Spiritual refreshment is a term that sounds so soothing and so positive. That's because that is exactly what it is. The Word of God is so powerful and is filled with so many things that sometimes it's hard to really feel like the Spirit is working through you when you are in the word. Honestly that is how I have felt the last two or three days...I have been praying every day for some scripture to really speak to me. I feel it every time but sometimes it might be hard to comprehend.
I read Psalm 130 and that is where I felt the Spirit put the term into my head..."spiritual refreshment."
Psalm 130 says: Out of the depths I cry to you, Lord; Lord, hear my voice. Let you ears be attentive to my cry for mercy. If you, kept a record of sins, Lord, who could stand? But with you there is forgiveness, so that we can, with reverence, serve you. I wait for the Lord, my whole being waits, and in his word I put my hope. I wait for the Lord. more than watchman wait for the morning, more than watchman wait for the morning.
I find this refreshing because this is a passage that really emphasizes waiting on the Lord. Sometimes I get a little impatient...and when that happens I am just not feeling it. Waiting on the Lord is totally okay. It's what we usually have to do. I love the ending of that passage, "more than watchman wait for the morning, more than watchman wait for the morning." That isn't a typo up above, that is word for word. Watchman want the morning to come more than anybody, there job is literally to sit and watch until morning comes, they wait and they wait. Waiting is fine, our God is faithful.
Let that be your encouragement for the day. It is okay to wait to see what God will do. Just have faith and have some patience. Our God is awesome, trust in him.
Spiritual refreshment doesn't even have to be a passage that is super positive. Spiritual refreshment is scripture that the Spirit uses to lift you up.
Have a great and blessed Saturday.
Saturday, September 30, 2017
Friday, September 29, 2017
Are you spending time with Jesus
Happy Friday evening. I hope that you all had an awesome fall weather day. This post will be brief and it's coming from my heart. Usually posts come from what I read in my bible on a daily basis, but sometimes what I post comes straight from the heart.
The past couple months my faith and my relationship with Jesus has grown so much. It all started with spending some time with him on a daily basis. It can be 20 minutes. Yeah sometimes you just don't feel like it or even want to do it for that matter. I've heard before that an action becomes a habit after 21 days of performing that action. I've gotten in a habit with spending time with our Father every day. Sometimes habits are just something you to everyday, but this habit has turned into a bit of an addiction. I am addicted to the gospel. I am addicted to reading God's word. I am addicted to spending time with him and whatever way possible. It all starts with you. Simply, try reading two chapters of a book of the bible everyday and two chapters from the book of Psalms. I promise you, you'll find some pretty cool things and the Spirit will really speak to you through whatever you read. You don't even have to do two chapters, randomly flip to a page and start reading, or just spend some time in prayer. As long as you are giving your heart and your time to God...which...are already his.
Honestly, that is all I have to say today! I kept it short and sweet for you. If you have any questions or need some help getting started with something like this, feel free to contact me.
The past couple months my faith and my relationship with Jesus has grown so much. It all started with spending some time with him on a daily basis. It can be 20 minutes. Yeah sometimes you just don't feel like it or even want to do it for that matter. I've heard before that an action becomes a habit after 21 days of performing that action. I've gotten in a habit with spending time with our Father every day. Sometimes habits are just something you to everyday, but this habit has turned into a bit of an addiction. I am addicted to the gospel. I am addicted to reading God's word. I am addicted to spending time with him and whatever way possible. It all starts with you. Simply, try reading two chapters of a book of the bible everyday and two chapters from the book of Psalms. I promise you, you'll find some pretty cool things and the Spirit will really speak to you through whatever you read. You don't even have to do two chapters, randomly flip to a page and start reading, or just spend some time in prayer. As long as you are giving your heart and your time to God...which...are already his.
Honestly, that is all I have to say today! I kept it short and sweet for you. If you have any questions or need some help getting started with something like this, feel free to contact me.
Thursday, September 28, 2017
Washed clean
I think that one of the toughest things about having a personal relationship with Christ is when you sin or are disobedient and you have a sense of guilt. Especially when you string together weeks and weeks of righteousness...or even a couple of days. Guilt is one of the worst feelings there is. Even if you feel a little guilty, it is something that will just keep eating away at your heart. Everybody struggles with it, maybe it's just not quite as bad for some people because they don't understand that they are doing something that is wrong. We are all in different stages of our faith so what might be an act of disobedience to me might be a little different than what it is for someone else. I am not saying that some there is a difference between things that are bad. Sin is sin.
The scripture I want to encourage you with this morning comes from 1 Corinthians 7-11: The fact that you have lawsuits among you means you have been completely defeated already. Why not rather be wronged? Why not rather be cheated? Instead, you yourselves cheat and do wrong, and you do this to your brothers and sisters. Or do you not know that wrongdoers will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: Neither the sexually immoral not idolaters nor men who have sex with men nor thieves nor the greedy nor the drunkards nor the slanderers nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God. And that is what some of you were. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of God.
See, we all do wrong, we all sin, but our God is so good. We were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Sprit of God. I believe that is something that a lot of people needed to hear today.
There is no need to feel guilty! Unfortunately, we still do feel that way. One way to get rid of the feeling of guilt is to simply confess your sins. Give it all to God. I mean he already knows what you did wrong so why not just tell him? A lesson I learned this summer about getting rid of that feeling was making things right with the people I did wrong to or didn't treat right. Talk about getting rid of a lot of pride. I want to be gut level honest with you, it was hard. There were some friendships I needed to make right and there were a lot of people that I needed to apologize to...specifically girls. Can you believe I just said that on here? Well I did because I want to be honest with you and I don't want to keep secrets. I was in Los Angeles when I reached out to all of the people I had to make things right with, so I just sent out probably 10-15 texts. That was super hard for me to do, but when you get rid of guilt you completely open your heart to God for significant growth. You also break down the walls you had made with those people and you have the ability to start some cool relationships with people.
Today, I encourage you to make things right with people if you feel guilty about anything. I promise you will feel so much better. Also, remember that through the name of the Lord Jesus Christ you are washed, you were sanctified, and you were justified.
The scripture I want to encourage you with this morning comes from 1 Corinthians 7-11: The fact that you have lawsuits among you means you have been completely defeated already. Why not rather be wronged? Why not rather be cheated? Instead, you yourselves cheat and do wrong, and you do this to your brothers and sisters. Or do you not know that wrongdoers will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: Neither the sexually immoral not idolaters nor men who have sex with men nor thieves nor the greedy nor the drunkards nor the slanderers nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God. And that is what some of you were. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of God.
See, we all do wrong, we all sin, but our God is so good. We were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Sprit of God. I believe that is something that a lot of people needed to hear today.
There is no need to feel guilty! Unfortunately, we still do feel that way. One way to get rid of the feeling of guilt is to simply confess your sins. Give it all to God. I mean he already knows what you did wrong so why not just tell him? A lesson I learned this summer about getting rid of that feeling was making things right with the people I did wrong to or didn't treat right. Talk about getting rid of a lot of pride. I want to be gut level honest with you, it was hard. There were some friendships I needed to make right and there were a lot of people that I needed to apologize to...specifically girls. Can you believe I just said that on here? Well I did because I want to be honest with you and I don't want to keep secrets. I was in Los Angeles when I reached out to all of the people I had to make things right with, so I just sent out probably 10-15 texts. That was super hard for me to do, but when you get rid of guilt you completely open your heart to God for significant growth. You also break down the walls you had made with those people and you have the ability to start some cool relationships with people.
Today, I encourage you to make things right with people if you feel guilty about anything. I promise you will feel so much better. Also, remember that through the name of the Lord Jesus Christ you are washed, you were sanctified, and you were justified.
Wednesday, September 27, 2017
Foundation is everything
What do you build your foundation on? I am sure you have heard the famous saying, "the wider the base the higher the pyramid." What does that look like to you? Honestly it can look like a lot of things. What does your foundation look like? How are you building your base? What does your base consist of? There is one common thing that should be the base of your foundation...can you guess what that is?
1 Corinthians 3:10-11 says: By the grace God has given me, I laid a foundation as a wise builder, and someone else is building on it. But each one should build with care. For no one can lay any foundation other than the one already laid, which is Jesus Christ.
I really like that verse and especially the end. "For no one can lay any foundation other than the one already laid, which is Jesus Christ. That is so powerful to know that Jesus Christ is our foundation. I encourage you to remember that. It is easy to think of other things that we need to keep our foundation strong. We can try to build our foundation with other things but will it last? Will your base be strong and firm? With Christ as our foundation, nobody or anything can ever tear you down. If you remember one thing from this post, I hope that is it.
When I think of a foundation I think of what can be built on top. Check this scripture out. It comes form 1 Corinthians 3:16-17 and it says: Don't you know that you yourselves are God's temple and that God's Spirit dwells in your midst? If anyone destroys God's temple, God will destroy that person; for God's temple is sacred, and you together are that temple.
Our foundation is Jesus Christ and alone with that our body's are God's temple. Everything belongs to him. Just sit and think about it...literally everything of you belongs to God.
1 Corinthians 3:10-11 says: By the grace God has given me, I laid a foundation as a wise builder, and someone else is building on it. But each one should build with care. For no one can lay any foundation other than the one already laid, which is Jesus Christ.
