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Welcome to Day 2603 of Wisdom-Trek. Thank you for joining me. This is Guthrie Chamberlain, Your Guide to Wisdom Day 2603 – Wisdom Nuggets – Psalm 56:8-13 – Daily Wisdom Wisdom-Trek Podcast Script - Day 2603 Welcome to Wisdom-Trek with Gramps! I am Guthrie Chamberlain, and we are on Day 2603 of our Trek. The Purpose of Wisdom-Trek is to create a legacy of wisdom, to seek out discernment and insights, and to boldly grow where few have chosen to grow before. In today's Wisdom Nugget, I'll guide you along the path of wisdom, encouragement, and strength as we journey together through God's Word. Thank you again for joining me as we continue exploring the Psalms—rich in wisdom, authenticity, and hope. Today, we're completing our exploration of Psalm 56 by focusing specifically on verses 8 through 13. Psalm 56 is one of those deeply personal Psalms written by King David in a time of great fear and vulnerability. Captured by enemies in Gath, David faced overwhelming danger, yet his honest emotions and unwavering faith in God provide profound insight into how we can respond to fear, pain, and uncertainty today. Let's start by reading Psalm 56:8-13 from the New Living Translation: 8 You keep track of all my sorrows. You have collected all my tears in your bottle. You have recorded each one in your book. 9 My enemies will retreat when I call to you for help. This I know: God is on my side! 10 I praise God for what he has promised; yes, I praise the Lord for what he has promised. 11 I trust in God, so why should I be afraid? What can mere mortals do to me? 12 I will fulfill my vows to you, O God, and will offer a sacrifice of thanks for your help. 13 For you have rescued me from death; you have kept my feet from slipping. So now I can walk in your presence, O God, in your life-giving light. God's Tender Compassion (Verse 8) David begins this section with a beautiful and comforting image of God's intimate care: “You keep track of all my sorrows. You have collected all my tears in your bottle. You have recorded each one in your book.” This verse is profoundly moving and deeply comforting. David vividly portrays God not as a distant observer but as intimately involved in every detail of our lives. He uses poetic language, reflecting an ancient custom where mourners collected tears in small bottles as a way of remembering their grief. David imagines God doing this very thing—not literally, of course, but symbolically. It shows that God sees, understands, and values our deepest pain. In ancient Israelite culture, recording important events in a book signified permanence, remembrance, and value. David applies this practice metaphorically, affirming God's close attention to our grief and struggles. Every tear is remembered, every sorrow acknowledged. This reveals God's profound compassion and care. Illustration: Imagine a loving parent comforting a crying child after a painful experience. The parent carefully wipes each tear, holding the child close. Though tears themselves evaporate quickly, the child's emotional pain is remembered, comforted, and cared for by the parent. David's imagery suggests the same profound, intimate care from God. Application: Have you ever felt your struggles or sorrows were unseen or...
Welcome to Day 2602 of Wisdom-Trek. Thank you for joining me. This is Guthrie Chamberlain, Your Guide to Wisdom Day 2602 – Wisdom Nuggets – Psalm 56:1-7 – Daily Wisdom Wisdom-Trek Podcast Script - Day 2602 Welcome to Wisdom-Trek with Gramps! I am Guthrie Chamberlain, and we are on Day 2602 of our Trek. The Purpose of Wisdom-Trek is to create a legacy of wisdom, to seek out discernment and insights, and to boldly grow where few have chosen to grow before. In today's Wisdom Nugget, I'll guide you as we journey together through God's Word, discovering truth, encouragement, and practical wisdom for everyday life. Thanks for joining me on today's trek. We continue our adventure through the Psalms, stepping into the powerful and emotional Psalm 56. Today, we're looking specifically at verses 1 through 7. In this Psalm, we find David in a time of deep fear and distress, yet even in the middle of those emotions, he vividly shows us how faith and trust in God overcome even our greatest anxieties. Psalm 56 is a prayer for help, written by David during one of the most challenging moments in his life—when he was captured by the Philistines in the city of Gath. Facing very real enemies and intense fear, David turns his eyes upward, anchoring himself in God's protection. Let's begin by reading Psalm 56:1-7 from the New Living Translation: 1 O God, have mercy on me, for people are hounding me. My foes attack me all day long. 2 I am constantly hounded by those who slander me, and many are boldly attacking me. 3 But when I am afraid, I will put my trust in you. 4 I praise God for what he has promised. I trust in God, so why should I be afraid? What can mere mortals do to me? 5 They are always twisting what I say; they spend their days plotting to harm me. 6 They come together to spy on me— watching my every step, eager to kill me. 7 Don't let them get away with their wickedness; in your anger, O God, bring them down. David's Cry for Mercy Amid Threats (Verses 1-2) Psalm 56 begins with David's earnest plea for mercy and help: “O God, have mercy on me, for people are hounding me. My foes attack me all day long. I am constantly hounded by those who slander me, and many are boldly attacking me.” These opening verses powerfully express David's distress. Notice the repetition—“hounding me," “attack me," “constantly hounded,” and “boldly attacking me.” David is clearly overwhelmed, surrounded, and relentlessly pursued. To fully grasp David's emotional state, we must remember his situation historically. At the time he penned Psalm 56, David was fleeing King Saul, who was obsessed with killing him. Ironically, David ran to Gath—home of his greatest enemy, the Philistines—hoping for refuge. But instead, he was seized by King Achish's servants, who remembered vividly that David had previously slain Goliath, their hometown champion. In ancient Israelite culture, being pursued by enemies wasn't merely an inconvenience—it represented life-threatening danger. David was trapped between his own jealous king and foreign enemies, both eager to end his life. Feeling cornered, betrayed, and utterly vulnerable, David cries urgently to God for mercy. Illustration: Picture a deer frantically pursued by hunters, fleeing through...
Send us a textWhat is your level of faith like? Do you need to increase it? Listen in and find out how to do that.No rights owned to "I Trust in God" performed by Elevation Worship. Subscribe to enjoy all episodes of God's Toolbox.
Okay, so on this episode of The Patrick Madrid Show, we get a look into the virtue of hope. A caller named Matt from Columbus, NJ, kicks things off by saying that a lot of Catholics don’t really get what hope actually is. Honestly, he’s onto something. What’s Hope, Really? Most people think of hope like: I hope the weather’s nice tomorrow, or I hope my team wins. But biblical, theological hope is different. The Catechism (CCC 1817) lays it out: Hope is the virtue by which we desire heaven, trusting not in ourselves, but in God’s promises and His grace to get us there. Basically, it’s not a shaky, fingers-crossed kind of thing; it’s a confident expectation in God’s faithfulness. So… Can Catholics Be Sure They’re Going to Heaven? Matt brings up a great point here. He adds that if you ask a Catholic, “Are you going to heaven?” they’ll respond with, “Uh… I hope so?”, but with a tone of doubt. That’s a problem. Because hope isn’t uncertainty; it’s trust. Patrick brings in St. Paul as Exhibit A. Paul talks about winning the race and fighting the good fight; he expects heaven, but he also knows he has to persevere to the end. We don’t “earn” salvation (we need grace!), but we cooperate with it. So, the Catholic answer isn’t “I know I’m going to heaven, no doubt” (we’re not into that Once Saved, Always Saved mindset), but it’s also not “I have no idea”. Instead, it’s: -I trust in God’s promises -I know He’ll give me the grace to get there -But I also know I have free will and need to stay faithful Hope vs. Despair & Presumption Patrick also covers the two big dangers that wreck hope: Despair: Thinking, I’m too far gone, I’ll never be saved. That’s a lie; God’s mercy is bigger than any sin. Never stop hoping! Presumption: Thinking, I don’t need to do anything, I’m automatically saved. This is also wrong; Jesus literally tells us to persevere to the end (Matt 24:13). Hope Is Non-Negotiable. Patrick ties it all together with St. Thomas Aquinas, who says hope is necessary for salvation. You have to desire heaven and expect God’s help. No hope? No heaven. Moral of the story: Hope is trust in God’s love and promises. So next time someone asks if you’re going to heaven, don’t say “I don’t know” ... say, “I trust in God to get me there.” Want to level up your hope? Pray for the grace of perseverance, dive into Scripture, and never stop trusting in God’s goodness!
Order of Service: - Prelude - The Confession of Sin (p. 120) - Hymn 24 - Lord, Open Thou My Heart To Hear - The Versicles (pp. 120-121) - Psalm 31: I trust in God, my Savior, my Defense. I hope and trust securely In Thy graciousness. Great Thy goodness toward those who fear Thee, Thou shalt preserve them from all slander; All lying will soon be still; For the Lord showed to me His kindness, He hath heard my cry for mercy; He hath strengthened my sighing heart. I trust in God, my Savior, my Defense. I hope and trust securely In Thy graciousness. Bow down Thine ear to hear me, to save me. Thou art my rock, my fortress, O Lord God of truth. Thou restrainest all those who hate me, Thou savest me from all my trouble; Make Thy countenance shine on me. For in Thee, Lord, alone I trusted, And have called on Thee to save me; In Thy mercy I shall rejoice. Glory to God the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, ever Three in One. (setting by Fernand de la Tombelle) - Jeremiah 1:4-10: Then the word of the Lord came to me, saying: “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you; before you were born I sanctified you; I ordained you a prophet to the nations.” Then I said: “Ah, Lord God! Behold, I cannot speak, for I am a youth.” But the Lord said to me: “Do not say, ‘I am a youth,' for you shall go to all to whom I send you, and whatever I command you, you shall speak. Do not be afraid of their faces, for I am with you to deliver you,” says the Lord. Then the Lord put forth His hand and touched my mouth, and the Lord said to me: “Behold, I have put My words in your mouth. See, I have this day set you over the nations and over the kingdoms, to root out and to pull down, to destroy and to throw down, to build and to plant.” - Homily - Hymn 48 - in Peace and Joy I Now Depart - The Kyrie (p. 124) - The Lord's Prayer (p. 125) - Hymn 584 - Grant Peace, We Pray, in Mercy, Lord - The Collect (pp. 125-127) - The Benedicamus (p. 127) - The Benediction (p. 127) - Hymn 586 - How Blest Are They Who Hear God's Word - Postlude Service Participants: Chaplain Don Moldstad (Preacher), Rev. Prof. Mark DeGarmeaux (Organist), Erik Van Kampen (Soloist)
February 17, 2025 Daily Devotion: "Finding Fortress in Fear: Trusting God in Times of Adversity" Psalm 56:3-4 New Living Translation 3 But when I am afraid, I will put my trust in you.4 I praise God for what he has promised. I trust in God, so why should I be afraid What can mere mortals do to me? Psalm 56:3-4 states, "When I am afraid, I put my trust in you. In God, whose word I praise— in God I trust and am not afraid. What can mere mortals do to me?" (NIV). In this passage, David expresses a profound truth about fear and trust in God. Life often presents us with situations that provoke fear and anxiety. Yet, David shows us the solution—placing our trust in God. This trust is not passive; it is an active choice to rely on God's promises and His power. The context of this Psalm is significant; David wrote it while being pursued by his enemies, specifically the Philistines. This was a time of vulnerability and distress. However, hisresponse was to turn to God, illustrating that our fears can lead us to a deeper faith. When we face challenges, we can echo David's words. Trusting in God reassures us that we are never alone. He is our protector, and His word is a source of strength. Like David, we should praise God for His faithfulness, reminding ourselves of His past deliverances.
