solid relationship. Inside you will find simple, quick activities that include:
Scripture to memorize and meditate on.
Conversation Starters.
Concepts from the Bible on Godly marriages.
Romance Builders.
Relationship Builders.
Personal reflections.
Date ideas.
Group date ideas for you and other Christian couples.
Looking for a Bible Study, Bible, book or Christian gift? We are an affiliate with Christianbook Distributors and receive an 8% commission on any item purchased through one of our links. However, the commission never increases your cost of any item. View some of our favorite items by clicking on the logo and thank you for supporting our ministry.
Wellspring Christian Ministries receives an 8% commission on any purchased made from Christian Book Distributors through any affiliate link on this site. Your price for any item is the same as purchasing from CBD directly.
by Julia M. Bruce, MSPC, Mental Health Coach, Keynote Speaker, CEO, Wellspring Christian Ministries
Thankful every day
Just how thankful are we? — Really! This is the season of Thanksgiving. But is it all about the food, family, and football? Do you actually give thanks on Thanksgiving? Stop for a moment and think about the last time you felt thankful. When was the last time you felt thankful to God? What does God hear from you the most: a long wish list, complaints, or thankfulness? In Romans 1:21, Paul tells us that one can know God, but not honor him or give thanks to him and as a result they became futile in their thinking and foolish in their hearts.
Why is it that out of 365 days in a year we have one day set aside to give thanks? We should be thankful every day. 1 Thessalonians 5:18 says we are to give thanks in all circumstances. God does not just bless on Thanksgiving Day, but he pours out his blessings on us every day – so we should be thankful every day – in all circumstances. Psalm 34:1 says “I will bless the Lord at all times; his praise shall continually be in my mouth.”
The Psalmist wrote: “Oh that men would praise the Lord for his goodness, and for his wonderful works to the children of men! For he satisfies the longing soul, and fills the hungry soul with goodness.” Perhaps we need to follow Philippians 2:5, which says, “Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus.” It was Christ Who, knowing exactly what lay ahead, gave thanks on the very night in which He was betrayed.
To be truly thankful requires us to recognize that what you have you could not produce yourself – it was a gift. It requires humility and acknowledgment of both the gift and its source.
The Source of our Thankfulness?
The Bible clearly instructs Christians to fix our eyes on the Heavenly Father, the true source of every good thing in our lives. Hebrews 12:2 tells us that Jesus is the source and perfecter of our faith. He is the One who graciously gives us “good things” of all kinds, and our natural response should be thank Him specifically and continually. Psalm 86:12 says, “I give thanks to you, O Lord my God, with my whole heart, and I will glorify your name forever.” James 1:17 says, “Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change.”
Apart from anything that God does, God is simply great in character and power. Isaiah 6:3 says, “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts; the whole earth is full of his glory!” God is “holy,” that is, in a higher and different class than us; God is so awesome that it is beyond us to even fathom it. Psalm 145:3 says, “Great is the Lord, and greatly to be praised; and his greatness is unsearchable.”
The Cause of our Thankfulness
Psalm 92:1-2 says, “It is a good thing to give thanks to the LORD, And to sing praises to Your name, O Most High; To declare Your lovingkindness in the morning, And your faithfulness every night.” Here we have cause to give God thank because of his lovingkindness and faithfulness. From 1 Corinthians 1:4, we find we can be thankful for the grace given to us in Christ Jesus. 1 Corinthians 15:57 says we have victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.
The greatest reason we have to be thankful should be the price that Jesus paid for us when he died on a cross in our place so that we could have eternal life. John 3:16 says, “For God so love the world that He gave His only begotten Son that whosoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.” Without Jesus dying on the cross for us, redeeming us, and forgiving our sins, we would be hopeless, lost, and bound for hell. But because of his faithful love to us, he endured the cross despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God (Hebrews 12:2).