I really like that verse and especially the end. "For no one can lay any foundation other than the one already laid, which is Jesus Christ. That is so powerful to know that Jesus Christ is our foundation. I encourage you to remember that. It is easy to think of other things that we need to keep our foundation strong. We can try to build our foundation with other things but will it last? Will your base be strong and firm? With Christ as our foundation, nobody or anything can ever tear you down. If you remember one thing from this post, I hope that is it.
When I think of a foundation I think of what can be built on top. Check this scripture out. It comes form 1 Corinthians 3:16-17 and it says: Don't you know that you yourselves are God's temple and that God's Spirit dwells in your midst? If anyone destroys God's temple, God will destroy that person; for God's temple is sacred, and you together are that temple.
Our foundation is Jesus Christ and alone with that our body's are God's temple. Everything belongs to him. Just sit and think about it...literally everything of you belongs to God.
Tuesday, September 26, 2017
power of the Spirit
I think that we get caught up in who has the right things to say and get caught up in worldly wisdom. Trust me, wisdom from people of the world is not a bad thing at all. It is such a good thing because there are so many people that need to hear wise things. I know that I sometimes perceive wisdom from certain pastors or people of authority as great. It's easy to place their wisdom on a platform above all other wisdom. All wisdom comes from God so that's not really the best thing to do. All wisdom is great, I am sure though that you can relate to what I am saying about this.
The point I want to make today is how foolish our wisdom is compared to God's. He knows it too, which is the funny part.
1 Corinthians 1:21 says: For since in the wisdom of God the world through its wisdom did not know him, God was pleased through the foolishness of what was preached to save those who believe.
Read this again: God was please though the foolishness of what was preached to save those who believe. We think we know so much about our Father sometimes...even the knowledge to save someone is foolish compared to God's knowledge. That just amazes me. It puts me in awe of God.
1 Corinthians 1:25 says: For the foolishness of God is wiser than human wisdom, and the weakness of God is stronger than human strength.
God's foolishness is still so much wiser than we think we are. So...just think about how wise God is...
Paul gives says exactly this in 1 Corinthians 2:4-5: My message and my preaching were not with the wise and persuasive words, but with a demonstration of the Spirit's power, so that your faith might not rest on human wisdom, but on God's power.
All of God's wisdom is revealed through the spirit.
1 Corinthians 2:7 says: No, we declare God's wisdom, a mystery that has been hidden and that God destined for our glory before time began.
God's wisdom is so powerful that it is literally a mystery. This makes me want to love him more and more. Just think of the things to come. I want to know and experience God's wisdom and I cannot wait for that day. It is written: "What no eye has seen, what no ear has heard, and what no human mind has conceived"-the things God has prepared for those who love him." These things are the things God has revealed through to us by the Spirit.
I encourage you today that if you feel timid about possibly not knowing what to say, don't worry about it at all. The Spirit will give you the words to say. Also, I want you to remember that God is pleased with our foolishness when we preach our encourage other people.
I am just as foolish as you when it come to comprehending all of God's wisdom, power, and glory.
Win the day!
The point I want to make today is how foolish our wisdom is compared to God's. He knows it too, which is the funny part.
1 Corinthians 1:21 says: For since in the wisdom of God the world through its wisdom did not know him, God was pleased through the foolishness of what was preached to save those who believe.
Read this again: God was please though the foolishness of what was preached to save those who believe. We think we know so much about our Father sometimes...even the knowledge to save someone is foolish compared to God's knowledge. That just amazes me. It puts me in awe of God.
1 Corinthians 1:25 says: For the foolishness of God is wiser than human wisdom, and the weakness of God is stronger than human strength.
God's foolishness is still so much wiser than we think we are. So...just think about how wise God is...
Paul gives says exactly this in 1 Corinthians 2:4-5: My message and my preaching were not with the wise and persuasive words, but with a demonstration of the Spirit's power, so that your faith might not rest on human wisdom, but on God's power.
All of God's wisdom is revealed through the spirit.
1 Corinthians 2:7 says: No, we declare God's wisdom, a mystery that has been hidden and that God destined for our glory before time began.
God's wisdom is so powerful that it is literally a mystery. This makes me want to love him more and more. Just think of the things to come. I want to know and experience God's wisdom and I cannot wait for that day. It is written: "What no eye has seen, what no ear has heard, and what no human mind has conceived"-the things God has prepared for those who love him." These things are the things God has revealed through to us by the Spirit.
I encourage you today that if you feel timid about possibly not knowing what to say, don't worry about it at all. The Spirit will give you the words to say. Also, I want you to remember that God is pleased with our foolishness when we preach our encourage other people.
I am just as foolish as you when it come to comprehending all of God's wisdom, power, and glory.
Win the day!
Monday, September 25, 2017
Be on the look out
Everyday there are people in our lives who try to to deceive us and try to make us believe things that are not true. I think it's important to remember that there are people out there who try to obstacles in our paths.
Romans 16:17-20 says: I urge you, brothers and sisters, to watch out for those who cause divisions and put obstacles in your way that are contrary to the teaching you have learned. Keep away from them. For such people are not serving our Lord Christ, but their own appetites. By smooth talk and flattery they deceive the minds of naive people. Everyone has heard about your obedience, so I rejoice because of you; but I want you to be wise about what is good, and innocent about what is evil. The God of peace will soon crush Satan under your feet. The grace of our Lord Jesus be with you.
What sticks out to me in those verses the most is the part that says, "everyone has heard about your obedience, so I rejoice because of you..." that is such a good reminder. When you are being obedient, it is literally making God rejoice because of what you have done.
With a passage like that, it is easy to associate the people who put obstacles in our path as evil and hopeless. They are not that. We need to build them up and share with them what is good.
Romans 15:1-4 says: We who are strong ought to bear with the failings of the weak and not to please ourselves. Each of us should please our neighbors for their good, to build them up. For even Christ did not please himself but, as it is written: "The insults of those who insult you have fallen on me." For everything that was written in the past was written to teach us, is that through the endurance tough in the Scriptures and the encouragement they provide might have hope.
"Bear with the failings of the weak." That really sticks out to me. Be different. Love everyone. Remember...it is literally written "the insults of those who insult you have fallen on me." We are supposed to have a heart like God. There you go. I hope that the Sprit can gave you something to be encouraged with in this message.
Romans 16:17-20 says: I urge you, brothers and sisters, to watch out for those who cause divisions and put obstacles in your way that are contrary to the teaching you have learned. Keep away from them. For such people are not serving our Lord Christ, but their own appetites. By smooth talk and flattery they deceive the minds of naive people. Everyone has heard about your obedience, so I rejoice because of you; but I want you to be wise about what is good, and innocent about what is evil. The God of peace will soon crush Satan under your feet. The grace of our Lord Jesus be with you.
What sticks out to me in those verses the most is the part that says, "everyone has heard about your obedience, so I rejoice because of you..." that is such a good reminder. When you are being obedient, it is literally making God rejoice because of what you have done.
With a passage like that, it is easy to associate the people who put obstacles in our path as evil and hopeless. They are not that. We need to build them up and share with them what is good.
Romans 15:1-4 says: We who are strong ought to bear with the failings of the weak and not to please ourselves. Each of us should please our neighbors for their good, to build them up. For even Christ did not please himself but, as it is written: "The insults of those who insult you have fallen on me." For everything that was written in the past was written to teach us, is that through the endurance tough in the Scriptures and the encouragement they provide might have hope.
"Bear with the failings of the weak." That really sticks out to me. Be different. Love everyone. Remember...it is literally written "the insults of those who insult you have fallen on me." We are supposed to have a heart like God. There you go. I hope that the Sprit can gave you something to be encouraged with in this message.
Sunday, September 24, 2017
Submission to Governing Authorities
God works in the most mysterious ways. I usually blog about topics that I feel are given through daily reading but today I was trying to think of something different to do. I had a couple ideas come to mind. The one topic I was considering doing was going to be about all the drama going on between President Trump and professional athletes. Then I thought, nahh I don't really want to post something that will cause any controversy or make people a little uneasy. So, about 30 minutes ago I sat down, opened up my Bible, turned to Romans 13 (where I am currently at) and the first heading says; "Submission to Governing Authorities." God definitely wanted me to take a shot and blog about this today. So here we go!
I think that so many people forget what the Bible says about governing authorities. I think that when governing authorities are mentioned in the Bible, the only thing people think about are the governing authorities that are in the Bible. Not the governing authorities today. The word of God is so amazing and everything in it is true! If you don't believe me, talk to me or google it. There is proof everywhere.
God is in charge of everything right? Correct. God created everything and his reign is over all the world and all of the universe. Enough of my talk, here is what Paul has to say about governing authorities in Romans 13:1-5.
"Let everyone be subject to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which God has established. The authorities that exist have been established by God. Consequently, whoever rebels against the authority is rebelling against what God has instituted, and those who do so will bring judgment on themselves. For rulers hold no terror for those who do right, but for those who do wrong. Do you want to be free from fear of the one in authority? Then do what is right and you will be commended. For the one in authority is God's servant for your good. But if you do wrong, be afraid, for rulers do not bear the sword for no reasons. They are God's servants, agents of wrath to bring punishment on the wrongdoer. Therefore, it is necessary to submit to the authorities, not only because of possible punishment but also as a matter of conscience."
Here are a couple of the points that stick out:
- authorities that exist have been established by God
- consequently, whoever rebels against authority rebels against God
- rulers hold no terror for those who do what is right
- for the one in authority is God's servant for our good.
I want to be clear with this message today, I am giving you what the word of God says.
