Daily Word Capsule

Date - December 31st, 2021 Topic - WALK INTO GREATNESS! Bible Text - I desire to do your will, my God; your law is within my heart. - Psalm 40:8 Devotions are a great way to study God’s Word and get to know God’s will. In Psalm 40, King David the Psalmist wrote that he kept God’s law within his heart. God's word became his drive and push into greatness. That’s something we can do too, to keep God’s truth in the innermost part of ourselves where no one can ever take it away. When we carry the Word of God in our hearts, we are closer to God. And only His words can bring about our desired greatness in the coming year. As we soar into the New Year let us get closer to God and not relent in our fellowship with Christ and with our brethren in the church.  An awesome way to keep God’s Word close is through study & meditation. We may have been encouraged to meditate and memorize verses in Sunday school. Or we may have memorized poems in school. Meditating and Memorizing G

Date - December 30th, 2021 Topic - NEW YEAR’S RESOLUTIONS Bible Text - My soul is consumed with longing for your laws at all times. - Psalm 119:20 If you choose to make some New Year’s resolutions, you have countless options. You could resolve to study more. You could resolve to eat healthier or exercise more. You could decide to practice your musical instrument every day or shoot 100 free throws a day. Or you could resolve to read your Bible every day. If you’re going to make a New Year’s resolution, why not make one that will change every aspect of your life? Why not make a resolution that will have eternal significance for you and for others? Don’t make this resolution just to make one. Make it prayerfully. Ask God what he thinks about the idea. But do consider it. If you are not already in the Word every day, you will not believe what it will do for you. If you are already in the Word every day, good for you. Resolve to step it up a notch. There are many programs out

Date - December 29th, 2021 Topic - WE ARE THE CHILDREN OF GOD Bible Text - “My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me.” - John 10:27 If you love and believe in Jesus, that is because he called to you. That is because God chose you. You are God’s child. He picked you to be in his family. None of this is an accident. Your faith is not something that just happened. It was predestined. You were chosen before you were even conceived. Your spot in God’s family is secure. Jesus knows you. He knows everything there is to know about you. You may not necessarily hear him calling to you with your ears, but you can hear him calling to you in your heart. You can hear him in your soul. You know and recognize his voice. If you were not one of his “sheep,” if you were not a child of God, you would not know his voice. We spend a lot of time serving and working. We spend a lot of time learning about God and avoiding sin. We need to also spend some time just listening to

Date - December 28th, 2021 Topic - NEITHER HEIGHT NOR DEPTH Bible Text - For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord. - Romans 8:38-39 Your parents love you. You may be able to do something that makes them angry, but you will never be able to do anything that makes them stop loving you. Try to imagine this kind of love and then multiply it by infinity. That’s the love that Jesus has for you. That’s the love that God has for you. God made you. He loved you enough to create you. He loved you enough to give you free will. Then he loved you enough to give you his Son. He loved you enough to forgive you for turning away from him. This is an impossible love! This is a love that we may never understand. But we don’t have to understand it. We just have to a

Date - December 27th, 2021 Topic - HIS PROMISES FAILETH NOT!   Bible Text - “I will make an everlasting covenant with them: I will never stop doing good to them, and I will inspire them to fear me, so that they will never turn away from me.” - Jeremiah 32:40 We might imagine that God got pretty frustrated with the Israelites. Over the years, they repeatedly turned away from him. And yet, God never gave up on them. He never broke his promise to them. He told them that they were his people, and he remained true to his word. He told them that he would send them a Messiah to redeem them, and he did. God doesn’t break promises. He didn’t break his promises to the Israelites, and he won’t break the ones he’s made to us either. And he’s made many. He’s promised to care for us. He’s promised to exalt us. He’s promised to love us. And he’s promised us salvation through the blood of Jesus. If you ever have any doubt about your salvation, talk to God about it. Take your doubt to the

