“But solid food is for the mature, for those who have their powers of discernment trained by constant practice to distinguish good from evil.” Heb 5:14 ESV If we want to grow in spiritual maturity, we are supposed to constantly practice discerning good from evil. Wouldn’t that require us to call some things “good” andContinue reading “On JUDGING”
Author Archives: Kim Jaggers
You don’t have to worry…
It’s one of the most beautiful, comforting, quoted parts of the Bible —“ Therefore I say to you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink; nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food and the body more than clothing?”(Matt 6:23-25)Continue reading “You don’t have to worry…”
How come just a little bit more is never enough?
Eternal or temporary? Am I storing up treasure in heaven or spinning my wheels collecting what will never last? What’s on your agenda for this new week? In talking about this, in Matthew 6:19-24, Jesus is asking us to examine our hearts. The One who knows us better than we know ourselves tells us weContinue reading “How come just a little bit more is never enough?”
In our haste to love others, we can’t encourage sin in their lives.
As we come to what some individuals and corporations are celebrating as “Pride Month”, let’s be careful. Let’s be careful to walk in truth, as defined by the Bible. Let’s understand there is no “my truth” and “your truth.” Let’s understand the danger of the popular phrase -“I’m so happy you found your truth”. TheseContinue reading “In our haste to love others, we can’t encourage sin in their lives.”
Does God REALLY answer when you pray?
Jesus talks about how to fast and pray and emphasizes to do so in a way where it’s not obvious to others -just to God. (Matt 6:6-18) Jesus is pointing to a real, intimate relationship that He made possible between people and God. This was radical to the Jews of the day to think theyContinue reading “Does God REALLY answer when you pray?”
When God repeats Himself
Jesus finished His famous instruction on prayer with “Amen” but then emphasizes, again, the importance of forgiveness. (Matt 6:14-15) Friends, when the God of the universe repeats Himself we need to pay attention! If we want to pray effectively and walk in freedom, if we want our Father to forgive us, we absolutely must forgiveContinue reading “When God repeats Himself”
This verse can be confusing…
This particular verse can be confusing- “And do not lead us into temptation but deliver us from the evil one.” (Matt 6:13) We know God would not tempt us to sin or lead us into temptation as we think of temptation (James 1:13) Remember, we read the Word with the Word and James 1:13 says,Continue reading “This verse can be confusing…”
Moving past what you may think you can’t …
“And forgive us our debts as we also have forgiven our debtors”. (Matt 6:12, CSB) As we pray for the Lord to forgive our sins, we have to forgive those who have sinned against us. These things go hand in hand. And if we want to experience peace and freedom, if we want to prayContinue reading “Moving past what you may think you can’t …”
We got in a fight right after I snapped this snugly pic…
About five minutes after I snapped this snuggly pic , we got into a fight. A fight. Yep. Us. And, this fight will likely not be the last. Oh, our disagreements come less often, but even after all these years together, we still have them. I expect, being the two flesh-filled sinners that we are,Continue reading “We got in a fight right after I snapped this snugly pic…”
When you love a lost sheep…
It’s easy to feel forgotten. It’s easy to think God does not care about what our weary worn hearts care about. But He does. He cares about the one.The each one.The lost onesand the messed-up ones. In Luke 15, Jesus was eating with sinners and the religious leaders are shocked. Jesus then tells the famousContinue reading “When you love a lost sheep…”
The small church in America
I’ve learned to keep my eye out for a steeple. It often peeks above a hill as I turn the corner and finally see the small church. Oh, the Lord has had me share in some big churches with parking lots like theme parks, but mostly it’s been the small churches where I’ve found myselfContinue reading “The small church in America”
Peanut butter & jelly and a pink jacket.
“Give us today our daily bread.” (Matt 6:11) Just this one day, give me what I need for this one day. It’s a simple prayer about the daily things we need. Early theologians thought Christ surely meant this in the allegorical sense -as in “give us communion with You” and while we certainly need this,Continue reading “Peanut butter & jelly and a pink jacket.”
God can bring good in ways you’ve never even considered.
“Your kingdom come. Your will be done on Earth as it is in Heaven”. (Matt 6:10) And with those words, my prayers seem quite lacking. For so often, I’ve prayed for my will to be done without giving enough thought to if what I’m asking for is His will. Honestly, I’ve spent way too muchContinue reading “God can bring good in ways you’ve never even considered.”
Need peace and wisdom? Pray.
If you are a child of God, the sovereign God of the Universe, the Creator of Heaven and earth, the God who commands angels armies, and owns the cattle on a thousand hills, is your Father and most certainly hears your prayers. When Jesus taught His disciples how to pray, he began by using theContinue reading “Need peace and wisdom? Pray.”
When you pray…wow!
One of my sons met his girlfriend’s parents for the first time last week. I was joking with him, and said if the dad asks you your intentions for his daughter, you should say, “I plan to kiss her well and often!” 🤣 I was joking! But as I read about prayer…we really should endeavorContinue reading “When you pray…wow!”
This may get harder…but it’s worth it!
“Take heed that you do not do your charitable deeds before men, to be seen by them. Otherwise you have no reward from your Father in heaven.” (Matt 6:1) The word for charitable deeds here is actually “righteousness”. Jesus will go on to give examples of righteous living including-prayer, fasting, and giving. His point isContinue reading “This may get harder…but it’s worth it!”
Fearful? Not fearful? What’s the difference?
It has to be strange, curious, and honestly, a little absurd, for those who do not fear the Lord, to watch those who do, deal with hard things. What those, who do not fear the Lord, or perhaps have only dabbled in a secular religion, do not understand, is that to fear God, more thanContinue reading “Fearful? Not fearful? What’s the difference?”
I need it just as much today as I did then…
In the years after my first husband took his life, I began to heal. Good days were still coupled with days when I just wanted to cry. And sometimes a good, snot-making cry seemed to help. I tried to hide my tears from my boys, but sometimes their sweet little hugs would bring on moreContinue reading “I need it just as much today as I did then…”
The “be perfect verse” and the freedom it actually gives!!
Matthew 5 ends with Jesus saying, “Therefore you shall be perfect just as your Father in heaven is perfect.” (v 48) He completely knocks the wind out of us who compare ourselves to others and feel like we’ve obtained some sort of religious superiority. For anytime my eyes turn to the Lord, as my standard,Continue reading “The “be perfect verse” and the freedom it actually gives!!”
Christians should be the kindest people unbelievers know.
Jesus continues in his famous Sermon on the Mount to push us to a faith that is heart-deep and true and consistently lived out in our lives. Christians are not to look like this world. We are to live in a way that is eternally focused and notably different from the lost among us. InContinue reading “Christians should be the kindest people unbelievers know.”
Kim Jaggers Ministry 