"For the time is come that judgment must begin at the house of God: and if it first begin at us, what shall the end be of them that obey not the gospel of God?" (1 Peter 4:17)
There is a terrible day of judgment coming for those who reject Christ, but for those who do believe the gospel and trust the Lord Jesus for salvation, "there is therefore now no condemnation i.e., judgment" (Romans 8:1). Yet our text tells us that judgment actually begins with those who obey the gospel! This apparent contradiction vanishes when one realizes that it is merely for the purpose of preparing those who are already saved to serve Him in eternity.
When a believer sins, he should judge and confess that sin. "For if we would judge ourselves, we should not be judged" (1 Corinthians 11:31), and God will forgive (1 John 1:9). If he does not, however, the next phase of judgment is the chastening of God. "But when we are judged, we are chastened of the Lord, that we should not be condemned with the world" (1 Corinthians 11:32). The classic passage on the believer’s chastening (Hebrews 12:5-11) concludes with the assurance that its purpose is to yield "the peaceable fruit of righteousness unto them which are exercised thereby" (Hebrews 12:11).
But when such chastening fails to work, the next judgment may even be physical death. "There is sin unto death" (1 John 5:16). "To deliver such an one unto Satan for the destruction of the flesh, that the spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus" (1 Corinthians 5:5).
Finally, all Christians must "appear before the judgment seat of Christ" (2 Corinthians 5:10), where "every one of us shall give account of himself to God" (Romans 14:12). There, some "shall suffer loss." Nevertheless, each person at this judgment "shall be saved" (1 Corinthians 3:14-15). But, as our text continues, "if the righteous scarcely be saved, where shall the ungodly and sinner appear?" (1 Peter 4:18). HMM
Welcome To Life Guide Devotional
Hey, Welcome to the devotional section of our website. God called everyone to have a personal relationship with Him and that involves reading the bible everyday, figuring God’s plan for your lives. But many times, we don’t know what to read. The bible is so big, it’s hard to find something to read and meditate on. That’s where I come in. My goal is to help other teenagers find scriptures they can read and messages they can meditate on. Life Guide Devotional breaks down the message of the bible and relates it to regular circumstances. So please, study the Word of God with me as we grow together.
Drifting Away
Job 1:13-22
Imagine relaxing on a rubber raft along the shore, eyes closed, soaking up the sun and listening to the gentle crash of waves. You don’t have a care in the world—until you open your eyes! Suddenly the shore is alarmingly distant.
We tend to drift like that spiritually. It’s subtle yet shocking when we suddenly realize how far we’ve drifted from God. The point of departure begins when Satan steals our affection for our loving Creator by putting a deceitful twist on our experiences and causing us to suspect God instead of trust Him.
Consider Job and his wife. Both had plenty of reasons to be mad at God. Their children were dead, their fortune lost, and Job’s health destroyed. His wife told him, “Curse God and die!” But Job replied, “Shall we indeed accept good from God, and . . . not accept adversity?” (Job 2:9-10).
There are many attitudes that can set us adrift: believing that we need more than God to be happy; placing meaningful relationships above loyalty to God; thinking God should live up to our expectations; resisting His reproofs; turning a deaf ear when His Word is uncomfortable.
If you’re beginning to drift, remember to stay close to the One who is the sole source of satisfaction. — Joe Stowell
Lord, help me to stay close to YouAnd trust You more each day,So when the storms of life appearI will not drift away. —Sper
To avoid drifting away from God, stay anchored to the Rock.
We tend to drift like that spiritually. It’s subtle yet shocking when we suddenly realize how far we’ve drifted from God. The point of departure begins when Satan steals our affection for our loving Creator by putting a deceitful twist on our experiences and causing us to suspect God instead of trust Him.
Consider Job and his wife. Both had plenty of reasons to be mad at God. Their children were dead, their fortune lost, and Job’s health destroyed. His wife told him, “Curse God and die!” But Job replied, “Shall we indeed accept good from God, and . . . not accept adversity?” (Job 2:9-10).
There are many attitudes that can set us adrift: believing that we need more than God to be happy; placing meaningful relationships above loyalty to God; thinking God should live up to our expectations; resisting His reproofs; turning a deaf ear when His Word is uncomfortable.