Date - December 26th, 2021 Topic - HIS FATHER’S HOUSE Bible Text - “Why were you searching for me?” he asked. “Didn’t you know I had tobe in my Father’s house?” - Luke 2:49 The Festival of Passover is one of the most important dates on the Jewish calendar. In Jesus’ day, the festival took place in Jerusalem, where thousands and thousands of Jewish people gathered to commemorate the holiday together. When Jesus was 12 years old, his parents took him to Jerusalem for Passover. When his parents headed for home, they assumed Jesus was with someone else in their traveling party. He wasn’t. An entire day passed with no sign of Jesus. Joseph and Mary got worried and returned to Jerusalem. It took them three days, but they finally found Jesus sitting among the teachers in the temple, listening to them and asking questions. Even the most educated teachers were amazed at Jesus’ knowledge and wisdom. When Mary told Jesus that she and his stepfather had been searching for him, he as

Date - December 25th, 2021 Topic - THE WISE MEN ARRIVE (A KING IS BORN) Bible Text - On coming to the house, they saw the child with his mother Mary, and they bowed down and worshiped him. Then they opened their treasures and presented him with gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh. - Matthew 2:11 A King is born and the star shone brighter amongst all the stars in the Heavens. Which attracted men from the east. Wealthy men who anticipated the birth of a new King as perceived in their spirits. They journeyed down by simply following a bright star. Following Christ Jesus started at his birth, yes! It looks foolish to some but these wise men followed still. So is everyone that believes in Jesus Christ. They were called wise men because they knew how to walk with the LORD, and from signs and wonders shown to them. They didn't murmur or drag feets but mounted up and came looking for the wonderful wonder that brightens the world. All the way from the east CHRIST was seen a

Date - December 24th, 2021 Topic - A NEW HOPE Bible Text - For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Of the greatness of his government and peace there will be no end. He will reign on David’s throne and over his kingdom, establishing and upholding it with justice and righteousness from that time on and forever. The zeal of the LORD Almighty will accomplish this. - Isaiah 9:6-7 Seven hundred years before the birth of Christ, the prophet Isaiah predicted the coming of one who would shake the earth to its very foundations. He would arrive as a child—a Son, but not just any Son. He would be the Son of David, a descendant of Israel’s beloved king. He would be a Wonderful Counselor, a king capable of carrying out a royal plan that would change the world. And then Isaiah dropped the bombshell: This child would be Mighty God himself, a

Date - December 23rd, 2021 Topic - SIMEON  Bible Text - Now there was a man in Jerusalem called Simeon, who was righteous and devout. He was waiting for the consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit was on him. It had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not die before he had seen the Lord’s Messiah. - Luke 2:25-26 Simeon was an older man who loved God. Simeon believed the Scriptures and knew that the fate of the world rested in the coming Messiah. More than anything, he wanted to see the Messiah, and the Holy Spirit told him that he would—that he would not die until he had seen the Christ. The Holy Spirit led Simeon to the temple, where he saw Mary and Joseph with Jesus. They let him hold the baby, and Simeon was filled with joy. He said, “Sovereign Lord, as you have promised, you may now dismiss your servant in peace. For my eyes have seen your salvation, which you have prepared in the sight of all nations: a light for revelation to the Gentiles, and

Date - December 22nd, 2021 Topic - THE FIRST WITNESSES   Bible Text - When they had seen him, they spread the word concerning what had been told them about this child, and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said to them. - Luke 2:17-18 As anyone who has ever been part of a living nativity can tell you, the shepherds played an important role in the Christmas story. Angels announced Jesus’ birth to them. Since angels only do God’s bidding, it’s safe to say God wanted the shepherds involved. Naturally the shepherds were overwhelmed and frightened at first. But the angels calmed their fears. They headed off to Bethlehem, as the angels directed, unsure of exactly why they had been summoned by God. They had no gifts to give the baby or the young couple. They really had nothing to offer at all. Yet they went to see all that the angels had told them about. As a result, the shepherds were the only witnesses, besides Mary and Joseph, to Jesus’ first hours on earth.