The Result of our Thankfulness
When we are thankful, our focus moves off selfish desires and off the pain of current circumstances. Expressing thankfulness helps us remember that God is in control. Thankfulness, then, is not only appropriate; it is actually healthy and beneficial to us. It reminds us of the bigger picture, that we belong to God, and that we have been blessed with every spiritual blessing (Ephesians 1:3). Truly, we have an abundant life (John 10:10), and gratefulness is fitting.
However, a mere attitude of thankfulness is not enough. When we truly acknowledge all that God has done for us, the result should be an outpouring of thankfulness that leads us to praise him, which leads us to worship him. In Deuteronomy 10:12, Moses said, “what does the Lord your God ask of you except to fear the Lord your God by walking in all His ways, to love Him, and to worshipthe Lord your God with all your heart and all your soul? And in 1 Samuel 12:24, it says, “Above all, fear the Lord and worship Him faithfully with all your heart; consider the great things He has done for you.”
The result of our thankfulness is worship.
This year, as we prepare for the Thanksgiving holiday, remember the greatest reason you have to be thankful is Jesus — the who saved you, redeemed you and forgave you….and allow your thanksgiving to become an act of worship.
Click here to listen to our daily devotions on Spotify – and be sure to follow us on Spotify
Visit our three retail experiences:
Bible study and Self Care Resources
Christian Tees, Bags, Mugs & More
We are an affiliate of CBD. We earn a commission on any purchase you make when you enter the store through this link. However, your CBD price is the same. Visit CBD for Bibles, Bible studies, gifts & more
Do you have an event on the calendar and need a speaker?
We’re offering 30% discount on our speaker fees if booked by December 31, 2021. Call today and use the discount code: THANKFUL2021.
We’re thankful for the opportunity to be a part of your ministry and can’t wait to see you – no matter what size your event.
904.239.8937
Help support our ministry:
Need some music to get you through the day? Check out one of our Playlists on YouTube
Click here for the Contemporary Christian Playlist
Click here for the Southern Gospel Playlist
Or Click here for the Hymns Playlist
Animated videos that dig deep into God’s Word
You can also watch our animated devotionals on the YouTube Channel
God, Love and Marshmallow Wars is a book that includes 365 daily activities and takes you on a guided journey through Biblical principles about Godly marriage that you can then apply to your marriage, as well as helping you talk through concepts that can help you develop a solid relationship. Inside you will find simple, quick activities that include:
Scripture to memorize and meditate on.
Conversation Starters.
Concepts from the Bible on Godly marriages.
Romance Builders.
Relationship Builders.
Personal reflections.
Date ideas.
Group date ideas for you and other Christian couples.
Looking for a Bible Study, Bible, book or Christian gift? We are an affiliate with Christianbook Distributors and receive an 8% commission on any item purchased through one of our links. However, the commission never increases your cost of any item. View some of our favorite items by clicking on the logo and thank you for supporting our ministry.
Wellspring Christian Ministries receives an 8% commission on any purchased made from Christian Book Distributors through any affiliate link on this site. Your price for any item is the same as purchasing from CBD directly.
by Julia M. Bruce, MSPC, Mental Health Coach, Keynote Speaker, CEO, Wellspring Christian Ministries
The Nature of God’s Love
Love is the nature of God. 1 John 4:8 says, “God is love.” It is who He is. God loves you and there is nothing you can do to change it. God loves you and there is nothing you can do to make God love you more, and there is nothing you can do to that will cause God to love you less. You can’t earn his love because God is love. It’s His nature and you can’t change that. And because He loves you, He wants to have a relationship with you.
You Can’t Change the Fact that God Loves You
We all go through moments of life wondering if a parent, spouse, child, or friend loves us. Maybe we did something to disappointment them and the relationships with them was broken and now we doubt how they feel about us now. Maybe that someone you disappointed was God and you find yourself wondering, “How could God possibly love someone like me?”
There are also those who go around trying to do every good work in an effort to get God to love them or to love them more. They pay penance, fast, live moral lives, give to the poor, or any number of things they believe will earn them God’s love. However, the simple fact is God loves you and there is nothing you can do that will cause God to love you more or less.
