Will Your Actions Lead to Apostasy? 

"For if we go on sinning deliberately after receiving the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins, but a fearful expectation of judgment, and a fury of fire that will consume the adversaries.” Hebrews 10:26-27

Warnings are meant to save lives—whether it’s a siren before a storm or a flashing light on the dashboard. But what happens when we ignore them? Hebrews 6 delivers one of the most serious warnings in all of Scripture: the danger of turning away from Christ. Spiritual apathy, unchecked sin, and outright rejection of the faith don’t just lead to a rocky season—they can lead to total apostasy.

Throughout life, alarms sound to alert us to danger. Whether it’s a storm warning or an emergency broadcast, ignoring them can be deadly. Hebrews 6 is a spiritual alarm—a terrifying wake-up call about falling into apostasy. This isn’t about struggling believers growing in their faith but about those who become indifferent—or even hostile—toward Christ, like Judas Iscariot.

These individuals aren’t victims; they are willful deserters. They are described as “dull of hearing,” showing “contempt” for Christ’s sacrifice, and causing their own harm. They once sat in church, considered themselves spiritually mature, and yet refused to grow. Rather than pressing into Christ, they drifted further away.

Hebrews 6 issues a clear and urgent warning. Furthermore, it is one of the most debated passages in Scripture, especially Hebrews 6:4-6, which says:

“…it is impossible, in the case of those who have once been enlightened, who have tasted the heavenly gift, and have shared in the Holy Spirit, and have tasted the goodness of the word of God and the powers of the age to come, and then have fallen away, to restore them again to repentance, since they are crucifying once again the Son of God to their own harm and holding him up to contempt.”

The warning in Hebrews isn’t meant to scare true believers but to wake up the complacent. A mature faith doesn’t just sit in church—it grows, obeys, and perseveres. Ignoring the call to press on in Christ has devastating consequences.

So, are you moving forward in faith—or slowly falling away?

Daily-devotion from Real Faith by Mark Driscoll 

Love Your Wife Well

Love Your Wife Well! 

 Ephesians 5:25-28 NKJV

[25] Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself for her, [26] that He might sanctify and cleanse her with the washing of water by the word, [27] that He might present her to Himself a glorious church, not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing, but that she should be holy and without blemish. [28] So husbands ought to love their own wives as their own bodies; he who loves his wife loves himself.

(Please read the rest of the scripture at the link below.)

https://bible.com/bible/114/eph.5.25-28.NKJV

The standard by which We are to love our wives has clearly been set high, according to these verses. We are to love them as Christ loved the church and as we love [our] own bodies. We are to love them sacrificially and selflessly.

In order to love our wives well, we must be willing to make sacrifices for them. We must believe that their needs are just as important as our own needs. When we do this, not only do we love them well, but we also model the love that we have been shown by Christ.

God, help me to love my wife as I have been loved by you. Help me to put her needs ahead of my needs. Help me to have the strength to make sacrifices for the good of my wife. Help me to love her well. Amen! 

Be like a tree by the creek

 As I sit here at the creek bank and look up at the Hickorys, Sweetgums and Southern Magnolia Trees, I am reminded of what God says to Jeremiah about the hearts of men.

Jeremiah 17:5-10 NKJV

[5] Thus says the Lord: “Cursed is the man who trusts in man And makes flesh his strength, Whose heart departs from the Lord. [6] For he shall be like a shrub in the desert, And shall not see when good comes, But shall inhabit the parched places in the wilderness, In a salt land which is not inhabited. 

[7] “Blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord, And whose hope is the Lord. [8] For he shall be like a tree planted by the waters, Which spreads out its roots by the river, And will not fear when heat comes; But its leaf will be green, And will not be anxious in the year of drought, Nor will cease from yielding fruit. 

[9] “The heart is deceitful above all things, And desperately wicked; Who can know it? [10] I, the Lord, search the heart, I test the mind, Even to give every man according to his ways, According to the fruit of his doings.

“The man who trusts in man” is the person who rejects God and relies on his own strength and ingenuity or who looks to other people for help and rescue. Such a person is cursed with a dried-up, empty heart. He is destined to experience hardship, distress, and eventual death. Conversely, the person who trusts in the Lord is richly blessed. This individual thrives, grows, and prospers, even in the heat of challenging circumstances.

In Jeremiah’s day, the nation’s leaders were trusting in man—their political allies—and leaning on “the arm of the flesh” (2 Chronicles 32:8). Borrowing from the wisdom in Psalm 1:3–4, Jeremiah likens those who trust in God to flourishing, well-watered trees. His warning not to trust in human resources echoes Psalm 146:3: “Do not put your trust in princes, in human beings, who cannot save.” Judah’s unbelief and rejection of the Lord would turn their lives and their land into a desert wasteland, but faith and trust in God would establish them as a firmly planted, thriving woodland.

Be like a tree by the creek! Trust and have Hope in the Lord always!

Without Excuse

 

What does it say? 

All people are without excuse before God. He will judge the world through Jesus Christ. 

Read Romans chapter 2 verses 1 through 29.

What does it mean? 

Paul described God's dealings with three kinds of people. Each is charged with high treason against God. The moral person tries to gain God's approval based on comparison with others, but he still fails to meet God's standards. The pagan, or Gentile, tries to escape judgment based on ignorance: However, God has placed the essence of His law in each person's heart. The religious person seeks God's favor based on knowledge of Scripture and religious practices. Paul says this person knows about God but doesn't have a relationship with God. Salvation and eternal life must be attained in Goď's way - through Jesus.

How should I respond?

Excuses - we all make them from time to time. However, everyone is without excuse for his or her sin before God. Do you identify with someone described in today's passage? Are you a good or religious person trying to make your good deeds outweigh your bad? Morality and religious tradition can't transform your heart. Salvation is internal and comes through belief in Christ alone. What excuses have you made to God this week? Submitting your heart to Jesus as Lord means not only knowing the truth but also obeying it without excuse.

Source: Youversion app bible plans.