Date - December 21st, 2021 Topic - The Cost of His Birth Bible Text - While they were there, the time came for the baby to be born, and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no guest room available for them. -  Luke 2:6-7 Christmas is a time for celebration. The weary world rejoices because a Savior is born. Heaven and nature sing because God’s plan to save the human race has been put into motion. Yet there’s another side to the Advent season that we should not forget. You see, everything that brings us joy about this season cost Jesus dearly. By being born as one of us, Jesus made himself vulnerable to pain, rejection and loneliness. He put aside his heavenly glory to live a painful 33 years on earth. He was mocked by people who should have been on their knees worshiping him. He was beaten by people who would have trembled in fear if they could have seen who he really is. He was crucified by peopl

Date - December 20th, 2021 Topic - A FRIEND WHO UNDERSTANDS Bible Text - “Blessed is she who has believed that the Lord would fulfill his promises to her!” - Luke 1:45 When the angel Gabriel appeared to Mary to tell her what God was going to do, he mentioned Elizabeth, Mary’s much older cousin. Elizabeth was well past her childbearing years. Yet she was pregnant—miraculously, as Mary was. Mary went straight to Elizabeth’s house to share her extraordinary news. She didn’t need to. As soon as she arrived, the baby inside Elizabeth, John the Baptist, leapt in her womb. In that instant, the Holy Spirit revealed everything to Elizabeth, and she celebrated joyfully with Mary. Mary stayed with Elizabeth for three months before returning home to prepare for the Savior’s birth. What an amazing gift God gave Mary—someone to empathize with her and share her struggles. Someone who knew a lot about what she was going through. Someone who would encourage her when she started to get an

Date - December 19th, 2021 Topic - MARY, DID YOU KNOW? Bible Text - But the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary; you have found favor with God. You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you are to call him Jesus.” - Luke 1:30-31 If God had asked the women of Israel who wanted to be the mother of the Messiah, every one of them would have raised her hand. If they had known what that privilege would actually involve—becoming pregnant before marriage, enduring terrible gossip, watching helplessly as their Son was mocked, ridiculed, tortured and crucified—those hands would have come down in a hurry. Mary certainly didn’t volunteer for the job. And she was stunned to discover she’d been selected for such an important role. She handled the extraordinary situation with grace and humility. She asked one question to help her understand God’s plan, then agreed to it immediately. God has a plan for each of us. Ours may not be as earth-shattering as Mary’s. Ou

Date - December 18th, 2021 Topic - THE WORD MADE FLESH   Bible Text - In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. - John 1:1 God’s written Word has been around since humans have been alive. When God spoke to his people, they wrote it down and passed it on to others. When God did something amazing, they wrote that down too. The written Word got bigger and bigger. People taught their children from its pages. They changed their lives based on what it said. They debated over which parts were most significant and put them together to form Scripture, God’s written Word. The Old Testament, God’s Word, served as mankind’s primary source for knowing God—until Jesus came and the Word became flesh. Jesus is the Word of God. Everything he said came from God. Every miracle he performed told us something more about God. God’s Word came alive—literally. Jesus gave us new words and made us rethink old ones. The Word was fresh, exciting, unpredictable

Date - December 17th, 2021 Topic - THE FIRST MENTION OF JESUS Bible Text - “And I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and hers; he will crush your head, and you will strike his heel.” - Genesis 3:15 It’s almost Christmas, but let’s go way back to the beginning for a moment. People sometimes think that Jesus first appears on the scene when he is born in Bethlehem, but in Genesis 3:15, we learn that this assumption isn’t even close. In this verse, God is talking directly to Satan. God tells Satan that he will put hatred between Satan’s offspring and Eve’s offspring. No surprise there. But it’s a little bit more surprising when God says “he will crush your head.” Who is this “he”? Jesus! Just verses before, we read that humankind had fallen into sin. And already, God is telling Satan that he has a plan. Jesus will crush Satan’s head, while Satan will only be able to strike his heel. Satan did strike Jesus’ heel. He did cause him pain. But t