So what should we do? We need to love one another! Love fulfills the law. The most important commandment of all is this: "Love your neighbor as yourself." Romans 13:10 says: Love does no harm to a neighbor. Therefore love is the fulfillment of the law. We need to come together and love each other. It's really as simple as that. Where is the love?
Romans 13:12 says: The night is nearly over; the day is almost here. So let us put aside the deeds of darkness and put on the armor of light.
It's time to put aside our differences, the day is near and we need to love, love, love.
Romans 13:14 says: Rather, clothe yourselves with the Lord Jesus Christ, and do not think about how to gratify the desires of the flesh.
The desires of the flesh want to rebel against anything the flesh doesn't agree with. Clothe yourselves with Jesus. He is the author and perfecter over everything. We need to submit to him.
Even once I opened my Bible and saw what the scripture was for today I was still a little hesitant. I continued on to Romans 14 and found this verse that I took as God saying to me, "you gotta share this dude." It's Romans 14:9 and it says: Let us therefore make every effort to do what leads to peace and to mutual edification.
With this post today I am not saying, "All hail President Trump." I am saying that God created all things for the good of those who love him. We are to love each other. If you take away anything form what I had to say, I hope that it the fact of love. As Christians we are different, we are persecuted and not everyone is going to agree with what we have to say. John 15:18 says: "If the world hates you, keep in mind that it hated me first." I want to close with that verse because it's so powerful. The world might hate us...but so what? God loves us and that is what matters most.
I think that so many people forget what the Bible says about governing authorities. I think that when governing authorities are mentioned in the Bible, the only thing people think about are the governing authorities that are in the Bible. Not the governing authorities today. The word of God is so amazing and everything in it is true! If you don't believe me, talk to me or google it. There is proof everywhere.
God is in charge of everything right? Correct. God created everything and his reign is over all the world and all of the universe. Enough of my talk, here is what Paul has to say about governing authorities in Romans 13:1-5.
"Let everyone be subject to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which God has established. The authorities that exist have been established by God. Consequently, whoever rebels against the authority is rebelling against what God has instituted, and those who do so will bring judgment on themselves. For rulers hold no terror for those who do right, but for those who do wrong. Do you want to be free from fear of the one in authority? Then do what is right and you will be commended. For the one in authority is God's servant for your good. But if you do wrong, be afraid, for rulers do not bear the sword for no reasons. They are God's servants, agents of wrath to bring punishment on the wrongdoer. Therefore, it is necessary to submit to the authorities, not only because of possible punishment but also as a matter of conscience."
Here are a couple of the points that stick out:
- authorities that exist have been established by God
- consequently, whoever rebels against authority rebels against God
- rulers hold no terror for those who do what is right
- for the one in authority is God's servant for our good.
I want to be clear with this message today, I am giving you what the word of God says.
So what should we do? We need to love one another! Love fulfills the law. The most important commandment of all is this: "Love your neighbor as yourself." Romans 13:10 says: Love does no harm to a neighbor. Therefore love is the fulfillment of the law. We need to come together and love each other. It's really as simple as that. Where is the love?
Romans 13:12 says: The night is nearly over; the day is almost here. So let us put aside the deeds of darkness and put on the armor of light.
It's time to put aside our differences, the day is near and we need to love, love, love.
Romans 13:14 says: Rather, clothe yourselves with the Lord Jesus Christ, and do not think about how to gratify the desires of the flesh.
The desires of the flesh want to rebel against anything the flesh doesn't agree with. Clothe yourselves with Jesus. He is the author and perfecter over everything. We need to submit to him.
Even once I opened my Bible and saw what the scripture was for today I was still a little hesitant. I continued on to Romans 14 and found this verse that I took as God saying to me, "you gotta share this dude." It's Romans 14:9 and it says: Let us therefore make every effort to do what leads to peace and to mutual edification.
With this post today I am not saying, "All hail President Trump." I am saying that God created all things for the good of those who love him. We are to love each other. If you take away anything form what I had to say, I hope that it the fact of love. As Christians we are different, we are persecuted and not everyone is going to agree with what we have to say. John 15:18 says: "If the world hates you, keep in mind that it hated me first." I want to close with that verse because it's so powerful. The world might hate us...but so what? God loves us and that is what matters most.
Saturday, September 23, 2017
Ingrafted branches
Ingrafted is the past tense form of the word engraft. Engraft: "to insert, as a section of one tree or plant into another." Now why am I talking about branches? I am sure you have heard that God is the vine and we are the branches before. As I was reading this morning, I came across some pretty cool passages that I hope you can think about and use them for encouragement.
Romans 11:17-21 says: If some of the branches have been broken off, and you, though a wild olive shoot, have been grafted in among the others and now share in the nourishing sap from olive root, do not consider yourself superior to those other branches. If you do, consider this: You do not support the root, but the root supports you. You will say then, "Branches were broken off so that I could be grafted in it." Granted. But they were broke off because of unbelief, and you stand by faith. Do not be arrogant, but tremble. For if God did not spare the natural branches, he will not spare you either.
That passage is a little weird and understand, I had to read it a couple of times in order to get something out of it. Here is what I thought was the most important part about that unique passage. It was the beginning of verse 18. "Do not consider yourself as superior to those other branches." If you think you are someone who is better than everybody and you distance yourself from everybody you cannot do that, we are all equal. Ingrafted is the process of branches or plants inserting themselves into other plants. (I know that sounds a little wrong) If we break away from something like the branch did, we are too find other people to be rooted with. I hope that makes some sense to you. If God calls you to branch off and try new things or meet other other people, do not be hesitant to do so. Romans 11:29 says this: for God's gifts and and his call are irrevocable.
The word of God is so cool. In the very next chapter of Romans, Paul talks about the same thing but in a more simple and understanding way.
Romans 12:3-5 says: For by the grace given me I say to every one of you: Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgment, in accordance with the faith God has distributed to each of you. For just as each of us has one body with many members, and these members do not all have the same function, so we in Christ, though many, form one body, and each member belongs to all the others.
Those two passages are so similar. The common fact that I encourage you to remember is that you should never think of yourself as higher than others, through faith we from one body, and each member belongs to all the others.
I know that a lot of people who are Christians struggle with the fact that some know more than others. For example, I know a lot of people who struggle with reading the bible and sometimes they don't feel like they are loved as much as the Christians who know all these bible facts and what not. That is so wrong to believe, because we are all equal. We are all the same through faith. It literally says that all over the Bible which is so cool. If you are that person who struggles with that feeling, don't dwell on it, don't focus on the things that you struggle with as a Christian; rather, focus on the things that make you a Christian.
I hope and pray that the Spirit works through you while you read this today and that you can really learn something.
Win the day!
Friday, September 22, 2017
Fulfilling covnersations
Have you ever been in the situation where you seem to have the same conversations with your peers day after day, and the conversations really aren't about things that are that important? Okay, maybe that was a bad way to word it, maybe the conversations you have on a daily basis aren't life giving. There, I like that a lot better.
This evening, I want to encourage you to have life giving conversations. Step out of your comfort zone the next time you talk to someone. Go a little bit deeper than you usually go. It's easy to talk about all of the things on the outside, but have you ever tried to get in the inside? It's really not that hard.
Honestly though, it gets hard because you sometimes don't have the ability or have the time to have conversations like that. Usually, it's a "hey whats up? how are you?" and you'll reply with "not much, how are you?" I don't know about you but that happens to me so many times throughout the day.
Having a conversation that is fulfilling is one of the greatest feelings. Every time I get the chance to know somebody on a deeper level, I just have a sense of fulfillment. We were made for relationships. Through relationships we love each other, and when we love each other, we obey the greatest commandment. The deep conversations don't even have to get to a spiritual level, it sometimes just feels so good to be able to have a conversation with somebody who will listen to you about everything you have to say. I promise you, that if you have a spiritual conversation or just a super chill conversation with somebody, that you will experience a feeling of fulfillment.
Be bold, it's a two way street.
I want to close with a verse that comes from Romans 15:13 and it says. "May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit."
Trust in God, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit. Having a serious, authentic spiritual conversation with someone will fill your heart with an even greater love for our God.
I love getting to know people on a deeper level, if you are reading this and want to get together and connect sometime I would always be down for that.
This evening, I want to encourage you to have life giving conversations. Step out of your comfort zone the next time you talk to someone. Go a little bit deeper than you usually go. It's easy to talk about all of the things on the outside, but have you ever tried to get in the inside? It's really not that hard.
Honestly though, it gets hard because you sometimes don't have the ability or have the time to have conversations like that. Usually, it's a "hey whats up? how are you?" and you'll reply with "not much, how are you?" I don't know about you but that happens to me so many times throughout the day.
Having a conversation that is fulfilling is one of the greatest feelings. Every time I get the chance to know somebody on a deeper level, I just have a sense of fulfillment. We were made for relationships. Through relationships we love each other, and when we love each other, we obey the greatest commandment. The deep conversations don't even have to get to a spiritual level, it sometimes just feels so good to be able to have a conversation with somebody who will listen to you about everything you have to say. I promise you, that if you have a spiritual conversation or just a super chill conversation with somebody, that you will experience a feeling of fulfillment.
Be bold, it's a two way street.
I want to close with a verse that comes from Romans 15:13 and it says. "May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit."
Trust in God, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit. Having a serious, authentic spiritual conversation with someone will fill your heart with an even greater love for our God.
I love getting to know people on a deeper level, if you are reading this and want to get together and connect sometime I would always be down for that.
