Tag: Bible verses about growing our relationship with God

Bible Verse of The Day – 11-20-24

John 8:43-44 (LSB) 43 Why do you not understand what I am saying? It is because you cannot hear My word. 44 You are of your father the devil, and you want to do the desires of your father. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth because there is no truth in him. Whenever he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own nature, for he is a liar and the father of lies.

As Jesus addressed the religious leaders, He spoke truth that infuriated them.

The men in front of Him held themselves up as leaders; men who should be honored and looked up to by everyone.

But their self-righteous opinions of themselves, and their visions of grandeur were shattered by the words of Jesus.

He told them bluntly who they really were; children of the devil, the father of lies, and a murderer.

Jesus saw past their religious garb and their pious words. He knew their hearts, and He knew their intentions.

It was because of their nature that they could not hear what Jesus was saying.

You see, the family we were born into does not matter. Our heritage does not make us righteous. It does not buy redemption or favor with God.

So, these men who thought themselves to be heirs to the kingdom because of their self-proclaimed lineage to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob were sadly mistaken.

God desires that we be meek, humble, and willing to receive instruction.

There is a great lesson for us to learn from this, making sure that we do not base our relationship with our Father and Redeemer on our heritage.

Nor should we base it on something from our formative years that we were too young to actively participate in, such as being baptized or “Christened” as a baby or toddler.

Our faith is built on actions and decisions that we make ourselves, choices that we make to follow the One who gave His life for us.

Anything less is simply religion based on rituals, traditions, or choices made for us by others when we were too young to know the difference.

Let us make a conscious, deliberate choice to place our faith in Christ, embracing His death and the cleansing blood that He shed for us.

And let us build and grow that faith in a way that we will know who we are in Christ without relying on something that was done for us in the distant past that we didn’t actively participate in.

Amen

Pastor Curt & Pastor Ellie

Seven Seas Ministries
49 N Lamplighters Walk
Hampstead, NC 28443

401-439-3780

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Bible Verse of The Day – 11-4-24

Colossians 2:6-7 (NKJV) 6 As you therefore have received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in Him, 7 rooted and built up in Him and established in the faith, as you have been taught, abounding in it with thanksgiving.

As we put our faith in Christ. We begin a growing process.

A root is created, and it begins to grow.

A seed has been planted. And it has sprouted into a seedling.

That root is small at first, and very delicate. The seedling (our newfound faith in Christ) needs tender care and nurturing to grow and become strong.

That single, tiny root needs to become stronger and multiply, becoming many large “root branches” over time.

Those “root branches” need to get deep into the soil and spread, giving us strength and resilience.

That strength and resilience is needed to help us stand strong when we face the storms (trials and tribulations) that life is sure to bring.

How deep our roots grow is determined solely by us. No one can grow them for us.

We choose whether we deny ourselves the necessary sustenance or feast on the nutrition that is necessary to give us those strong roots.

So, how do we grow our roots and make them strong?

The first essential step is to read God’s word. Feast on it. Absorb it as though our life depends on it; because it does!

And we get sound teaching that is firmly rooted in God’s word.

We avoid hype-based teaching that plays solely on our emotions and uses only snippets of scripture, many times taken out of context, in an effort to get us excited while failing to teach the whole truth of God’s word.

Our emotions are fickle and changeable. We should not rely on them because they change like the wind.

But God is steadfast!

He supplies us with what is needed to get those roots deep and strong; able to withstand whatever comes our way.

And that strength can make a mighty warrior, fighting in the army of God against the wiles of the devil himself.

Are we willing to do what it takes to grow those roots to be deep and strong?

Pastor Curt & Pastor Ellie

Seven Seas Ministries
49 N Lamplighters Walk
Hampstead, NC 28443

401-439-3780

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Bible Verse of The Day – 2-6-24

Philippians 3:14 (NKJV) 14 I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.

Being a believer in Christ is not something to take lightly.

We begin a journey on a plan that He has for us. We are always learning and growing. We are in His school of training, so to speak.

As part of this training, we may be tested in areas we never thought we could walk through.

Sometimes it’s heavy and hard. Other times light and fulfilling like never before.

We will learn how to listen, how to surrender and how to obey!

We will also learn how to push through difficult situations that are going to help us get stronger and wiser.