Date - December 16th, 2021 Topic - THE FORERUNNERS Bible Text - “For he will be great in the sight of the Lord. He is never to take wine or other fermented drink, and he will be filled with the Holy Spirit even before he is born. He will bring back many of the people of Israel to the Lord their God. And he will go on before the Lord, in the spirit and power of Elijah, to turn the hearts of the parents to their children and the disobedient to the wisdom of the righteous—to make ready a people prepared for the Lord.” - Luke 1:15 - 17 Of all the people discussed in the Bible, it’s tough to find anyone more fascinating than John the Baptist. People of all ages are drawn to him—he’s tough, well spoken, smart and committed. He’s committed to his work. He wears camel fur and eats honey and locusts. He’s the stuff of legends, and he was very much real. John the Baptist served a very important purpose. He was Jesus’ forerunner. A forerunner is someone who is sent in advance to an

Date - December 15th, 2021 Topic - NO DOUBT! Bible Text - Zechariah asked the angel, “How can I be sure of this? I am an old man and my wife is well along in years.” The angel said to him, “I am Gabriel. I stand in the presence of God, and I have been sent to speak to you and to tell you this good news. And now you will be silent and not able to speak until the day this happens, because you did not believe my words, which will come true at their appointed time.” - Luke 1:18-20 Shortly before Mary became pregnant with Jesus, the angel Gabriel appeared to a righteous man named Zechariah. The angel told Zechariah that he and his wife would soon have a son who would grow up to be John the Baptist. And Zechariah, even though he was a believer and loved God, responded with, “Are you sure? We’re pretty old.” Many, if not most, people would have had some doubts too in that situation. But not all of us will be silenced for nine months for our doubts. But that is what G

Date - December 14th, 2021  Topic - THE MINDSET OF CHRIST Bible Reading - Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others. In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus. - Philippians 2:3-5 What was Jesus’ mindset when he walked on this earth? Was he “all about Jesus”? Did he wear flashy clothes, ride the fastest donkey and eat the best foods? No, he didn’t. Even though he very well could have, Jesus never “showed off” that he was God. Even when people were doubting him, making fun of him and physically abusing him, Jesus remained humble. At any moment, he could have called down a million angels. He could have shown everyone who was boss. But he didn’t. Instead, he acted like a servant. He cared for others. He listened to them. He cured them. He washed their feet. And ultimately, he died on the cross for t

Date - December 13th, 2021 Topic - GOD CARES ABOUT YOUR RELATIONSHIPS Bible Text - The LORD God said, “It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make a helper suitable for him.” - Genesis 2:18 In this verse from early Genesis, God is just about to create Eve. God didn’t want Adam to be alone. See, even way back then, God was concerned about our loneliness. And he still is today. God doesn’t want us to be lonely—that’s why he gives us families and friends. It’s healthy to spend some time alone. It’s healthy to spend some time alone with God. But we are not designed to spend all our time alone. God wants us working together, sharing one another’s tough times and triumphs. There is tremendous power in fellowship. We are supposed to lift one another up, support one another and keep one another company. Relationships like this honor God. If you are feeling lonely, talk to God about it. He does care. Ask him to send you friends to help you in life; ask him to help you str

Date - December 12th, 2021 Topic - ROOTED IN CHRIST Bible Text - For by the grace given me I say to every one of you: Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgment, in accordance with the faith God has distributed to each of you. For just as each of us has one body with many members, and these members do not all have the same function, so in Christ we, though many, form one body, and each member belongs to all the others. - Romans 12:3-5 God wants us to have a true understanding of our self-worth, but he doesn’t want us to be arrogant. Arrogance will separate us from God. We are not to depend on ourselves. We are to depend on God. True self-esteem is rooted in sincere humility. When we recognize our own weaknesses, we can draw on God’s immeasurable strength. This strength becomes a part of who we are. And God’s strength is a well that never runs dry. In order to draw from this well, we must be rooted in

Date - December 11th, 2021 Topic - NO MOURNING, NO CRYING Bible Text - He will swallow up death forever. The Sovereign LORD will wipe away the tears from all faces; he will remove his people’s disgrace from all the earth. The LORD has spoken. - Isaiah 25:8 Unless you’re very imaginative, heaven is a hard place to picture. Most of what we know about it comes from John’s descriptions in the book of Revelation. And few people would describe them as easy to understand. “A sea of glass glowing with fire” (Revelation 15:2)? “Four living creatures … covered with eyes” (Revelation 4:6)? Countless Bible scholars have made educated guesses as to what heaven will be like. But no one has any real concrete idea because no one has ever come back from heaven to tell us. One thing we know for sure is that there will be no death in heaven. When Jesus rose from the grave, he defeated death once and for all. Anyone who believes in him will have life forever in heaven, with no death to end