Even we try to get everything under our control, we can't control our relationships.And most relationships end with closed hearts because of anxiety to get hurt…Without the uncertainty: 1.) is no love possible,2.) is no personal growth,3.) no spirituality,4.) no excitement….Still, most people hate uncertainty and so the relationship ends. We die without dying. We can only do our best to nurture our relationship, instead to wait that our partner gives us his/her appreciation. We can search where we are wrong, instead to look where our spouse is wrong.Instead of playing cool we share openly our feelings and speak about our fears. Because we are human beings and we are full of negative habits, mistakes and never perfect. Or do you want to marry an Apple or a smartphone? Instead of demanding love we give love regardless of what. Because we want to love and not end up frustrated when we can't get the love… We don't depend on our partner.We can only love when we are independent… slavery will never work out.Look what your partner needs instead to look that your partner fulfills your desires. And so you candle your love. Almost the love in the relationship is not synchrony. The most beautiful moments in your relationship might be the worst moments for your partner. An awesome love relationship over 20 years ended when both read their diaries for every day. Choose trustEven your partner doesn't deserve trust. I trust in God that I get always the best… I don't trust people because every person can fail. What God gives me is enough… And my spouse is an eternity of God.We try our best and if it is not working out, we can't blemish ourselves. With every relationship, I have learned so much, for what I should regret it? And then get engaged again. My Video: The beauty of uncertainty https://youtu.be/_5SkrZUawYMMy Audio: https://divinesuccess.net/wp-content/uploads/2021/Podcast.B/The-beauty-of-uncertainty.mp3
Wednesday, February 5, 2025 Matthew 6:25-26 KJV 25 Therefore I say unto you, Take no thought for your life, what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink; nor yet for your body, what ye shall put on. Is not the life more than meat, and the body than raiment? 26 Behold the fowls of the air: for they sow not, neither do they reap, nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feedeth them. Are ye not much better than they? ✨ Daily Declaration ✨
Thought to share? Send me a text...Ever wondered how a single word could transform your year and deepen your spiritual connection? Join me, Betsy Marvin, as we unravel the profound practice of choosing a "word of the year" to inspire and guide us through 2025. By reflecting on my own journey with past words like gratitude, humility, and conduit, I demonstrate how a thoughtfully selected word can act as a spiritual anchor, grounding us in God's Word and enhancing our personal growth. Whether you're familiar with this practice or exploring it for the first time, I'll help you uncover a word that resonates deeply with your spirit, aligning your aspirations and actions with your faith.Together, we embark on a reflective process to identify a word that encapsulates your intentions for the coming year. We'll reflect on the past, evaluate what worked, and pinpoint areas for growth, leading you to discover words that evoke emotion and excitement. I'll walk you through refining your choices, lifting them up in prayer, and ensuring they align with your values and goals. This episode invites you to find a word that offers renewed direction and passion, while sharing my ongoing journey as I trust in God's faithfulness to reveal my word for 2025. Let's embark on this spiritual journey together, discovering the unique word God has in store for each of us.(for word lists - just google 'word of the year lists' and you'll discover many)To read my blog, find out more about me, or to book a speaking engagement, head to https://betsymarvin.com/For access to past podcasts and transcripts, head tohttps://betsymarvin.com/podcasts/You can follow me on Instagramhttps://www.instagram.com/betsyjmarvin/and Facebookhttps://www.facebook.com/betsy.marvin.98
Start 2025 with a clarity of where to plant your feet when moving forward Psalm 52v8 "but I am like an olive tree flourishing in the house of God; I trust in God's unfailing love for ever and ever"
I Sought The Lord, And He Heard, And He Answered!Psalm 34:4-5 “I sought the Lord, and he answered me and delivered me from all my fears. Those who look to him are radiant, and their faces shall never be ashamed.”When I saw this verse this morning, I thought of an elevation song that is on the KLOVE radio station a lot. I know I have mentioned it before, but if you haven't checked out KLOVE, you really should. You can google what the closest station to you is, or you can get the KLOVE App and listen from there. Not only do they have great Christian music, but the DJs are great, too, and they are always talking about uplifting stuff and not the news or politics. It is great!Anyway, I thought I would share this song with you as the Lord does answer us when we seek Him out. He can deliver us from all of our fears if we let Him. I also like how the verse says that those who look upon him are radiant, and their faces shall never be ashamed. Imagine if you could live your life never being ashamed. Did you even know that was possible? All things are possible through Christ!The song is called Trust In The Lord and is sung by Elevation Worship. Here are the words:… Blessed Assurance, Jesus is mineHe's been my fourth man in the fire, time after timeI love this line. He's been the fourth man in the fire, time after time. Do you know what they are talking about here? Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego are three Jewish men from the Bible's Book of Daniel who were thrown into a fiery furnace for refusing to worship a golden statue set up by King Nebuchadnezzar II of Babylon. King Nebuchadnezzar had his servants turn the furnace up so that the fire was white hot. These three men were bound up and thrown into the fiery furnace. The king was watching the whole thing. But after they were thrown in, those watching didn't hear screams or anything. When the king looked in, he saw that the three men were standing in the fire, untouched by the flames and that there was a fourth man in the fire there with them. This is such a great story of God's power.My favorite part of that story is that Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego didn't seem to be afraid at all about going into this fiery furnace. I love what they said before going into the furnace. Daniel 3:17-18, "If it is so, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and he will deliver us out of thine hand, O king. But if not, be it known unto thee, O king, that we will not serve thy gods, nor worship the golden image which thou hast set up.” Can you imagine how brave these men were? They weren't afraid to die for what they believed in. I love that they knew God could save them and yet they also knew that might not be what God had in store for them and yet were willing to risk it all anyway. What an incredible faith and trust in the Lord!Next, the song says,Born of His Spirit, washed in His bloodAnd what He did for me on Calvary is more than enoughI just had a conversation about this yesterday with a friend. Do we believe this? Do you believe that what Jesus did on Calvary is more than enough? We tend to get caught up in our sins and our past, and we can't seem to forgive ourselves. My friend said she had a conversation with the Lord once. He asked her three times if she believed He died on the cross for her. Each time, she said yes. Each time, God said that she didn't believe that was true. Finally, she asked the Lord why He kept saying it wasn't true, and He said that if she did, she would forgive herself. Isn't that powerful? God wants this freedom for all of us. He died to free us from our sins, our past mistakes, and all we have done. When we hold onto those mistakes, when we hold onto that sin, when we can't forgive ourselves, we are telling the Lord that what He did for us on Calvary wasn't enough. Is that what we really believe? If it was enough, why can't we forgive ourselves?Next the song says… I trust in God, my SaviorThe one who will never failHe will never failWe can trust in the Lord. He will never fail us. This can be hard for us to believe because people fail us all the time. However, God is not a person. He will never fail us. We can count on Him to be there for us. He is there in the good times, and He is there in the bad times. He is always there. He never leaves your side!Next, it says… Perfect submission, all is at restI know the author of tomorrow has ordered my stepsDid you know that God is the author of tomorrow? He is helping you write your story. He has ordered your steps. Does that mean you will never take a wrong step, no. God has laid out our steps before us, but we have free will, and sometimes we take the wrong path. However, God can always turn us around and get us on the right path again. If we are looking to God for direction. If our eyes are fixed on Him, we will see the path He has laid out for us, and we will follow it. We get lost when we take our eyes off the Lord.Next, the song says,So this is my story, and this is my songI'm praising my risen King and Savior all the day longI know I say this all the time, but this is the key to so much happiness and joy. We need to praise the risen King and Savior all day long! We need to praise the Lord when we are on the top of a mountain, and we need to praise Him when we are in a valley. It may be more important to praise Him when we are in a valley because we tend to forget how good He is when we are in a valley. We tend to turn away or feel lost when we are in a valley, and if we are praising the Lord, it will help remind us of His goodness. Another benefit to praising, especially when we are in the valley, is that it confuses the enemy. He doesn't understand why we would praise the Lord when we are feeling down, lost, or abandoned and so when He sees us doing this, He flees. Also, anytime evil spirits hear the name of the Lord, or especially the name of Jesus, they flee.Next, the song repeats, … I trust in God, my SaviorThe one who will never fail. He will never fail. A few times and then it says,… He didn't fail you thenHe won't fail you nowThis is a reminder of something we can do when we are scared the Lord won't come through. We can look back at our lives and see all the times God has come through for us in the past. If He didn't fail you when you called out to Him the last time, He won't fail you now, either. If you are struggling to believe this, look back to some previous times when you called out to the Lord. Did He fail you? Did He abandon you when you needed Him? The Lord is the same yesterday, today, and always. If He didn't abandon you then, He won't now either!The rest of the song repeats this chorus several times and then repeats some of the words from about.… I sought the Lord and He heard and He answeredI sought the Lord and He heard and He answeredI sought the Lord and He heard and He answeredThat's why I trust Him, that's why I trust HimWhat about you? Have you sought the Lord? Did He hear? Did He answer? That is how you know you can trust Him. God tells us in several places in the Bible that when we ask, He answers. This means that He hears us when we ask. Trust in Him!Dear Heavenly Father, I ask you to bless all those listening! Lord, we love you, and we want to trust you. Please help us. Why is it so hard for us to trust you at times? Lord, we ask that you help us remember all the times you were there for us. Highlight the times that you answered our prayer, and yet we have forgotten. We love you, Lord, and we thank you for always being that fourth man in our fire time after time. We ask all of this in accordance with your will and in Jesus's holy name. Amen!Thank you all for joining me on this journey to walk boldly with Jesus. I look forward to bringing you a new witness tomorrow morning. Remember Jesus loves you and so do I! Have a blessed day!Today's Word from the Lord was received in May 2024 by a member of my Catholic Charismatic Prayer Group. If you have any questions about the prayer group, these words, or how to join us for a meeting, please email CatholicCharismaticPrayerGroup@gmail.com. Today's Word from the Lord is, “It was urgent that we try to see everything from God's perspective. I felt like the Lord was holding me and saying, don't be afraid to say it because I want people to do things in my way and not be afraid. Forget what other people think when you do a certain thing. ” www.findingtruenorthcoaching.comCLICK HERE TO DONATECLICK HERE to sign up for Mentoring CLICK HERE to sign up for Daily "Word from the Lord" emailsCLICK HERE to sign up for my newsletter & receive a free audio training about inviting Jesus into your daily lifeCLICK HERE to buy my book Total Trust in God's Safe Embrace
Order of Service: - Prelude - Hymn 469 - Sweet is the Work, My God, My King - The Versicles (pp. 120-121) - Psalm 31: I trust in God, my Savior, my Defense. I hope and trust securely In Thy graciousness. Great Thy goodness toward those who fear Thee, Thou shalt preserve them from all slander; All lying will soon be still; For the Lord showed to me His kindness, He hath heard my cry for mercy; He hath strengthened my sighing heart. I trust in God, my Savior, my Defense. I hope and trust securely In Thy graciousness. Bow down Thine ear to hear me, to save me. Thou art my rock, my fortress, O Lord God of truth. Thou restrainest all those who hate me, Thou savest me from all my trouble; Make Thy countenance shine on me. For in Thee, Lord, alone I trusted, And have called on Thee to save me; In Thy mercy I shall rejoice. Glory to God the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, ever Three in One. (setting by Fernand de la Tombelle) - Proverbs 3:5-6: Trust in the LORD with all your heart, And lean not on your own understanding; In all your ways acknowledge Him, And He shall direct your paths. - Homily - Hymn 47 - My Soul Doth Magnify the Lord - The Kyrie (p. 124) - The Lord's Prayer (p. 125) - Hymn 584 - Grant Peace, We Pray, in Mercy, Lord - The Collect (pp. 125-127) - Hymn 569 - Now Rest Beneath Night's Shadow: vv. 1 - 4 - Postlude Service Participants: Chaplain Don Moldstad (Preacher), Rev. Prof. Mark DeGarmeaux (Organist), Erik Van Kampen (Soloist)
Order of Service: - Prelude - Hymn 469 - Sweet is the Work, My God, My King - The Versicles (pp. 120-121) - Psalm 31: I trust in God, my Savior, my Defense. I hope and trust securely In Thy graciousness. Great Thy goodness toward those who fear Thee, Thou shalt preserve them from all slander; All lying will soon be still; For the Lord showed to me His kindness, He hath heard my cry for mercy; He hath strengthened my sighing heart. I trust in God, my Savior, my Defense. I hope and trust securely In Thy graciousness. Bow down Thine ear to hear me, to save me. Thou art my rock, my fortress, O Lord God of truth. Thou restrainest all those who hate me, Thou savest me from all my trouble; Make Thy countenance shine on me. For in Thee, Lord, alone I trusted, And have called on Thee to save me; In Thy mercy I shall rejoice. Glory to God the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, ever Three in One. (setting by Fernand de la Tombelle) - Proverbs 3:5-6: Trust in the LORD with all your heart, And lean not on your own understanding; In all your ways acknowledge Him, And He shall direct your paths. - Homily - Hymn 47 - My Soul Doth Magnify the Lord - The Kyrie (p. 124) - The Lord's Prayer (p. 125) - Hymn 584 - Grant Peace, We Pray, in Mercy, Lord - The Collect (pp. 125-127) - Hymn 569 - Now Rest Beneath Night's Shadow: vv. 1 - 4 - Postlude Service Participants: Chaplain Don Moldstad (Preacher), Rev. Prof. Mark DeGarmeaux (Organist), Erik Van Kampen (Soloist)
Order of Service: - Prelude - Hymn 469 - Sweet is the Work, My God, My King - The Versicles (pp. 120-121) - Psalm 31: I trust in God, my Savior, my Defense. I hope and trust securely In Thy graciousness. Great Thy goodness toward those who fear Thee, Thou shalt preserve them from all slander; All lying will soon be still; For the Lord showed to me His kindness, He hath heard my cry for mercy; He hath strengthened my sighing heart. I trust in God, my Savior, my Defense. I hope and trust securely In Thy graciousness. Bow down Thine ear to hear me, to save me. Thou art my rock, my fortress, O Lord God of truth. Thou restrainest all those who hate me, Thou savest me from all my trouble; Make Thy countenance shine on me. For in Thee, Lord, alone I trusted, And have called on Thee to save me; In Thy mercy I shall rejoice. Glory to God the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, ever Three in One. (setting by Fernand de la Tombelle) - Proverbs 3:5-6: Trust in the LORD with all your heart, And lean not on your own understanding; In all your ways acknowledge Him, And He shall direct your paths. - Homily - Hymn 47 - My Soul Doth Magnify the Lord - The Kyrie (p. 124) - The Lord's Prayer (p. 125) - Hymn 584 - Grant Peace, We Pray, in Mercy, Lord - The Collect (pp. 125-127) - Hymn 569 - Now Rest Beneath Night's Shadow: vv. 1 - 4 - Postlude Service Participants: Chaplain Don Moldstad (Preacher), Rev. Prof. Mark DeGarmeaux (Organist), Erik Van Kampen (Soloist)
Meta Member, Wanda Staggers, was born in Harlem, NY, but after graduating from college she made her way down to South Carolina. She world as a single mom, raising four daughters on her own, while also learning to trust God in the big things and in the small things.