It is all done through the leading of the Holy Spirit. It is so beautiful to be led by Him, and it can be very humbling at times.

All we need to do is focus on staying close to Him through prayer and studying God’s Word.

Press forward day by day, and allow what we learn in His Word to carry us when we are tired, strengthen us when we are weak, and fill us with wisdom and understanding so we can continue forward and not give up.

Amen.

Pastor Curt & Pastor Ellie

Seven Seas Ministries
49 N Lamplighters Walk
Hampstead, NC 28443

401-439-3780

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Bible Verse of The Day – 2-3-24

Jeremiah 29:13 (NKJV) 13 And you will seek Me and find Me, when you search for Me with all your heart.

With any relationship, we get out what we put in.

Our relationship with God is no different. It will grow on the same scale as the effort we put into it.

If we truly desire to know Him and serve Him wholeheartedly, we will intentionally make the time needed to grow and mature as a believer.

This isn’t something that we always think of or understand when we first become a child of God.

In fact, it is something that is not taught nearly enough.

While the forgiveness of our sins is monumental, if we do not feed our spirit with the word of God, it will be in danger of withering and dying.

Jesus taught about this when He shared the parable of the sower and the seeds.

Matthew 13:20-21 (NLT) 20 The seed on the rocky soil represents those who hear the message and immediately receive it with joy. 21 But since they don’t have deep roots, they don’t last long. They fall away as soon as they have problems or are persecuted for believing God’s word.

This is why we need to be sure to put forth the required effort to keep ourselves fed and growing.

It is something that no one can do for us. Yes, we can have people help us, lead us and guide us, especially in the beginning of our new walk with God. But in the end, we are the ones who are responsible for whether we grow or not.

Think of it like a newborn baby. When the baby is small, it requires constant help and nurturing. But as it grows older and older it must learn to take what it has been taught and use that knowledge to grow and mature on its own.

This is why it is paramount for each of us to do whatever is necessary to feed ourselves with the word of God.

God tells us that as we make the effort to seek Him, we will find Him if we seek Him with all our heart.

The key lies in the phrase, “with all your heart”, since God spells it out for us right there.

Suffice it to say that effort on our part is required. And that effort is something that we must be willing to put forth.

It may not always be easy or comfortable, but we need to keep in mind the incredible sacrifice that Christ made for us on the cross. This will usually put things into perspective and help motivate us to do what it takes to mature and grow as a believer.

And as we do this, let us liken ourselves to a runner in a race, disciplining ourselves, shaking off all that tries to hold us back, and doing all that is necessary to claim the prize at the finish line.

For the prize we race toward is eternal.

Hebrews 12:1-2 (NKJV) 1 Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, 2 looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.

Amen

Pastor Curt & Pastor Ellie

Seven Seas Ministries
49 N Lamplighters Walk
Hampstead, NC 28443

401-439-3780

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Bible Verse of The Day – 2-2-24

John 15:9-10 (NKJV) 9 “As the Father loved Me, I also have loved you; abide in My love. 10 If you keep My commandments, you will abide in My love, just as I have kept My Father’s commandments and abide in His love.

Now that we have had a refresher, and we have been reminded of the foundations of what salvation is and what it is not, let us move on to talk about what God asks of us once we become His child.

This is something good for all of us to ponder on because it can be easy to get off track and lose sight of the foundational things that our faith was built on.

So, now you are a child of God.

What next? How does this new life in Christ work?

The first answer to that is found above, as Jesus said that if we love Him, we should keep His commandments.

To clarify, this is about more than following a set of rules. Jesus wasn’t referring to simply following the 10 Commandments and living happily ever after.

He was implying that anyone who claims to love Him should prove it by willingly following the ways that He taught us.

What did He teach us?

To keep our priorities in order, always putting God first in everything.

Matthew 6:33 (NKJV) 33 But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.

If we can get this one thing right, so many other things about our lives will fall into place.

And how do we know what He asks of us when it comes to keeping Him first?

We use the “tool” that He supplied us with; His Word!

The Bible is our handbook for life; a user’s manual that gives us knowledge and understanding in every topic we need to grow and mature in Christ.

It is more than just a book with printed pages. It is alive and breathing; a timeless word from God to the world, sharing His love and magnificence with anyone who will take the time to read it and seek the treasures that are contained within its pages.