Date - December 10th, 2021 Topic - THINGS ABOVE Bible Text - Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things. - Colossians 3:1-2 Before a person becomes a Christian, it’s natural for them to have an earthly outlook. We can’t really blame someone for pursuing wealth, fame, popularity, fun and everything else this world has to offer. After all, from their perspective, what else is there? Life is short, so grab everything you can while you can. When a person makes a decision for Christ, though, the perspective changes. We shift our eyes away from this earth and toward heaven. We see things with an eternal view. We shift our priorities to reflect what’s really important. We recognize the things of this world for what they can be: distractions, wastes of time, empty pleasures. We turn our attention to heaven. We consider the possibilities. If

Date -  December 9th, 2021 Topic - MENTAL SIN IS SIN Bible Text - “You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall not commit adultery.’ But I tell you that anyone who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his heart. If your right eye causes you to stumble, gouge it out and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to be thrown into hell.” - Matthew 5:27-29 The Old Testament teaches us about sin, but here in the Gospel of Matthew, Jesus takes it up a notch. We know from the Old Testament that murder is a sin, but Jesus tells us that just thinking about committing murder is sin. And this goes for all the other sins as well. It is a sin to think about cheating on a test. It is a sin to think hateful things about your brothers and sisters, even if you don’t say them out loud. Mental sin is sin. Jesus says to throw away our eye if it’s causing us to sin. He doesn’t want us to actually go gouge out o

Date - December 8th, 2021 Topic - WHAT YOU THINK MATTERS Bible Text - Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable — if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things. - Philippians 4:8 You’ve probably noticed that thinking about certain things upsets you. While a violent or scary movie may not frighten you while you’re watching it, it may well lead you to think disturbing thoughts after the movie is over. Or while you might find a certain friend fun, spending time with them might leave you feeling uncomfortable with what you’ve been talking about or doing. God knows this and has given us instructions to help us protect ourselves. When we think thoughts that are pleasing to God, we are happier, healthier and better able to live for God and get his work done. God tells us to think about what is true. Don’t focus on the world’s lies: that you’re not beautifu

Date - December 7th, 2021 Topic - NOTHING BUT THE BLOOD OF JESUS Bible Text - For you know that it was not with perishable things such as silver or gold that you were redeemed from the empty way of life handed down to you from your ancestors, but with the precious blood of Christ, a lamb without blemish or defect. - 1 Peter 1:18-19 Some people think of Christians as boring folks who obey a bunch of old laws and never have any fun. They don’t know how much fun we can have in church, how much fun we can have together. Most churches work hard at creating fun programs, for both kids and adults: youth groups, teenage concerts, lovefeast, Christian games … the list goes on and on. But we always need to remember that it’s not all fun and games. There’s a reason that we are free to have so much joy, and that reason is the blood of Jesus. We must never take our salvation for granted. We can be thankful for Jesus’ sacrifice. We can be in awe of our heavenly Father who

Date - December 6th, 2021 Topic - ONE WAY Bible Text - Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” - John 14:6 Muslims believe that paradise can be earned through reciting a creed, praying five times a day, giving a certain percentage of money once a year, fasting during Ramadan and making a pilgrimage to Mecca. Hindus believe they can become one with God by living pure lives, free of earthly desires. Dozens of other religions teach dozens of other means of salvation. Are any of them valid? Is there more than one way to be saved? As Christians, we must answer no — not because we’re narrow-minded, but because if there’s another path to salvation, it makes Jesus’ sacrifice meaningless. If there is another way to God—aback door to heaven—then Jesus didn’t have to suffer on the cross. He didn’t have to take the sins of the world on his shoulders. He didn’t have to die in our place. Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross and