You Can’t Make God Love You Any Less
Because love is God’s nature, we find that the prophet Jeremiah writes, “The Lord hath appeared of old unto me, saying, Yea, I have loved thee with an everlasting love; therefore with lovingkindness have I drawn thee.” But God doesn’t just tell us that He loves us. He acted out his love. John 3:16 says, “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believes in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.”
Even though God knew that each one of us was born in sin, an enemy of God, God still sent His Son to die and pay the debt of our sin for us. Romans 5:8 says, “But God proves His own love fore us in that while we were still sinners Christ died for us!” When did God prove His love? When did Christ die for us? While we were still sinners. So there is nothing you can do to make God love you any less.
You Can’t Do Anything to Make God Love you More
Ephesians 2:1-10 tells us that we are dead in our trespasses and sin. But in verses 4-5, Paul wrote, “ButGod, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved.” It is because of God’s love and grace that He offers you the free gift of salvation. Not anything you have done. There is absolutely nothing you can do that will cause God to love you more. He loves you so much that even when you were a filthy, dirty sinner, He sent His only Son to die for you. Jesus told us in John 15:13, “Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends.” There is no greater love than the love of Jesus, who died for you.
Christianity is about a Relationship
There are many religions that tell you you have to do this or that in order to be a Christian. But faith is what sets Christianity apart from religion. Faith in Jesus. Faith that believes He is the Son of God who was born of a virgin, lived a sinless life, died on a cross, was buried for three days and then rose again. And because of that faith we have a relationship with Him. 1 John 3:1 says, “Behold what manner of love the Father has bestowed on us, that we should be called children of God!” As Christians, we have a relationships with God because Ephesians 5:1 tells us we were adopted as sons and daughters into the family of God by Jesus Christ for no other reason than because it was according to the good pleasure of His will.
Religion is about Rules
Religion on the other hand is about rules. Some religions will demand a person to pray a certain number of times per day or to fast for a whole month each year.
Another religion says its followers must use separate sinks for preparing dairy and non-dairy foods.
Another religion requires its followers to get up 3 hours before dawn every day to wash and pray.
There is another religion that requires its followers to make an offering at a household shrine 3 times every day.
One religion requires the men to wear special underclothes and when couples of that religion have children, they begin saving for those children because when they become young adults, they are supposed to spend 2 years serving as missionaries to that religion.
And we are all familiar with the religion that requires its follows to spend a certain amount of time each month going door-to-door, sharing their literature and signing people up for their religious studies.
Religious Rules of Jesus’ Day
Rules. Things were no different in Jesus’ day. The religious leaders of His day had developed a religious system with 613 laws. They chose the number 613 because that was how many separate letters were in the text containing the 10 Commandments. They found 613 commandments in the Pentateuch (Genesis-Deuteronomy). Then they divided the list into affirmative commands (do this) and negative commands (don’t do this).
There were 248 affirmative commands, one for every part of the human body, as they understood it. There were 365 negative commands, one for each day of the year. They further divided the list into binding commands and nonbonding commands. Then they spent their days debating whether the divisions were accurate and ranking the commands within each division. [John MacArther, Matthew 19-23 (Chicago, IL: Moody Press, 1988), 337-38.]
Religious Rules of Today
We see the same trend happening in Christianity today. There are people who try to add rules to Christianity that are not there. Things like, not eating meat on Fridays, or doing without something for 40 days during Lent. Some folks measure their religious zeal by the length of their skirts, or how long their hair is. Even things like having a quiet time can become a legalistic, religious rule, if you let it.
Jesus isn’t into all of that measuring, one-up-man-ship, and rules. When someone came and tried to get Jesus’ opinion on what the great commandment was, He answered, “Love the Lord God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the greatest and most important commandment. The second is like it: Love your neighbor as yourself. All the Law and the Prophets depend on these two commandments.”
Jesus says, “Y’all go around measuring and comparing and think you’re doing well. But all of godly living comes out of these two simple commands.” No wonder Jesus says in Matthew 11:28-30, “Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.” You see, religion is about rules.
