Podcasts about niv whoever

Principle: Stewardship is a matter of trust; not scarcityScripture: Luke 16:10 (NIV) - “Whoever can be trusted with very little can also be trusted with much, and whoever is dishonest with very little will also be dishonest with much.Message: Giving isn't about what we lack, but about trusting God with what we have. Support the show

Immeasurably More // Experience More of God's Grace ·      Where did you come from?·      Where are you now?·      Where are you going? Ephesians 2:1-7 (ESV)“And you were dead in the trespasses and sins in which you once walked, following the course of this world, following the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience— among whom we all once lived in the passions of our flesh, carrying out the desires of the body and the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, like the rest of mankind. But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved— and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, so that in the coming ages he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus.” 1.     Where did you come from? You were dead.            Ephesians 2:1 (NIV)“As for you, you were dead in your trespasses and sin…” 1 Corinthians 6:9-11 (ESV)"Do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: neither the sexually immoral, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor men who practice homosexuality, nor thieves, nor the greedy, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God. And such were some of you. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God.”John 3:36 (NIV)“Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life, but whoever rejects the Son will not see life, for God's wrath remains on him.” You belonged to the devil. Ephesians 2:1-2 (ESV)“You were dead in the trespasses and sins in which you once walked, following the course of this world, following the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience— “ 2.     Where are you now? Ephesians 2:4-6 (ESV)“God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved— and raised us up with Him and seated us with Him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus.” You are alive together with Christ. John 16:11 (ESV)“The ruler of this world is judged.”Colossians 2:13-15 (ESV)“You, who were dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, God made alive together with Him, having forgiven us all our trespasses, by canceling the record of debt that stood against us with its legal demands. This He set aside, nailing it to the cross. He disarmed the rulers and authorities and put them to open shame, by triumphing over them in Him.”Hebrews 2:14-15 (ESV)“Since therefore the children share in flesh and blood, He Himself likewise partook of the same things, that through death He might destroy the one who has the power of death, that is, the devil, and deliver all those who through fear of death were subject to lifelong slavery.”You are resurrected with Christ. Ephesians 2:6 (NIV)“And God raised us up with Christ.” You are seated with Christ in heavenly places.  Ephesians 2:6 (ESV)“Seated us with Him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus.”  3. Where are you going? Ephesians 2:7 (ESV)“So that in the coming ages, He might show the immeasurable riches of His grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus.” You are going to experience more of God's Grace.

Galatians 6:8 NKJV: For he who sows to his flesh will of the flesh reap corruption, but he who sows to the Spirit will of the Spirit reap everlasting life. NIV: Whoever sows to please their flesh, from the flesh will reap destruction; whoever sows to please the Spirit, from the Spirit will reap eternal life.

Happy New Year and Welcome to the Unlovely Truth. I'm your host church safety advocate and coach Lori Morrison. I help ministry leaders assess and address the 12 critical safety issues that exist in every church. Our churches need to be the safest places in our communities, so my mission on this podcast is to give you actionable steps to make your house of worship a true sanctuary in your community. Let's investigate the unlovely truth about real crime stories happening in real churches. I've got three cases to explore today, so let's dive right in.    2025 is a great time to resolve to help your church increase its safety across all areas of potential concern. Since you are listening to the podcast, you're off to a promising start!   Proverbs 21:21-22 (NIV)   Whoever pursues righteousness and love finds life, prosperity, and honor. One who is wise can go up against the city of the mighty and pull down the stronghold in which they trust.   There is so much wisdom packed into these two short verses - it's why I love Proverbs so much. We all want life, prosperity, and honor for our churches, right? Proverbs gives us a simple recipe to create it for our congregations. We simply pursue righteousness. Of course, we can't attain complete righteousness on our own, but only through the sacrifice of Jesus. But here we are told that life, prosperity, and honor can be ours if we just pursue righteousness. I think that looks a lot like doing things the way Jesus would. And if we are wise, we can go up against those who aren't leading well and cast aside the strongholds they hold dear. So I want to ask you: what strongholds are there in your church that get in the way of truly protecting the most vulnerable among you? Point them out and help leaders deal with them so that your church becomes an even more life-giving place for all. Let me know what you think of this episode! Send me an email a lori@theunlovelytruth.com or message me on social media. I love it when people are willing to have hard, but impactful conversations that strengthen physical, emotional, and spiritual safety in our churches.   Important points from this episode include:   Making spiritual abuse against church law Avoiding confrontation is wise How to increase safety in Christian schools Visit my website to access more episodes. If you would like to contact me about booking me as a speaker or ask about my consulting services, please email me at lori@theunlovelytruth.com.    Ways you can support the work of The Unlovely Truth:   Buy Me a Coffee to help me continue to offer free church security advice on the podcast   Share the episode   Follow me on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, and Pinterest   Check out my Amazon Author Page to find resources on personal safety, and safety training for churches.    Read more about today's cases:   Potential new church law   Run and hide saves the day   Christian School Safety   Subscribe to Worship Security newsletter (and read articles by me from time to time!)  

