God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God. — 2 Corinthians 5:21
God made Jesus who had no sin to be sin for us.
And Jesus took the penalty for our sin on Himself.
He went to the cross so that we can live with Him forever.
And He paid the price for my sin.
So that I can be a member of the family of God.
God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God. — 2 Corinthians 5:21
Christ had no sin.
But He took on my sin when He died on the cross.
He paid the penalty I deserved.
So that through Jesus I might become the righteousness of God.
What a merciful God we serve!
For there is one God and one mediator between God and mankind, the man Christ Jesus, who gave himself as a ransom for all people. This has now been witnessed to at the proper time. — 1 Timothy 2:5-6
Our Father and Redeemer.
Christ Jesus His Son is our mediator.
Jesus is the only mediator between us humans and God.
And Jesus gave himself as our ransom.
He paid the price of my sin.
And the sin of all people.
Others bear witness to this great sacrifice.
And through Him, I am blessed and redeemed.
My salvation and my honor depend on God; he is my mighty rock, my refuge. — Psalm 62:7
He is my fortress and my refuge in time of trouble.
I can depend on Him no matter what comes my way.
My salvation depends on God alone.
Christ alone is my Redeemer and Savior.
My honor depends on the Father God.
And I am grateful for His mercy.
For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. — Romans 6:23
And it is ours for the asking through Christ Jesus.
When we accept Jesus as our Lord, He give us eternal life.
And we can live forever in heaven with God.
We really deserve death as payment for our sin.
But God give us the free gift of eternal life in Christ.
If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness. — 1 John 1:9
This little bird sat outside my window at work the other day.
A gentle reminder that God is faithful.
He is also just.
And He forgives my sins — all the wrong things I say and do.
The blood of Jesus Christ purifies me from all unrighteousness.
All I have to do is confess my sin to Him.
Thank you, Lord.
Blessed is the one who perseveres under trial because, having stood the test, that person will receive the crown of life that the Lord has promised to those who love him. — James 1:12
Fortunately, Kirk had visited him, his wife, and daughters on his trip to Akron a year and a half ago.
Still, it's hard to lose a relative.
But God calls us blessed to have persevered.
And now he has received the crown of life that God promises to those who love him.
Praise the Lord.
“But blessed is the one who trusts in the Lord, whose confidence is in him. They will be like a tree planted by the water that sends out its roots by the stream. It does not fear when heat comes; its leaves are always green. It has no worries in a year of drought and never fails to bear fruit.” — Jeremiah 17:7-8
Our confidence is in the Lord.
We are like a tree planted by the water.
Our roots go out to find refreshment so they can grow deep.
We continue to thrive and grow, even in tough and rocky times.
When we feel discouraged or our hope is dried up, God sustains us.
He prunes us so we can bear His good fruit.
The Lord helps us to thrive.
“Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself unless it abides in the vine, so neither can you unless you abide in me." — John 15:4
Just as the branch cannot bear fruit of itself without the vine.
So I can't bear fruit unless I abide in Jesus.
Yesterday we celebrated the first day of spring.
Also called the vernal or spring equinox.
Hard to believe it's spring already!
The rain we've been having is causing the flowers to bloom.
And the flowers are gorgeous this year.
The grass is green, and the landscape is beautiful.
Glory to God.
But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law. — Galatians 5:23-24
And that fruit of the Spirit is love and joy.
It includes peace, forbearance, and kindness.
The fruit of the Spirit is also goodness, faithfulness, and gentleness.
Another amazing gift of the Spirit is self-control.
Against these things there is no law.
May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit. — Romans 15:13
Here's a beautiful view of Doheny State Beach near Dana Point.
May the God of hope fill us with joy.
And with His deep peace that goes beyond our understanding.
As we trust in Him alone rather than trusting in people or things.
So that we can overflow with hope in Christ.
Sharing that hope with others who are searching.
And that hope is filling us by the power of the Holy Spirit.
Amazing!
The Lord is my shepherd, I lack nothing. He makes me lie down in green pastures, he leads me beside quiet waters, he refreshes my soul. He guides me along the right paths for his name’s sake. — Psalm 23:1-3
The Lord Jesus is my shepherd.He guides me where I should go, when I let Him.
And He provides just what I need when I need it.
He leads me beside quiet waters and restores my soul.
When I get lost or mixed up along the way, he gets me back on the right path.
I live for His name's sake.
What a wonderful God we serve.
Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. — Colossians 3:12
May the road rise up to meet you.
May the wind be always at your back.
May the sun shine warm upon your face;
And the rains fall soft upon your fields.
And until we meet again,
may God hold you in the palm of His hand.
— an Irish Blessing
Then know this, you and all the people of Israel: It is by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom you crucified but whom God raised from the dead, that this man stands before you healed. — Acts 4:10, 12
And that it was in the name of Jesus Christ that we are healed.
This week I go for my annual oncology appointment.
Last year my oncologist told me that I was either in remission or healed.
So it's in the name of Jesus that this woman stands before you healed.
Here I am ringing the bell after my final radiation treatment in 2019.
Praise the Lord!