We urge you to make the time to get into His word. Treat it as it should be treated; like something that is necessary for our survival.

And as we consistently put Him first by learning of Him, we will begin to see ourselves change, from the inside, out, as God replaces our thoughts with His thoughts, our heart with His heart, and our desires with His desires.

Pastor Curt & Pastor Ellie

Seven Seas Ministries
49 N Lamplighters Walk
Hampstead, NC 28443

401-439-3780

If you know someone who will enjoy this or be encouraged by it, please feel free to share it with them!

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Bible Verse of The Day – 1-29-24

John 3:16 (NKJV) 16 For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.

Sometimes it is good for us to remember and reflect on the foundations of our faith.

Life gets busy, and as we walk through our day-to-day things, we can sometimes get sidetracked and forget Who we are children of and what our faith is really about.

So, over the next several days, we will be walking through our new Essentials of Faith series. We hope you enjoy it, learn from it, and are reminded of what our walk with God is about.

Let’s get started!

John 3:16 is one of the most often quoted verses in the entirety of God’s word. And there is a good reason for this.

These words spoken by Jesus take us past all the dos and don’ts that people often get hung up on when they think of God.

He wanted us to know that God is a God of love, not just a God of laws and regulations, as was so often perceived by the Jews.

You see, the Jewish leaders so frequently expounded on the tenets of The Law, they completely tossed out the love of God. Sadly, this was done partially because it made keeping the Jews under their control much easier.

But Jesus came to swing the wrecking ball, so to speak, destroying the narrative of the Jewish leadership and showing who God really is.

He was, after all, Emmanuel, God in the flesh walking among us.

This should also serve as a reminder to each of us that God’s love is the source of our salvation, not our own righteousness.

Our own righteousness is worthless, as so accurately stated by the prophet Isaiah.

Isaiah 64:6 (NKJV) 6 But we are all like an unclean thing, And all our righteousnesses are like filthy rags; We all fade as a leaf, And our iniquities, like the wind, Have taken us away.

The NLT translation says it this way:

Isaiah 64:6 (NLT) 6 We are all infected and impure with sin. When we display our righteous deeds, they are nothing but filthy rags. Like autumn leaves, we wither and fall, and our sins sweep us away like the wind.

It is only God’s love for us that can overcome our unrighteousness and make a way for us to be saved.

Thank you, Father, for loving us despite ourselves.

Please join us again tomorrow.

Pastor Curt & Pastor Ellie

Seven Seas Ministries
49 N Lamplighters Walk
Hampstead, NC 28443

401-439-3780

If you know someone who will enjoy this or be encouraged by it, please feel free to share it with them!

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Bible Verse of The Day – 1-26-24

Luke 21:19 (NKJV) 19 By your patience possess your souls.

As Jesus spoke to His disciples, He began warning them of some things that were to come that would signify “the end of the age”.

His first warning was that no one fall victim to the deceptive tactics of the false messiahs who would come.

He went on to tell them of numerous signs and events that would take place that would be very difficult for those who had to endure them.

There will be great earthquakes, pestilences, fearful sights, and great signs from heaven.

He then expounded on the great persecution that His followers will be subjected to during that time.

Part of this persecution involves “them laying their hands on you” and “delivering you up to synagogues and prisons”.

And “they will put some of you to death” for your faith.

Why will this happen?

Because His followers will be hated for His name’s sake.

These are not easy things to talk about or to imagine having to endure.

But Jesus was speaking truth that we must all embrace the reality of.

None of us knows if we will face these things. But we must all understand that it is a real possibility, and that we must be prepared for it should it happen.

Jesus didn’t speak of this to scare His disciples. He spoke of it to prepare them!

But after all His warnings, He reassured them that “not a hair of your head shall be lost” if they stood firm, patiently enduring and persisting in their faith.

What would they gain by their patient endurance?

Here is what 4 different translations say:

NKJV – By your patience possess your souls.

NLT – By standing firm, you will win your souls.

AMP – By your [patient] endurance [empowered by the Holy Spirit] you will gain your souls.

NIV – Stand firm, and you will win life.

These 4 translations each state this truth a bit differently. But the meaning is the same. Stand firm and protect our eternal destiny.