Daily Dose of Hope July 30, 2024 Day 3 of Week 18 Scripture: I Samuel 21-22; I Chronicles 5; Psalm 52; Acts 15 Welcome back, everyone, to the Daily Dose of Hope, the devotional and podcast that complements the Bible reading plan at New Hope Church in Brandon, Florida. Let's get right into our text for today. Our first Old Testament reading is from I Samuel, starting with chapter 21. David is on the run. He knows that Saul is after his life and has a lot of resources with which to pursue him. David makes a quick stop to see Ahimelech the priest to gather some provisions but then heads into Philistine territory. It was certainly a risk to head into enemy territory but he wasn't safe at home either. Desperate circumstances call for desperate measures. He is hoping to go unnoticed in the foreign land but no such luck; David's reputation precedes him. Afterall, he is the one who killed Goliath! In order to protect himself from Achish, the Philistine ruler of that area, he pretends to be insane. The king may have felt threatened by David as brave warrior but he didn't worry too much about David as the insane guy. This was clearly a low point for David. Wherever he goes, he is a fugitive. He doesn't know who he can trust. He's left the people who love him and he must be incredibly scared and lonely. We get a picture of David's intense emotions by reading some of the Psalms (we read some of these yesterday). Scholars suggest that Psalm 34 particularly depicts this time in David's life. It starts by stating, “I will extol the Lord at all times; his praise will always be on my lips.” It speaks of God saving him from his troubles and encamping around those who fear him. We see themes of protection, deliverance, and trust through out the Psalm. Even in this time of fear and insecurity, David is praising the name of God. People are actively hunting him down but he's never lost trust or faith. He knows that right will prevail. How many of you needed to hear that today? Even in our deepest struggles, we can praise the name of Jesus and trust him with our lives. Things may not turn out the way we want them to but we can be certain that Jesus is still on the throne and right will prevail. Moving on to chapter 22. David heads to the places where he feels comfortable and knows there will be some safety. Adullam, which means refuge, is in Judah and close by was a hill that had fortifications and caves for hiding. David couldn't have been too clandestine, however, because his family sought him out there, as did a few hundred Israelite men who were unhappy with the current regime and wanted David to be their commander. David takes his family to a place of safety in Moab, for he knows they are at risk simply by being related to him. In fact, anyone who helped David was at serious risk. When Saul discovered that Ahimelek the priest gave David bread and a sword, basic provisions for his journey, King Saul was irate. His reaction was over the top evil. He decides to kill all the priests and their families. But the king's men refuse to touch the priests. These men were the anointed of the Lord; no Israelite would touch them. But Doeg the Edomite was there, a pagan, and he was fine with killing them. So Doeg strikes down the priests, eighty-five of them, and then killed all the men, women, children, and livestock in the town of Nob, which was the town of the priests. The priestly line was almost wiped out but not quite. One of Ahimelek's sons, Abiathar, managed to escape and find his way to David. Now, the only remaining priest has found his way to the king-to-be and they can support one another. In this time of crisis, two men of God can lean on one another, guide each other, and protect the future of the priesthood. Think about the events of your life. I hope they haven't been quite as dramatic as David's, but think specifically about some of the most difficult and desperate moments. So often, I do believe that God sends just the right person into our lives at just the right time–someone to support us, guide us, and even protect us when we need it most. Who has that person been for you? Our I Chronicles chapter has more lists of people who matter. These were sons of Reuben, Gad, and the half-tribe of Manasseh. While the names themselves don't mean a lot to us, we trust that each person played an important role in some way to advance the Kingdom of Israel. Psalm 52 is a psalm of David, written after David hears the tragic news of Doeg the Edomite killing the priests and their families. This had to be totally devastating for David. He writes of Saul's deceit and sin, emphasizing how eventually Saul will meet his doom. God will only allow so much. But I love how the psalm ends in verses 8-9, But I am like an olive tree flourishing in the house of God; I trust in God's unfailing love for ever and ever. For what you have done I will always praise you in the presence of your faithful people. And I will hope in your name, for your name is good. Despite the devastation, David praises God and rests in his hope. Our final chapter is in the New Testament, Acts 15. This is a pretty crucial moment for the young church. Some people from Judea have gone to the churches and said that to follow Jesus, you must first be a Jew first and follow the law of Moses. Well, Paul and Barnabas are appalled and they debate fiercely with these men. Thus, they are invited to go to Jerusalem to meet with the apostles and elders to discuss the matter. This is a pivotal moment. Will the council in Jerusalem put the burden of the Law on these new Gentile believers? Because the Law is a heavy burden. Amazingly, it seems that the discussion at the council meeting is both civil and Spirit-filled. Don't we wish all church meetings could be this way? Paul and Barnabas give testimony to what they have witnessed with Gentile believers receiving the Holy Spirit. James stands up and quotes Scripture from the prophets which points to Gentiles accepting the Lord. Thus, they come up with a compromise to not make the burden too heavy for the new believers. They are to avoid sexual immorality, not eat meat dedicated to idols or meat from strangled animals or blood. All three of these were very pagan behaviors associated with idol worship. This is where they decide to draw the line and it makes sense. While this seems to bring resolution, we know that these issues will continue to come up. Let's see what tomorrow brings. Blessings, Pastor Vicki
Endure to Manifest Salvation (7) (audio) David Eells (7/24/24) I'm going to back up just a little bit where I spoke in part (6) about the promised land. Starting in (Num.14:28) Say unto them, As I live, saith the Lord, surely as ye have spoken in mine ears, so will I do to you: (If we believe and speak contrary to the Word we will not take our Promised Land.) (29) your dead bodies shall fall in this wilderness; and all that were numbered of you, according to your whole number, from twenty years old and upward, that have murmured against me, (30) surely ye shall not come into the land, concerning which I sware that I would make you dwell therein, save Caleb the son of Jephunneh, and Joshua the son of Nun. That's because Joshua and Caleb said in (Num.14:9) Only rebel not against the Lord, neither fear ye the people of the land; for they are bread for us: their defense is removed from over them, and the Lord is with us: fear them not. They told the people, “Those giants are bread for us!” In type, those “giants” are the natural man who dwells in the Land of Promise. The spiritual man has to go in there to kill that giant and take his house, which is this body of our flesh. And also in type, in the New Testament we are the “land.” It says in (Heb.6:7) For the land which hath drunk the rain that cometh oft upon it, and bringeth forth herbs meet for them for whose sake it is also tilled, receiveth blessing from God: (8) but if it beareth thorns and thistles, it is rejected and nigh unto a curse; whose end is to be burned. We're drinking the rain, which is the Word of God, and we do that to bring forth the fruit of God. But in that land there lives the carnal man, or “Canaanite,” who is the enemy that must be put to death. We are going to kill him and we're going to live in his house instead! As the inner man is being renewed, the outer man is decaying as it says in (2Co.4:16) Wherefore we faint not; but though our outward man is decaying, yet our inward man is renewed day by day. If the inner man is not being renewed, the outer man is not decaying. For example, the Bible promises us divine health and you can avoid a lot sicknesses just by denying them the ability to take authority over you. You tell that sickness, “No! I don't permit it!” I'm not saying you can always deny it because you can't. If you've been willfully disobedient, a chastening is going to come upon you (Hebrews 10:26-27), but you are still supposed to accept what the Word of God says if you want to ultimately come out from under the curse. When judgment came upon the Israelites who sinned in the wilderness, God still told them to look at the serpent on the pole so that they would be healed. (Num.21:4) And they journeyed from mount Hor by the way to the Red Sea, to compass the land of Edom: and the soul of the people was much discouraged because of the way. (5) And the people spake against God, and against Moses, Wherefore have ye brought us up out of Egypt to die in the wilderness? for there is no bread, and there is no water; and our soul loatheth this light bread. This was the Manna, the Word which came down out of heaven. (6) And the Lord sent fiery serpents among the people, and they bit the people; and much people of Israel died. (7) And the people came to Moses, and said, We have sinned, because we have spoken against the Lord, and against thee; pray unto the Lord, that he take away the serpents from us. And Moses prayed for the people. (8) And the Lord said unto Moses, Make thee a fiery serpent, and set it upon a standard: and it shall come to pass, that every one that is bitten, when he seeth it, shall live. (9) And Moses made a serpent of brass, and set it upon the standard: and it came to pass, that if a serpent had bitten any man, when he looked unto the serpent of brass, he lived. Sometimes we think, “Well, I received this chastening because I've sinned, so I'm supposed to keep it.” No! You got it because you sinned, very possibly, but you're still not supposed to keep it! You will keep it, as long as the chastening is upon you, but your job is to correct your thoughts and words, not to consider how long it's going to take for God to chasten you out of your sin. That's the wrong thinking! That's not what the Bible tells us to do. We are to keep our eyes on the serpent on the pole. The way you should be thinking is, “My sin and my sickness were put upon Jesus who became sin and was cursed for me! I am delivered! I am set free from the power of darkness!” Jesus said in (Luk.10:19) Behold, I have given you authority to tread upon serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy: and nothing shall in any wise hurt you. “I've given you authority over all the power of the enemy”; that's what it says in the original manuscripts. The King James has a mistranslation that reads, “Behold, I give unto you power to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy: and nothing shall by any means hurt you.” See, we have total authority over all the power of the enemy. Our authority is by faith in what Jesus did on the cross. It's true that between the time you believe and the time the healing or other deliverance is manifested, God may give you a chastening, but that's not what you're supposed to be thinking about. I've had people tell me, “Well, I'm being chastened for this, and I'm being chastened for that.” And I say to them, “That's fine, but you have to keep your eyes on the serpent on the pole.” You know, the devil is a great deceiver and he'll tell you that you're never through being chastened. He'll tell you, “You have no choice. You're going to have to die with that.” No! That's not what we're commanded to see. This is what we believe and what we confess, in (1Pe.2:24) Who his own self bare our sins in his body upon the tree, that we, having died unto sins, might live unto righteousness; by whose stripes ye were healed. He took our sins away! We don't have to struggle with them. Jesus “bare our sins in his body” on the cross and that's where our faith is supposed to be. We in (Rom.4:17) ... calleth the things that are not, as though they were, just as our father Abraham did. We also believe and confess Gal 3:13-14 Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law, having become a curse for us; for it is written, Cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree: 14 that upon the Gentiles might come the blessing of Abraham in Christ Jesus; that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith. Look at what happened when the Israelites fought with the Amorites, who were ruling over the Promised Land. The name “Amorite” means “Prominence” and the carnal man has been the prominent ruler of our promised land. It says in (Jos.10:8) And the Lord said unto Joshua, Fear them not: for I have delivered them into thy hands; there shall not a man of them stand before thee. And by the power of God, that's when Joshua did the miracle of stopping the solar system so they could conquer the old man of the land. (Jos.10:5) Therefore the five kings of the Amorites, the king of Jerusalem, the king of Hebron, the king of Jarmuth, the king of Lachish, the king of Eglon, gathered themselves together, and went up, they and all their hosts, and encamped against Gibeon, and made war against it. (12) Then spake Joshua to the Lord in the day when the Lord delivered up the Amorites before the children of Israel; and he said in the sight of Israel, Sun, stand thou still upon Gibeon; And thou, Moon, in the valley of Aijalon. (13) And the sun stood still, and the moon stayed, Until the nation had avenged themselves of their enemies. Is not this written in the book of Jashar? And the sun stayed in the midst of heaven, and hasted not to go down about a whole day. (14) And there was no day like that before it or after it, that the Lord hearkened unto the voice of a man: for the Lord fought for Israel. God did that so the Israelites could be avenged of their enemies and He'll go to extreme measures to enable you to be avenged of your enemies, too. But who is the enemy? In type, there were five kings who ruled over the Promised Land and when we were lost in sin, the five “kings” that ruled over our Promised Land were the five senses. When you're ruled by your carnal senses, your actions are based on what you feel, see and hear. But Jesus didn't let His natural senses rule Him. You could slap Jesus on the cheek and He would turn the other one to you! He wasn't moved by what He felt, saw or heard. And that's the way sons are: sons are not moved by what they see, hear and feel with their natural senses; they're moved by the Word of God. If we're going to be sons, that's the way we have to be moved. Continuing in (Jos.10:16) And these five kings fled, and hid themselves in the cave at Makkedah. The cave in the earth at Makkedah represents our mouth because our mouth is a cave in our earthly flesh. (Jos.10:17) And it was told Joshua, saying, The five kings are found, hidden in the cave at Makkedah. (18) And Joshua said, Roll great stones unto the mouth of the cave, and set men by it to keep them: (19) but stay not ye; pursue after your enemies, and smite the hindmost of them; suffer them not to enter into their cities: for the Lord your God hath delivered them into your hand. In other words, “Keep on putting to death the old man, but put great stones, representing the Word, at the mouth of the cave so that the five kings can't come out.” If you allow the natural senses to speak out of your mouth, they'll keep on ruling your land. Remember, if you add to the Word or take away from the Word, you're still under the curse because you're still ruled by the old man. The Lord says in (Rev.22:18) I testify unto every man that heareth the words of the prophecy of this book, if any man shall add unto them, God shall add unto him the plagues which are written in this book: (19) and if any man shall take away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part from the tree of life, and out of the holy city, which are written in this book. And so they rolled great rocks to close the mouth of the cave and we know that the Rock is the Word of God. (2Sa.22:2) And he said, the Lord is my rock, and my fortress, and