If you’re beginning to drift, remember to stay close to the One who is the sole source of satisfaction. — Joe Stowell
Lord, help me to stay close to YouAnd trust You more each day,So when the storms of life appearI will not drift away. —Sper
To avoid drifting away from God, stay anchored to the Rock.
God In Us
Hebrews 8:7-13
We are under a different covenant; one that was instituted through Jesus Christ. The most obvious facet of this new covenant is that we don’t have to kill animals to cover our sins because Jesus did it all. But there is another important aspect. We have another advantage that the people in the Old Testament did not have. God promised to put His laws directly in our hearts. We have the ability to know God through His Spirit that dwells inside us. We can walk according to His plan for our lives everyday. We don’t need prophets to tell us “thus says the Lord” anymore. There will be times when we get prophesied over, but now we have God Himself in us. Let us take advantage of that.
We are under a different covenant; one that was instituted through Jesus Christ. The most obvious facet of this new covenant is that we don’t have to kill animals to cover our sins because Jesus did it all. But there is another important aspect. We have another advantage that the people in the Old Testament did not have. God promised to put His laws directly in our hearts. We have the ability to know God through His Spirit that dwells inside us. We can walk according to His plan for our lives everyday. We don’t need prophets to tell us “thus says the Lord” anymore. There will be times when we get prophesied over, but now we have God Himself in us. Let us take advantage of that.
After Our Last Breath
2 Corinthians 5:1-11
Every religion deals with the afterlife in some way and there are so many theories as to what goes on beyond the grave. There is so much uncertainty in the world as to what happens when we die because there are not many cases of people who came back to talk about it. This uncertainty makes people afraid to die. But we know where we are going after this earthly phase. Paul said, “We are confident, well pleased rather to be absent from the body and to be present with the Lord.” Some people believe they must live life to the max because there’s nothing afterwards, but we know that all will be accountable for their actions on earth when we die. What kind of an account do you want to give?
Every religion deals with the afterlife in some way and there are so many theories as to what goes on beyond the grave. There is so much uncertainty in the world as to what happens when we die because there are not many cases of people who came back to talk about it. This uncertainty makes people afraid to die. But we know where we are going after this earthly phase. Paul said, “We are confident, well pleased rather to be absent from the body and to be present with the Lord.” Some people believe they must live life to the max because there’s nothing afterwards, but we know that all will be accountable for their actions on earth when we die. What kind of an account do you want to give?
Motive For Christianity
Acts 20:17-24,32
Why are you a Christian? Ever stopped to question your motives behind serving God? Some people, they want the blessings, other are just doing it as a family thing, other are just scared of death. Now I don’t know if Jesus judges us based on our motive for serving Him, but I know that our motives are important here on earth. If you serve God because you love God and want to be a tool in His kingdom, then when trials come, like they did for Paul, you will still have the confidence to go on and to recommend the faith to others. If we just want the blessings, then we leave when the blessings look like they’ve disappeared. The only way we can serve God for better and for worse is if we serve Him out of love. Fear, greed or convenience will not keep us in Him through the storms.
Why are you a Christian? Ever stopped to question your motives behind serving God? Some people, they want the blessings, other are just doing it as a family thing, other are just scared of death. Now I don’t know if Jesus judges us based on our motive for serving Him, but I know that our motives are important here on earth. If you serve God because you love God and want to be a tool in His kingdom, then when trials come, like they did for Paul, you will still have the confidence to go on and to recommend the faith to others. If we just want the blessings, then we leave when the blessings look like they’ve disappeared. The only way we can serve God for better and for worse is if we serve Him out of love. Fear, greed or convenience will not keep us in Him through the storms.
Jesus Cares
John 17:6-26
Jesus was about to be arrested and enter into the worst experience in His life. He knew that. The Old Testament prophesied that He would be beaten till He was not recognizable and He would run out of blood so He would bleed water. But before He went through all that He prayed… for us. He prayed for our salvation and protection and eternal life. He took the time for pray for us before He went through a lot of pain. That’s love. Does Jesus care about us? Yes He does. So it doesn’t matter what you’re going through, you can pray because Jesus cares
Jesus was about to be arrested and enter into the worst experience in His life. He knew that. The Old Testament prophesied that He would be beaten till He was not recognizable and He would run out of blood so He would bleed water. But before He went through all that He prayed… for us. He prayed for our salvation and protection and eternal life. He took the time for pray for us before He went through a lot of pain. That’s love. Does Jesus care about us? Yes He does. So it doesn’t matter what you’re going through, you can pray because Jesus cares
Getting Saved
Romans 10:8-15
It’s not hard to get saved. All a person has to do is to believe in Jesus and confess it. But how can people believe in what they don’t know? And how will they learn unless someone shows them? Anyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved and there will be great rejoicing in heaven. But for that to happen, we have to do our part. We don’t have to go into all the world, we can spread the Good News within OUR world. Jesus needs us. Some people do get saved by divine intervention but for most people, we are going to have to go out and preach to people and pray for people. And when they are ready to accept, we can show them this passage.