Faith in Christ is not for the weak or the faint of heart.

It is not something we should approach flippantly or lightheartedly.

Let us all do whatever is necessary to make our calling and election sure.

2 Peter 1:10 (NKJV) 10 Therefore, brethren, be even more diligent to make your call and election sure, for if you do these things you will never stumble;

Pastor Curt & Pastor Ellie

Seven Seas Ministries
49 N Lamplighters Walk
Hampstead, NC 28443

401-439-3780

If you know someone who will enjoy this or be encouraged by it, please feel free to share it with them!

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Bible Verse of The Day – 1-17-24

Matthew 6:33 (NKJV) 33 But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.

Jesus spoke these words for a good reason. He wanted it to be known that making God our top priority is critical in growing and maturing as a believer.

Making Him our priority can take on many different facets. And it affects many different areas of our lives.

One of the areas where we should be concerned with this is in making sure we don’t overcomplicate everything.

Our walk with God, and the way we learn of Him, should not be complicated.

Yes, God is incredibly massive in scope. He is beyond our human understanding.

But our pursuit of Him should not let that fact cause us to lose our focus.

There is one infinite resource that we have been given to teach us everything we need to know about God, and about our life as a believer; the Bible.

His word may sometimes be a bit hard to understand in certain areas, but most of it is very straight forward. And if we ask, He is faithful to give us understanding.

The place where most of us get mixed up is when we begin to jump from one resource to another to try to learn more about specific topics; how to grow our faith, how to pray more effectively, how to discern more accurately, etc.

And when we do this, it can seriously fragment what we learn, resulting in our efforts being so spread out that we may inadvertently go backwards, instead of moving forward.

God’s word always points us in one direction; to Him.

It never steers us wrong. And it is always accurate, with no chance of it giving us poor counsel.

The thing we need to remember is that we cannot learn of God accurately and thoroughly if we do not spend time in His word.

No, His word may not have a shiny cover with modern graphics and a catchy title, but it is the one true and accurate resource we have that will help us build our faith and our walk with Him on a firm foundation that has stood the test of time.

So, let us be sure to keep it simple.

We can’t let “shiny objects” distract us and keep us from receiving everything we need to grow and mature as a believer.

Pastor Curt & Pastor Ellie

Seven Seas Ministries
49 N Lamplighters Walk
Hampstead, NC 28443

401-439-3780

If you know someone who will enjoy this or be encouraged by it, please feel free to share it with them!

To have the Bible Verse of The Day delivered to your inbox each day, please Click Here and then enter your email address in the box near the upper left corner of the page. 

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Bible Verse of The Day – 9-19-23

Hebrews 4:2 (NKJV) 2 For indeed the gospel was preached to us as well as to them; but the word which they heard did not profit them, not being mixed with faith in those who heard it.

We can hear the gospel all day long, but that is not enough to save us. We have to believe what the Word of God is saying!

Are we stuck in a rut today?

We read our Bible, we attend church services, and we are taught. However, we are not growing.

Our heart has not changed, and our relationship with God is stagnant; never changing or growing.

Believing God’s word and taking steps to obey it is what will bring change to our hearts and all our situations.

Without believing in and walking out His word, we will continue to stay in the same place.

What we do will determine whether we grow or not.

Do we believe God parted the Red Sea, or is it just a great story to us?

Exodus 14:21 (NKJV) 21 Then Moses stretched out his hand over the sea; and the Lord caused the sea to go back by a strong east wind all that night, and made the sea into dry land, and the waters were divided.

Do we believe God restored Job and all his loss, giving him even more then he had to start off with?

Job 42:10 (NKJV) 10 And the Lord restored Job’s losses when he prayed for his friends. Indeed the Lord gave Job twice as much as he had before.

Do we believe it rained for 40 days, and Noah built a huge Ark to hold him, his family, and two of every kind of animal?

Genesis 8:6 (NKJV) 6 So it came to pass, at the end of forty days, that Noah opened the window of the ark which he had made.

Do we believe Jesus Christ suffered for us, died on the cross for our sins, and rose on the third day?

Luke 24:46-47 (NKJV) 46 Then He said to them, “Thus it is written, and thus it was necessary for the Christ to suffer and to rise from the dead the third day, 47 and that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in His name to all nations, beginning at Jerusalem.

