Godly people are teachable. Men and women who are after God's heart will bend to His Word. The appropriate response to God's discipline is to change, by the confession of your sins and the correction of your actions.
Do you get up because of a calling or because the alarm goes off?
Fruitful believers are not controlled by their environment. Everyone experiences trials and pain, but those who are filled with the Spirit do not lose His fruit because of their situations. They keep their joy even when difficulties overwhelm. If someone speaks harshly, they respond with kindness. Because the Holy Spirit is in control, He is free to produce His fruit no matter what the circumstances are. Even though such believers may feel pain, anger, or a desire for revenge, they choose to trust the Lord to protect them and direct the outcome.
Fruitful Christians recover quickly after a fall. These believers are not perfect, but they are sensitive to the Spirit's conviction and are quick to return to the Lord in repentance. In fact, they are actually grateful for the correction and praise God, not only for revealing their weakness but also for drawing them back to obedience.
Training a child means building into his or her life early the solid base of a biblical worldview. It’s also is to let them see in you a life that stands on unshakable foundations.
spare the rod spoil the child, I had to laugh because my generation had pick our own switches. My mom and dad had back up belts and I can remember my neighbor spanking me after calling my mom and telling her what I was doing wrong.
DR. James Dobson wrote Dare to Discipline and then rewrote it as the world view changed and named it the New Dare to Discipline.
People the bible did not change, do what the word says.....
Know what you want, create a plan to get there and execute
Divine love is no abstract theory; it is a living Person.
~Harry Foster~
2Co 4:17
For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, is working for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory,
2Co 5:7
For we walk by faith, not by sight.
Rom 10:17
So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.
Our behavior in times of need and crisis proclaims
what we really are.
~D. Martyn Lloyd-Jones~
The Bible gives us the weaknesses of the Old Testament heroes so we can learn from them. What are your weaknesses? Once you know, you need to be very careful with them, because they can either slow you down or destroy your life.
Our greatest danger in life is permitting the urgent things to crowd out the important things.
Greg Laurie
The word of God is not something we can pick and choose from, we must accept it all or we are choosing to accept none of it.
There’s profound joy in the mutual and reckless pursuit of each other in marriage. Marriage requires a fierce tenacity that never gives up and never gives in.
hrow out any and all backup plans in your marriage. When you do, you’ll enjoy the intimacy that comes only from pursuing unconditionally and being pursued exactly the same way.
No one should fear to undertake any task in the name of our Saviour if it is just and if the intention is purely for
His holy service.
Christopher Columbus
The more you want to control things, the less likely you are to submit yourself to God’s plan.
"For to this you were called, because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that you should follow His steps:
what happens to us to define us, then we can easily feel stuck, victimized, and discouraged. But if we can see from the perspective of faith, if we can view our lives in light of God’s grand purpose for the cosmos and for us, then we can reframe our experience. Even our challenges, disappointments, and suffering can have meaning in Christ. God can and will redeem the hardest parts of life, using them for our good and his glory.
Why do you need to be taught what you have already learned? Is it because you have not put it into practice. Are we so soon removed from the 40-year wilderness journey of the children of Israel that we have to relive it?
We glorify God not only in contexts we call “worship.” In fact, glorifying God is not primarily about what we do in our weekly gatherings but about how we act as God’s people scattered in the world. We glorify God through our praises, to be sure, but also through our work, our neighborliness, our citizenship, our seeking justice, our stewardship of finances, and our relationships. We are to glorify God each day through all we do...
God is able to do far more than anything you can ask or imagine. He can do this in every sector of your life: in your work and leadership, in your family and friendships, in your church and community, in your studies and volunteer work, and in your efforts to seek God’s justice in the world. Let the truth of God’s measureless ability to change your thinking, your prayer, and your living. Let your worldview be His view.
True success is not found in jockeying for positions of power and influence. It is not found in acquiring possessions or praise. God looks for people who will humbly serve others like Jesus did. That’s true success and it gets God’s attention. When we follow Jesus’s model for a successful life, we will impact others for the goo
If we’re going to help folks deal with the negative “stuff” in their lives, we must begin by dealing honestly with our own “stuff.” Then we approach others in the context of a trusting relationship, seeking to love them in ways that are both kind and costly. Jesus expects us to be there for each other for the long haul, helping our brothers and sisters to grow as mature disciples of Jesus even as they help us to do the same.