Thursday, September 21, 2017
Jesus is Lord
Romans 10:9-10 says: If you declare with your mouth, "Jesus is Lord," and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you profess your faith and are saved.
That is the most powerful thing you could ever say, because once you believe that and say that, you will have eternal life with our Father. I don't know if you have ever had the opportunity to be with someone when they gave their life to Christ or have ever played a role in their decision, but if you have there is really no other feeling that compares to that.
I want to take some time to tell you a story about how that happened in my life nearly a month ago. Again, I want you to know that I am not telling you his to hype myself up, I am telling you so that you can understand some of the amazing ways that God works.
It was August 9th, the day of my 21st birthday. As texts and messages kept coming in throughout the day, I would skim through everything but not reply because I was just going to wait to do that until the next day or something like that. I happened to open up one of the texts from one of my teammates and the text said, "happy birthday man. This is random but I just had a dream it was really weird but for some reason you were with me when I gave my life to Christ which I thought was pretty cool so I wanted to tell you that." My initial reaction was like woah...I had never had any conversation with this teammate about faith and we had known each other for the past year and a half. I thought it was so cool. So I began to think, how is God working in this situation right now? I didn't know if this teammate had ever given his life to Christ before so I was contemplating on whether or not to ask him. I felt God's presence and that was my cue to ask him. I encourage you that whenever you feel God's presence that you should act upon it. Anyways, I asked him and he told me that he had not done that yet and that he was trying to find the way. This got me super excited. I was like dude!! I would love to talk to you more about that sometime. We continued to text and he told me that he saw a date in his dream and the date was August 18th. The wheels in my head were turning and if God gives an exact date like that, I was sure that he was going to do everything possible to make it happen on that day. I went on to say, "how cool would it be if we got together on the 18th and got some dinner and just talked about every thing?" He was totally down for that. I was so excited every single day leading up to that. I was also nervous too, like what was I going to say? I knew that God was going to fill me with the words to say and he did just that. There were a couple of people that new about this and the dream that he had and that we were going to talk about, those people played a key role with their prayers as well. I saw him a couple of days before because he came up to Bethel and we got in some really good workouts together. Every conversation we had leading up to that day had something to do with that dream. He told me more about his dream, he said that in his dream, he was flying like he was going to heaven but he couldn't make it all the way there, and I was right there beside him to help him. Every detail of this story gives me chills every time I think about it. Every aspect of it had God written all over it. The 18th rolls around and today is the day. We met in Fort Wayne, Indiana at a Mexican restaurant called Cebolla's. It was around 2 o'clock when we got there and I had this set of pictures that had a series of questions that went along with it. I knew that this was going to be a great way to get the conversation going and a great way to get to know each other a little more and on a deeper level. Now before we started with that, I told him that if he felt like it was time to accept Christ into his heart at anytime that he should just tell me and we would pray that prayer, because it wasn't going to be anything that I said, it was going to be something that God said through me. So we went through these pictures and talk for probably two hours and we are smashing chips and salsa the entire time. It was perfect. The final question that went along with the pictures was this. "When you think about your spiritual life of journey, which image best represents what you wish were true?" I should probably mention that these pictures are of the most random things, and however you interpret them is how God wants you to. There was a picture of a clock on there and he had chosen that because he believe that it was time to give his life to Christ. I got chills and I was shaking and it was an indescribable feeling. So I asked him if he was ready and he was 100% sure that he was. I said, "let's pray." We prayed, he declared with his mouth that Jesus is Lord, and believed in his heart that God raised him from the dead." We said amen, and we looked at each other with our teary eyes and I told him that we are brothers forever. It was one of the most powerful moments I have experienced in my walk with Christ.
I remember the feeling after, just wanted more. I received a text that said, "God is using you in mighty ways." I replied with, "it's all God!!!" and that person texted back and reminded me that we are his hands and feet. Such a perfect reminder.
I will never forget this. I encourage you remember this verse. Romans 10:15 says: And can anyone preach unless they are sent? As it is written: "How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news!"
That is the most powerful thing you could ever say, because once you believe that and say that, you will have eternal life with our Father. I don't know if you have ever had the opportunity to be with someone when they gave their life to Christ or have ever played a role in their decision, but if you have there is really no other feeling that compares to that.
I want to take some time to tell you a story about how that happened in my life nearly a month ago. Again, I want you to know that I am not telling you his to hype myself up, I am telling you so that you can understand some of the amazing ways that God works.
It was August 9th, the day of my 21st birthday. As texts and messages kept coming in throughout the day, I would skim through everything but not reply because I was just going to wait to do that until the next day or something like that. I happened to open up one of the texts from one of my teammates and the text said, "happy birthday man. This is random but I just had a dream it was really weird but for some reason you were with me when I gave my life to Christ which I thought was pretty cool so I wanted to tell you that." My initial reaction was like woah...I had never had any conversation with this teammate about faith and we had known each other for the past year and a half. I thought it was so cool. So I began to think, how is God working in this situation right now? I didn't know if this teammate had ever given his life to Christ before so I was contemplating on whether or not to ask him. I felt God's presence and that was my cue to ask him. I encourage you that whenever you feel God's presence that you should act upon it. Anyways, I asked him and he told me that he had not done that yet and that he was trying to find the way. This got me super excited. I was like dude!! I would love to talk to you more about that sometime. We continued to text and he told me that he saw a date in his dream and the date was August 18th. The wheels in my head were turning and if God gives an exact date like that, I was sure that he was going to do everything possible to make it happen on that day. I went on to say, "how cool would it be if we got together on the 18th and got some dinner and just talked about every thing?" He was totally down for that. I was so excited every single day leading up to that. I was also nervous too, like what was I going to say? I knew that God was going to fill me with the words to say and he did just that. There were a couple of people that new about this and the dream that he had and that we were going to talk about, those people played a key role with their prayers as well. I saw him a couple of days before because he came up to Bethel and we got in some really good workouts together. Every conversation we had leading up to that day had something to do with that dream. He told me more about his dream, he said that in his dream, he was flying like he was going to heaven but he couldn't make it all the way there, and I was right there beside him to help him. Every detail of this story gives me chills every time I think about it. Every aspect of it had God written all over it. The 18th rolls around and today is the day. We met in Fort Wayne, Indiana at a Mexican restaurant called Cebolla's. It was around 2 o'clock when we got there and I had this set of pictures that had a series of questions that went along with it. I knew that this was going to be a great way to get the conversation going and a great way to get to know each other a little more and on a deeper level. Now before we started with that, I told him that if he felt like it was time to accept Christ into his heart at anytime that he should just tell me and we would pray that prayer, because it wasn't going to be anything that I said, it was going to be something that God said through me. So we went through these pictures and talk for probably two hours and we are smashing chips and salsa the entire time. It was perfect. The final question that went along with the pictures was this. "When you think about your spiritual life of journey, which image best represents what you wish were true?" I should probably mention that these pictures are of the most random things, and however you interpret them is how God wants you to. There was a picture of a clock on there and he had chosen that because he believe that it was time to give his life to Christ. I got chills and I was shaking and it was an indescribable feeling. So I asked him if he was ready and he was 100% sure that he was. I said, "let's pray." We prayed, he declared with his mouth that Jesus is Lord, and believed in his heart that God raised him from the dead." We said amen, and we looked at each other with our teary eyes and I told him that we are brothers forever. It was one of the most powerful moments I have experienced in my walk with Christ.
I remember the feeling after, just wanted more. I received a text that said, "God is using you in mighty ways." I replied with, "it's all God!!!" and that person texted back and reminded me that we are his hands and feet. Such a perfect reminder.
I will never forget this. I encourage you remember this verse. Romans 10:15 says: And can anyone preach unless they are sent? As it is written: "How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news!"
Wednesday, September 20, 2017
Decisions decisions decisions
This evening's post will be a little different than other things I have previously posted. I want to talk to you little bit about the importance of having people you are super close with and also about the decision making process. I have recently had to make one of the hardest decisions I have ever made in my life. When you make really important decisions there are many things you have to look at. One of the most important things you have to understand is that the biggest decisions cannot be made alone. When I have a decision to make that will really affect my life, I first seek God. You can do that in a couple of ways. Prayer is probably the biggest thing. Just knowing that God is always there listening is such a cool thing. Even if we do not know what to pray, the spirit knows are thoughts and needs just like how I talked about in my post from yesterday. Another thing I do is go to my Bible app and look to see what the verse of the day is. It seems like every time I do that, the verse of the day is absolutely prefect for what I am going through. Another thing that I do is called a 'listen in prayer.' That is when instead of you praying to God you find somewhere free of distractions and you sit and listen to what God has to say to you. It might not really be what you are looking for, but God will always give you something to work with.
Next, I want to talk about how important it is to have people in your life who you trust with everything and you seek advice from. I am so thankful to have the friends that I have. Whenever I am struggling with something I can talk to them about it and I know that they are going to listen to what I have to say and they are going to give great advice. It is also such a nice thing to know that you have a group of people you can talk to all the time. For me, my three roommates are my very best friends and they will be for the rest of my life. I know that I can come to them for anything. I also know that if there is something that I am doing wrong that they are not afraid to sit me down and talk to me about that. Your closest friends are in your life for a reason.
I cannot stress how important it is to have someone like a mentor in you life. I have a pastor that I have been meeting weekly, and that has been such a blessing. Having someone like that in your life is so nice because you can talk to them about anything and they will never judge you. You don't even have to call that type of person a mentor, they can just be a friend. There are people all over like that in your life. Another person like that for me is my coach. To have the ability to talk to my coach about everything that I am going through is such a blessing. Life is more than the game of basketball, and to have a coach that understands that is such a blessing.