my deliverer, even mine; (3) God, my rock, in him will I take refuge; My shield, and the horn of my salvation, my high tower, and my refuge; My Saviour, thou savest me from violence. Just like those rocks were to prevent these five kings from coming out, the Word of God should restrain you from speaking things that come to you through your natural senses and, instead, speak things that are in agreement with the Word. Well, when the Israelites came back from pursuing their enemies, (Jos.10:22) Then said Joshua, Open the mouth of the cave, and bring forth those five kings unto me out of the cave. (24) And it came to pass, when they brought forth those kings unto Joshua, that Joshua called for all the men of Israel, and said unto the chiefs of the men of war that went with him, Come near, put your feet upon the necks of these kings. And they came near, and put their feet upon the necks of them. I.e., They never permitted the kings to speak! (25) And Joshua said unto them, Fear not, nor be dismayed; be strong and of good courage: for thus shall the Lord do to all your enemies against whom ye fight. (26) And afterward Joshua smote them, and put them to death, and hanged them on five trees. (27) And it came to pass at the time of the going down of the sun, that Joshua commanded, and they took them down off the trees, and cast them into the cave wherein they had hidden themselves, and laid great stones on the mouth of the cave, unto this very day. Notice, the senses of the earthly body were buried with the flesh; they went from the earth and back to the earth. It says in (Joh.3:6) That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. And so those five kings, the five senses, weren't permitted to speak and they were hanged on a tree, which is what the Bible says about Jesus. When Jesus went to the cross, He put to death the five natural senses, in order that we could have our spiritual senses exercised to discern good from evil. Now, “babes” don't have their senses exercised to discern good from evil because it's by using the Word of righteousness that we exercise our senses to discern good from evil. (Heb.5:13) For every one that partaketh of milk is without experience of the word of righteousness; for he is a babe. (14) But solid food is for fullgrown men, [even] those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern good and evil. What does it mean to “experience” the Word of righteousness? It means that we're not just “hearers” of the Word, but that we've become “doers” of the Word and you can't be a “doer” of something, if you haven't studied it. Let's read (Act.17:11) Now these were more noble than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness of the mind, examining the Scriptures daily, whether these things were so. And (Php.2:12) So then, my beloved, even as ye have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling. The washing of the water of the Word of God (Ephesians 5:26) will “exercise,” it will “fine-tune” our spiritual senses so that we will know good from evil. Jesus always spoke in agreement with the Word and He always saw things around Him through the eyes of the Spirit. The same was true of David. When David was going to kill Goliath, he saw things totally different from all the other Israelites. All the other Israelites were looking at this giant, Goliath. He was all they could see and they were fearful! (1Sa.17:4) And there went out a champion out of the camp of the Philistines, named Goliath, of Gath, whose height was six cubits and a span. (5) And he had a helmet of brass upon his head, and he was clad with a coat of mail; and the weight of the coat was five thousand shekels of brass. (6) And he had greaves of brass upon his legs, and a javelin of brass between his shoulders. (7) And the staff of his spear was like a weaver's beam; and his spear's head [weighed] six hundred shekels of iron: and his shield-bearer went before him. (8) And he stood and cried unto the armies of Israel, and said unto them, Why are ye come out to set your battle in array? am not I a Philistine, and ye servants to Saul? choose you a man for you, and let him come down to me. (9) If he be able to fight with me, and kill me, then will we be your servants; but if I prevail against him, and kill him, then shall ye be our servants, and serve us. (10) And the Philistine said, I defy the armies of Israel this day; give me a man, that we may fight together. (11) And when Saul and all Israel heard those words of the Philistine, they were dismayed, and greatly afraid. They didn't have any hope of running out there and conquering that giant, but that's not what David saw. What he saw was somebody who had come against God and, therefore, his authority was taken away. David saw that Goliath had no power. He saw what Joshua and Caleb saw: “They're bread for us!” Our own giants are like that, too. They look so big, we think we just can't conquer them! Remember my vision where I saw myself in a war to take the land from giants? In this battle, I had captured one of the enemies and, in order to prevent him from speaking, I was holding him in a neck lock while walking down a trail. The Lord revealed to me that this enemy was my carnal man. Then, as we walked around a bend, we saw a giant standing by a campfire and, although I knew he was a giant, he actually was no larger than me. That's because a giant can be any enemy or obstacle that we perceive to be greater than us or our ability to take control of our life for God. As we faced this giant, I momentarily released the neck lock and my enemy spoke to him. He said, “Bigger, bigger, bigger!” I knew that my enemy had the ability, by speaking, to make this giant much bigger, so I turned and karate-chopped him in the Adam's apple to keep him from speaking further. Then I said, “No! Smaller, smaller, smaller!” You see, if you permit the carnal man to speak about any adverse situation, he has the ability to make it worse. The flesh walks by sight, not by faith. On the other hand, the spiritual man has authority to speak to giants such as sins, sicknesses, curses and needs to make them smaller and smaller, until they do not exist. And that's it! If you make your giant bigger, he's bigger. If you let the old man speak out of your mouth, that giant will get bigger. But if you let the spiritual man speak according to faith, you'll say, “No! Smaller, smaller, smaller!” You'll whittle that giant right on down to size until he just disappears. Praise the Lord! That's what David did. David was bold to speak according to what the spiritual man saw. (1Sa.17:37) And David said, God that delivered me out of the paw of the lion, and out of the paw of the bear, he will deliver me out of the hand of this Philistine. (45) Then said David to the Philistine, Thou comest to me with a sword, and with a spear, and with a javelin: but I come to thee in the name of the Lord of hosts.... And that's what he was doing. When you come in the name, it's because you accept the Word, you accept Christ as your head and you see things the way the Bible tells you to see things. David saw things Biblically! The rest of them were seeing by the flesh, by the carnal senses. (1Sa.17:45) … Thou comest to me with a sword, and with a spear, and with a javelin: but I come to thee in the name of the Lord of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel, whom thou hast defied. David spoke bold faith. (46) This day will the Lord deliver thee into my hand; and I will smite thee, and take thy head from off thee; and I will give the dead bodies of the host of the Philistines this day unto the birds of the heavens, and to the wild beasts of the earth; that all the earth may know that there is a God in Israel, (47) and that all this assembly may know that the Lord saveth not with sword and spear: for the battle is the Lord's, and he will give you into our hand. (49) And David put his hand in his bag, and took thence a stone, and slang it, and smote the Philistine in his forehead; and the stone sank into his forehead, and he fell upon his face to the earth. If you've ever used a sling, you know that's a huge miracle because a sling is just about the most haphazard weapon out there. I practiced and practiced with one when I was a kid. And I got to where I could hit a barn and then I could hit a tree, but I'd never be able to hit any giant in the forehead without God! But God was with David for his bold confession. When you're slinging that thing, you have to turn loose of the tab at just the right place in the arc for the stone to turn loose and hit its target. And a sling is really much more powerful than a sling shot; it will sink a rock into something. The leverage that a sling gives you is powerful, but turning it loose at just the right trajectory so that it hits your target, that's a neat trick because you're aiming and releasing the stone only by feel, and in this case by God. But David hit Goliath right in the forehead! The forehead is where the Bible says the “mark of the beast” is because that's the unrenewed mind of the beast. We go back a few verses to (1Sa.17:40) And he took his staff in his hand, and chose him five smooth stones out of the brook, and put them in the shepherd's bag which he had, even in his wallet; and his sling was in his hand: and he drew near to the Philistine. Then in (49) And David put his hand in his bag, and took thence a stone.... David took one stone out of the five stones that he picked up, which symbolized the five senses. The water had run over those stones until they were polished smooth and he picked up that one stone and hit that giant in the forehead. In type, David put to death “the mind of the flesh.” Then he went over there and finished the job. David cut off Goliath's head with Goliath's own sword and that's what we have to do with our giant. So which “stone” did David use? He had all of his senses polished. Which of the five senses did he use? First he saw correctly. He saw things totally different than any of the rest of those Israelites, including Saul. David had the eyes of the Lord! He had the eyes of the Word! The eyes of the dove. And if you keep putting that Word in your heart, you'll have the eyes of the Lord and you'll see things the way He sees things. You will be able to speak the way He speaks. David spoke for the Lord when he said, “I come to you in the name.” And we know the word “name” means “nature, character and authority.” He was saying, “I come to you in the nature, character and authority of the Lord.” (1Sa.17:45) Then said David to the Philistine, Thou comest to me with a sword, and with a spear, and with a javelin: but I come to thee in the name of the Lord of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel, whom thou hast defied. What He spoke directed that stone. (46) This day will the Lord deliver thee into my hand; and I will smite thee, and take thy head from off thee; and I will give the dead bodies of the host of the Philistines this day unto the birds of the heavens, and to the wild beasts of the earth; that all the earth may know that there is a God in Israel.... He spoke it before it came to pass and then it came to pass. Don't be afraid to speak something before you see it, before it comes to pass. Our flesh trembles to speak it before it comes to pass, but that's where you're going to see the great miracles! Agree with the Word of God and speak the end from the beginning, as God has taught us to do. Rom 10:9-10 because if thou shalt confess with thy mouth Jesus as Lord, and shalt believe in thy heart that God raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved: 10 for with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. Of course, the devil is going to tell you, “Oh, boy! If you say that and it doesn't come to pass, you're going to look like a fool.” But remember, (1Pe.2:6) Because it is contained in scripture, Behold, I lay in Zion a chief corner stone, elect, precious: And he that believeth on him shall not be put to shame. (Rom.10:11) For the scripture saith, Whosoever believeth on him shall not be put to shame. (Joe.2:27) And ye shall know that I am in the midst of Israel, and that I am the Lord your God, and there is none else; and my people shall never be put to shame. Never! So when the devil tells you, “You are going to be put to shame,” you tell him, “No! You're a liar because I trust in God.” Boldly confess as David did; “I'm not going to be put to shame.” “I will not serve this sin!” “I will not serve the devil!” “I will not be sick!” “I will not live under this curse!” We, first of all, need to make Jesus our head by agreeing with Him as it says in (Eph.4:15) But speaking truth in love, we may grow up in all things into him, who is the head, even Christ. If we can do that, we can speak what we will and it will come to pass. (1Co.2:16) For who hath known the mind of the Lord, that he should instruct him? But we have the mind of Christ. When Jesus is our head, then we have the mind of Christ in us. We are told in (1Jn.2:6) He that saith he abideth in him ought himself also to walk even as he walked. That's all Peter wanted; in (Mat.14:25) And in the fourth watch of the night he came unto them, walking upon the sea. (26) And when the disciples saw him walking on the sea, they were troubled, saying, It is a ghost; and they cried out for fear. (27) But straightway Jesus spake unto them, saying Be of good cheer; it is I; be not afraid. (28) And Peter answered him and said, Lord, if it be thou, bid me come unto thee upon the waters. (29) And he said, Come. And Peter went down from the boat, and walked upon the waters to come to Jesus. Jesus said, “Come,” and the only thing Peter was walking on was the Word of God. The devil is always going to tell you, “Oh, you can't do that” because you have this problem, or you have that problem, but you tell him, “You're a liar!” And then you just proceed to do it! Your faith must be acted upon as it says in (Jas.2:26) For as the body apart from the spirit is dead, even so faith apart from works is dead. When you believe the Word, act on it! For example, if you believe that you were healed, then you can do what you would be able to do, if you were healed! At one of our Bible studies, when a sister in the Lord was having back pain, I told her, “Bend over and touch your toes; you're healed!” When she bent over and touched her toes, when she acted by faith, she was healed because she acted by faith. And again, when you move on something by faith, the devil will tell you, “You're going to look like a fool.” No! That won't happen when you believe you have received as it says in (Mar.11:24) Therefore I say unto you, All things whatsoever ye pray and ask for, believe that ye receive them, and ye shall have them. But don't act on something because so-and-so is doing it or because you want to impress somebody, or for any other reason but faith because nothing will bring the manifestation to pass but faith. In other words, you want the manifestation because the Word says it's yours and you believe what the Word says. And, by the way, you will never convince your whole mind to believe it. You may think because you have some contrary thoughts in there, that you're not believing. If you don't pay attention to those thoughts, you are not wavering. The devil will tell you, “Aha! See there, you have doubt!” But he put that thought there in the first place and, if you don't accept that thought, then you're not doubting. (Jas.1:14) But each man is tempted, when he is drawn away by his own lust, and enticed. The devil might give you a thought or your flesh might give you a thought, but you can reject it. And you can act on the thoughts that come from God. (Jas.4:7) Be subject therefore unto God; but resist the devil, and he will flee from you. You see, until our minds are totally renewed by the Word of God, we're still going to have these thoughts coming to us, but we don't have to accept them. We have the authority to say, “No!” It's just that simple. Now a lot of people will think in their minds, “I'm healed, I'm healed, I'm healed!” But if it just stops right there and it doesn't go any further, they may not see the manifestation of it. You have to act on your faith. Faith has to come out of your mouth, or faith has to be in your walk, but it has to be somewhere! There needs to be some form of action that goes with faith, before you will see it manifest. You may even have to do what Joshua did and boldly speak or take some other action, out in front of people. Some of the greatest miracles of God I've ever seen came through speaking bold faith right out in front of other people. Praise be to God!