God values Christian character, which shines in positive, outward conduct. Fashion your heart after Jesus.
~Elizabeth George~
Hope in God is not a cop-out!
When Adam and Eve fell to temptation -- wanting to be like God and rebelled against Him -- the world changed around them. It lost much of its beauty and friendliness. Nature was set against man. Natural disasters, sickness, and human motivated horrors are a result of man's fall and God's judgment against sin.
For the children of God -- all pain will ultimately lead to victory and life.
7 things believers should remind themselves of every day:
1. God is my Father. 2. Christ is my Savior. 3. Heaven is my home. 4. Scripture is my guide. 5. Every believer is my family. 6. The gospel is my message. 7. God’s glory is my goal.
Every time you groan, remember it as a promise of future glory -- both spiritually and physically.
When Saint Augustine was asked to list the principles of the Christian life, he answered, “First, humility. Second, humility. Third, humility.”
“Forgiveness is the giving, and so the receiving of life.”—
George MacDonald
Christ ceaseth not to work by His intercession with God for us, and by His Spirit in us for God, whereby He upholds His saints, their graces, their comforts in life, without which they would run to ruin.
~William Gurnall~
When we can’t see the plan, we can be confident that God still has a plan and is in control.
"Courage is not simply one of the virtues, but the form of every virtue at the testing point."— C.S. Lewis
Few topics can elicit stress, anxiety, and fear like death can. But, for the believer, there is not the worry about the unknown. We have the hope of Heaven. The gift of Heaven! Come and share your thoughts about Heaven and what it will be like with us. We would love to hear from you!
"The prayer offered to God in the morning during your quiet time is the key that unlocks the door of the day."— Adrian Rogers
"God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble" (James 4:6). Habakkuk was inspired of the Spirit to state the same truth in this form. "Behold the proud, his soul is not upright in him." James contrasted pride with humility. Here, the prophet concluded his statement by contrasting pride with faith. The proud person is depending upon himself. The humble person is willing to depend upon the Lord. The humble person is the one who will be growing in the grace of God.
There is power, freedom, and health in honest forgiveness that comes from the heart of God.
Giving us key intelligence about Satan is one way God equips us for spiritual battle.
As Christians, we will go to Heaven one day, and we’ll get there in one of two ways: death or the Rapture. There is a generation that will not see death but will instead go to Heaven in the Rapture. We don’t know whether we will be that generation. But we could be.
Jesus isn’t your co-pilot, He’s your King.
If you don’t diffuse your anger by learning to love others, you may eventually begain plotting against them. The Bible says that envy leads to fighting, quarreling, and every evil thing. Love suffers long and is kind,
God cares for us bountifully, but that doesn't mean we can expect Him to deliver whatever we want, whenever we want it. Only when our dreams align with His plan for our lives does He fulfill them. The thoughts that preoccupy us are an accurate barometer of the state of our relationship with Christ.
We all stumble and fall and, at one time or another, need someone who is willing to show us the love and compassion of God. The apostle Paul had certainly experienced the love and forgiveness of God and wrote a letter to the church at Corinth, encouraging them to share that same compassion with those in need. One of the key words in this letter is “comfort” or “encouragement.” In the Greek, it means “called to one’s side to help” and is used 29 times in this letter alone. When trouble comes, we tend to look in all the wrong places for comfort when what we should do is run straight into the arms of the source of all comfort – God. The world sees only a hopeless end, but the Christian rejoices in an endless hope.
your testimony—will lead to overcoming strength which will be broadcast loudly and clearly to others.
if I open my eyes and observe, there are many reasons to take off my hat, look at the Source of it all, and just say thanks!
From In the Eye of the Storm~ Max Lucado
Christian love is not the victim of our emotions but the
servant of our will.
~John R. W. Stott~
After reading the words of Jesus, we realize the main issue regarding predestination is neither intellectual nor theological. It is moral. Through God's foreknowledge He knew those who would embrace the light, and those who would not. He knew those who would choose Him rather than continue to walk in darkness. So He chose them. As a result, He predestined our reward.