I want to close with a verse that a very special friend shared with me this morning. This friend was aware of what I was going through and wanted to share this verse with me.
Isaiah 30:21 says: Whether you turn to the right or to the left, you ears will hear a voice behind you, saying, "This is the way; walk in it."
Next time you are faced with an important decision, remember to seek God, embrace the relationships you have with your friends, those people are your friends for a reason and you can never be afraid to be a little selfish.
Next, I want to talk about how important it is to have people in your life who you trust with everything and you seek advice from. I am so thankful to have the friends that I have. Whenever I am struggling with something I can talk to them about it and I know that they are going to listen to what I have to say and they are going to give great advice. It is also such a nice thing to know that you have a group of people you can talk to all the time. For me, my three roommates are my very best friends and they will be for the rest of my life. I know that I can come to them for anything. I also know that if there is something that I am doing wrong that they are not afraid to sit me down and talk to me about that. Your closest friends are in your life for a reason.
I cannot stress how important it is to have someone like a mentor in you life. I have a pastor that I have been meeting weekly, and that has been such a blessing. Having someone like that in your life is so nice because you can talk to them about anything and they will never judge you. You don't even have to call that type of person a mentor, they can just be a friend. There are people all over like that in your life. Another person like that for me is my coach. To have the ability to talk to my coach about everything that I am going through is such a blessing. Life is more than the game of basketball, and to have a coach that understands that is such a blessing.
I want to close with a verse that a very special friend shared with me this morning. This friend was aware of what I was going through and wanted to share this verse with me.
Isaiah 30:21 says: Whether you turn to the right or to the left, you ears will hear a voice behind you, saying, "This is the way; walk in it."
Next time you are faced with an important decision, remember to seek God, embrace the relationships you have with your friends, those people are your friends for a reason and you can never be afraid to be a little selfish.
Tuesday, September 19, 2017
More than conquerors
First, I just want to say thank you to whoever has been reading my blog the past couple of days or even if this is the first time. It means the world to me that you are reading this. I do this because I have a heart for encouraging other people and it also gives me a chance to strengthen my relationship with our Father.
Every day we fight the battle between what our flesh desires and what the spirit desires. It is a battle that will continue to go on until the day we are no more. With God being in us, we often know what the right thing to do is, but it's hard to do it. We are constantly being deceived and constantly in a battle. I hope that today that God's words are encouraging to you and I hope that you know that we are more than conquers.
Romans 7:21-25 says: "So I find this law at work: Although I want to do good, evil is right there with me. For my inner being I delight in God's law; but I see another law at work in me, waging war against the law of my mind and making me a prisoner of the law of sin at work within me. What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body that is subject to death? Thanks be to God, who delivers me through Jesus Christ our Lord! So then, I myself in my mind am a slave to God's law, but in my sinful nature a slave to the law of sin."
Our minds and our sinful nature are two totally different things. I say that because the last verse says; "I myself in my mind am a slave to God's law, but in my sinful nature a salve to the law of sin." Your mind is so powerful, the toughest battles are won in the mind.
Here is why we are more than conquerors:
Romans 8:36-39 says this: "As it is written; "For your sake we face death all day long; we are considered as sheep to be slaughtered." No, in all things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord."
Nothing can separate us from the love of God.
Sometimes that is hard to remember because we are battling it every single day and Satan is trying so hard to make us forget that. I encourage you if you are struggling with the battle of the mind and are feeling discouraged to really pray about it.
I want to leave you with this verse. Romans 8:26 says: "In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what are ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us through wordless groans."
If you have a desire to pray, but sometimes can't think of what to pray for through words, the Spirit knows our needs and what we ought to pray for, he hears us and knows everything we are going through and everything we think about before we even think about it.
WIN THE DAY
God Bless
Every day we fight the battle between what our flesh desires and what the spirit desires. It is a battle that will continue to go on until the day we are no more. With God being in us, we often know what the right thing to do is, but it's hard to do it. We are constantly being deceived and constantly in a battle. I hope that today that God's words are encouraging to you and I hope that you know that we are more than conquers.
Romans 7:21-25 says: "So I find this law at work: Although I want to do good, evil is right there with me. For my inner being I delight in God's law; but I see another law at work in me, waging war against the law of my mind and making me a prisoner of the law of sin at work within me. What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body that is subject to death? Thanks be to God, who delivers me through Jesus Christ our Lord! So then, I myself in my mind am a slave to God's law, but in my sinful nature a slave to the law of sin."
Our minds and our sinful nature are two totally different things. I say that because the last verse says; "I myself in my mind am a slave to God's law, but in my sinful nature a salve to the law of sin." Your mind is so powerful, the toughest battles are won in the mind.
Here is why we are more than conquerors:
Romans 8:36-39 says this: "As it is written; "For your sake we face death all day long; we are considered as sheep to be slaughtered." No, in all things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord."
Nothing can separate us from the love of God.
Sometimes that is hard to remember because we are battling it every single day and Satan is trying so hard to make us forget that. I encourage you if you are struggling with the battle of the mind and are feeling discouraged to really pray about it.
I want to leave you with this verse. Romans 8:26 says: "In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what are ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us through wordless groans."
If you have a desire to pray, but sometimes can't think of what to pray for through words, the Spirit knows our needs and what we ought to pray for, he hears us and knows everything we are going through and everything we think about before we even think about it.
WIN THE DAY
God Bless
Monday, September 18, 2017
Slaves to righteousness
I am going to start with the point by which I want to encourage you today. I encourage you to offer yourselves as slaves to righteousness leading to holiness.
In the beginning of Romans 6, Paul is talking about how we are made dead to sin and alive in Christ. Romans 6:1-4 says: "What shall we say, then? Shall we go on sinning so that grace may increase? By no means! We are those who have died to sin; how can we live in it any longer? Or don't you know that all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? We were therefore buried with him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may have new life."
There you have it, you have new life. With that new life, we are called to be slaves of righteousness.
It is honestly hard for me to put into words how we can do that. I think the best way of describing it to you would be to share the entire passage that Paul wrote about being slaves of righteousness. Romans 6:15-23 says: "What then? Shall we sin because we are not under the law but under grace? By no means! Don't you know that when you offer yourselves to someone as obedient slaves, you are slaves of the one you obey-whether you are slaves to sin, which leads to death, or to obedience, which leads to righteousness? But thanks be to God that, though you used to be slaves to sin, you have come to obey from your heart the pattern of teaching that has now claimed your allegiance. You been set free from sin and have become slaves to righteousness. I am using an example from everyday life because of your human limitations. Just as you used to offer yourselves as slaves to impurity and to ever-increasing wickedness, so now offer yourselves as slaves to sin, you were free from the control of righteousness leading to holiness. When you were slaves to sin you were free from the control of righteousness. What benefit did you reap at that time from the things you are now ashamed of? Those things result in death! But now that you have been set free from sin and have become slaves of God, the benefit you reap leads to holiness, and the result is eternal life. For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord."
I think that one of the coolest things about that passage is the verse that says: "I am using an example from everyday life because of your human limitations. Just as you used to offer yourselves as slaves to impurity and to ever-increasing wickedness, so now offer yourselves as slaves to righteousness leading to holiness." I love that verse because Paul makes it known that he knows that we are only human and as humans we do have limitations. I think that is super important for lots of people to hear because it is easy to look at the Bible as a book filled with all of these miraculous things that we couldn't really handle or do as humans. Its weird to say that. But it's true. The Bible is filled with so many human examples because nearly every character in the Bible was human.
I know that was wordy today, but I hope that there are things in there that God will use to speak to you this evening, or whenever you read this.
In the beginning of Romans 6, Paul is talking about how we are made dead to sin and alive in Christ. Romans 6:1-4 says: "What shall we say, then? Shall we go on sinning so that grace may increase? By no means! We are those who have died to sin; how can we live in it any longer? Or don't you know that all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? We were therefore buried with him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may have new life."
There you have it, you have new life. With that new life, we are called to be slaves of righteousness.
It is honestly hard for me to put into words how we can do that. I think the best way of describing it to you would be to share the entire passage that Paul wrote about being slaves of righteousness. Romans 6:15-23 says: "What then? Shall we sin because we are not under the law but under grace? By no means! Don't you know that when you offer yourselves to someone as obedient slaves, you are slaves of the one you obey-whether you are slaves to sin, which leads to death, or to obedience, which leads to righteousness? But thanks be to God that, though you used to be slaves to sin, you have come to obey from your heart the pattern of teaching that has now claimed your allegiance. You been set free from sin and have become slaves to righteousness. I am using an example from everyday life because of your human limitations. Just as you used to offer yourselves as slaves to impurity and to ever-increasing wickedness, so now offer yourselves as slaves to sin, you were free from the control of righteousness leading to holiness. When you were slaves to sin you were free from the control of righteousness. What benefit did you reap at that time from the things you are now ashamed of? Those things result in death! But now that you have been set free from sin and have become slaves of God, the benefit you reap leads to holiness, and the result is eternal life. For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord."