It’s not hard to get saved. All a person has to do is to believe in Jesus and confess it. But how can people believe in what they don’t know? And how will they learn unless someone shows them? Anyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved and there will be great rejoicing in heaven. But for that to happen, we have to do our part. We don’t have to go into all the world, we can spread the Good News within OUR world. Jesus needs us. Some people do get saved by divine intervention but for most people, we are going to have to go out and preach to people and pray for people. And when they are ready to accept, we can show them this passage.
What Are You Saying?
Proverbs 10:18-21
What are your lips producing? The bible says that death and life are in the power of the tongue. Our tongues have the ability to set our destiny on fire. As believers we are righteous and it should be shown in our words as well as our actions. “The lips of the righteous feed many.” We should always bless people with what we say. Sometimes, though, we say the wrong thing without meaning to: it just comes out sometimes. Here’s a tip to help. Ever notice how people who talk a lot say the wrong thing more often than quiet people? King Solomon noticed that and he said, “In the multitude of words sin is not lacking, but he who restrains his lips is wise.” We don’t always have to speak. Sometimes it’s better to hold our lips.
What are your lips producing? The bible says that death and life are in the power of the tongue. Our tongues have the ability to set our destiny on fire. As believers we are righteous and it should be shown in our words as well as our actions. “The lips of the righteous feed many.” We should always bless people with what we say. Sometimes, though, we say the wrong thing without meaning to: it just comes out sometimes. Here’s a tip to help. Ever notice how people who talk a lot say the wrong thing more often than quiet people? King Solomon noticed that and he said, “In the multitude of words sin is not lacking, but he who restrains his lips is wise.” We don’t always have to speak. Sometimes it’s better to hold our lips.
The Just Shall Live By Faith
Habakkuk 2:2-4
Here we have a vision. This vision is important enough to be written down, and promised to be fulfilled at an appointed time. This vision will surely come to pass at the right time. So what is this vision? “But the just shall live by his faith.” There will come a time where everyone will have to make a decision on who to trust. Will we trust God or ourselves? Joshua had to make that decision at Jericho. Saul made his choice in 1 Samuel 13. We learn about God in church and we are beginning to build a relationship with God but are we willing to leave our lives in God’s hand? My prayer for everyone and for myself is that when the time comes to decide, we will put our trust in God. We will live by faith.
Here we have a vision. This vision is important enough to be written down, and promised to be fulfilled at an appointed time. This vision will surely come to pass at the right time. So what is this vision? “But the just shall live by his faith.” There will come a time where everyone will have to make a decision on who to trust. Will we trust God or ourselves? Joshua had to make that decision at Jericho. Saul made his choice in 1 Samuel 13. We learn about God in church and we are beginning to build a relationship with God but are we willing to leave our lives in God’s hand? My prayer for everyone and for myself is that when the time comes to decide, we will put our trust in God. We will live by faith.
Through His Works...
Matthew 11:1-6
John sent disciples to ask Jesus if He truly was the messiah. How did Jesus respond? He didn’t give a deep preaching about Himself and the prophesies; He didn’t tell the story of His mama and the angel. He presented His works. The bible says, “By their fruits, you will know them.” How does anyone know we are Christian? Do we just talk a good game or do we live out our faith? A wise man once said, “A Christian is like a sponge: you see what’s inside them when they get squeezed.” We can talk all we want- Ananias and Saphira tried- but a true believer is seen through his/her works and fruit
John sent disciples to ask Jesus if He truly was the messiah. How did Jesus respond? He didn’t give a deep preaching about Himself and the prophesies; He didn’t tell the story of His mama and the angel. He presented His works. The bible says, “By their fruits, you will know them.” How does anyone know we are Christian? Do we just talk a good game or do we live out our faith? A wise man once said, “A Christian is like a sponge: you see what’s inside them when they get squeezed.” We can talk all we want- Ananias and Saphira tried- but a true believer is seen through his/her works and fruit
Contract Terms
Hebrews 10:19-25
This passage reads like a contract. Since Jesus Christ gave us the authority to enter the Holiest through His blood, then we…. Jesus fulfilled His terms of the contract before we even signed it. And now that we have claimed Him as our lord and saviour we have terms to fulfill as well: draw near to God, have faith in God, and encourage one another. The third is very important because the Christian walk is not something that can be done alone. We need to encourage each other to righteousness because there is a devil on the other shoulder urging every believer to sin. Man wasn’t created to be an island; we were meant to help each other. If you don’t have godly friends, look for some. If you do, get closer to them. United we stand, divided we fall.