Adventurous Living - The Meadow Springs Community Church Podcast
“O God, I praise your word. I put my trust in you. I trust in God, so why should I be afraid? What can mere mortals do to me? “ v. 3-4 “For you have rescued me from death; you have kept my feet from slipping. So now I can walk in your presence, O God, in your life-giving light.” v. 13 What can man do to me? Turns out, man can do quite a lot. Even so, what a comforting set of book ends for us as we live during this time and place in history.
We continue in our worship series, “I trust in God…” based on our Vacation Bible School theme for this year, that follows a new camp counselor (who just so happens to be a firefly) through his nervous-excitement of his first few days of camp. Kids will spend each day at camp hearing about ordinary people in both the Old and New Testament who trusted God, faced their fears, and went on to do great things in God's name. Throughout the week, the children learn that they can put their trust in God even when they feel scared. This isn't just a lesson for children, though. We each need this reminder—that no matter what is going on in our lives, we can put our trust in God. Last week, we were reminded that we can trust God to go with us—wherever life takes us, God will always remind us of God's presence with us. This week, we understand that we can trust in God… to lead the way.
Psalm 52 is a psalm attributed to David, written in response to the actions of Doeg the Edomite, who reported to King Saul that David had visited the priest Ahimelech. This betrayal led to the massacre of the priests of Nob. The psalm contrasts the wickedness of those who trust in their power and wealth with the righteousness of those who trust in God's steadfast love. Here's a breakdown of Psalm 52: Verses 1-4: Condemnation of the Wicked The psalm begins with David addressing the wicked man, Doeg, questioning why he boasts of evil and deceit. David describes the wicked person's tongue as a “sharp razor” that plots destruction and loves evil more than good. This imagery emphasizes the power of words and the destructiveness of deceit and malice. • Verse 1: “Why do you boast of evil, you mighty man? Why do you boast all day long, you who are a disgrace in the eyes of God?” • Verse 2: “Your tongue plots destruction; it is like a sharpened razor, you who practice deceit.” • Verse 3: “You love evil rather than good, falsehood rather than speaking the truth.” • Verse 4: “You love every harmful word, you deceitful tongue!” Verses 5-7: The Fate of the Wicked David prophesies the downfall of the wicked. God will bring them to ruin, uproot them from their homes, and eliminate their influence. The righteous will see this and recognize it as a demonstration of God's justice, leading to a deeper reverence for God. • Verse 5: “Surely God will bring you down to everlasting ruin: He will snatch you up and pluck you from your tent; He will uproot you from the land of the living.” • Verse 6: “The righteous will see and fear; they will laugh at you, saying,” • Verse 7: “‘Here now is the man who did not make God his stronghold but trusted in his great wealth and grew strong by destroying others!'” Verses 8-9: The Trust of the Righteous In contrast to the wicked, David expresses his trust in God's unfailing love. He likens himself to a green olive tree in the house of God, symbolizing fruitfulness, stability, and flourishing under God's care. David commits to praising God forever and putting his hope in God's name, which is good. • Verse 8: “But I am like an olive tree flourishing in the house of God; I trust in God's unfailing love forever and ever.” • Verse 9: “For what You have done I will always praise You in the presence of Your faithful people. And I will hope in Your name, for Your name is good.” Themes and Lessons from Psalm 52 - 1. The Power of Words: The psalm highlights the destructive power of deceitful speech and the moral corruption of those who use their words for evil purposes. 2. Divine Justice: It underscores the certainty of divine justice. The wicked may seem to prosper temporarily, but their ultimate fate is ruin. 3. Trust in God: David's trust in God's steadfast love serves as a model for the righteous. Despite facing betrayal and danger, he finds security and hope in God. 4. Contrast Between the Wicked and the Righteous: The psalm draws a clear distinction between the wicked, who rely on their wealth and power, and the righteous, who rely on God's faithfulness. - Psalm 52 encourages believers to maintain their faith in God's justice and to live righteously, trusting in His steadfast love rather than in their own strength or resources.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/sendme-radio--732966/support.
Sign-up for my free 20-day devotional, The Word Before Work Foundations, at http://TWBWFoundations.com--Series: Wisdom for Work from DavidDevotional: 4 of 7You [Lord] reward everyone according to what they have done. (Psalm 62:12)I don't believe Bucket Lists are evil. But I do believe that Christians of all people should spend less time thinking about Bucket Lists—lists of things you want to do before you die and “kick the bucket”—and a lot more time thinking about Anti-Bucket Lists—catalogs of things you will strive not to do on this side of eternity.Why? Three reasons.#1: This life is not our only chance to enjoy the best this world has to offer. As Dr. Randy Alcorn has said, “the ‘bucket list' mentality…is profoundly unbiblical,” because Scripture makes clear that we will have all eternity to enjoy the earth's greatest destinations (see Revelation 21:10-21), food (see Isaiah 25:6–8), culture (see Isaiah 60:1-11), jobs (see Isaiah 65:17-23), etc.#2: God will reward believers differently based on how we steward this life. This is what David alluded to in today's passage and what the Son of David, Jesus Christ, promised more than 20 times. In Matthew 16:27, for example, Jesus echoed David by saying that “the Son of Man…will reward each person according to what they have done.”#3: Eternal rewards are almost always tied to sacrifices we make in the present. For example, in Luke 6:22-23, Jesus said that if you sacrifice your reputation at work “because of the Son of Man…great is your reward in heaven.” In Luke 12:33-34 he promised that if you sacrifice “your possessions and give to the poor” you will be rewarded with “treasure in heaven that will never fail.”For these three reasons, I have spent a lot of time drafting my Anti-Bucket List—things I am intentionally sacrificing in this life so that I can accumulate as many eternal rewards as possible per Jesus's command.Let me give you one example from my list to illustrate.As much as I love my hometown of Tampa, FL, no city fuels my soul more than Washington, D.C. (I know—I'm a crazy person).So why don't my wife and I move our family to DC? There are many reasons, but one is that our aging parents and grandparents are within a ten-minute drive of our current home and we feel called to help care for them as they get older. That's a sacrifice for me personally (less so for my far less selfish wife). But knowing that I will have all of eternity to explore the greatest city of all time, I am happy to put this dream on my Anti-Bucket List, because I trust in God's promise that he will reward me “for whatever good [I] do” in this life (Ephesians 6:8). You too can take David's words to the bank: The Lord will “reward everyone according to what they have done.” Plan accordingly.JordanP.S. If you want to go deeper on why the concept of rewards makes believers uncomfortable, what rewards Scripture promises, how you can earn them, and what else is on my Anti-Bucket List, check out Chapter 4 of my book, The Sacredness of Secular Work!
Today is day 40 and we are on the section on the First Article of the Apostles' Creed on God the Father Almighty. Today we are on the second line: “The Father Almighty” and studying question 40. 40. What do you mean when you call God “Father”? When I call God “Father,” I declare that I was created for relationship with him, that I trust in God as my Protector and Provider, and that I put my hope in God as his child and heir in Christ. (Genesis 1:26–27; Psalms 68:4–6; 103:13–14; Matthew 6:25–34; Romans 8:17–21) We will conclude today with The Collect for The Fourth Sunday of Epiphany found on page 602 of the Book of Common Prayer (2019). If you would like to buy or download To Be a Christian, head to anglicanchurch.net/catechism. Produced by Holy Trinity Anglican Church in Madison, MS. Original music from Matthew Clark. Daily collects and Psalms are taken from Book of Common Prayer (2019), created by the Anglican Church in North America and published by the Anglican Liturgical Press. Used by permission. All rights reserved. Scripture quotations are from The ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved. Catechism readings are taken from To Be a Christian - An Anglican Catechism Approved Edition, copyright © 2020 by The Anglican Church in North America by Crossway a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
“But when I am afraid, I will put my trust in you. I praise God for what he has promised. I trust in God, so why should I be afraid? What can mere mortals do to me?” Psalms 56:3-4
Worship Theme: Go Forth and Preach the Gospel! Scriptures to read along with this message.... Jonah 3:1-5, 10 (sermon verses) Go Forth and Preach the Gospel! The people of Nineveh didn't deserve God's mercy. Jonah didn't deserve the chance to share it with them. But God worked through the Word in the messenger's mouth. Psalm 62 describes the absolute trustworthiness of God, which moves us to flee to him in faith and count on him in crisis. Martin Luther said, “Psalm 62 instructs us about false trust in human beings, and true trust in God. Human beings simply do not see that trust in powerful people is worthless, and they are surprised when everything around them collapses. In contrast, when I trust in God, my soul is satisfied.” 2 Corinthians 5:14-21 Go Forth and Preach the Gospel! It's the greatest transaction ever known: God made the one with no sin - Jesus - to be sin. In the end, he does not count people's sins against them. Mark 1:14-20 Go Forth and Preach the Gospel! The first disciples left their nets for the adventure of fishing for people. He calls us to do the same! He's with us as we go! We hope you enjoy this message and if you have any questions you can email us at: votl.podcast@gmail.com Instagram: @votlchurch Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/votl.org/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCbssSY_GyJMabh9W-sSVQpQ Online: https://votl.org
In this episode, Erin H. Warren talks about the importance of community in building faith. Satan loves for us to remain in isolation, but God designed us to be in community around the Word of God. Using examples from Scripture, Erin explains what this community looks like and shares one of the most powerful pictures of how community builds our faith found in Ephesians 6:16. Building Faith is a companion series to REconstructing Faith on the Million Praying Moms podcast. This series sets a foundation for Erin's new book, Everyday Prayers for Faith: Finding Confidence in God No Matter What. More on the book: Life rarely goes as planned, and we often find ourselves tossed to and fro by circumstances out of our control. When things go awry, our confidence in God's faithfulness may waver. But His faithfulness is tied to His promises in Scripture, not our earthly circumstances. In Everyday Prayers for Faith: Finding Confidence in God No Matter What, author Erin H. Warren unpacks the precious promises of God that are worth far more than anything this world has to offer. You will learn how God: • Lifts your burdens to give you rest • Provides an abundance of comfort that you can extend to others • Sends rainbows and hope after every storm • Shares a steadfast love that never wavers • Gives us His strength to keep running the race Erin's prayer is that by the end of this book, “women will fling their arms wide and leap forward to proclaim, ‘I trust in God!'” Order Everyday Prayers for Faith: https://www.feastingontruth.com/faith Other Links: Listen to the companion podcast on Million Praying Moms Podcast: http://www.millionprayingmoms.com/is-it-biblical-to-walk-through-life-alone More information on Erin's other books and Feasting on Truth Bible studies: https://www.feastingontruth.com/books Resources to help you with Bible study: https://www.feastingontruth.com/resources Christianity Today article: https://www.christianity.com/wiki/christian-terms/what-does-koinonia-mean-in-the-bible.html
Life rarely goes as planned, particularly when we rely on our own plans rather than God's. So when things go awry, our faith in His faithfulness may waver. And yet God's faithfulness is not tied to our earthly circumstances but rather to His promises in Scripture. In Everyday Prayers for Faith: Finding Confidence in God No Matter What, author Erin H. Warren unpacks the precious promises of God that are worth far more than anything this world has to offer. You will learn how God: ▫️Lifts your burdens to give you rest ▫️Provides an abundance of comfort that you can extend to others ▫️Sends rainbows and hope after every storm ▫️Shares a steadfast love that never wavers ▫️Gives us His strength to keep running the race Erin's prayer is that by the end of this book, “women will fling their arms wide and leap forward to proclaim, ‘I trust in God!'” Connect with Erin: erinhwarren.com @erinhwarren @feastingontruth
Leddy Hammock In the Silence, I trust in God. I rest in God and I feel hope turning into faith. I relax and rest, letting go and letting God. In the waltz of life, I let God lead.