Proverbs 12:1 GNT: Any who love knowledge want to be told when they are wrong. It is stupid to hate being corrected. NIV: Whoever loves discipline loves knowledge, but whoever hates correction is stupid. NKJV: Whoever loves instruction loves knowledge, But he who hates correction is stupid.

Against The Grain // It's Not About You, It's All About Jesus Romans 8:31-39 (NIV)“What, then, shall we say in response to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all—how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things? Who will bring any charge against those whom God has chosen? It is God who justifies. Who then is the one who condemns? No one. Christ Jesus who died—more than that, who was raised to life—is at the right hand of God and is also interceding for us. Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword? As it is written: ‘For your sake we face death all day long;we are considered as sheep to be slaughtered.' No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.”   1.     “If God is for us, who can be against us?” Romans 8:32 (NIV)“He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all—how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things?”           2.     “Who will bring any charge against those whom God has chosen?” Revelation 12:10 (NIV)“Then I heard a loud voice in heaven say: ‘Now have come the salvation and the power            and the kingdom of our God,            and the authority of his Messiah.For the accuser of our brothers and sisters,            who accuses them before our God day and night,            has been hurled down.'”  1 John 2:1-2 (NLT)“My dear children, I am writing this to you so that you will not sin. But if anyone does sin, we have an advocate who pleads our case before the Father. He is Jesus Christ, the one who is truly righteous. He himself is the sacrifice that atones for our sins—and not only our sins but the sins of all the world.”  3.     “Who then is the one who condemns?” Romans 8:1 (NIV)“there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus” 1 Peter 3:18 (NIV)”For Christ died once for all the righteous for the unrighteous to bring you to God.  He was put to death in the body but made alive by the Spirit."   Isaiah 53:5 (NIV)“But he was pierced for our transgressions,            he was crushed for our iniquities;the punishment that brought us peace was on him,and by his wounds we are healed.” John 3:18 (NIV)"Whoever believes in him is not condemned"   4.     “Who shall separate us from the love of Christ?” Romans 8:35 (NIV)"Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword?”

 Wisdom, Pt. 3 | September 15, 2024Pastor Wes Morris Proverbs 4:7 (NIV) The beginning of wisdom is this: Get wisdom. Though it cost all you have, get understanding.✓ THE SIMPLEProverbs 7:7 (NIV) I saw among the simple, I noticed among the young men, a youth who had no sense. ✓ THE FOOLProverbs 10:8 (NLT) The wise are glad to be instructed, but babbling fools fall flat on their faces.✓ THE MOCKERProverbs 9:7-8 (NIV) Whoever corrects a mocker invites insults; whoever rebukes the wicked incurs abuse. Do not rebuke mockers or they will hate you.✓ THE WISEI Kings 3:7-12 (MSG) God, my God, you have made me, your servant, ruler of the kingdom in place of David my father. I'm too young for this, a mere child! I don't know the ropes, hardly know the ‘ins' and ‘outs' of this job. And here I am, set down in the middle of the people you've chosen, a great people—far too many to ever count.“Here's what I want: Give me a God-listening heart so I can lead your people well, discerning the difference between good and evil. For who on their own is capable of leading your glorious people?”God, the Master, was delighted with Solomon's response. And God said to him, “Because you have asked for this and haven't grasped after a long life, or riches, or the doom of your enemies, but you have asked for the ability to lead and govern well, I'll give you what you've asked for—I'm giving you a wise and mature heart. A HEART THAT FOLLOWS GODI. THE FEAR OF THE LORD.Proverbs 9:10 (TLB) The reverence and fear of God are basic to all wisdom. Knowing God results in every other kind of understanding.Luke 1:50 (NIV) His mercy extends to those who fear him, from generation to generation.II. A DISCERNING SPIRIT.Discernment is not knowing the difference between right and wrong. It is knowing the difference between right and almost right.- Charles SpurgeonI John 4:1 (MSG) My dear friends, don't believe everything you hear. Carefully weigh and examine what people tell you. Not everyone who talks about God comes from God.III. A HEART OF SURRENDER.Proverbs 3:5-6 (NIV) Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight. 