Remember, reading is not enough.

We must believe in our hearts that what we are reading is truth, and have faith that God will do mighty things in our life.

Amen.

Pastor Curt & Pastor Ellie

Seven Seas Ministries 
49 N Lamplighters Walk 
Hampstead, NC 28443

401-439-3780

If you know someone who will enjoy this or be encouraged by it, please feel free to share it with them!

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Bible Verse of The Day – 8-31-23

Philippians 2:12 (NKJV) 12 Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling;

Yesterday we discussed our initial salvation and the fact that we cannot earn that. It is a gift of God given freely to those who accept it by putting their faith in Jesus Christ.

We also discussed our transformation as we submit ourselves under the hand of God and obey His Spirit as He leads us down His path.

Today, let us look at the long-term ramifications of our faith in Christ and our walk with God as a whole.

As we mentioned yesterday, part of growing in Christ is changing as God leads us.

This is something that we should not ignore or take lightly.

As a new Christian, growth is implied. It is meant to be part of our walk and our relationship with God. Growing in Christ should never be considered optional, even though we are not forced to do so.

God’s design for us is a lifetime of growing closer and closer to Him, solely because we want to, not because He forces us to do so.

We need to recognize, though, that God not forcing us is not an indication of Him not wanting us to grow.

It is His gift of allowing us to exercise our free will.

On our end, we need to recognize the need for us to grow and mature. Not doing so will leave us as spiritual infants struggling to keep our faith alive, living a life of spiritual mediocrity, and constantly wrestling with temptation and sin in our lives.

And this sin will drive a wedge between us and God, creating a gap that will only grow wider if we fail to overcome it. This is where our lack of growth becomes dangerous.

And it is why Paul said that we must work out our own salvation with fear and trembling.

Relationships that are one-sided or lopsided rarely succeed. Our relationship with God is no different.

We know that He is faithful to always hold up His end. The question is whether we will hold up ours.

So, let us be diligent to work out our salvation diligently, with sincerity of heart, making every effort to keep growing and moving closer to God, pushing aside mediocrity, and letting our faith be seen outwardly through the things we do and the words we speak.

Salvation is freely given, but we should never take it lightly.

Pastor Curt & Pastor Ellie

Seven Seas Ministries
49 N Lamplighters Walk
Hampstead, NC 28443

401-439-3780

If you know someone who will enjoy this or be encouraged by it, please feel free to share it with them!

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Bible Verse of The Day – 8-30-23

Ephesians 2:8-9 (NKJV) 8 For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, 9 not of works, lest anyone should boast.

Salvation through Christ is a free gift of God, given to anyone who will accept it.

It is not something we can earn or work for. It is not something we can receive as a reward for good behavior.

As a believer, though, our actions speak loudly with regard to proving our faith.

James 2:18 (NKJV) 18 But someone will say, “You have faith, and I have works.” Show me your faith without your works, and I will show you my faith by my works.

Some may say that works have nothing at all to do with salvation. And in a sense, they are right.

As shown in Ephesians 2:8-9, salvation is the gift of God, not a product of works.

But we need to understand that this applies to the application of one’s initial salvation experience.

We are offered salvation freely. We only need to see our need for salvation and then reach out and take it.

That may be a bit of an oversimplification in a sense, since recognizing ourselves as sinful and in need of forgiveness is also part of the equation. But acceptance is at the core of how it all begins.

It is after we are saved that we must begin allowing God to mold us and shape us, changing us from the inside, out.

And as He does that, we will see our heart begin to change. Sometimes the changes will be little. Other times, the changes that we see will be very major.

We may go through phases of not even recognizing ourselves as God applies His hand on our lives.

But as the Spirit of God works on us, and we change within, we will begin to walk out things in our lives that show our faith outwardly. These are the works James referred to in the verse above.

These are outward manifestations of our inward faith; physical signs of our spiritual rebirth and transformation in Christ.

Let’s talk more about this salvation transformation tomorrow.

Pastor Curt & Pastor Ellie

Seven Seas Ministries
49 N Lamplighters Walk
Hampstead, NC 28443

401-439-3780

If you know someone who will enjoy this or be encouraged by it, please feel free to share it with them!

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