This passage reads like a contract. Since Jesus Christ gave us the authority to enter the Holiest through His blood, then we…. Jesus fulfilled His terms of the contract before we even signed it. And now that we have claimed Him as our lord and saviour we have terms to fulfill as well: draw near to God, have faith in God, and encourage one another. The third is very important because the Christian walk is not something that can be done alone. We need to encourage each other to righteousness because there is a devil on the other shoulder urging every believer to sin. Man wasn’t created to be an island; we were meant to help each other. If you don’t have godly friends, look for some. If you do, get closer to them. United we stand, divided we fall.
Witnessing The Good News
2 Corinthians 4:1-7
“For we do not preach ourselves, but Christ Jesus the Lord, and ourselves bondservants for Jesus’ sake.” Evangelism is not a difficult concept to grasp. We go out and share the good news to people who don’t understand. Evangelism is not about giving a thorough doctrine of Christian beliefs but simply this: Jesus Christ. We can debate with unbelievers all we want but the truth of the Word is hidden from those who don’t believe by the devil; they have been blinded to it. So no matter how smart we think we are, we can never convert anyone. But God can. We go out to share the good news which is simply this: Jesus is God, He came as a man to die for our sins and by accepting Him we can experience God’s love and mercy in this life and in the next. It is God who commanded the light to shine and it shines “in the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.”
“For we do not preach ourselves, but Christ Jesus the Lord, and ourselves bondservants for Jesus’ sake.” Evangelism is not a difficult concept to grasp. We go out and share the good news to people who don’t understand. Evangelism is not about giving a thorough doctrine of Christian beliefs but simply this: Jesus Christ. We can debate with unbelievers all we want but the truth of the Word is hidden from those who don’t believe by the devil; they have been blinded to it. So no matter how smart we think we are, we can never convert anyone. But God can. We go out to share the good news which is simply this: Jesus is God, He came as a man to die for our sins and by accepting Him we can experience God’s love and mercy in this life and in the next. It is God who commanded the light to shine and it shines “in the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.”
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In Prayer
Psalm 119:121-128
1 John 3:22 says, “And whatsoever we ask we receive from Him because we keep His commandments and do those things that are pleasing in His sight.” David prayed and he reminded God of his righteousness and justice before making requests. He says, “I have done justice and righteousness; do not leave me to my oppressors.” It’s not so much to change God’s mind but to arm us against doubts the devil tries to bring. When we know we have been righteous, we are confident we remain saved and every thing that is promised to children of God belongs to us. Bringing your lifestyle before God in prayer is not about bragging, but about helping you stand in faith. And as we stand in faith, we wil receive from God. Amen
1 John 3:22 says, “And whatsoever we ask we receive from Him because we keep His commandments and do those things that are pleasing in His sight.” David prayed and he reminded God of his righteousness and justice before making requests. He says, “I have done justice and righteousness; do not leave me to my oppressors.” It’s not so much to change God’s mind but to arm us against doubts the devil tries to bring. When we know we have been righteous, we are confident we remain saved and every thing that is promised to children of God belongs to us. Bringing your lifestyle before God in prayer is not about bragging, but about helping you stand in faith. And as we stand in faith, we wil receive from God. Amen
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Rocks For His Kingdom
Matthew 21:1-11
Multitudes cheered Jesus entering Jerusalem, hailing Him as the Son of David and honouring Him by laying their clothes on the road. This was a crowd that adored Jesus and probably accepted Him as messiah judging by how they chose to honour Him. Yet a few days later He got crucified at the request of this large crowd. Jesus didn’t change in that time period so the people did. How quickly opinions change. As believers we should be like the disciples and stick to Jesus. We are the rock that His kingdom is built on. Some catalysts will try to sway our beliefs but we know the truth and it has set us free.