I think that one of the coolest things about that passage is the verse that says: "I am using an example from everyday life because of your human limitations. Just as you used to offer yourselves as slaves to impurity and to ever-increasing wickedness, so now offer yourselves as slaves to righteousness leading to holiness." I love that verse because Paul makes it known that he knows that we are only human and as humans we do have limitations. I think that is super important for lots of people to hear because it is easy to look at the Bible as a book filled with all of these miraculous things that we couldn't really handle or do as humans. Its weird to say that. But it's true. The Bible is filled with so many human examples because nearly every character in the Bible was human.
I know that was wordy today, but I hope that there are things in there that God will use to speak to you this evening, or whenever you read this.
Sunday, September 17, 2017
Against all hope
I think that one of the most forgotten stories in the bible is the story of Abraham. Way back in Genesis, Got tested Abraham. God told Abraham to take his sons life. Abraham, a man of God and a man of faith was going to do just that. When Abraham put his son on the alter and was about to take his life, God told him to stop and that he didn't have to take his sons life anymore. God told Abraham that he was testing him and he had passed. An angel of the Lord appeared and told Abraham that since he was going to sacrifice his only son and that he feared God that he will be blessed and will make his descendants as numerous as the starts in the sky and as the sand on the seashore.
Why did I remind you this story? We need to fear God like Abraham did. He was going to sacrifice is one and only son...Because of his faithfulness he was considered a friend of God. Just was Abraham was faithful to God we need to remember how faithful God is to us.
Romans 4:18-25 says: "Against all hope, Abraham in hope believed and so became the father of many nations, just as it has been said to him, "so shall your offering be." Without weakening in his faith, he faced the fact that his body was as good as dead-since he was about a hundred years old-and that Sarah's womb was also dead. Yet he did not waiver through unbelief regarding the promise of God, but was strengthened in his faith and gave his glory to God, being fully persuaded that God had power to do what he had promised. This is why "it was credited to him as righteousness." The words "it was credited to him" were written not for him alone, but also for us, to whom God will credit righteousness-for us who believe in him who raised Jesus our Lord from the dead. He was delivered over to death for our sins and was raised to life for our justification."
A few things really stick out to me. Abraham was told a lot of things and every time he was told something he listened and was obedient to God. I think that is such an important lesson for us in our daily lives. Against all hope and against everything we face we need to listen to what God has to say to us. Everything he said to Abraham became true. Everything. Everything written in his word is true. Every single word.
We serve such an amazing God.
I encourage you to be obedient and to have faith and a fear of God just like Abraham.
I love you all.
Why did I remind you this story? We need to fear God like Abraham did. He was going to sacrifice is one and only son...Because of his faithfulness he was considered a friend of God. Just was Abraham was faithful to God we need to remember how faithful God is to us.
Romans 4:18-25 says: "Against all hope, Abraham in hope believed and so became the father of many nations, just as it has been said to him, "so shall your offering be." Without weakening in his faith, he faced the fact that his body was as good as dead-since he was about a hundred years old-and that Sarah's womb was also dead. Yet he did not waiver through unbelief regarding the promise of God, but was strengthened in his faith and gave his glory to God, being fully persuaded that God had power to do what he had promised. This is why "it was credited to him as righteousness." The words "it was credited to him" were written not for him alone, but also for us, to whom God will credit righteousness-for us who believe in him who raised Jesus our Lord from the dead. He was delivered over to death for our sins and was raised to life for our justification."
A few things really stick out to me. Abraham was told a lot of things and every time he was told something he listened and was obedient to God. I think that is such an important lesson for us in our daily lives. Against all hope and against everything we face we need to listen to what God has to say to us. Everything he said to Abraham became true. Everything. Everything written in his word is true. Every single word.
We serve such an amazing God.
I encourage you to be obedient and to have faith and a fear of God just like Abraham.
I love you all.
Saturday, September 16, 2017
Lay it down
It's Saturday night... and as I was contemplating on what to blog about tonight, the idea came to me that I wanted to share a little bit about what we talked about at our team retreat this weekend.
Three of our coaches had the opportunity to share with us this past weekend.
First, Coach LaPhonso Ellis shared with us Friday night. He shared a bit of his testimony with us and it was super cool to hear how God has worked in his life and has had such a huge role. He really opened up to us and it meant a lot to us that he was willing to do so. His message for us is that we need to really 'lay-it-down' for one another. Now where does that come from? It comes from 1 John 3:16-17 which says: "This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our bothers and sisters. If anyone has material possessions and sees a brother or sister in need but has no pity on them, how can the love of God be in that person?" Those two verses are awesome. Jesus Christ showed us what love truly is by laying down his life for us. Phonz had a really awesome example about 'laying-it-down.' Phonz told us about the NBA playoffs in 1994 when his team, the Denver Nuggets, an 8 seed, defeated the Seattle SuperSonics, a 1 seed. To this day, the Nuggets are the only 8 seed to defeat a 1 seed in the NBA playoffs. He talked about that final game, game 5, when the series was tied 2-2. He talked about the mood in the locker room before that game, he said there was a vibe that everyone was going to do whatever it took for the Nuggets to win that game. They didn't care who got the credit, they were going to 'lay-it-down' for one another.
Later on that night, Coach Ryne Lightfoot gave a message about how two are better that one. Ecclesiastes 4:9-10 says: "Two are better than one, because they have a good return for their labor: If either of them falls down, one can help the other up. But pity anyone who falls and has no one to help them up." We had a great discussion after that, and we talked about how in order for us to be successful we are all going to have to have each others backs. You cannot be successful alone. If you fall down or fail you will never have anyone to pick you up. Ryne also talked about purpose. He asked us a series of questions about our purpose and if we knew what our purpose was yet. He bought us these purpose bracelets so that whenever we reach out to grab something or doing something we see that on our wrists and remember that we have a purpose in whatever we do. This afternoon Ryne spoke to us again about the 'process' and what we define the 'process' as. It was super cool to hear a lot of my teammates opinions on that topic. One thing he said during that stuck out to me a lot. Ryne was telling us about a canoeing trip he went on when he was at Bethel. He told us how it was a 5 mile trip, but along the way, there were sand dunes, cliffs to jump off of and a bunch of fun things like that. He told us how him and his partner enjoyed doing all of those things more than actually reaching the end of the 5 miles. He defined that as the process and talked about how a huge part of the process is actually enjoying all of the things between your beginning and end result. How great is that? The grind is fun. The process is fun. I am so thankful he was able to share bits and pieces of wisdom like that to us. Another thing he encouraged us with was to have a heart of exploration. Interpret that however you want. It can mean many things.
Lastly, Coach Andrew Wingreen shared with us this morning after breakfast. Coach Wingreen shared Ephesians 4 and talked about taking off the old self and putting on the new self. He then gave us some time to sit and think about all of the things that consist of our old self, that was a little bit awkward but it was an interesting thing to think about. He finished by sharing a video from Judah Smith. I had no idea what to expect from this video, but man was it powerful. The video was how Jesus loves Barabbas. Some of you are probably thinking, who in the world is that? Barabbas is the man who was tried with Jesus. He was the criminal/thug that the people wanted saved rather than Jesus. Now whenever I hear that story I used to always have a sour taste in my mouth about Barabbas because he was chosen over Jesus. This video was about how we are Barabbas. We are the sinners and Jesus was crucified for him and all of us. Take away Barabbas...are we even here today? There was one thing that really stuck out to me in that video and it was a quote that said; "The greatest challenge is believing the gospel." Why is that so significant? I think that every single day we categorize our challenges. For me, on Friday was our final day of conditioning and I knew we had to run 5, 17 agains and I knew that it was going to be tough. I made that my greatest challenge of the day. That is so stupid of me. Our greatest challenge is believing the gospel. I almost think remembering it is just as big of a challenge. We simply forget that we aren't in control of our lives, God is. In every single part of your life, your challenges are specific daily tasks, our challenges are remembering who is in charge of all of those things and who gives us the strength every single day to do this life. I apologize if that last part was wordy, but its so important. If you took away anything from those last couple of sentences, I hope that you know that Jesus is enough. Jesus is all you need.
I hope you guys can take away a little something from what these three coaches had to say this weekend to us. I am so thankful to be a part of the Bethel Basketball Family and to have such a great relationship with all of our coaches and to be a part of a program where our coaches invest into us so much.
Three of our coaches had the opportunity to share with us this past weekend.
First, Coach LaPhonso Ellis shared with us Friday night. He shared a bit of his testimony with us and it was super cool to hear how God has worked in his life and has had such a huge role. He really opened up to us and it meant a lot to us that he was willing to do so. His message for us is that we need to really 'lay-it-down' for one another. Now where does that come from? It comes from 1 John 3:16-17 which says: "This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our bothers and sisters. If anyone has material possessions and sees a brother or sister in need but has no pity on them, how can the love of God be in that person?" Those two verses are awesome. Jesus Christ showed us what love truly is by laying down his life for us. Phonz had a really awesome example about 'laying-it-down.' Phonz told us about the NBA playoffs in 1994 when his team, the Denver Nuggets, an 8 seed, defeated the Seattle SuperSonics, a 1 seed. To this day, the Nuggets are the only 8 seed to defeat a 1 seed in the NBA playoffs. He talked about that final game, game 5, when the series was tied 2-2. He talked about the mood in the locker room before that game, he said there was a vibe that everyone was going to do whatever it took for the Nuggets to win that game. They didn't care who got the credit, they were going to 'lay-it-down' for one another.