Christianity is about a relationship
Jesus says in Revelation 3:20, “Listen! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and have dinner with him, and he with Me.” What does Jesus say, in this verse, was necessary in order to have a relationship with him? You hear Him, and open the door. You hear His voice, and you invite Him into your life.
In John 10:10, Jesus says, “I have come that they may have life and have it in abundance.” My friends, Christians – disciples of Christ – are people who have a relationship with Jesus Christ. The disciplines we have in our lives flow out of the relationship we have with, and our love for their Savior. Nothing you do will make God love you any more. Nothing you do will make God love you any less.
The disciplines we practice, we do so because we want to become more like our Savior. Ephesians 5:1 says, “Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children.” Relationship. We have a relationship with our Savior which makes us children of God and therefore we have a relationship with our Heavenly Father who loves us with an everlasting love. Not because we earned or deserve it, but because of his lovingkindness, mercy, and grace. As His children, we practice the disciplines of our faith as a joy, not an obligation or to earn His favor.
Has religion become a burden?
If your religion is burden, I invite you to tell Jesus right now that you want a relationship with him.
Admit to Him that you are a sinner. Romans 3:23 says, “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” Tell Him that you believe He is God’s Son and that He died on the cross for you, and rose again. John 1:12 says, “But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God.” Confess Jesus as the Lord of your life and commit yourself to a life of following Jesus. Romans 10:9-10 says, “because, if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved.”
Are you following a religion, or do you have a relationship with God you loves you with an everlasting love?
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Now you can enhance your Bible Reading with the Verse Mapping Template
Our Verse Mapping download is FREE and includes 6 pages: 3 pages of instructions for using the template and the 2 page template, plus the cover page. If you’re looking to go deeper into God’s Word, learn more about God and develop a stronger spiritual life, Verse Mapping will help you dig into the scriptures. As you apply God’s Word to your life, you will develop a more intimate knowledge and relationship with God.
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What Satan Does Not Want You To know
This trifold document includes Scripture verses that Satan does not want you to know about. As you hide these verses in your heart, you’ll be able to defeat the lies of Satan when he tries his wiles and schemes on you.
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Stress Journal
We all face stress. How we handle stress, however, has many variables. Learning how to recognize stress, coping with stress, and creating a self-care plan during times of stress can begin by journaling. Taken from our series on Biblical self-care for people in ministry, we’ve created this free download to help you through the things that cause you stress.
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2021 Bible Memory Verse Plan
We’ve put together 52 memory verses for you to hide God’s Word in your heart! You can download the full document for free and then print a new verse each week and as many copies as you’d like. Each verse prints four times on a page so that you can then cut them into index size cards and place them in prominent places where you will see them frequently throughout the day to help you remember to memorize them. Just because you visited our site, they’re yours for free! Download today.
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The Path to Sin
Satan is constantly trying to trip us up and he doesn’t even play fair because he uses our own desires as bait to get us to sin. James tells us the five steps that lead us down the path to sin in James 1:14-15, “But each person is tempted when he is lured and enticed by his own desire. Then desire when it has conceived gives birth to sin, and sin when it is fully grown brings forth death.” This download helps you identify your desires so that you can better recognize when Satan is baiting you and you can avoid falling into sin. When used along with prayer, asking the Holy Spirit to identify the desires that Satan baits you with, you can then ask the Holy Spirit to help you not become a victim to the bait of your desires. Download the worksheet today.
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One Year Bible Reading Plan
With just 30-40 minutes per day, you can read the entire Bible in one year. The One-Year Bible Reading Plan consists of both Old Testament and New Testament readings for each day of the year. The Bible is God’s personal Word to you. What is He saying to you today? Open your Bible and find out!
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Self-Care Wheel
The Self-Care Wheel provides ideas for practicing self-care in six dimensions of yourself: Spiritual, Physical, Emotional, Intellectual, Sensory, and Social. NOTE: You will need 11X14 paper to print the wheel.
Want to know more about self-care? Our Self-Care blog series targets people who serve in any ministry position (paid staff or volunteer) and takes a Biblical approach to self-care.
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