Multitudes cheered Jesus entering Jerusalem, hailing Him as the Son of David and honouring Him by laying their clothes on the road. This was a crowd that adored Jesus and probably accepted Him as messiah judging by how they chose to honour Him. Yet a few days later He got crucified at the request of this large crowd. Jesus didn’t change in that time period so the people did. How quickly opinions change. As believers we should be like the disciples and stick to Jesus. We are the rock that His kingdom is built on. Some catalysts will try to sway our beliefs but we know the truth and it has set us free.
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The Earth
Genesis 2:1-15
As Christians, are we expected to care for the earth? Many people say the earth is folding up like a filthy rag and when Jesus comes back we will have a new heaven and a new earth. So we should let this one die. It’s true that this earth is decaying but here in Genesis we see something cool. Even before we were saved and were commanded to fulfill the Great Commission, man was commanded to care for the earth. We were originally put on earth as creatures made in God’s image to care for His earth. So yes... it’s perishing and we know it will die but that doesn’t change this command.
As Christians, are we expected to care for the earth? Many people say the earth is folding up like a filthy rag and when Jesus comes back we will have a new heaven and a new earth. So we should let this one die. It’s true that this earth is decaying but here in Genesis we see something cool. Even before we were saved and were commanded to fulfill the Great Commission, man was commanded to care for the earth. We were originally put on earth as creatures made in God’s image to care for His earth. So yes... it’s perishing and we know it will die but that doesn’t change this command.
Committing Our Plans
Proverbs 16:1-9
What do you want to be when you grow up? What do you want to do after high school? What are your plans for this weekend? We all have plans and that’s good, but have we committed them to God? “The preparations of the heart belong to man, but the answer of the tongue is from the Lord.” Before we decide where we want to live in the future or when we want to start having kids, we pray. We submit our plans to God so that He can edit them for our good. After all, who knows the future like God does. And He knows the plans He has for us, plans to prosper us and not to harm us. Commit your works to the Lord, and your thoughts will be established.
What do you want to be when you grow up? What do you want to do after high school? What are your plans for this weekend? We all have plans and that’s good, but have we committed them to God? “The preparations of the heart belong to man, but the answer of the tongue is from the Lord.” Before we decide where we want to live in the future or when we want to start having kids, we pray. We submit our plans to God so that He can edit them for our good. After all, who knows the future like God does. And He knows the plans He has for us, plans to prosper us and not to harm us. Commit your works to the Lord, and your thoughts will be established.
First Priority
Matthew 6:25-34
What is it we teenagers worry about? For most of us, I’m guessing it’s not jobs, the economy or bills. I highly doubt that many of us worry about where food will come from or how we will get new clothes. So what do we worry about? Personally, I worry about my grades, making athletic teams and being ready for university. Others worry about dating, sports injuries, having classes with the hard teachers, and many other issues we face everyday. God’s Word says, “Seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.” When we make God our first priority, everything else will fall into place. God works out everything for the good of those who love Him.
What is it we teenagers worry about? For most of us, I’m guessing it’s not jobs, the economy or bills. I highly doubt that many of us worry about where food will come from or how we will get new clothes. So what do we worry about? Personally, I worry about my grades, making athletic teams and being ready for university. Others worry about dating, sports injuries, having classes with the hard teachers, and many other issues we face everyday. God’s Word says, “Seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.” When we make God our first priority, everything else will fall into place. God works out everything for the good of those who love Him.
From The Inside Out
Matthew 5:21-26
It’s all about the heart. Man sees the outward, but Christ sees the heart. So as such, we are to maintain our purity from the heart outwards. It’s not only when we physically hurt someone that we sin, but also when we think about it. And as humans, it is impossible for us to keep our thoughts pure. Jesus knew that when he taught this. He also knew that He would send to us a helper who could help us to remain pure from the inside out
It’s all about the heart. Man sees the outward, but Christ sees the heart. So as such, we are to maintain our purity from the heart outwards. It’s not only when we physically hurt someone that we sin, but also when we think about it. And as humans, it is impossible for us to keep our thoughts pure. Jesus knew that when he taught this. He also knew that He would send to us a helper who could help us to remain pure from the inside out
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