Devotional: Joseph Forgave His Brothers Forgiveness is one of the most challenging acts we are called to extend as believers, especially when wrongs committed against us are severe. Joseph’s story is a powerful illustration of God’s redemptive power working through human brokenness and sin. When Joseph forgave his brothers, he not only released them from…
Devotional: Bitterness is Destructive Bitterness is like a hidden root that slowly grows, unnoticed, but eventually spreads and infects everything around it. As believers, we are called to guard our hearts against this dangerous root. Bitterness doesn’t just harm the one who holds onto it—it spreads to others, causing damage in relationships and disrupting our…
Devotional: Show Love to Your Enemy In our broken world, we are often tempted to hate those who harm us. But Jesus teaches a radically different way of life: we are to love our enemies and pray for those who persecute us. This kind of love mirrors the heart of God, who extends grace to…
1 Peter 1:1-2 & 5:12-14 “Suffering Yet Eternally Secure.” In this message, “Suffering Yet Eternally Secure,” we dive into the foundational truths of 1 Peter 1:1-2 and 5:12-14 and discover how they offer great assurances even in times of suffering. These controlling realities remind us that we have been chosen eternally, known entirely, loved infinitely,…
Who Am I in Christ? – “Loved” “But God demonstrates his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us” – Romans 5:8 One of the most important things we can know as Christians is that we are loved by God. His love for us is beyond measure and has…
God is Love November 12 – Give thanks for God’s love. “Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good. His love endures forever.” Psalm 136:2 The Bible is full of verses about giving thanks. In fact, the book of Psalms is filled with praises to God for His many blessings. One of my favorite…
What happens to your confidence and trust in God when you’re under stress? Do you struggle with complaining? Are you tempted to doubt? Psalm 63 is a beautiful psalm where David expresses quiet confidence in God’s presence, provision, and protection. He praised God because he knew he was safe in the hands of God. David…
In this message from Malachi 1:1-5, we learn of God’s faithful and loyal love. The amazing truth of the love of God for His people should give us a strong sense of certainty and lasting comfort in our lives. MESSAGE OUTLINE Sober Responsibility: An urgent message from the LORD (Malachi 1:1) Steadfast Loyalty: God professes His love…
Hebrews 13:20-21 20 Now may the God of peace who brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus, the great shepherd of the sheep, by the blood of the eternal covenant, 21 equip you with everything good that you may do his will, working in us that which is pleasing in his sight, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory forever and ever. Amen.
ABOUT JAMES AND LESSONS FOR LIFE Are you longing to find answers to the deeper issues of life? Join Dr. James Long, Jr., a pastor, counselor, and university professor with over 25 years of experience. Hear James as he tackles some of life’s biggest questions and helps us find God’s solutions to life’s struggles. Learn…
When was the last time someone said thank you to you? When was the last time you said thank you to someone else? So many people today struggle with a lack of thankfulness and ingratitude. This leads to struggles with complaining, criticizing, and comparing. Gratitude and thankfulness provide a powerful remedy for these problems. This gratitude journal helps us to identify what we should be grateful for and what we do as a result of seeing life as a gift.
Do you struggle with applying the truth that you learn during your study of God’s word? This God’s grace prayer journal will allow you to focus on gratitude and live in contentment in life. The journal pages encourage you to observe what you are learning from the Bible text, evaluate how you have failed to live according to the truths stated, seek forgiveness, and develop godly plans for change.
Do you struggle with the lack of hope? Do you find yourself struggling with doubt and insecurity during times of great challenge? During those times, you need to find your rest and assurance in pondering, personalizing, praying, and practicing what God’s Word says. In the short devotional, spend time meditating and studying each of these passages. Write down whatever comes to mind in the spaces below. And let God speak to you.
One of the keys to growing in Christlikeness in our lives is to unearth and discover, and biblically evaluate our thinking patterns, speaking, and acting. This worksheet will help you be honest and specific about areas in your life that are not meeting biblical standards in thinking, speaking, and acting.
The God who began a good work in you will continue it through your lifetime and will finish it when we meet him face-to-face. God works for us, and God works in us. He enables us to become more like Christ every single day. This work is progressive and continual in this life. This worksheet helps us review and evaluate gains made during counseling and discipleship, show gratitude to God for what he has done, and develop plans for future growth and change.
There probably is not a day that goes by that we do not have some level of conflict with others. This worksheet helps us focus on the problem and not the person. It helps us evaluate how we have handled a dispute and how we should deal with it moving forward.
Do you ever struggle with doing a Bible study or journaling the key ideas from your reading? This Bible Study Note Sheet will encourage you to ponder and meditate on Scripture. Also, God’s Word is meant for you, so this worksheet will help you personalize what you are learning. It will also guide you in learning to pray God’s Word, and finally, it will encourage you to put into practice the principles and promises you find in reading the Word of God.
Anger is a significant issue for so many people. People often stuff or spew their anger, but very few learn to study their anger. This journal assignment will help you to do just that. It will help you understand, evaluate, and respond to your anger in better ways.
Do you ever find yourself getting overwhelmed with problems? Do you find yourself struggling with thinking clearly during a challenging situation? This four-step approach to rethinking a problem will help.
Problems can seem overwhelming. When we are in the midst of a significant crisis, many of us struggle with defining the problem and implementing helpful solutions. This worksheet helps us to identify three unbiblical and unproductive ways of handling problems. It also encourages us to destroy problems, not people, as we deal with issues in a biblical and God-honoring way.
