GOSPEL :: FAMILY :: MISSION
Do you feel worthless, or alone, or insecure, or uncertain, or useless or insignificant today? Let me encourage you. You are not worthless. You are not alone. You are not useless. You are not insignificant. Christ is your security. Christ is your certainty. And Christ gives you all the significance you could ever need. God says that in Christ you are treasured, secure and useful. God’s love, written in Christ’s blood, serves as the eviction notice to your anxiety.
Treasuring earthly things will make you sick because earthly belongings and earthly wealth are rotten things.
Whenever we hear that another shooter has killed people or another driver has driven his car into a crowd or another group of people has attacked another group of people or another marriage is falling apart or another friendship is on the rocks, we can begin to feel anxious. Anxiety is a lack of peace.
It can be disturbing to hear Peter say that the end of all things is near. It causes us to think of all the terrible things we see throughout the world like, war, unspeakable evil, poverty, death, mass genocide, natural disaster, political upheaval, racial conflict, crippling addictions… the list could go on and on. Continue reading
I want you to look around the room of your relational community for a minute. This might be your friends and family. This might be your gospel community. This might be your church family. This might be the leadership team you serve on. And as you picture this room I want you to envision who’s in the room.
Your treasure is what you fix your eye upon and what your eye is fixed upon becomes your master. It’s been said that our bank statements say a lot about what we actually treasure. If our pursuit of earthly belongings and wealth is just a means to gaining more earthly belongings then we treasure earthly things.
What are you willing to go through personally, professionally, recreationally, financially, emotionally and relationally to be a member, leader or shepherd for the bride of Christ? Are you ready to die? Are you ready to pray and fast? Are you ready to trust Jesus?
Our Heavenly Father sees everything. He sees every thought, desire and action. He loves to answer the prayers of his children and he opposes his enemies. He is both loving and just. He blesses his children and he executes justice upon his enemies.
What are you willing to go through personally, professionally, recreationally, financially, emotionally and relationally to be a member, leader or shepherd for the bride of Christ? Are you ready to die? Are you ready to pray and fast? Are you ready to trust Jesus?
If you love money then your life will be characterized by teachings and beliefs that are heretical, untrue, unstable, contrary and in opposition to the teachings of Jesus, which produce godliness. Have you ever thought about how your thoughts, desires and behavior with money can teach things that are in opposition to the gospel?
© 2026 joemarino.org
Theme by Anders Noren — Up ↑