Sermon theme: Call me by my new name AKA Overcomer. Sermon scripture: Genesis 32:24-30 supporting scriptures: Rev 2:7 Rev 2:11 Rev 2:17 Rev 2:26 Rev 3:5 Rev 3:12 Rev 3:21 Rev 21:7 Rev 5:5 Heb11:1 Phil 4:13 Genesis 32:24-30 - 24 -So Jacob was left alone, and a man wrestled with him till daybreak. 25When the man saw that he could not overpower him, he touched the socket of Jacob's hip so that his hip was wrenched as he wrestled with the man. 26Then the man said, “Let me go, for it is daybreak.” But Jacob replied, “I will not let you go unless you bless me.” 27The man asked him, “What is your name?” “Jacob,” he answered. 28Then the man said, “Your name will no longer be Jacob, but Israel, because you have struggled with God and with humans and have overcome.” 29Jacob said, “Please tell me your name.” But he replied, “Why do you ask my name?” Then he blessed him there. 30So Jacob called the place Peniel, saying, “It is because I saw God face to face, and yet my life was spared.” Revelation 2:7 (NIV) – Whoever has ears, let them hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To the one who is victorious, I will give the right to eat from the tree of life, which is in the paradise of God. Revelation 2:11 (NIV) – Whoever has ears, let them hear what the Spirit says to the churches. The one who is victorious will not be hurt at all by the second death. Revelation 2:17 (NIV) – Whoever has ears, let them hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To the one who is victorious, I will give some of the hidden manna. I will also give that person a white stone with a new name written on it, known only to the one who receives it. Revelation 2:26 (NIV) -  To the one who is victorious and does My will to the end, I will give authority over the nations. Revelation 3:5 (NIV) -  The one who is victorious will, like them, be dressed in white. I will never blot out the name of that person from the book of life, but will acknowledge that name before My Father and His angels. Revelation 3:12(NIV) -  The one who is victorious I will make a pillar in the temple of my God. Never again will they leave it. I will write on them the name of my God and the name of the city of my God, the new Jerusalem, which is coming down out of heaven from my God; and I will also write on them my new name. Revelation 3:21 (NIV) -  To the one who is victorious, I will give the right to sit with me on My Throne, just as I was victorious and sat down with My Father on His throne. Revelation 21:7 (NIV) -  Those who are victorious will inherit all this, and I will be their God and they will be My children Revelation 5:5 (NIV) – Then one of the elders said to me, “Do not weep! See, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has triumphed. He is able to open the scroll and its seven seals.” Hebrews 11:1 (NIV) -  Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see. Philippians 4:13 (NIV) – I can do all this through Him who gives me strength.

TALK 1 Grief: Friend or Foe? Tim Watkins Matthew 14:10-12 He sent and had John beheaded in the prison, 11 and his head was brought on a platter and given to the girl, and she brought it to her mother. 12 And his disciples came and took the body and buried it, and they went and told Jesus. 13 Now when Jesus heard this, he withdrew from there in a boat to a desolate place by himself. Grief is the primarily emotional process of reacting to loss We live in a grief avoidant society It is impossible to numb just one emotion Matthew 14:23 And after he had dismissed the crowds, he went up on the mountain by himself to pray. When evening came, he was there alone TALK 2 Live Ready Carolyn Udall Matthew 24:37-39, 42-44 (NLT) 37 “When the Son of Man returns, it will be like it was in Noah's day. 38 In those days before the flood, the people were enjoying banquets and parties and weddings right up to the time Noah entered his boat. 39 People didn't realize what was going to happen until the flood came and swept them all away. That is the way it will be when the Son of Man comes. 42 “So you, too, must keep watch! For you don't know what day your Lord is coming. 43 Understand this: If a homeowner knew exactly when a burglar was coming, he would keep watch and not permit his house to be broken into. 44 You also must be ready all the time, for the Son of Man will come when least expected. C.S. Lewis, Screwtape Letters: “The Christians describe the Enemy [God] as one 'without whom Nothing is strong'. And Nothing is very strong: strong enough to steal away a man's best years not in sweet sins but in a dreary flickering of the mind over it knows not what and knows not why, in the gratification of curiosities so feeble that the man is only half aware of them, in drumming of fingers and kicking of heels, in whistling tunes that he does not like, or in the long, dim labyrinth of reveries that have not even lust or ambition to give them a relish, but which, once chance association has started them, the creature is too weak and fuddled to shake off. You will say that these are very small sins; and doubtless, like all young tempters, you are anxious to be able to report spectacular wickedness. But do remember, the only thing that matters is the extent to which you separate the man from the Enemy [God]. It does not matter how small the sins are provided that their cumulative effect is to edge the man away from the Light and out into the Nothing.” TALK 3 Awe & Wonder Cody Jensen Colossians 1:15-17 [Christ] The Son is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. For in him all things were created. Job 12:7-10 But ask the animals, and they will teach you, or the birds in the sky, and they will tell you; or speak to the earth, and it will teach you; or let the fish in the sea inform you. Which of all these does not know that the hand of the Lord has done this? In his hand is the life of every creature and the [Ruah, spirit,] breath of all mankind. Genesis 1:1-3 In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth. Now the earth was formless and empty, darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters. And God said, 'Let there be light,' and there was light. John 1:1-5 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning. Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. In him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind. 1 John 4:8 (NIV) Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love. Mark 4:39 He got up, rebuked the wind and said to the waves, 'Quiet! Be still!' Then the wind died down and it was completely calm.

