Daily Growth Point

You may appreciate someone deeply, but they cannot hear the thanks you never speak. A grateful thought can become a needed encouragement when we put it into words. 1 Thessalonians 5:11: “Wherefore comfort yourselves together, and edify one another, even as also ye do.” To edify means to build up. A sincere word of appreciation can strengthen someone who wonders whether their efforts matter. Thank...

Some people leave fingerprints on our lives that time never erases. A Sunday school teacher who made Scripture come alive. A friend who stayed through a difficult season. Someone who cared enough to tell us about Jesus. Philippians 1:3: “I thank my God upon every remembrance of you,” Paul wrote those words to believers in Philippi. Remembering them moved him to thank God. Their fellowship and supp...

For many families today, they have made personal sacrifices for our country and freedom. There is an empty chair at supper. A missed birthday. Months spent far from home. You see, Military service involves sacrifices that most of us never see—and families share those sacrifices too. Romans 13:7: “Render therefore to all their dues: tribute to whom tribute is due; custom to whom custom; fear to who...

Have you ever noticed that we can be happy with our present car until your neighbor bought a newer one. Your vacation seemed wonderful until you saw someone else’s pictures. Comparison is always the theif of joy. Hebrews 13:5: “Let your conversation be without covetousness; and be content with such things as ye have: for he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee.” Here, conversation...

Have you ever opened a refrigerator full of food and said, “There’s nothing to eat”? Sometimes our complaints reveal how easily we overlook what we have. Israel did that in the wilderness. God provided manna, but the people complained and longed for Egypt’s food, forgetting the bondage. Numbers 11:6: “But now our soul is dried away: there is nothing at all, beside this manna, before our eyes.” The...

Ten men cried out to Jesus for mercy. All ten had leprosy. All ten were cleansed as they obeyed His instruction to go show themselves to the priests. But only one came back to give thanks. Luke 17:15–16: “And one of them, when he saw that he was healed, turned back, and with a loud voice glorified God, And fell down on his face at his feet, giving him thanks: and he was a Samaritan.” It is possibl...

An old photograph can bring back a blessing you haven’t thought about in years. Suddenly, you remember the person who helped you, the prayer God answered, or the difficulty He brought you through. Psalm 103:2: “Bless the LORD, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits:” David urged himself to remember. We need that reminder too. Today’s problems can occupy so much of our attention that we forget...

When someone gives you a thoughtful gift, you look for the card. You want to know whom to thank. But how often do we enjoy life’s blessings without acknowledging the Giver? James 1:17: “Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning.” The food on your table, the friend who checks on you, the s...

Some gifts change your day. The gift Jesus offers changes your eternity. Romans 6:23: “For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.” We could never earn that gift. Our sin separated us from God, but Jesus died for our sins and rose again so we could be forgiven. Eternal life is received by faith in Him. On this Election Day, remember that the de...

Hold a newborn’s tiny hand, and you are reminded how precious life really is. But that child’s worth doesn’t disappear with age, illness, or the need for someone else’s care. Psalm 139:14: “I will praise thee; for I am fearfully and wonderfully made: marvellous are thy works; and that my soul knoweth right well.” Your life is a gift from God. And every person you meet bears the image of the same C...

Did you know that the most valuable stone ever sold was a rare pink diamond worth more than seventy-one million dollars. Its worth came from its rarity. But a human life is far more precious, because every person was created in the image of God. Genesis 1:27, “So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them.” Human worth comes from our Creat...

In a crowded world, it is easy to feel like just another face or number. Perhaps you wonder whether anyone truly sees what you are carrying. Jesus reminds us that God’s attention is remarkably personal. Luke 12:6–7, “Are not five sparrows sold for two farthings, and not one of them is forgotten before God? But even the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Fear not therefore: ye are of more va...

Throughout this series, we have considered why every human life is precious—from the child in the womb to the elderly person nearing life’s end. But physical life is not all that God desires to give us. Through His Son, He offers eternal life. John 3:16, “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” G...