What if I don't feeling anything? Why do I need to know the Bible and what does that have to do with faith in hard times? In this episode, Erin Warren addresses these questions and some misconceptions about head knowledge. She defines biblical knowledge and gives four benefits to knowledge. Knowledge undergirds our faith. Knowledge of God and His Word is paramount, essential, and so needed as we continue to walk through this world. Building Faith is a companion series to REconstructing Faith on the Million Praying Moms podcast. This series sets a foundation for Erin's new book, Everyday Prayers for Faith: Finding Confidence in God No Matter What. More on the book: Life rarely goes as planned, and we often find ourselves tossed to and fro by circumstances out of our control. When things go awry, our confidence in God's faithfulness may waver. But His faithfulness is tied to His promises in Scripture, not our earthly circumstances. In Everyday Prayers for Faith: Finding Confidence in God No Matter What, author Erin H. Warren unpacks the precious promises of God that are worth far more than anything this world has to offer. You will learn how God: • Lifts your burdens to give you rest • Provides an abundance of comfort that you can extend to others • Sends rainbows and hope after every storm• Shares a steadfast love that never wavers • Gives us His strength to keep running the race Erin's prayer is that by the end of this book, “women will fling their arms wide and leap forward to proclaim, ‘I trust in God!'” Order Everyday Prayers for Faith: https://www.feastingontruth.com/faith Other Links: Listen to the companion podcast on Million Praying Moms Podcast: https://www.millionprayingmoms.com/podcast/ More information on Erin's other books and Feasting on Truth Bible studies: https://www.feastingontruth.com/books Resources to help you with Bible study: https://www.feastingontruth.com/resources
This week Pastor Justin talks about how as we grow in the Lord, we see setbacks differently! You can now see on our Youtube Channel by following this link: Setbacks (Mind Grown Pt. 2) Important Points: I will Find Joy in Obedience! I will Not Fear Setbacks because I trust in God! My Setup will be my Setup for a Comeback! Important Scriptures (NLT version unless stated otherwise): Psalms 112:1-10 Isaiah 55:8-9 John 15:10-11 Psalms 112:7 Isaiah 43:19 Romans 8:28
We all have problems with trust. We want to trust. We get scared to trust. Some of us resist trusting, as if we could get through a single day without trusting anyone or anything. We have all found ourselves to be untrustworthy at times. Some of us trust too easily, layering our hopes on things that have not proven themselves worthy of it. Most of us trust the wrong things at some point. “Trust is a word I understand,” says Cinthia, “until I actually have to do it. It doesn't feel like a heavy word until I actually have to carry it.” Today Cinthia opens her conversation on trust with Proverbs 3:5-7 and Numbers 23:19. Cinthia cites the following concept by Henry Morris: “Faith is a noun; trust is a verb.” Faith is something we possess; trust is an action. As an example, she discusses events in 1859 when Charles Blondin became the first man to cross Niagara Falls on a tightrope. Thousands of spectators developed faith in his abilities as they watched him cross a 1,300-foot tightrope, only two inches in diameter. He walked. He ran. He set up a box camera and took pictures of the crowd from the tightrope. He walked backward and blindfolded. He back-flipped. He made an omelet. He did all these things on the tightrope over Niagara Falls before cheering crowds who increasingly had faith that he could do them. But the one who put his active trust in Blondin was his manager Colcord, who rode on Blondin's back and was carried across the tightrope himself. Blondin told Colcord not to make any attempts to balance himself on the ride but to abandon himself to Blondin for that time, swaying with Him and trusting Blondin to do all the balancing. Colcord actively placed his trust in Blondin and rode safely across the falls. The crowd had faith; Colcord trusted. This is a beautiful picture of what it means to trust God; beyond simply holding beliefs about Him, we actively entrust ourselves to Him, learning to sway when He sways and abandon our own attempts at control. Also, notes Cinthia, we learn to trust Him to do the day we are doing right now, not worry about the next event. It is popular in our society to encourage people to trust themselves, but trust should always be placed in something worthy of it. For that reason, trust always needs to start and stop with God, not ourselves. God does want us to learn to trust His ability to work through us, become more trustworthy people, and enjoy confidence in the strength He gives us. But using ourselves as the ultimately bedrock of trust is foolish unless we are perfect, and none of us are. Cinthia sums it up this way: “My trust always needs to start and stop with God, not myself. I trust in God as He is making me into a more trustworthy person.” He knows, she explains, that this will take time and be hard. Humans need time, struggle, and so many other things to become more trustworthy, and the task will not be completed fully in this life. The process of becoming more trustworthy is important. We have a responsibility to work toward becoming more trustworthy for ourselves and others. So what about trusting others? Practically speaking, we have to give the gift of trust to someone; we cannot get through life without doing so. While we cannot place faith in people as if they were our gods, we do give the gift of trust to mistake-making, fallen people, including ourselves. Jesus was able to trust His disciples because He trusted His Father first. He did not make them the foundation of His identity, but He did place some things in their hands. We should choose whom to trust carefully, noticing things like whether they own their mistakes and make them right, and we should work toward becoming more worthy of trust ourselves. But we should not trust everyone all the time. We can even like people and not trust them. Colcord did not trust Blondin because Blondin made the idea sound good; Blondin had practiced his whole life and repeatedly demonstrated his trustworthiness before Colcord rode on his back. But humans are always a risk. Each of us has places in our lives in which it is particularly hard to trust God. What seems natural and logical to us may not have the stamp of God on it. Cinthia reflects on her own questions about why God gifted her as a musical performer but led her away from life as a full-time performer. But, she says, we must trust in Who God is, not in the circumstances around us. Many of us have so much information about God, but do we actually trust in Who He is? Do we actually let Him be God in our lives? It is incredible that we dare not trust Him when He is so trustworthy, so active, so amazingly loving and beyond us. He is doing everything, working day and night. But many of us get disappointed by various kinds of loss. We all have ideas of how things should be, and life does not always turn out in those ways. We cannot understand all our circumstances, but we can actively place our trust in Who He is. What are the hardest areas for you to trust God? Is it hard to trust Him with your kids? With believing He has forgiven you? With your career or relationship status? With your health? With your identity? With your fears? With helping you to forgive others? With the letting go of an addiction for a day at a time? The middle verse in the Bible is Psalm 118:8, which says, “It is better to trust in the Lord than to put confidence in man.” Cinthia encourages memorizing this verse and others, such as Numbers 23:19; Psalm 2:12; 5:11; 30:4; 34:22; 56:3, Proverbs 3:5-7;16:20; and 29:25. The more our faith is in God, the more trustworthy we ourselves will be. The more we trust God, the more we can change the world.
Building Faith is a companion series to REconstructing Faith on the Million Praying Moms podcast. This series sets a foundation for Erin's new book, Everyday Prayers for Faith: Finding Confidence in God No Matter What. In this second episode, Erin Warren explains the importance of context, both biblical and historical, when studying Scripture and how that helps us hold fast to faith. Satan is still asking, "Did God actually say...?" and we need to be armed with truth to better understand faith and our faithful God. She uses the story of Abraham as an example to show how context makes all the difference in understanding Scripture. More on the book: Life rarely goes as planned, and we often find ourselves tossed to and fro by circumstances out of our control. When things go awry, our confidence in God's faithfulness may waver. But His faithfulness is tied to His promises in Scripture, not our earthly circumstances. In Everyday Prayers for Faith: Finding Confidence in God No Matter What, author Erin H. Warren unpacks the precious promises of God that are worth far more than anything this world has to offer. You will learn how God: • Lifts your burdens to give you rest • Provides an abundance of comfort that you can extend to others • Sends rainbows and hope after every storm • Shares a steadfast love that never wavers • Gives us His strength to keep running the race Erin's prayer is that by the end of this book, “women will fling their arms wide and leap forward to proclaim, ‘I trust in God!'” Order Everyday Prayers for Faith: https://www.feastingontruth.com/faith Other Links: Listen to the companion podcast on Million Praying Moms Podcast: https://www.millionprayingmoms.com/podcast/ More information on Erin's other books and Feasting on Truth Bible studies: https://www.feastingontruth.com/books Resources to help you with Bible study: https://www.feastingontruth.com/resources
What does Ezekiel's vision of God have to do with Post Christmas Stress? Are you feeling a little blue after the Christmas hustle and bustle? You are not alone. According to experts the "saddest week of the year" is the third week of January. January is the month we know the bills are starting to come in from our pre christmas shopping sprees. January typically in the midwest is dreary, dark, and grey. There can be lots of snow which is fun for the kids but not so fun for driving adults. January is long. What is there to look forward to? Valentines Day which is oh yeah can be another depressing holiday if you are single. What can we do with this predicament? I'm going to give you three simple options. Don't try to do them all. Don't try to jump right in. First just give yourself some grace. We are all in this fishbowl feeling of post-Christmas sadness. God is still on the thrown! “When I am afraid, I will put my trust in you. I praise God for what he has promised. I trust in God, so why should I be afraid?” Psalm 56:3-4 I think many of us are afraid. We are afraid it's a new year and we might not meet all the benchmarks we so boldly set out to do in December. It's a new year which can be exciting but also heavy. So how do we put our trust in the Lord that everything will be okay? Maybe you are struggling now with finances. Maybe your marriage had some fights over the holidays. The kids were upset. Maybe your expectations weren't met. How to Get Over the Post-Christmas Blues 1. Whatever our challenge is, we can learn best how to deal with it from Ezekiel. His name literally means “God is strong.” or “God strengthens”. This very meaning sums up what the book of Ezekiel is about. We as children (we are all children of God) must learn to obey God. But we have a choice! God gave us free will. We can choose to turn towards him or away from him. When things are going well it's easy to praise the Lord. But when crap hits the fan, we often turn to other things. I do this, i might distract myself with shopping, or focusing on material wants or desires. It is not easy to just turn to the Lord and say, “I am suffering in my marriage but I praise you OH GOD. You are so good.” Ezekiel chose to obey God. He was chosen by God to be prophet. He was also a Jewish street preacher. He was born around 622 BCE from a priestly lineage. He was a priest who also was a mover and shaker. And he was probably called crazy in his day. Ezekiel was a prophet. That means the Lord gave him spiritual visions to help show his people the true Glory of God. Ezekiel did whatever crazy thing the Lord said to do. His vision: The Lion- strength/God The ox- service The man- intelligence The eagle- divinity. (belonging to God) Some say the four represent the four gospels: Mathew, Mark, Luke, and John. Then there is a wheel intersecting a wheel. And all I think that that refers to God's ability to move anywhere, God is present everywhere and he is not under the realm of time. He is above Time and he is all knowing. Now if I were Ezekiel and I had a dream about two wheels intersecting I wonder if I would be able to metaphorically get that. Do you ever have a dream that won't leave you and you ask the Lord, what does that mean? Sometimes if that happens you just need to share it and see what your friend or spouse thinks. We have to be like Ezekiel when we are facing some challenging times. 2. We have to connect. We have to be willing to share our dreams and our visions with other people we trust. I know that I don't have it all figured out! But I know through the power of connection with others I can draw closer to God, his vision for me ,and ultimately his solution to the problem I'm facing. 3. Invest in Yourself. We just got a bunch of crap from Christmas. We need to take ten minutes to declutter our lives. Physically and emotionally. What can you get rid of? What can you let go of? What can you say no to? That last one is huge. Saying no to things that God is not calling you to do. Then we can start to add in the real things that will make a difference in our lives. Meaningful relationships. Healthy meals. Walks with friends. Making investments in yourself never costs a lot of money. It's more about the time you spend on yourself. It's okay to ask the Lord what He wants for you. Then go and get it! For now, you can join the Pace of Peace program for just $7 a month! Get connected with other women and find your tribe that will walk alongside you virtually as you make goals and meet them. Invest in the gift of fellowship! https://melissaschultzministries.com/join-pace-of-peace/ In the end, no one really wants another iphone for Christmas. What we want is connection with others. We want to find meaning in our lives. How we do that is through the Lord. His vision for us supersedes all selfish desires. In the end, whatever junk we are putting in to fill the void of purpose will never be enough. Food will never be enough. Material things will never be enough. A new car is not going to fix your marriage. Turning to the Lord will. Jennie Allen's Book Find us on Social Media https://www.instagram.com/cheeringpastchallenges/ https://www.facebook.com/cheeringpastchallenges https://www.pinterest.com/cheeringpastchallenges Check out our website: www.cheeringpastchallenges.com