Mine to Let Go Of
There is no ongoing spiritual life without this process of letting go. At the precise point where we refuse, growth stops.
If we hold tightly to anything given to us, unwilling to let it go when the time comes to let it go or unwilling to allow it to be used as the Giver means it to be used, we stunt the growth of the soul.
It is easy to make a mistake here. “If God gave it to me,” we say, “it's mine. I can do what I want with it.” No. The truth is that it is ours to thank Him for and ours to offer back to Him, ours to relinquish, ours to lose, ours to let go of -- if we want to find our true selves, if we want real life, if our hearts are set on glory.
-- Elisabeth Elliot
Let me encourage you today to be obedient to the calling of God. Where He says go, be faithful to go. It may be a big step of faith, or a small one. But don't make excuses. Don't be overwhelmed or paralyzed by fear. Don't worry if you're "qualified," or "spiritual enough." God will do amazing things in and through your life -- if you will let Him!
The cannot command convictions of sin to come
when you like.
~Robert Murray M’Cheyne~
When we get to the end of our lives, myself included, we're going to kick ourselves that we didn't spend more time with the Lord. We're going to wish we'd spent more time praying, serving, learning from His Word, and fellowshipping with Him. Today, whatever your circumstances, learn to walk closely with God.
Are we to pray with the idea that God will change His mind about a particular event? Perhaps if we ask often enough He will finally give in? That somehow God will see things the right way, our way? Of course not. Prayer is not about aligning God's will with our own, but adjusting our thinking to God's. So what happens when we pray? The Holy Spirit knows what God has planned for us, what is already in store. It's all waiting for us. The Holy Spirit's job is to get us to want it, and then ask for it.
If the service of God is worth anything, it is worth everything.
~C. H. Spurgeon~
God is just and loving. Therefore, anything and everything He does is always right.
The Old Lady, the Atheist, and the Groceries
An elderly lady was well-known for her faith and for her boldness in talking about it. She would stand on her front porch and shout "Praise the Lord!"
Next door to her lived an atheist who would get so angry at her proclamations he would shout back, "There ain't no Lord!!"
Hard times set in on the elderly lady, and she prayed for God to send her some assistance. She stood on her porch and shouted "Praise the Lord. God, I need food! I am having a hard time. Please, Lord, send me some groceries!"
The next morning the lady went out and discovered a large bag of groceries on her porch! As expected, she shouted, "Praise the Lord!"
Just then her angry neighbor jumped from behind a bush! "Aha! I told you there was no Lord. I bought those groceries! God didn't!"
But the faithful old lady just grinned and started clapping her hands. "Praise the Lord," she said. "He not only sent me groceries, but He made the devil pay for them!"
-- Anonymous
Today, God is preparing us, as believers, for an eternity of freedom in Him. God allows us to endure tough times because they force us to rely on Him. They force us to finally let go of our self-reliance, our pride, and our stubbornness, and let Him do a work in our lives. No, adversity is not fun, and if you are experiencing tough times right now, my heart goes out to you. "In the world you will have tribulation," Jesus said, "but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world" (John 16:33b).
"When you do the right things the right way you have nothing to lose because you have nothing to fear."- Zig Ziglar
You’re responsible for finding out what that something is and then throwing your whole heart into it, without reservation or holdback. Only when you discover what you really enjoy doing and then commit yourself to it wholeheartedly do you begin to feel really alive and fully engaged in life. "None of us are ever beyond our need to sit under the teaching of Scripture." -Alistair Begg
Glory Days require an ongoing trust in God’s Word! Wilderness people trust scripture just enough to escape Egypt. Canaan dwellers, on the other hand, make the Bible their “go-to” book for life! God told Joshua in Joshua 1:8 to meditate on God’s Word day and night. The literal translation reads, you shall mutter over this Torah document. It is the image of a person reciting, rehearsing, and reconsidering God’s Word over and over again.
“Actions speak louder than words.” They reveal the truth.
The actions of men form an infallible index of their character.
~Geoffrey Wilson~
Do you know God?
Do you fear Him?
Do you follow and obey Him?
What draws your interest and rolls around in your mind because you can’t forget it? What breaks your heart or makes you cry for joy or sorrow, and gives you a burden and longing for relief? What needs do you see in the world that you long to fulfill? What problems do you need to solve? How can your time and talents bless others.