https://youtu.be/NA2jZLWqJ3M?si=4E10l3OHJGggQR0C Search Engine - 2 - 06/16/24     Proverbs 3:11-12 it speaks of the Lord's disciplines and rebukes and that he disciplines those he loves. What does it mean? Will he will make life harder? Why??? Don't we get enough of that from the devil trying to take us down? Just so much seams harsh. I'm supposed to strive to be like Jesus but he can be so mean sounding sometimes when reading the scripture.   God - Motivation of LoveEnemy - Motivation of Hate   Proverbs 3:11-12 (NIV) My son, do not despise the Lord's discipline, and do not resent his rebuke, 12 because the Lord disciplines those he loves, as a father the son he delights in.   Proverbs 13:24 (NIV) Whoever spares the rod hates their children, but the one who loves their children is careful to discipline them.   -Hot stove   Why did David kill Goliath? I understand that he was a threat, but isn't God against murder?   Kill/Murder - Hebrew ratsach - intentional killing without cause.   Was there cause?   All death is a transfer of an eternal spirit…God gives life   The Bible says God is the same forever, but why does He feel regret after the flood? If He's supposed to be perfect, why would He make a decision He regrets?   Genesis 6:6 - God regrets making man.1 Samual 15:11 - God regrets making Saul king of Israel.   God repents - changes his mind.   Numbers 23:19 (NIV) God is not human, that he should lie, not a human being, that he should change his mind. Does he speak and then not act? Does he promise and not fulfill?   Sovereign vs Permissive will of God. Sovereign (Christ will win and have His bride)   Jeremiah 18:6-7 (NIV) “Like clay in the hand of the potter, so are you in my hand, Israel. 7 If at any time I announce that a nation or kingdom is to be uprooted, torn down and destroyed, 8 and if that nation I warned repents of its evil, then I will relent and not inflict on it the disaster I had planned.   To what extent would featuring God in a fictional work count as blasphemous?   Eye of the beholder. 1 Corinthians 8:4 (NIV) An idol is nothing at all in the worldNo victory is being rude…   Blaspheme - to despise, reject with contempt   It is easier than you think to reject God…   Some say that Hell is empty right (except for the fallen angels) now until after the Rapture. Some say that bad people are there now. Which is right?   Hell? Sheol - holding place of the soul (Rich man & Lazarus story Luke 16) - Hell, hades, bosom of Abraham   Lake of Fire/second death - HELL   Who are the first to enter the lake of fire? Revelation 19:20 But the beast was captured, and with it the false prophet who had performed the signs on its behalf. With these signs he had deluded those who had received the mark of the beast and worshiped its image. The two of them were thrown alive into the fiery lake of burning sulfur.   Revelation 20:10 And the devil, who deceived them, was thrown into the lake of burning sulfur, where the beast and the false prophet had been thrown.   White throne judgment -  each person was judged according to what they had done. (v13)   Who are the last to enter the lake of fire? Revelation 20:14  Then death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. The lake of fire is the second death.   No one is in the lake of fire now.Some are in sheol now.Some are present with the Lord now. (2 Cor 5:8)   Were there other people in the world after Adam and Eve left the garden? How did 2 sons have wives?   Sisters?Other interpretations - Adam & Eve represent humanity and not 2 single people.Other interpretations - God created other people that we are not told about. Based just on scripture - everything was produced from Adam and Eve, and they filled the Earth. Incest issue?  Covered by Grace.NOW - don't do it.   Most of the apocryphal text can be dismissed as too new or too strange or not in line with the rest of the Bible.  Why did so many early Christians read them then?   The Apocrypha is a group of 14 books written betw...

