Larry Jones @larryvertice

The separation we feel between us and God is real, because of our prideful sinfulness. But because of Jesus's death on a cross, that separation has been bridged. Through faith in Jesus as the Lord of our lives, we can live with God in the most beautiful friendship! Salvation!

The more we allow Jesus to control our lives, the more radical changes can be made in our lives! Pessimism, selfishness-- all the attitudes that are keeping us from living our God-given potential-- can give way to optimism, and love for all as we let Jesus "take the wheel"!

If Jesus is the Lord of our lives, we have two stages of peace in our souls. The ultimate stage is life lived with Jesus in heaven, where God's peace will be permanently present. But there are also glimpses of this peace in our everyday lives-- found in Jesus alone!

Being wise and helping others to gain wisdom are two of the highest callings to which we can aspire. But being wise is not limited to those that have a lot of knowledge! Honoring the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, and we all can do that! May we always be learning to be stars!

Only in Jesus do we have a God that sacrifices Himself for us. Only in Jesus is faith enough to be granted salvation. Only in Jesus do we have a God who never wavers in His love for us. May "only in Jesus" be the way we live life!

For a follower of Jesus, living a wise, Godly life means that we live yielding our wills to God's will, and we live humbly, recognizing that all our accomplishments are rooted in the strengths given to us through Jesus Christ!

There is a very human tendency to identify with one group of people to the deliberate exclusion of another group of people. But Jesus died on the cross for us all, whether we were raised going to church or not. There are no boundaries on the people God loves!

Becoming a Christian is not a matter of deciding one day to adopt a new lifestyle. It is a matter, as this story in Mark teaches, of placing our faith in Jesus as the Risen Son of God who was crucified for our sins. To put our trust in Jesus wholly to lead our lives!

The Christian life is about concepts like faith and hope, but it is also about how we live daily. How we greet the person at the YMCA desk; how we talk with people with whom we disagree; how well we listen to others. Being a Jesus follower is not an on-again, off-again calling!

There are so many ways the world tells us that we are lesser in abilities, even lesser in importance, because we are different from one another. That is what is so revolutionary about the true Christian faith: just because we exist, Jesus loves us as much as He loves anyone else!

I just competed in 3 different Senior Games events, and I did not medal in any event. By the world's standards, and my own initial reaction, these Games were a bust. But by standards that I believe are Godly, I had fun and met new people! A silly example, but 🙏a positive step!

And what words did Jesus say we should fix in our hearts and souls? To love God with everything we have and are, and to love our neighbor as much as we care for ourselves. Thank you, Jesus for Your Word and Your Spirit, which help us keep You at the forefront of our daily living!

My wife has been the luckiest woman in the world for 47 years. The mountains in this photo are over 1 billion years old. And yet, none of these things have the permanence of God's Word and the God about which this Word tells us! May God become the truest anchor of our lives!

Jesus never once seemed to be concerned about earning enough money to keep the ministry going! He focused on serving God His Father! My suggestion: our physical, emotional, and spiritual needs are best met as we work to serve God and God's Kingdom in the name and spirit of Jesus!

At all times, at all points along my life's journey, there are so many people, things, and events for which to thank and praise the Lord! Let's lift our eyes from our struggles and let's focus on Jesus, whose love extends to us our salvation!

While our actions can be controlled to present a wonderfully Christian attitude, if our hearts are still filled with bitterness, anger, revenge, prejudice, and all such, then we are not revering God with our whole selves. Purity of heart for Christ is the best witness of all!

Life, including the Christian life, requires us to live patiently! In-depth wisdom and ever-growing love take time to develop. But the waiting time is to be a time of growing strong in the Scriptures, in how to pray, in how better to serve others, and in growing up in hope!

If Jesus is our Lord, then there is a reality of perfect love and order that is stronger and more lasting than any evil darkness we might be facing in the moment. Let's focus on the light of Jesus! #dailydevotion #dailydevotionyouth

We naturally feel panicky when hardship comes our way, but Jesus teaches us that, through Him, we have control over our fear-- we do not have to continue to feel troubled, even if the troubling circumstances do not abate. And we gain this control through turning to Jesus!

Even when our fear and panic are threatening to overwhelm us, if we remember to ask for the assurances of God's continual, loving, and protective presence, God is faithful! We are never alone!