Building Faith is a companion series to REconstructing Faith on the Million Praying Moms podcast. This series sets a foundation for Erin's new book, Everyday Prayers for Faith: Finding Confidence in God No Matter What. In this first episode, Erin Warren explains how we build faith. It starts with Knowing God. She shares practical tips through her own story of learning how to have a God-centered Bible study and why the pursuit of knowledge about God in the Bible is not optional. In fact, it's essential. More on the book: Life rarely goes as planned, and we often find ourselves tossed to and fro by circumstances out of our control. When things go awry, our confidence in God's faithfulness may waver. But His faithfulness is tied to His promises in Scripture, not our earthly circumstances. In Everyday Prayers for Faith: Finding Confidence in God No Matter What, author Erin H. Warren unpacks the precious promises of God that are worth far more than anything this world has to offer. You will learn how God: • Lifts your burdens to give you rest • Provides an abundance of comfort that you can extend to others • Sends rainbows and hope after every storm • Shares a steadfast love that never wavers • Gives us His strength to keep running the race Erin's prayer is that by the end of this book, “women will fling their arms wide and leap forward to proclaim, ‘I trust in God!'” Order Everyday Prayers for Faith: https://www.feastingontruth.com/faith Other Links: Listen to the companion podcast on Million Praying Moms Podcast: https://www.millionprayingmoms.com/what-is-deconstruction-and-should-christians-do-it/ More information on Erin's other books and Feasting on Truth Bible studies: https://www.feastingontruth.com/books Resources to help you with Bible study: https://www.feastingontruth.com/resources
All I can think of this morning is the song from Elevation, "I Trust In God my Savior. The One who will never fail!" I am so thankful for a God I can trust. --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/thepreacherchick/message
EPISODE 278 - Lori Ann Wood - How An Incurable Heart Failure Created a Divine DetourMy heart journey began in November 2015: the physical part on November 27, the spiritual part three weeks earlier. On November 6, around 10:00 pm on a stretch of highway a few hours from my home, I prayed specifically for God to make my life matter in His Kingdom and pledged that I would do anything to that end. Immediately, apprehensive tears streamed down my face as I realized the weight of that promise.Less than a month later, I almost died from heart failure from an unknown cause: severe idiopathic dilated cardiomyopathy. I soon learned I had an EF of 8% and spent 14 days in the hospital, most of it in ICU, as doctors tried to save my life. All of this despite having no risk factors, no family history, low blood pressure, low cholesterol levels, and a recent medical evaluation declaring that I had less than 3% chance of ever developing heart disease. I was emergency flighted to Cleveland Clinic and became their most critical patient for 16 months. During that time I wore a Life Vest external defibrillator, carefully titrated my meds to maximum dosages, and eliminated sodium from my diet. I was eventually implanted with a Biventricular CRT-D, a combination pacemaker/internal defibrillator.Meanwhile, thousands of people prayed for me around the clock despite a grim prognosis and sympathetic tears from every doctor we encountered. Some would say nothing much happened for many, many months, but the miracle was that I survived. Peace enveloped my husband and I, and we held on tight and trusted. Against all medical odds, my EF was restored on March 27, 2017.I don't want to mislead you into thinking my journey is over, that the story is fully written. I have had setbacks since, physically, and even spiritually. But God showed up countless times throughout the journey and continues to walk through this with me, as I put my today and tomorrow in His tender, merciful hands, and wait for what is next. I trust in God as a loving father. If He chooses to normalize my heart and grant me years into old age, then may He receive all praise and glory. If God has a different story that He is writing, please pray I can endure that journey with the grace and peace that is only experienced through the Spirit of God. Thank you for caring enough to join me in this___https://loriannwood.com/ National Podcast Post Month is celebrating 16 years! Join the 30 days of podcasting fun starting on November 1st! #NaPodPoMoSupport the showAre you looking to hire a podcast editor to do the behind the scenes work for you? Do you want to be a better Podcast Guest?Searching for How To Start a Podcast?Looking for Podcast Tips?Visit HowToPodcast.ca for practical advice, featured guest co-hosts from around the world and a community of podcasters dedicated to your success - join Dave and the entire podcast family at https://howtopodcast.ca/
Psalm 52 (as read by Jenny) For the Chief Musician. A contemplation by David, when Doeg the Edomite came and told Saul, “David has come to Abimelech’s house.” 52:1 Why do you boast of mischief, mighty man? God’s loving kindness endures continually. 52:2 Your tongue plots destruction, like a sharp razor, working deceitfully. 52:3 You love evil more than good, lying rather than speaking the truth. Selah. 52:4 You love all devouring words, you deceitful tongue. 52:5 God will likewise destroy you forever. He will take you up, and pluck you out of your tent, and root you out of the land of the living. Selah. 52:6 The righteous also will see it, and fear, and laugh at him, saying, 52:7 “Behold, this is the man who didn’t make God his strength, but trusted in the abundance of his riches, and strengthened himself in his wickedness.” 52:8 But as for me, I am like a green olive tree in God’s house. I trust in God’s loving kindness forever and ever. 52:9 I will give you thanks forever, because you have done it. I will hope in your name, for it is good, in the presence of your saints. Right mouse click or tap here to save this Podcast as a MP3.
"When All The Saints" ©1997, Christopher Miner Music. Used by permission. All rights reserved.http://hymnbook.igracemusic.com/hymns/for-all-the-saintsChristopher MinerChristopher Miner-MusicWilliam Walsham How-TextIn this podcast episode titled "All-Saints-Day and Halloween's-Christian-Origins," Dr. Jeffrey D. Skinner, the host of "Echoes-Through-Eternity-Podcast," explores the fascinating intersection of Christian tradition and the origins of Halloween. Dr. Skinner delves into the significance of All-Saints-Day, shedding light on its deep roots in Christian history and its celebration across various denominations. He also uncovers the surprising connections between Halloween and Christian traditions, revealing how this holiday evolved over time.Throughout the episode, Dr. Skinner emphasizes the unity of Christians of all ages, countries, and races in Christ, highlighting the importance of recognizing the rich history of Christianity and finding inspiration in the stories of saints and martyrs. Listeners are encouraged to reflect on the meaning of All-Saints-Day and its relevance to their faith.This thought-provoking podcast provides valuable insights into the spiritual significance of All-Saints-Day and offers a fresh perspective on the origins of Halloween, ultimately encouraging individuals to embrace the Christian heritage and the unity it represents.Transcript:Dr. Jeffery D. Skinner (00:00.414)Welcome into Echoes Through Eternity. I am Dr. Jeffrey D. Skinner. This is a bonus episode. It's our All Hallows' Eve episode. Halloween. And today we're delivering, we're delving into a topic. Stop.Dr. Jeffery D. Skinner (00:36.33)Welcome to another episode of Echoes Through Eternity with Dr. Jeffrey D. Skinner. I am your host, and today we're delving into a topic that's both fascinating and deeply rooted in Christian tradition, All Saints Day.This isn't your typical Halloween episode. Instead, we'll be uncovering the meaning and history behind the November 1st holiday. That might just change the way you think about saints and Halloween itself. So what exactly is All Saints Day? It's a Christian solemnity, a dignified remembrance where we honor all the saints from Christian history.Whether they're well-known figures or those whose names have been lost to time.Dr. Jeffery D. Skinner (01:34.582)It goes by various names, All Hallows Day, the Feast of All Saints, the Solemnity of All Saints, and Hallow, Hallowmas.Dr. Jeffery D. Skinner (01:47.638)But who are these saints? You might be surprised to learn that it's not just those immortalized in statues within church buildings. According to the Bible, saints are anyone who trust in Christ alone for salvation.Dr. Jeffery D. Skinner (02:05.502)If you, if I trust in God for our salvation, we are saints. Yep, you heard it right. You can be a saint too if you are a follower of Christ. It's not a title bestowed by religious leaders. It's granted by God to anyone who simply trusts in Christ.This Christian celebration is observed on November 1st by the Roman Catholic Church, the Methodist Church, from which the Church of Nazarene, the Wesleyan Church we all held from the were cousins to the Methodists there, the Lutheran Church, and other Protestant denominations in Western Christianity. The Eastern Orthodox Church observes it on the first Sunday following Pentecost. It is a day that reminds us...of our connections as Christians and the spiritual bond between those in heaven and on earth.Now you might be wondering about the connection between All Saints Day and Halloween. Believe it or not, Halloween in its origins was a Holy Christian celebration. The word Halloween comes from Hallows Eve, meaning the evening of holy persons. And it refers to the evening for All Saints Day, which is November 1st on both Anglican and Catholic calendars. Anglican being that Church of England.Dr. Jeffery D. Skinner (03:41.826)Halloween is a blend of Celtic religious ideas and Christian martyrology, showing how traditions can evolve over time.The history of All Saints' Day dates back to early years of Christianity when the Roman Empire persecuted Christians. So many martyrs died from their faith that the Church set aside special days to honor them.In the seventh century, the pantheon in Rome was consecrated to all saints, and many bones of martyrs were brought there. Over time, all saints' day evolved into what we know today. In the tenth century, All Souls' Day on November 2nd was added to honor all Christians who had passed away. People prayed for the dead, but some…Un-Christian superstitions also began to creep in. The holiday absorbed some pagan customs, but we can use it positively to remember and give thanks for Christians from the past who inspired us.Dr. Jeffery D. Skinner (04:55.926)So how can we celebrate All Saints Day? It's about recognizing the unity of Christians of all ages, countries, and races in Christ. While we don't pray to or through the saints, we can find inspiration in their stories of God's faithfulness.The Bible tells us about this great cloud of witnesses whose lives speak of God's unfailing loving grace. There is a beautiful hymn called For All the Saints. It encourages believers to look back through the years of Christian history and think of the millions now enjoying rest and salvation in the presence of God.Dr. Jeffery D. Skinner (05:41.95)And we're using that hymn today by permission from the authors. And you'll find that in the author notes, in the publisher notes, in the show notes. It inspires us to press on. Look forward to the glorious day when the strife is over and we join the triumphant song. No more tears, no more pain.just as we've been talking about in Revelation. That chapter 21 that paints to that new creation, that glorious day when all things are new.Dr. Jeffery D. Skinner (06:26.37)to this All Saints Day. Let's remember that you can be a saint too and take inspiration from the rich history of Christianity.Dr. Jeffery D. Skinner (06:39.042)Thanks for joining us on this journey through the Echoes of Eternity.This has been our All Saints Day episode. Until next time, stay curious and keep seeking the truth. Hallelujah.Dr. Jeffery D. Skinner (06:57.296)Amen.
DACA is stroke down once again. While we were expecting this news, it's not easy to face the reality that the DACA Program could be taken away. While we can still continue to renew our DACA application, millions of eligible applicants are left out of the program. We know DACA is only temporary, and the fear and anxiety to be at risk of loosing our jobs, or be separated from our family becomes more real with every new decision. Check-in on your DACA friends, and let them know we are all here for each other. No matter what, we are better together and I trust in God that bigger and better things are coming for us. Follow the Prickly Things PodcastInstagram: @thepricklythingspodcastTik Tok: TPT PodcastBe a Guest on the Show!Contact us to share your story and be a guest on the podcast at thepricklythingspodcast@gmail.com.