For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness; and to godliness, mutual affection; and to mutual affection, love. For if you possess these qualities in increasing measure, they will keep you from being ineffective and unproductive in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. — 2 Peter 1:5-8
And Friday is St. Patrick's Day.
And our friend Laurie's birthday.
May the luck 'o the Irish be with ye!
And the blessings of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Here's a view of the Del Mar beach in March of 2019.
We're so thankful to God for His amazing creation.
And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose. — Romans 8:28
And for the good of all those who love Him.
For those of us who have been called according to His purpose.
For years, Kirk shared with his students some of his characteristics that are uncannily similar to those of Abraham Lincoln.
Kirk was born on February 12, 1959; Abe was born on Feburary 12, 1809 - 150 years apart.
They have a very similar facial profile, with almost the same nose.
Their shoe size and heights are the same.
They both have gray eyes.
Abraham Lincoln’s first adult job was as a store clerk. Kirk's first adult job was as a store clerk for Vons Grocery Company.
Abraham Lincoln died on April 15, 1865. Kirk’ s grandfather died on April 15, 1975. Exactly 110 years apart.This week, our niece Maggie found this geneology chart that shows that Abe is Kirk's 4th cousin four times removed!
God's plan is amazing.
In all things, He works for our good.
“Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in Me. I am the vine, you are the branches: He who abides in Me, and in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing.” — John 15:4-5
Just as a branch can't bear. much fruit by itself, it needs to be connected to the vine.
Otherwise, it will wither and die without a connection to it's life source.
When I'm not connected with God, I wither and die.
Without His nourishment, I dont' have the energy to go on.
But God wants me to bear much fruit.
Without Him I can do nothing.
Jesus told them, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one can come to the Father except through me.” John 14: 6
And He is the Truth.
He is also our Life.
Our living water.
No one can come to God the Father except through Jesus Christ.
What a Savior!
But in your hearts revere Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect, — 1 Peter 3:15
And we are commanded to revere Him.
God asks us to be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks us to give a reason for the hope we have.
And to do this with gentleness and respect.
So that others, too, can come to know Jesus as their personal Savior.
Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves receive from God. — 2 Corinthians 1:3-4
One of Kirk's former colleagues at Emerald Middle School passed away unexpectedly at 52.
Kirk attended his service on Saturday.
Don was still teaching just days before he died.
The Sunday before, one of our older church members passed away unexpectedly.
His widow was at church this past Sunday, worshipping and praising God.
As people who have lost loved ones, we are able to comfort those around us who are grieving.
And to celebrate the lives of those who have left us but who now live with Jesus.
Praise be to God the Father of Jesus.
He is the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort.
The Lord comforts us in our troubles.
He gives us the opportunity to comfort others who are grieving or troubled.
We comfort them with the same comfort we've received from God.
Wonderful.
Lord, you are my God; I will exalt you and praise your name, for in perfect faithfulness you have done wonderful things, things planned long ago. — Isaiah 25:1
He is my God.
And my Lord — the Lord of my life.
I will exalt the Lord and praise His name.
In perfect faithfulness He has done wonderful things.
God is the Lord of today and of things planned long ago.
I will exalt Him throughout each day.
He is most worthy of praise!
Jesus said, “I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am.” — John 13:3
He rose again from the dead and said He was going to prepare a place for us.
One day, He tells us He will come back and take us with Him.
So that on that day we can live with Him in heaven.
What a wonderful promise!
These commandments that I give you today are to be on your hearts. Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. — Deuteronomy 6:6-7
And the Lord expects us to keep them in our hearts.
To impress them on our children.
To talk about them wherever we go.
When I sit at home.
When I walk along the road.
When I lie down.
And when I get up.
To remember God's Word in my heart and think about all day long.
Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.” — Joshua 1:9
Just as He commanded Joshua.
To be strong and courageous.
Not to be afraid or discouraged.
God was with Joshua wherever he went.
And God is with me.
What a huge relief.
Here we are at Mean Girls last night.
They offered us signature cocktails that were created to go with the musical theme.
Very fun.
Whom have I in heaven but you? And earth has nothing I desire besides you. My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever. — Psalm 73:75-76
God is the strength of my heart.
Even when my body gives up or breaks down.
He keeps me going, even when I can't do it on my own.Remain in me, as I also remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me.” — John 15: 3-4
And He commands us to remain in Him.
We cannot bear fruit on our own.
We have to remain connected to Jesus.
To drink from His living water,
So that we can bear fruit.
No branch can bear fruit by itself, cut off from the tree.
It much remain in the vine to be fruitful.
When I'm connected to Jesus, I can be fruitful too.
“I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener. He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit, he prunes so that it will be even more fruitful. You are already clean because of the word I have spoken to you. ” — John 15: 1-3
Our Father God is the gardener.
He prunes me to make me more fruitful.
Even though it's painful, He's molding me into the person He wants me to be.
God has a marvelous plan for my life, but He needs to prune away the chaff in me.
So I can be fruitful.
He needs to cut away every branch in my life that isn't bearing fruit.
He has cleansed me of my sins and I am grateful
