The Essential 100, Day 55 Temptation. Jesus faced temptation just like we do. Read Matthew 3:13-4:17. How do we respond when we are tempted? We know it’s going to happen, so we might as well be prepared. We can think through and plan our responses now so that we are prepared. Jesus was prepared. He knew scripture and he was ready to quote it as needed to fend off the devil. How prepared are we to face the temptations we will face? They will come, and like Jesus, we can overcome through the power of God’s Word.

The Essential 100, Day 54 Are we prepared? Read Luke 3:1-20. Reading through the story of John the Baptist, we see how he sought to prepare the way for Jesus and through his message of repentance. Part of John’s message was helping the people to understand that they needed repentance. As we look at our lives, where do we need to review ourselves? Where in our life needs to be reviewed in terms of whether or not we need to repent? None of us are perfect. All of us need to be constantly evaluating and bringing our lives before the throne of God to allow him the opportunity to review…

The Essential 100, Day 53 Share the message. Jesus was born and those who knew were given one simple direction. Share the message. Read Luke 2:1-40. The shepherds were told about the birth. They went and saw and then went to share. Simeon and Anna shared. Do we? As we look at our lives and what we know about God, do we share? Are we focused on the importance of spreading the message to everyone? Who do we need to share the message with today?

The Essential 100, Day 52 God does the unexpected. Just when people were comfortable with their daily routine, God stepped in and did something amazing. Read Luke chapter 1. Do we look for God to do the amazing in our lives? In this chapter comment we see an angel appear to two different women and completely alter their lives. Do we pray and ask God to do amazing things in our life? God wants to move and work in such a way as to bring himself glory. If we will focus on him and be watching for him, we will see God do amazing things each and every day. We…

The Essential 100, Day 51 God became flesh. It’s one of the great mysteries of the gospel message. God himself, chose to come in the form of a man so that we might have a relationship with God. Read John 1:1-18. God is relational. He wants to build a relationship with us, which is amazing when you consider the he is God and we are sinful. He is holy and had to make a way to bridge that gap. Jesus is that bridge. Do we understand Jesus as the bridge? Only by having a relationship with Jesus will we be able to have a relationship with God.

The Essential 100, Day 50 Judgment. We will all experience judgment for the choices we have made. What will that look like? Read Malachi 1-4. The people are facing God’s judgment. They had been focusing on all the wrong things and following God out of a sense of obligation. Why do we follow God? Are we prepared for the accountability of our actions and choices? Thankfully, Jesus died and rose again to provide a way that we can make it through judgment. Are we trusting in him?

The Essential 100, Day 49 A mission. God gave Jonah a mission. Read Jonah 1-4. God knew the people of Nineveh were sinful. God had provided a way for them to hear the good news and have the opportunity to repent. That way was Jonah. However, Jonah didn’t want to be used in that way. Jonah didn’t want the people to repent, he wanted them to be destroyed and judged. The biggest obstacle standing in the way of the repentance of the Ninevite people was Jonah. God has plans and missions for us. God knows that we are to be doing the things that he has for us. However, we…

The Essential 100, Day 48 Evidence. If others were trying to find a skeleton in your closet, would they only be able to find Christ? Read Daniel 6. They were trying to find something evil to pin on Daniel because they didn’t like him. But, the only thing they could come up with was his relationship with God. What would people find on you? What would they find on me? Is our relationship with God so prominent that we would be convicted of it if we were charged?

The Essential 100, Day 47 Obedience is key. God doesn’t always give us easy, sinple tasks. Sometimes they are very difficult. Jeremiah had difficult tasks set before him. Read Jeremiah 1:1 – 3:5. It never matters the difficulty of the task that God has for us. All that matters is our willingness to obey. God explained to Jeremiah that he was to stand and to share the message with boldness. God wanted the message shared and that was the most important thing. If he seemed terrified, then his audience would terrify him. God gives each of us purpose and messages, and not all of them are easy and fun. Some…

The Essential 100, Day 46 Suffering. None of us like it or look forward to it. Often we are actively trying to avoid it. Yet Jesus Christ sought it out as the way to serve and to bring salvation. Read Isaiah 51-53. Jesus was known as the suffering servant. He came to bring us light, hope, and salvation. The way he did that was through his own sacrifice. We will be called to suffer. If Jesus had to learn and share through suffering, we are no different. As we go through struggles and trials, we know that God demonstrates his power and glory. That is what others need to see.…