Fear of __________________________ Fear of __________________________ Fear of __________________________ Fear of __________________________ 2 Timothy 1:7 (NKJV) For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind. Fear is placing faith in the “____________-_________.” Exodus 4:1 But Moses protested again, “What if they won't believe me or listen to me? What if they say, ‘The Lord never appeared to you'?” What you fear reveals what you ___________ the most! What you fear reveals where you trust God the _______ I'm not trusting God with: ___________________ 1. Acknowledge your fear & ____________ to trust God. Psalm 56:2-4 I am constantly hounded by those who slander me, and many are boldly attacking me. 3 But when I am afraid, I will put my trust in you. 4 I praise God for what he has promised. I trust in God, so why should I be afraid? What can mere mortals do to me? I make a _________________ to trust! I choose to _________________ you no matter what! 2. Seek God until he _____________ away your fears. Psalm 34:4 I prayed to the Lord, and he answered me. He freed me from all my fears. "I have never known more than fifteen minutes of anxiety or fear. Whenever I feel fearful emotions overtaking me I just close my eyes and thank God that he is still on the throne reigning over everything and I take comfort in His control over all the affairs of my life.” - John Wesley When I'm fearful I need to close my eyes and remind myself that God is on the __________________! Isaiah 41:10 Don't be afraid, for I am with you. Don't be discouraged, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you. I will hold you up with my victorious right hand. _________ puts circumstances between us and God. _________ puts God between us and circumstance. ____________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________
One of the most freeing things you can ever let yourself lean into, "I don't know all the answers, but I DO trust God."So powerfulSpeak these things over yourself this morning:1. I am a warrior for Christ, and I fight against the powers of darkness with His strength. 2. I am a child of promise, and I trust in God's faithfulness to fulfill His promises to me. 3. I am a recipient of God's abundant blessings, and I give thanks for His goodness. Let the symphony of your life reflect the Glory of the Lord.Pause.Reflect.Selah.
Today is day 40 and we are on the section on the First Article of the Apostles' Creed on God the Father Almighty. Today we are on the second line: “The Father Almighty” and studying question 40. 40. What do you mean when you call God “Father”? When I call God “Father,” I declare that I was created for relationship with him, that I trust in God as my Protector and Provider, and that I put my hope in God as his child and heir in Christ. (Genesis 1:26–27; Psalms 68:4–6; 103:13–14; Matthew 6:25–34; Romans 8:17–21) We will conclude today with The Collect for The Fourth Sunday of Epiphany found on page 602 of the Book of Common Prayer (2019). If you would like to buy or download To Be a Christian, head to anglicanchurch.net/catechism. Produced by Holy Trinity Anglican Church in Madison, MS. Original music from Matthew Clark. Daily collects and Psalms are taken from Book of Common Prayer (2019), created by the Anglican Church in North America and published by the Anglican Liturgical Press. Used by permission. All rights reserved. Scripture quotations are from The ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved. Catechism readings are taken from To Be a Christian - An Anglican Catechism Approved Edition, copyright © 2020 by The Anglican Church in North America by Crossway a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Mama, did you know no matter what you may be facing right now you can flourish? When David was betrayed by another man and in fear for his life he wrote in the palms that he was flourishing because he trusted in God's failing love. There's a key to peace for us in his story! Worship with Jen this week and find peace in God's presence!Psalm 52:8 "But I am like an olive tree flourishing in the house of God; I trust in God's unfailing love for ever and ever."
This week we are delighted to welcome our guest speaker Jason Elsmore, lead pastor at Gateway Baptist Church and the director of the Queensland Baptist Movement. Jason brings us a word, a message of encouragement for Goodlife from Psalm 52: 8-9. But I am like an olive tree flourishing in the house of God; I trust in God's unfailing love for ever and ever. For what you have done I will always praise you in the presence of your faithful people. And I will hope in your name, for your name is good. If you prefer, you can watch this service or previous services on YouTube. Head to our playlist: https://youtube.com/playlist Would you like to sign up to CONNECT | CONTRIBUTE | CELEBRATE? Do so by following this link … https://goodlifebuderim.elvanto.com.a... For more information and to keep up with all that's happening at Goodlife visit our website! https://www.goodlife.org.au/ If you would like prayer or need care, we want to help! Visit https://www.goodlife.org.au/care or email prayer@goodlife.org.au to reach out.
(Presented by Lisa Bishop) In Ephesians 3 Paul prayed the following prayer over Christ followers. These are familiar verses in the Bible but take these truths in and let Paul's prayer sink into your heart and soul. I pray that from his glorious, unlimited resources he will empower you with inner strength through his Spirit. Then Christ will make his home in your hearts as you trust in him. Your roots will grow down into God's love and keep you strong. And may you have the power to understand, as all God's people should, how wide, how long, how high, and how deep his love is. May you experience the love of Christ, though it is too great to understand fully. Then you will be made complete with all the fullness of life and power that comes from God (Ephesians 3:16-19, NLT). Do you know how wide, long, high, and deep God's love is for you? Paul goes to great measures to attempt to capture the vastness of Jesus's affection for his sons and daughters, for you. He wants your roots to grow down into God's love, to experience the magnitude of Christ's love so that you will take hold of the fullness of life and the power of God at work in you. I don't want to live thinking that God's love for me is lukewarm, or that in some way I am unlovable. Do you? If you live from a place of being unlovable, if you buy into the lie that God does not really love you or that there is some way you have to earn his love, you are giving the enemy a foothold, a strategic position from which he can advance and multiply his lies. Satan's greatest attempt is to convince you that you aren't loveable. This leads to isolation, fear, anxiety, and addiction. When you are not fully convinced of God's love for you, you will go looking for love in all the wrong places. When you feel unlovable, stand firm in truth. Remind yourself of Paul's prayer in Ephesians 3. And, recite these words to yourself, “I am convinced that Jesus's love for me is gigantic and generous. I trust in God's love for me and my roots are deeply grounded in his love. The love of Jesus gives me strength. My heart trusts in him.” Let this be a reminder to you to trust God's generous love for you.
(Presented by Lisa Bishop) In Ephesians 3 Paul prayed the following prayer over Christ followers. These are familiar verses in the Bible but take these truths in and let Paul's prayer sink into your heart and soul. I pray that from his glorious, unlimited resources he will empower you with inner strength through his Spirit. Then Christ will make his home in your hearts as you trust in him. Your roots will grow down into God's love and keep you strong. And may you have the power to understand, as all God's people should, how wide, how long, how high, and how deep his love is. May you experience the love of Christ, though it is too great to understand fully. Then you will be made complete with all the fullness of life and power that comes from God (Ephesians 3:16-19, NLT). Do you know how wide, long, high, and deep God's love is for you? Paul goes to great measures to attempt to capture the vastness of Jesus's affection for his sons and daughters, for you. He wants your roots to grow down into God's love, to experience the magnitude of Christ's love so that you will take hold of the fullness of life and the power of God at work in you. I don't want to live thinking that God's love for me is lukewarm, or that in some way I am unlovable. Do you? If you live from a place of being unlovable, if you buy into the lie that God does not really love you or that there is some way you have to earn his love, you are giving the enemy a foothold, a strategic position from which he can advance and multiply his lies. Satan's greatest attempt is to convince you that you aren't loveable. This leads to isolation, fear, anxiety, and addiction. When you are not fully convinced of God's love for you, you will go looking for love in all the wrong places. When you feel unlovable, stand firm in truth. Remind yourself of Paul's prayer in Ephesians 3. And, recite these words to yourself, “I am convinced that Jesus's love for me is gigantic and generous. I trust in God's love for me and my roots are deeply grounded in his love. The love of Jesus gives me strength. My heart trusts in him.” Let this be a reminder to you to trust God's generous love for you.
So often our plans do not go quite as well as we had hoped. What then? Where is God in that? Join Stasi in this week's podcast as she shares from personal experiences about that very thing.SHOW NOTES:Verses: Luke 17:21 (NIV) — When Jesus had finished saying all these things, he said to his disciples, “As you know, the Passover is two days away—and the Son of Man will be handed over to be crucified.”Proverbs 27:17 (NIV) — As iron sharpens iron, so one person sharpens another.Psalm 52:8-9 (NIV) — But I am like an olive tree flourishing in the house of God; I trust in God's unfailing love forever and ever. For what you have done I will always praise you in the presence of your faithful people. And I will hope in your name, for your name is good.Women at the Well original video recording When We FailStory Clip from This is Us, Season 6 Episode 06, “Our Little Island Girl Part II”
Because God Has Done It; I Will Praise Him Forever! Make That Your Heart's Cry. Psalm 52:7 - 9 7“Here now is the man who did not make God his stronghold but trusted in his great wealth and grew strong by destroying others!” 8But I am like an olive tree flourishing in the house of God; I trust in God's unfailing love for ever and ever. 9For what you have done I will always praise you in the presence of your faithful people. And I will hope in your name, for your name is good.
Christ is The Way. How can we know the way? How is Christ is the way? How do we worship? How do you trust Gods' timing? How do I love others? How can I obey my parents? What does it mean to stay close to God and follow his way? How can I be generous to others? I am the way the truth and the light. (John 14) How can I stay in God's word? How can I trust in God's way?
In today's episode of the Leader Fluent Podcast, I'm talking about “Leading When You Feel Like a Failure.”The last two years have been the most difficult years to lead through for millions of leaders, and if we're honest, we've all had moments in this season where we've felt like a failure. The question is, how do we lead in those moments. That's what we're dealing with in today's episode. Plus, if you haven't picked up my new book, Stop Chasing Easy, I'd like to encourage you to get your copy today. It's available in print and ebook formats, and when you purchase a copy, you'll also gain access to several FREE BONUS RESOURCES including the “Stop Chasing Easy Masterclass for Leaders.” If you're not already a subscriber, I'd love for you to subscribe to Leader Fluent today on iTunes, Spotify, Stitcher, Android, Pandora, or your favorite podcasting platform. And as always, your RATINGS and REVIEWS are deeply appreciated. SHOW NOTES: Every leader has moments and seasons when they feel like a failure. It might be after an event that didn't go as planned. It might be after a speech that fell flat. It might be during an extended season of decline, or maybe after a major rift in your organization. Regardless of the area, I'm guessing at some point in recent weeks, months, or years, you've experienced “down and to the left” instead of “up and to the right.” So, what do you do in these moments? When you feel like a failure—even if only for a moment—how do you lead? Consider these five keys. 1. Remember Your Identity It's very easy—especially in leadership—to attach our identity to our performance and to our growth. The problem is, if we're not careful, we'll assume that God uses that same standard—that same measure—to evaluate us. Over the last few weeks, I've been studying God's love in Scripture, which has been a pretty amazing journey. The most common description of God's love in the Bible is the phrase, “unfailing love.” For example, Psalm 36:7 says, “How priceless is your unfailing love, O God! People take refuge in the shadow of your wings.” And Psalm 52:8 says, “But I am like an olive tree flourishing in the house of God; I trust in God's unfailing love for ever and ever.” Here's the good news: God's love does not fail, even when we do. His love doesn't fall short, break, or run dry. It is an everlasting love that stretches from generation to generation. And, as difficult as it is to believe, our performance has nothing to do with how much God loves us. In fact, consider Jesus, for example. Luke 3:21-22 says, “When all the people were being baptized, Jesus was baptized too. And as he was praying, heaven was opened and the Holy Spirit descended on him in bodily form like a dove. And a voice came from heaven: “You are my Son, whom I love; with you I am well pleased.” Notice, the Father declared His love for the Son before Jesus every performed a single miracle. In other words, the Father's love wasn't based on Jesus' performance. His love wasn't dependent on whether or not Jesus had a big crowd or a fruitful day of ministry. The Father loved Jesus, and was pleased with Jesus, before his ministry ever began. The same is true for you and for me. Our identity must be firmly rooted in the unwavering love of God. So, remember, even when you feel like a failure, your failure doesn't define you. Jesus' love does. 2. Reframe Your Perspective Dr. Bobby Clinton has observed that the difference between followers and leaders is perspective. And the difference between leaders and better leaders is greater perspective. In other words, how we see life will determine how we respond to life. And how we see our leadership challenges will determine how we respond to those leadership challenges. Elisabeth Elliot once said, “If you believe in a God who controls the big things, you have to believe in a God who controls the little things. It is we, of course, to whom things look ‘little' or ‘big'.
Faith Is Greater Than Fear1. Faith overcomes fear when I begin to see God's vision- 2 Kings 6:16-172. Faith overcomes fear when I trust in God's goodness- Romans 8:31-393. Faith overcomes fear when I rest in God's presence- Psalm 23:4How to activate faith in the face of fear1. True faith is acted in love- Ephesians 3:16-212. True faith is activated by God's power- 1 Corinthians 4:203. True faith is activated by holy resolve- Daniel 1:8
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