https://youtu.be/SM7zNoTp8D8?si=MXxyOgxIRblmGmZA The Promise - 4 - Purity WelcomeGoal – Save future & current marriages… Bless your relationships with Godly wisdom.   The Promise Title Sin ruins marriages.Adultery, pornography, unforgiveness, secrets, coveting other things. Not yet married crowd… do not wait until you are married to work on your secret sin issues. Sin is not a foundation you want to build anything upon. Genesis 2:24-25 (NIV) 24 That is why a man leaves his father and mother and is united to his wife, and they become one flesh. 25 Adam and his wife were both naked, and they felt no shame. SHAME: Bûwsh - to be ashamed; to become pale. This is bad.Not the playful “oh you are so bad.” Shame means PALE as in the blood/life force drains from your countenance. In Genesis 2 Adam & Eve felt NO SHAME. But the serpent came… Adam and Eve disobeyed God and the they felt… shame. Genesis 3:7-10 (NIV) Then the eyes of both of them were opened, and they realized they were naked; so they sewed fig leaves together and made coverings for themselves. 8 Then the man and his wife heard the sound of the Lord God as he was walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and they hid from the Lord God among the trees of the garden. 9 But the Lord God called to the man, “Where are you?” 10 He answered, “I heard you in the garden, and I was afraid because I was naked; so I hid.” Shame causes us to retreat and hide. Kids – Did you eat a cookie? Cause a mess?  -> Hide Adults – Did you cause a mess? -> Hide Shame happens when we connect a bad action to our identity. I did bad… I am bad. We become the thing we did. We hide because of shame. What does it look like to hide in a marriage… Working late again. I am headed to bed early. I think I am going to hang out with the boys/girls again tonight. I don't need to talk about it. Don't check my phone. Spending habits. I have a secret… Secrecy is the Enemy of Intimacy Want a deep relationship, get rid of shallow secrets. Bare all before one another… Get Naked Promise #4I promise to CONFIDE, not HIDE. If secrecy is the enemy of intimacy… I choose… Honesty, confession, righteousness, honor I choose light over darkness. Ephesians 5:8-10 (NIV) 8 For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Live as children of light 9 (for the fruit of the light consists in all goodness, righteousness and truth) 10 and find out what pleases the Lord. 11 Have nothing to do with the fruitless deeds of darkness, but rather expose them. What is the darkness in your life? Movie theater… Darkness… Eyes adjust to darkness… Have your eyes adjusted to darkness?Or are you a Child of Light? Do you say that some sins are not a big deal? Ephesians 5:3 (NIV) 3 But among you there must not be even a hint of sexual immorality, or of any kind of impurity… Not even a hint… redraw the line. Hopping in bed…  LOOKS AND THOUGHTS. Jesus redrew the line of adultery… Matthew 5:28 (NIV) 28 But I say to you that whoever looks at a woman to lust for her has already committed adultery with her in his heart. Redraw the lines.Confide, don't hide. No more… Lusting after anyone that is not your spouse. Fantasy – thoughts and emotions. Secret desires. Hebrews 13:4 (NIV) 4 Marriage should be honored by all, and the marriage bed kept pure, for God will judge the adulterer and all the sexually immoral. Would you ever wear dirty boots to bed?Would you go straight from the sweaty gym to bed? NO! You don't want to rest in filth. Clean your bed Do not allow anger in your bed… Unforgiveness… Passive aggressive undertones… silence… Secrets… Unaddressed issues… How do we live a life of purity? Proverbs 28:13 (NIV) Whoever conceals their sins does not prosper, but the one who confesses and renounces them finds mercy. Promise #4I promise to CONFIDE, not HIDE. Confession to God brings intimacy.Openness to your spouse brings intimacy. STOP HIDING!Turn from sin.Turn toward God. Future shame exercise (Close your eyes)

Sermon Notes Luke‬ ‭10‬:‭1‬ ‭NIV‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬ After this the Lord appointed seventy-two others and sent them two by two ahead of him to every town and place where he was about to go. Luke‬ ‭10‬:‭1‬ ‭KJV‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬ After these things the Lord appointed other seventy also, and sent them two and two before his face into every city and place, whither he himself would come. In Genesis 10: 70 nations listed in the Masoretic Text (Hebrew and Aramaic Old Testament) 72 nations listed in the LXX (Greek Old Testament) Deuteronomy‬ ‭32‬:‭7‬-‭9‬ ‭NIV‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬ Remember the days of old; consider the generations long past. Ask your father and he will tell you, your elders, and they will explain to you. When the Most High gave the nations their inheritance, when he divided all mankind, he (the Most High) set up boundaries for the peoples according to the number of the sons of Israel. For the Lord's portion is his people, Jacob his allotted inheritance. Acts‬ ‭17‬:‭24‬-‭28‬ ‭NIV‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬ "The God who made the world and everything in it is the Lord of heaven and earth and does not live in temples built by human hands. And he is not served by human hands, as if he needed anything. Rather, he himself gives everyone life and breath and everything else. From one man he made all the nations, that they should inhabit the whole earth; and he marked out their appointed times in history and the boundaries of their lands. God did this so that they (you!) would seek him and perhaps reach out for him and find him, though he is not far from any one of us. 'For in him we live and move and have our being.' As some of your own poets have said, 'We are his offspring.' Luke‬ ‭10‬:‭2‬ ‭NIV‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬ He told them, "The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field." Jesus wants you to see yourself as sent by Him into your everyday life. Luke‬ ‭10‬:‭3‬-‭4‬ ‭NIV‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬ "Go! I am sending you out like lambs among wolves. Do not take a purse or bag or sandals; and do not greet anyone on the road." Luke‬ ‭10‬:‭16‬ ‭NIV‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬ "Whoever listens to you listens to me; whoever rejects you rejects me; but whoever rejects me rejects him who sent me." Luke‬ ‭10‬:‭17 ‭NIV‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬ The seventy-two returned with joy and said, "Lord, even the demons submit to us in your name." Luke‬ ‭10‬:‭18‬ ‭NIV‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬ He replied, "I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven." Luke‬ ‭10‬:‭19‬-‭20‬ ‭NIV‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬ "I have given you authority to trample on snakes and scorpions and to overcome all the power of the enemy; nothing will harm you. However, do not rejoice that the spirits submit to you, but rejoice that your names are written in heaven." I saw satan fall like lightning. I saw darkness run for cover. But the miracle that I just can't get over, My name is registered in heaven. This is my testimony from death to life. Cause grace rewrote my story, I'll testify! By Jesus Christ, the Righteous, I'm justified. This is my testimony! - My Testimony, Song by Elevation Worship Acts 17:27‬ ‭NIV‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬ God did this so that they would seek him and perhaps reach out for him and find him, though he is not far from any one of us. Deuteronomy‬ ‭31‬:‭6‬ ‭NIV‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬ Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the Lord your God goes with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you.