Date - December 5th, 2021 Topic - THE LAMB OF GOD Bible Text - I did not see a temple in the city, because the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are its temple. - Revelation 21:22 The idea of the Messiah being the Lamb of God goes way back to before Jesus was born. The Old Testament prophet Isaiah said, “He was oppressed and afflicted, yet he did not open his mouth; he was led like a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before its shearers is silent, so he did not open his mouth” (Isaiah 53:7). Like a lamb, Jesus appears meek, humble and willing to submit to God’s will. But in order to fully understand why Jesus is called a lamb, we need to look at the way things were in Old Testament times. Before the Savior came, people had to atone for their sins by making sacrifices, usually using animals. Not just any animal would do for a sacrifice, though. It had to be a male without defect (see Leviticus 1:3), the firstborn of the flock or herd (see Numbers 18:15) and without any b

Date - December 4th, 2021 Topic - THE KING OF THE NATIONS Bible Text - “Great and marvelous are your deeds, Lord God Almighty. Just and true are your ways, King of the nations.” - Revelation 15:3b In Revelation 15:3, the people in heaven are playing harps and singing praises to the King of the nations. The scene takes place during the final judgment of the earth, not long before the end of the world. Jesus is on the verge of establishing a new order, and his subjects are glorifying him in song. Because we often focus on the 33 years Jesus spent dwelling among us on earth, we can lose sight of his eternal nature and his awesome power as the King. The prophet Jeremiah said this about him: “When he is angry, the earth trembles; the nations cannot endure his wrath” (Jeremiah 10:10). And the one Jeremiah was talking about—the King who has performed great and marvelous deeds and whose anger causes the earth and all of its nations to tremble—is the one who humbly subjected hims

Date - December 3rd, 2021 Topic - EVERY KNEE SHOULD BOW Bible Text - Therefore God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth. - Philippians 2:9-10 Jesus came to earth as a humble servant. Jesus humbled himself by choice. He gave up his heavenly glory to squeeze himself into a simple human body. He started life as a baby. He lived among us, his own creation. He allowed himself to be mocked, beaten and killed. And he did it for us because there was no other way for us to be saved. Because of his willingness to humble himself, God the Father gave Jesus the highest authority. No one is above him. No one else inspires worship like him. God leaves no room for doubt as to who deserves our eternal praise. In our eagerness to understand Jesus’ humanity, we sometimes lose sight of just how awe-inspiring he is. This week, let’s take some time as a family

Date - December 2nd, 2021 Topic - HIS WONDERFUL DEEDS Bible Text - We praise you, God, we praise you, for your Name is near; people tell of your wonderful deeds. - Psalm 75:1 Psalm 75:1 is a perfect verse of thanksgiving: “People tell of your wonderful deeds.” By telling of God’s wonderful deeds, we show our thanks and bring him glory. That’s the way to show gratitude! In Psalm 75, the psalmist celebrates God’s perfect justice, the fact that good will be rewarded and evil will be punished. He celebrates God’s power in holding the world together despite all the wickedness in it. He celebrates the fact that those who are arrogant and wicked will one day get what’s coming to them. Those are the deeds the psalmist wanted people to know about. Because his words have survived to this day, we can celebrate with him. If we were to make a list, it probably would look much different than the psalmist’s. We might celebrate the good things that have happened at work and school. We m

Date - December 1st, 2021 Topic - GOD'S PROVISION  Bible Text - May the peoples praise you, God; may all the peoples praise you. The land yields its harvest; God, our God, blesses us. May God bless us still, so that all the ends of the earth will fear him. - Psalm 67:5-7 In this devotion, we’re going to answer three questions. Here’s question number one: What do we need in this world? That’s a little tricky, isn’t it? If the question were, “What do you want in this world?” we could probably make a list ten pages long. Wants are easy to think of, but what about needs? For starters, we need oxygen to breathe. We need water to drink. We need food to eat. We need some kind of shelter from the elements. We need love. We need forgiveness. We might add other, less primal needs such as a job to support the family or a way to get food and water. Here’s question number two: How many of our family’s needs has God supplied? That’s an easier answer: all of them. God takes care of