It is one thing to believe that a person is valuable. It is another thing to stand beside that person when protection requires our time, resources, or courage. Psalm 82:3–4, “Defend the poor and fatherless: do justice to the afflicted and needy. Deliver the poor and needy: rid them out of the hand of the wicked.” God commands His people to defend, deliver, and do justice. Those are actions, not me...

As Moses prepared Israel to enter the Promised Land, he placed before them a choice between obeying God and turning away from Him. Deuteronomy 30:19, “I call heaven and earth to record this day against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing: therefore choose life, that both thou and thy seed may live:” Moses was calling Israel to covenant faithfulness, but his words r...

Before an election, we hear advertisements, promises, and competing opinions. But a Christian’s vote should be guided by something more trustworthy than a campaign commercial. Acts 24:16, “And herein do I exercise myself, to have always a conscience void of offence toward God, and toward men.” Paul wanted his conduct to be right before both God and others. That principle should shape our civic cho...

If you saw someone step into the path of an approaching car, you would not quietly say, “That is their decision.” Love would compel you to warn them and, if possible, pull them to safety. Proverbs 24:11–12, “If thou forbear to deliver them that are drawn unto death, and those that are ready to be slain; If thou sayest, Behold, we knew it not; doth not he that pondereth the heart consider it?” God...

The woman brought before Jesus had sinned, and the crowd was ready to condemn her. Jesus responded with both truth and compassion. John 8:10–11, “When Jesus had lifted up himself, and saw none but the woman, he said unto her, Woman, where are those thine accusers? hath no man condemned thee? She said, No man, Lord. And Jesus said unto her, Neither do I condemn thee: go, and sin no more.” Jesus did...

The wounded man beside the road had been robbed and left helpless. Two religious men saw him and passed by. Then someone unexpected stopped. Luke 10:33, “But a certain Samaritan, as he journeyed, came where he was: and when he saw him, he had compassion on him,” The Samaritan did not ask whether the wounded man shared his background, deserved his help, or could ever repay him. He saw a life in dan...

We often judge importance by clothing, possessions, or position. A wealthy person may receive immediate attention, while someone struggling to pay the bills can pass through the same room almost unnoticed. James 2:5, “Hearken, my beloved brethren, Hath not God chosen the poor of this world rich in faith, and heirs of the kingdom which he hath promised to them that love him?” James was correcting b...

An old tool may no longer work as quickly as it once did, but a wise craftsman does not throw it away. He remembers what it has accomplished and still finds value in keeping it near. Our culture often values people by their strength, speed, or independence. God does not.  Psalm 92:14, “They shall still bring forth fruit in old age; they shall be fat and flourishing;” Growing older may bring weakne...

Children have a way of interrupting important conversations. They need a drink, ask a question, or simply want someone to notice them. It can be tempting to say, “Just a minute,” and never give them that minute. When the disciples asked Jesus who was greatest in the kingdom, He called a little child to Him. Then He said,  Matthew 18:5, “And whoso shall receive one such little child in my name rece...

Imagine standing in a room where everyone is discussing your future, but you are unable to say a word. Wouldn’t you hope someone there would speak honestly and courageously on your behalf? Proverbs 31:8–9, “Open thy mouth for the dumb in the cause of all such as are appointed to destruction. Open thy mouth, judge righteously, and plead the cause of the poor and needy.” These words call us to use o...

It is easy to say that every life matters. It becomes harder when caring for someone interrupts our plans, costs us money, or asks us to stay when we would rather leave. Jesus asked in  Mark 8:36, “For what shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul?” Jesus was calling people to consider what they valued most—and whether they would follow Him at personal cost. T...

When Jesus and His disciples saw a man who had been blind from birth, the disciples immediately asked whose sin had caused it. They saw his blindness and began looking for someone to blame. John 9:3, “Jesus answered, Neither hath this man sinned, nor his parents: but that the works of God should be made manifest in him.” Jesus corrected their assumption. Then He stopped and gave the man His attent...