Your promised land is your sphere of influence. It can be where you are representing the Kingdom of God without even realizing it!
Happy is he who makes daily progress and who considers not what he did yesterday but what advance he can make today.
~Jerome~
Our words must be inspired by the Holy Spirit. If you are not inspired by the Holy Spirit, you have nothing to say; all you have are notes and facts copied from somebody else. Our message should center on the cross of Jesus Christ. It is the most important part of the Gospel message. But we also need to learn to mimic Christ because we are crucified with Him. Why? So we can be spiritual men and women.
Raul Ries
I like what Martin Luther said: “Pray and let God worry.” That is really the secret. Philippians 4:6–7 says, “Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus.”
We can make the right, braver, decisions and nurture healthier thinking when we use the tools given to us by God.
“Thoughts invite us, more than words and deeds, to continue in sin, for thoughts can be concealed, while words and deeds cannot.”—Soren Kierkegaard
Studies have found that 85 percent of the things we worry about never happen.
When you received God’s grace through faith, when you said “Yes” to Jesus, God called you. But let me hasten to add this doesn’t mean you have to drop everything, quit your job, and go to seminary or travel overseas as a missionary. For most of us, recognition of our calling doesn’t so much mean doing all sorts of different things as it means doing all sorts of things differently.
Bible teacher Dr. J. Vernon McGee once wrote that the book of Ruth is a “story of salvation on the black background of sin.” Compromise, corruption and confusion reigned. God’s judgment for His people was famine. So Elimelech took his wife and sons from Bethlehem to Moab. He thought things would be better; instead, he died. His sons took Moabite women to marry. Then the sons died. And yet this family was a light in the darkness because Ruth, having married one of the sons, accepted Israel’s God as her God. When her husband died, she determined to live with her mother-in-law even if it meant extreme poverty for them. Then the Lord provided a kinsman/redeemer to care for, love and eventually marry Ruth.
I love the words in Ruth for wedding vows, Ruth 1:16-17 16 But Ruth said: “Entreat me not to leave you, Or to turn back from following after you; For wherever you go, I will go; And wherever you lodge, I will lodge; Your people shall be my people, And your God, my God. 17 Where you die, I will die, And there will I be buried. The LORD do so to me, and more also, If anything but death parts you and me.”
“We have a responsibility to influence the people in our lives to be the best possible people they can be: ‘Therefore encourage one another and build each other up’” (1 Thessalonians 5: 11). —Henry Cloud, John Townsend
We need to vote our Biblical values! Here’s a great voting guide for Californians!
America, America, God Shed His Grace on Thee!
America needs to return to the Bible and faith in Jesus Christ.
“Much of our prayer is just asking God to bless some folks that are ill and to keep us plugging along. But prayer is not merely prattle: it is warfare.”
—Alan Redpath
God’s word is always true, always reliable. God’s work is always faithful, always solid. In response to God’s word and work, we offer the praise of our lips and the worship of our lives.
Share your faith. If you have been depressed, your depression will lift. If you've been demotivated, you'll be surprised at how much energy you now have. And if you've been struggling with direction for your life, the Lord will give you both hope and inspiration -- He will show you His will for you personally.
Blessed are the peacemakers, and one sure way of peacemaking is to let the fire of contention alone. Neither fan it, nor stir it, nor add fuel to it, but let it go out by itself. Begin your ministry with one blind eye and one deaf ear.
~C. H. Spurgeon~
Serving the Lord is a blessing..
People will often ask me, “Do you think Jesus is coming back soon?” Honestly, I don’t know. However, I do know that He is coming back one day, and today is one day closer to His arrival. The greater question is “Are you ready?”
Jesus isn’t your co-pilot, He’s your King.
The other 11 disciples didn’t stop believing in Jesus, because of the actions of Judas. Even, when they scattered momentarily, Jesus found them together worshipping and praying after the Resurrection. If someone’s actions wreck your faith, then you must ask yourself, “Was my faith in Jesus, or other people?”
"Christ became a man for you; be a man for Christ." — Charles Spurgeon
When the enemy says, “you can’t”. I don’t argue. I agree. I can’t. But, my God can.
The world can’t give you joy, so don’t let the world take your joy.
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