Do you play golf? If you answered yes, Do you keep your head down every time you swing? Do you keep your arms straight every swing? Do you keep your elbow in every swing? Do you follow through every swing? If you are like me, you probably don’t swing perfectly every time, but you still can say you are a golfer. What makes you a golfer is that you play golf, and the more effort you spend to get better, the better you will play.

In a similar way, what makes us a Christian is our faith in Jesus Christ who saved us. We don’t have to do everything perfectly to be a Christian. If we have faith in Jesus, we will want to learn and do what he teaches, learn scripture, praise, pray, and act out of love for others.

Ephesians 2:8, says, “For it is by grace you have been saved , through faith.” and Hebrews 11:6 says, “without faith it is impossible to please God.”

But James 2:26 says, “Faith is dead without good works.”

It’s difficult to say you are a golfer if you don’t play golf, and it is difficult to be a Christian if you don’t do anything about it.

Dear Lord, Thank you for the undeserved gift of eternal life you have given us. Help us accept that gift and then follow through and live lives that do your will. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.

There is an interesting cycle of events that is described in the Old Testament after the tribes of Israel establish themselves in the “Promised Land.” The people follow God and his direction and the kingdom prospers, then they fall away into worshiping idols and they are destroyed by foreign kingdoms. Somewhere along the way they rediscover God’s direction and they return to prosperity. The cycle repeats several times.

Even subsequent to Bible times we see the Roman Empire accept Christianity, then fall away into idol worshiping and the Empire falls.

Psalm 2:1-5 describes the process. The Living Bible translates it like this, “What fools the nations are to rage against the Lord! How strange that men should try to outwit God! For a summit conference of the nations has been called to plot against the Lord and his Messiah, Christ the King. “Come, let us break his chains,” they say, “and free ourselves from all this slavery to God.” But God in heaven merely laughs! He is amused by all their puny plans. And then in fierce fury he rebukes them and fills them with fear.”

After hundreds of years of belief and reverence for Biblical faith and morals in Europe and the United States, the Psalms’ words about nations wanting to “free themselves from all this slavery to God” sounds like a comment we might hear someone say today. Let us pray that we can turn the direction back before we see the “fierce fury” of God.

Dear Lord, You gave us free will and unfortunately many people give into temptation and turn away from you. Help us have courage to influence the people around us to return to your direction, for our own good and your glory. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.

In 2 Corinthians 3:2 Paul describes the people of the church as “living letters”. He says to them “you yourselves are our letters, written on our hearts’ known and read by everyone.” He goes on to say “you are a letter from Christ”

We need to think about that in our daily activities. We are Christ’s letter to people we encounter. Are we sending the right message?

Dear Lord, help us remember that we are your letter to the world, known and read by everyone. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.

If you are like me, occasionally you get a song tune stuck in your head, and for hours it keeps coming back. Usually it is some theme song from a cartoon, or TV commercial. Wouldn’t it be great to get a song stuck in your mind, that gives you encouragement and confidence every time it comes back?

I think this is what David means in Psalm 59:16, “But as for me, I will sing about your power. Each morning I will sing with joy about your unfailing love. For you have been my refuge, a place of safety when I am in distress.”

Paul Baloche, a Christian song writer, writes in his song “Your Name,” “Your name is a strong and mighty tower. Your name is a shelter like no other. Your name, let the nations sing it louder ’cause nothing has the power to save. But your name.” Click on the lyrics, and if my technology works, you should be able to hear the song, (unfortunately an advertisement may run first.)

Hopefully we can get this message stuck in our minds that reminds us of God’s love throughout our day.

Dear Lord, You are our refuge and security. Help us begin our day thinking of you and the joy that your love provides. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.