Sermon Notes When the storms of life hit hardest, the Church shines brightest! Luke‬ ‭9‬:‭18‬-19 ‭NIV‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬ Once when Jesus was praying in private and his disciples were with him, he asked them, "Who do the crowds say I am?" They replied, "Some say John the Baptist; others say Elijah; and still others, that one of the prophets of long ago has come back to life." Luke‬ ‭9‬:‭20‬ ‭NIV‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬ "But what about you?" he asked. "Who do you say I am?" Peter answered, "God's Messiah." Matthew‬ ‭16‬:‭17‬-‭19‬ ‭NIV‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬ Jesus replied, "Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah, for this was not revealed to you by flesh and blood, but by my Father in heaven. And I tell you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not overcome it. I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven; whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven." Church (ekklesia) - the gathering of the called-out ones. "Gathering" implies movement and activity. Gates of Hades - the abode (house) of the dead. Every believer has been called out to plunder life from the grips of death! Luke‬ ‭9‬:‭21‬-‭22‬ ‭NIV‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬ Jesus strictly warned them not to tell this to anyone. And he said, "The Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders, the chief priests and the teachers of the law, and he must be killed and on the third day be raised to life." Luke‬ ‭9‬:‭23‬-‭24‬ ‭NIV‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬ Then he said to them all: "Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me. For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me will save it." Luke‬ ‭9‬:‭25‬ ‭NIV‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬ "What good is it for someone to gain the whole world, and yet lose or forfeit their very self?" Luke‬ ‭9‬:‭26‬ ‭NIV‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬ "Whoever is ashamed of me and my words, the Son of Man will be ashamed of them when he comes in his glory and in the glory of the Father and of the holy angels." How can I deny myself and find true life? Our Mission is to become like Jesus by living out our Growth Path: Go - who do you know that needs the transforming love of Christ? Connect - imagine a group of people helping each other through life's ups and downs. Give - radical generosity is what shows the world we believe we are blessed to be a blessing. Serve - is the way we show the world we believe we are not here on accident. Mark‬ ‭10‬:‭45‬ ‭NIV "For even the Son of Man (Jesus) did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many."‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬

https://youtu.be/fe4D41ByZJ0?si=GA2E9WOofOKOSGlW Second Helping – 3 – Second Option   We are Redemption Church in Plano, Tx. My name is Chris Fluitt and we are in the 3rd week of our series called second helping.   Second Helping We have talked about a 2nd Kingdom and a 2nd chance. Each week we have told you that God favors the second! Today we are talking about a second option.   Second Option It feels good to have options. Life is stressful when your options are limited. We have free will to make most of the choices in our life. You have the option to change your habits, lifestyle, thoughts, and focus. Sometimes that is the message we need to hear.  You have the option to change. But there are some things we do not have the option to change. You do not have the option to change who your parents are. You were not given a choice in the matter, you ere just born. If we had the option to choose our parents, we might be tempted to try another option. Wealthy parents.Powerful parents.More loving parents.Cooler parents. We love our parents… but we wouldn't mind if our parents were billionaires. But we get no such option. In fact, according to the story of the Bible, we all proceed from the first Adam.   First Adam None of us get a say in the matter. Adam came first and we all come from his lineage. Do you know what happened to Adam?  He died.Do you know what happened to his children? They died.Do you know what happened to Noah, Abraham, and Moses?  They died. 1 Corinthians 15:21 (NIV) For as in Adam all die… Everyone who comes from Adam dies. There is no other option in Adam. 100% of his children die. Everyone who comes from Adam is separated from God. Not a single child of Adam is allowed back in the garden. Everyone who comes from Adam has no hope.  Our patriarch Adam is dead, and it is only a matter of time until we are dead. We need a second option.   Second Option If the first option is death, we need a second option of life.If the first option is separation from God, we need a second option of reconciliation with God.If the first option is hopelessness, we need a second option that gives us hope. Now you are all ready for me to talk about Jesus… and we will… but first I want to tell you what is NOT a good second option. -Politics and government are not a good second option.-Religion is not a good second option.-More money is not a good second option. “mo money mo problems” – Notorious B.I.G.-More pleasure is not a good second option.-More power is not a good second option In fact, these are not second options at all… they are more of the same first option that has left us dying, without hope, and far from God. We need a second option! We need a second Adam.   Second Adam That first Adam will not do! Everyone who lines up after the first Adam dies hopelessly separated from God. We need a second Adam to line up behind. Jesus is that second Adam. Jesus has a lot of titles in Scripture… Savior, Redeemer, Bread of Life, Son of God, Holy One, King of Kings… MANY MORE! Chances are that you don't know this title given to Jesus in 1 Corinthians 15:45. 1 Corinthians 15: 45 So it is written: “The first man Adam became a living being”; the last Adam, a life-giving spirit. 46 The spiritual did not come first, but the natural, and after that the spiritual. 47 The first man was of the dust of the earth; the second man is of heaven. V45 – The FIRST ADAM became a living being. Back in Genesis 1 God breathed into Adam and the first Adam became a living being. The LAST ADAM, that is Jesus, he was more than a living being.  Jesus is a LIFE GIVING SPIRIT! The first Adam received life…The LAST ADAM GIVES LIFE!  He gives LIVING WATER! John 7:38 (NIV) Whoever believes in me, as Scripture has said, rivers of living water will flow from within them.” The SPIRIT OF GOD… THE LIVING WATER… THE LIFE GIVING HOLY SPIRIT… it comes from Jesus AND IT IS JESUS. Jesus is the Life Giving Spirit!   A lot of people get confused about the Father, Son,

On Sunday, October 22, 2023, VLC gathered in person and also broadcast online via YouTube. Pastor Stuart shared a message about when Jesus took Peter, James, and John up the mountain and transfigured before them and met with Moses and Elijah. From this passage, we are invited to know Jesus more intimately, to see more clearly from his perspective, and to trust him more deeply. Luke 9:26-31 (NIV)Whoever is ashamed of me and my words, the Son of Man will be ashamed of them when he comes in his glory and in the glory of the Father and of the holy angels.“Truly I tell you, some who are standing here will not taste death before they see the kingdom of God.”About eight days after Jesus said this, he took Peter, John and James with him and went up onto a mountain to pray. As he was praying, the appearance of his face changed, and his clothes became as bright as a flash of lightning. Two men, Moses and Elijah, appeared in glorious splendor, talking with Jesus. They spoke about his departure, which he was about to bring to fulfillment at Jerusalem.https://bit.ly/Luke9_26-31NIV

  Proverbs 3:5-6 (NIV): "Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight." Psalm 56:3-4 (NIV): "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?" Isaiah 41:10 (NIV): "So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand." Jeremiah 17:7-8 (NIV): "But blessed is the one who trusts in the Lord, whose confidence is in him. They will be like a tree planted by the water that sends out its roots by the stream. It does not fear when heat comes; its leaves are always green. It has no worries in a year of drought and never fails to bear fruit." Psalm 118:8-9 (NIV): "It is better to take refuge in the Lord than to trust in humans. It is better to take refuge in the Lord than to trust in princes." Proverbs 16:3 (NIV): "Commit to the Lord whatever you do, and he will establish your plans." Psalm 37:5 (NIV): "Commit your way to the Lord; trust in him and he will do this." Psalm 91:1-2 (NIV): "Whoever dwells in the shelter of the Most High will rest in the shadow of the Almighty. I will say of the Lord, 'He is my refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust.'" Psalm 62:8 (NIV): "Trust in him at all times, you people; pour out your hearts to him, for God is our refuge." Romans 8:28 (NIV): "And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose."