Later on that night, Coach Ryne Lightfoot gave a message about how two are better that one. Ecclesiastes 4:9-10 says: "Two are better than one, because they have a good return for their labor: If either of them falls down, one can help the other up. But pity anyone who falls and has no one to help them up." We had a great discussion after that, and we talked about how in order for us to be successful we are all going to have to have each others backs. You cannot be successful alone. If you fall down or fail you will never have anyone to pick you up. Ryne also talked about purpose. He asked us a series of questions about our purpose and if we knew what our purpose was yet. He bought us these purpose bracelets so that whenever we reach out to grab something or doing something we see that on our wrists and remember that we have a purpose in whatever we do. This afternoon Ryne spoke to us again about the 'process' and what we define the 'process' as. It was super cool to hear a lot of my teammates opinions on that topic. One thing he said during that stuck out to me a lot. Ryne was telling us about a canoeing trip he went on when he was at Bethel. He told us how it was a 5 mile trip, but along the way, there were sand dunes, cliffs to jump off of and a bunch of fun things like that. He told us how him and his partner enjoyed doing all of those things more than actually reaching the end of the 5 miles. He defined that as the process and talked about how a huge part of the process is actually enjoying all of the things between your beginning and end result. How great is that? The grind is fun. The process is fun. I am so thankful he was able to share bits and pieces of wisdom like that to us. Another thing he encouraged us with was to have a heart of exploration. Interpret that however you want. It can mean many things.
Lastly, Coach Andrew Wingreen shared with us this morning after breakfast. Coach Wingreen shared Ephesians 4 and talked about taking off the old self and putting on the new self. He then gave us some time to sit and think about all of the things that consist of our old self, that was a little bit awkward but it was an interesting thing to think about. He finished by sharing a video from Judah Smith. I had no idea what to expect from this video, but man was it powerful. The video was how Jesus loves Barabbas. Some of you are probably thinking, who in the world is that? Barabbas is the man who was tried with Jesus. He was the criminal/thug that the people wanted saved rather than Jesus. Now whenever I hear that story I used to always have a sour taste in my mouth about Barabbas because he was chosen over Jesus. This video was about how we are Barabbas. We are the sinners and Jesus was crucified for him and all of us. Take away Barabbas...are we even here today? There was one thing that really stuck out to me in that video and it was a quote that said; "The greatest challenge is believing the gospel." Why is that so significant? I think that every single day we categorize our challenges. For me, on Friday was our final day of conditioning and I knew we had to run 5, 17 agains and I knew that it was going to be tough. I made that my greatest challenge of the day. That is so stupid of me. Our greatest challenge is believing the gospel. I almost think remembering it is just as big of a challenge. We simply forget that we aren't in control of our lives, God is. In every single part of your life, your challenges are specific daily tasks, our challenges are remembering who is in charge of all of those things and who gives us the strength every single day to do this life. I apologize if that last part was wordy, but its so important. If you took away anything from those last couple of sentences, I hope that you know that Jesus is enough. Jesus is all you need.
I hope you guys can take away a little something from what these three coaches had to say this weekend to us. I am so thankful to be a part of the Bethel Basketball Family and to have such a great relationship with all of our coaches and to be a part of a program where our coaches invest into us so much.
Friday, September 15, 2017
We are never lost
Nowadays it is so easy to get lost in the midst of our busy lives. There are so many distractions that lead us astray. We get lead astray and led on the path that we sometimes shouldn’t be on. I know that when we are lead astray, we search and search for something to give us fulfillment.
Psalm 107:4-9 says: “Some wandered in desert wastelands, finding no way to a city where they could settle. They were hungry and thirsty, and their lives ebbed away. Then they cried out to the Lord in their trouble, and he delivered them from their distress. He led them by a straight way to a city where they could settle. Let them give thanks to the LORD for his unfailing love and his wonderful deeds for mankind, for he satisfies the thirsty and fills the hungry with good things.”
Each verse is so relatebale.
(4.) we wander and search for a place of belonging
(5.) we are hungry and thirsty (literally and metaphorically)
(6.) we cry out to the Lord in our trouble and he delivers
(7.) God leads us in a straight way and the direction he wants us to go in
(8.) we are to give thanks to God in all circumstance because of his love and his wonderful deeds for mankind
(9.) finally, God satisfies us and fills our needs
I hope that encourages you to remember that when we get lead astray and aren’t sure of our path, that God will give us everything we need because of his love for us and the deeds he does for mankind.
Psalm 107:4-9 says: “Some wandered in desert wastelands, finding no way to a city where they could settle. They were hungry and thirsty, and their lives ebbed away. Then they cried out to the Lord in their trouble, and he delivered them from their distress. He led them by a straight way to a city where they could settle. Let them give thanks to the LORD for his unfailing love and his wonderful deeds for mankind, for he satisfies the thirsty and fills the hungry with good things.”
Each verse is so relatebale.
(4.) we wander and search for a place of belonging
(5.) we are hungry and thirsty (literally and metaphorically)
(6.) we cry out to the Lord in our trouble and he delivers
(7.) God leads us in a straight way and the direction he wants us to go in
(8.) we are to give thanks to God in all circumstance because of his love and his wonderful deeds for mankind
(9.) finally, God satisfies us and fills our needs
I hope that encourages you to remember that when we get lead astray and aren’t sure of our path, that God will give us everything we need because of his love for us and the deeds he does for mankind.
Thursday, September 14, 2017
Short and sweet
Today's post will be short and sweet. Sometimes you have to switch it up...it might get boring reading a post that is super long.
I think today we get way to caught up in wanting what we do not have. We want the latest technology, the coolest clothing, the in and the now.
Proverbs 30:7-9 says: "Two things I ask of you, LORD; do not refuse me before I die: Keep falsehood and lies far from me; give me neither poverty nor riches, but give me only my daily bread. Otherwise, I may have too much and disown you and say, 'Who is the LORD?' Or I may become poor and steal, and so dishonor the name of my God."
When Solomon writes, 'give me only my daily bread,' he is asking for one thing. That one thing is a personal relationship with the Father. That is so wise. He is literally saying that if he gets that everyday that is all he will need. He is so right. Jesus is the only thing we need on a daily basis. If we get caught up in too much we will just push God to the side or if we don't get what we want, we question him and say, 'who is the Lord?'
Our daily bread is all we need.
I want to leave you with this verse:
Proverbs 30:5: "Every word of God is flawless; he is a shield to those who take refuge in him."
I think today we get way to caught up in wanting what we do not have. We want the latest technology, the coolest clothing, the in and the now.
Proverbs 30:7-9 says: "Two things I ask of you, LORD; do not refuse me before I die: Keep falsehood and lies far from me; give me neither poverty nor riches, but give me only my daily bread. Otherwise, I may have too much and disown you and say, 'Who is the LORD?' Or I may become poor and steal, and so dishonor the name of my God."
When Solomon writes, 'give me only my daily bread,' he is asking for one thing. That one thing is a personal relationship with the Father. That is so wise. He is literally saying that if he gets that everyday that is all he will need. He is so right. Jesus is the only thing we need on a daily basis. If we get caught up in too much we will just push God to the side or if we don't get what we want, we question him and say, 'who is the Lord?'
Our daily bread is all we need.
I want to leave you with this verse:
Proverbs 30:5: "Every word of God is flawless; he is a shield to those who take refuge in him."
Wednesday, September 13, 2017
Don't be afraid of your reflection
How many of you are happy when you see a reflection of yourself in some water? Do you ever feel satisfied when you see your reflection?
I hope with this post it will encourage you to be happy and be confidence when you look at your reflection in the water.
Proverbs 27:19-20 says: "As water reflects the face, so one's life reflects the heart. Death and destruction are never satisfied, and neither are human eyes."
What do you get from that verse? What I get from that verse in that your life reflects your heart. Death and destruction are never satisfied is tougher. That is where your heart gets into a battle. When death and destruction deceive you and keep you unsatisfied, your heart is not happy. Since your heart reflects your life, a sad heart, will more or less mean a sad life. Or a sad situation.
With that being said, we think that our lives are so much more than what they really are.
Psalm 103:14-16 says: "for he knows how we are formed, he remembers that we are dust. The life of mortals is like grass, they flourish like a flower of the field; the wind blows over it and it is gone, and its place remembers it no more."
God knows how we were formed. We are dust. Our life is like grass that slowly withers away and will eventually be gone. How does this relate to how ones life reflects the heart? Or lives are so short that we should never get caught up in negativity, or anything that makes us unhappy. We need to guard our hearts and focus on the one thing that will always be the same and will never ever change.
Our God is so good. I encourage you to really meditate on this scripture. Psalm 103:8-12 says: "The LORD is compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, abounding in love. He will not always accuse, nor will he harbor his anger forever; he does not treat us as our sins deserve or repay us according to our iniquities. For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is his love for those who fear him; as far as the east is from the west, so far has he removed our transgressions from us."
Those verses are filled with so much truth and so much power.
There is one verse I want to close with and it is Psalm 102:12 which says: "But you, Lord, sit enthroned forever; your renown endures through all generations."
The Lord is enthroned forever. Believe in the with all of your heart and you will be happy in this life.
I hope with this post it will encourage you to be happy and be confidence when you look at your reflection in the water.
Proverbs 27:19-20 says: "As water reflects the face, so one's life reflects the heart. Death and destruction are never satisfied, and neither are human eyes."
What do you get from that verse? What I get from that verse in that your life reflects your heart. Death and destruction are never satisfied is tougher. That is where your heart gets into a battle. When death and destruction deceive you and keep you unsatisfied, your heart is not happy. Since your heart reflects your life, a sad heart, will more or less mean a sad life. Or a sad situation.
With that being said, we think that our lives are so much more than what they really are.
Psalm 103:14-16 says: "for he knows how we are formed, he remembers that we are dust. The life of mortals is like grass, they flourish like a flower of the field; the wind blows over it and it is gone, and its place remembers it no more."
God knows how we were formed. We are dust. Our life is like grass that slowly withers away and will eventually be gone. How does this relate to how ones life reflects the heart? Or lives are so short that we should never get caught up in negativity, or anything that makes us unhappy. We need to guard our hearts and focus on the one thing that will always be the same and will never ever change.
Our God is so good. I encourage you to really meditate on this scripture. Psalm 103:8-12 says: "The LORD is compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, abounding in love. He will not always accuse, nor will he harbor his anger forever; he does not treat us as our sins deserve or repay us according to our iniquities. For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is his love for those who fear him; as far as the east is from the west, so far has he removed our transgressions from us."
Those verses are filled with so much truth and so much power.
There is one verse I want to close with and it is Psalm 102:12 which says: "But you, Lord, sit enthroned forever; your renown endures through all generations."
The Lord is enthroned forever. Believe in the with all of your heart and you will be happy in this life.
Tuesday, September 12, 2017
The enemy tries...
Evil is everywhere. Every single day there will be people in your life who will try to make you conform to the patterns of the world. It can be some of the smallest things to, like how you think and what you say.
I want to share some scripture with you that talks about how the enemy is so sneaky and is always trying to get a hold of you.
Proverbs 26:23-28 says: "Like a coating of silver dross on earthenware (pottery) and fervent lips with an evil heart. Enemies disguise themselves with their lips, but in their hearts they harbor deceit. Though their speech is charming, do not believe them, for seven abominations fill their hearts. Their malice may be concealed by deception, but their wickedness will be exposed in the assembly. Whoever digs a pit will fall into it; if someone rolls a stone, it will roll back on them. A lying tongue hates those it hurts, and a flattering mouth works ruin."
Enemies are everywhere and will try everything they can and in their power to woe you with their words. They disguise it so well. You will give in sometimes and think that they really aren't doing anything wrong, but I am sure that deep down in your heart you have a feeling that you really need to be guarding your heart.
If you fall into the hands of the enemy and of the world, do not worry because it happens to us all. It happens to me everyday.
You know whats awesome? A Psalm that is all about giving grateful praise to God.
Psalm 100 says: "Shout for joy to the Lord, all the earth. Worship the Lord with gladness; come before him with joyful songs. Know that the Lord is God. It is he who made us, and we are his; we are his people, the sheep of his pasture. Enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise; give thanks to him and praise his name. For the Lord is good and his love endures forever; his faithfulness continues through all generations.
Next time you are going through the daily battle that we face every single day, do not forget to shout for joy to the Lord and all the earth. Worship him with gladness, and come before him with joyful songs. We are God's and we are his people. God is good and his love endures forever. He will be faithful through all generations. Never forget that.
I want to share some scripture with you that talks about how the enemy is so sneaky and is always trying to get a hold of you.
Proverbs 26:23-28 says: "Like a coating of silver dross on earthenware (pottery) and fervent lips with an evil heart. Enemies disguise themselves with their lips, but in their hearts they harbor deceit. Though their speech is charming, do not believe them, for seven abominations fill their hearts. Their malice may be concealed by deception, but their wickedness will be exposed in the assembly. Whoever digs a pit will fall into it; if someone rolls a stone, it will roll back on them. A lying tongue hates those it hurts, and a flattering mouth works ruin."
Enemies are everywhere and will try everything they can and in their power to woe you with their words. They disguise it so well. You will give in sometimes and think that they really aren't doing anything wrong, but I am sure that deep down in your heart you have a feeling that you really need to be guarding your heart.
If you fall into the hands of the enemy and of the world, do not worry because it happens to us all. It happens to me everyday.
You know whats awesome? A Psalm that is all about giving grateful praise to God.
Psalm 100 says: "Shout for joy to the Lord, all the earth. Worship the Lord with gladness; come before him with joyful songs. Know that the Lord is God. It is he who made us, and we are his; we are his people, the sheep of his pasture. Enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise; give thanks to him and praise his name. For the Lord is good and his love endures forever; his faithfulness continues through all generations.
Next time you are going through the daily battle that we face every single day, do not forget to shout for joy to the Lord and all the earth. Worship him with gladness, and come before him with joyful songs. We are God's and we are his people. God is good and his love endures forever. He will be faithful through all generations. Never forget that.
Monday, September 11, 2017
Why did I create a blog?
So why did I create a blog? I created a blog because God has been doing some really special things in my life the past couple of months. He has really made a place in my heart for encouraging other people and trying to have an impact on all people.
In June I really started to get into reading my bible on a daily basis again. I know that really digging into the word of God is something that is tough for most people. I started by reading two chapters of the book of Isaiah and two chapters of the book of Psalms every day. That isn't much, but it takes about 30 minutes on a daily basis. After I do my reading I journal about it. I journal about what I think, how can I apply this to my life, favorite verses, questions I have, and prayer requests. It is such a fun process to go through on a daily basis. I had no intentions of using what I learn to show to other people until mid-July.
I was sitting there after I read one day and I was just thinking through everything I had just read. One of the prayers I was praying everyday was for a way to help other people and encourage them on a daily basis. Then it hit me. I remembered a time back when I was at a church service back home a couple of years ago. It's amazing the little things you can remember from different church services. I had remembered a man who was sharing and I he talked about how he would get up every morning, read his bible, then scroll through his contacts on his phone and he would share what he wrote to his peers. That was it, this was what I was praying for. A way to help other people.
That is when it started. I would do my reading, journal, then I would pull up the contacts on my phone and scroll through them, and if their name stood out, then I took that as God's way of telling me that they needed encouragement. My daily goal was to send it to five people. That didn't happen. I got too excited every time and would send it to probably 10-15 people.
I really didn't care if a somebody responded or not, I just was hopeful that they had gotten a chance to read through what I had sent them.
Doing this everyday has been so much fun and has been such a blessing to be able to impact a couple of people everyday.
One of the most important things I have learned is that when I read my bible every day and spend time with God, that is the only time I experience fulfillment on a daily basis. I really can't put it into words.
Finally, I want you to know that I am not doing this because I think I am a better person or a better Christian than you. I am not even close to perfect. I am a dirty-rotten sinner. I do this with love. I hope that reading God's word can make an impact on your life on a daily basis.
In June I really started to get into reading my bible on a daily basis again. I know that really digging into the word of God is something that is tough for most people. I started by reading two chapters of the book of Isaiah and two chapters of the book of Psalms every day. That isn't much, but it takes about 30 minutes on a daily basis. After I do my reading I journal about it. I journal about what I think, how can I apply this to my life, favorite verses, questions I have, and prayer requests. It is such a fun process to go through on a daily basis. I had no intentions of using what I learn to show to other people until mid-July.
I was sitting there after I read one day and I was just thinking through everything I had just read. One of the prayers I was praying everyday was for a way to help other people and encourage them on a daily basis. Then it hit me. I remembered a time back when I was at a church service back home a couple of years ago. It's amazing the little things you can remember from different church services. I had remembered a man who was sharing and I he talked about how he would get up every morning, read his bible, then scroll through his contacts on his phone and he would share what he wrote to his peers. That was it, this was what I was praying for. A way to help other people.
That is when it started. I would do my reading, journal, then I would pull up the contacts on my phone and scroll through them, and if their name stood out, then I took that as God's way of telling me that they needed encouragement. My daily goal was to send it to five people. That didn't happen. I got too excited every time and would send it to probably 10-15 people.
I really didn't care if a somebody responded or not, I just was hopeful that they had gotten a chance to read through what I had sent them.
Doing this everyday has been so much fun and has been such a blessing to be able to impact a couple of people everyday.
One of the most important things I have learned is that when I read my bible every day and spend time with God, that is the only time I experience fulfillment on a daily basis. I really can't put it into words.
Finally, I want you to know that I am not doing this because I think I am a better person or a better Christian than you. I am not even close to perfect. I am a dirty-rotten sinner. I do this with love. I hope that reading God's word can make an impact on your life on a daily basis.
Don't forget about your parents
Good afternoon, I would love to give you some encouragement for your day today!
I think it is so hard sometimes to really appreciate your parents. Especially once we get to college and continue to grow up. I know for me, every year I am gone, the more and more my love and appreciation for them increases.
Proverbs 23:22-25 says: “Listen to your father, who gave you life, and do not despise your mother when she is old. Buy the truth and do not sell it-wisdom, instruction and insight as well. The father of a righteous child has great joy; a man who fathers a wise son rejoices him. May your father and mother rejoice; may she who gave you birth by joyful.”
With that being said, don’t forget about your parents. Our parents love us so so so much. It’s a love we cannot fathom. Then to know that God loves us even more is so crazy. Your parents love you, make them proud!
I also want to add a second part to today’s encouragement because these verses really stick out to me.
This is more about wisdom. I’m sure you have heard, “the wider the base, the taller the pyramid,” right? Well same is true with wisdom.
Proverbs 24:3:4 says: “By wisdom a house is built, and through understanding it is established; through knowledge its rooms are filled with rare and beautiful treasures.”
Strive for a life built with wisdom and you’ll be filled understanding, knowledge, and beautiful treasure.
~ Praying for you all ~
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)