Psalm 91: 1- 16 (NIV) Whoever dwells in the shelter of the Most High will rest in the shadow of the Almighty. I will say of the Lord, “He is my refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust.” Surely he will save you from the fowler's snare and from the deadly pestilence. He will cover you with his feathers, and under his wings you will find refuge; his faithfulness will be your shield and rampart. You will not fear the terror of night, nor the arrow that flies by day, nor the pestilence that stalks in the darkness, nor the plague that destroys at midday. A thousand may fall at your side, ten thousand at your right hand, but it will not come near you. You will only observe with your eyes and see the punishment of the wicked. If you say, “The Lord is my refuge,” and you make the Most High your dwelling, no harm will overtake you, no disaster will come near your tent. For he will command his angels concerning you to guard you in all your ways; they will lift you up in their hands, so that you will not strike your foot against a stone. You will tread on the lion and the cobra; you will trample the great lion and the serpent. “Because he loves me,” says the Lord, “I will rescue him; I will protect him, for he acknowledges my name. He will call on me, and I will answer him; I will be with him in trouble, I will deliver him and honor him. With long life I will satisfy him and show him my salvation.” Dwell - To abide as a permanent residence or to inhabit for a time Psalm 91: 1- 2 (NIV) Whoever dwells in the shelter of the Most High will rest in the shadow of the Almighty. I will say of the Lord, “He is my refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust.” Psalm 91: 9-10 If you say, “The Lord is my refuge,” and you make the Most High your dwelling, no harm will overtake you…. How to dwell in the right place: Recognize Romans 8:6 The mind governed by the flesh is death, but the mind governed by the Spirit is life and peace. Respond 2 Corinthians 10:5 We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ. Philippians 4:6-7 MSG Don't fret or worry. Instead of worrying, pray. Let petitions and praises shape your worries into prayers, letting God know your concerns. Before you know it, a sense of God's wholeness, everything coming together for good, will come and settle you down. It's wonderful what happens when Christ displaces worry at the center of your life. Renew Romans 12:2 Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind…  Isaiah 26:3 You will keep in perfect peace those whose minds are steadfast, because they trust in you. Philippians 4:8 Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things. --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/coastalchurch/message

Before I get started, please leave a review for my podcast on the app that you are using and share it on your social media with someone that you feel needs to hear this message today. I wanted you to know that my book, Freedom to Ascend is on sale now on Amazon, so pick up your copy today!  https://a.co/d/8CziyhT Lastly, if you have land that you feel compelled to donate for my future ministry of helping to heal others in their journey of life, please send me an email, which is provided in the show notes.  grdinajohn@gmail.com Let's get started.  This message today is one of the main missions in my life, which is to serve God and spread the Good News.   When I die and I meet God, He is going to ask me one question?  Did you do enough to help save souls for My Kingdom? How am I going to answer that, with a definite Yes or well, sort of? God gave me a voice, like John the Baptist and I am going to use my gift to honor Him by sharing the truth of His Love and Mercy. So let's get some stats to address the problem and then how can we fix it. Most recently, Gallup found 81% of Americans expressing belief when asked the simple question, "Do you believe in God?" This was down from 87% in 2017 and a record low for this question first asked in 1944, when 96% believed. It reached a high of 98% in the 1950s and 1960s. As the percentage of people who believe in God is declining, the rise in stress and anxiety is increasing. Already at or near record highs in 2020, these experiences of stress, worry and sadness ticked upward in 2021 and set new records. Worry rose two points, while stress and sadness increased one point each.  “Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.” 1 Peter 5:7 Why are more and more people not believing in God?   A key factor in keeping young people from falling away from their faith is the influence of their parents. It's as the Proverb says, “Train a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not turn from it” (Proverbs 22:6). One particular study found that when both parents were faithful and active in the church, 93 percent of their children remained faithful. When just one parent was faithful, 73 percent of their children remained faithful. When neither parent was particularly active in church, only 53 percent of their children stayed faithful. In those instances where neither parent was active at all and only attended church now and then, the percentage dropped to a mere 6 percent. “So God created mankind in his own image, in the image of God he created them; male and female he created them.” ‭‭Genesis‬ ‭1‬:‭27‬ ‭NIV‬‬ “Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love.” ‭‭1 John‬ ‭4‬:‭8‬ ‭NIV‬‬ These are two ways that we can bring pleasure to God- by worshiping Him and loving others. This is similar to what Jesus says the greatest commandment is in Matthew 22:36-40. He sums it up by telling us to love God and love others. We love God by worshiping Him and praising Him. We love others by doing good to them and sharing with them. Hebrews 13:16 tells us another way that we can please God: by loving others. When we love others, we are reflecting the love that God has for them. That is why it matters how we treat people. Our actions are a reflection of how God has loved us. And since we've been loved by God, we ought to do good to those around us. “In him, we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God's grace that he lavished on us. With all wisdom and understanding,” ‭‭Ephesians‬ ‭1‬:‭7‬-‭8‬ ‭NIV‬‬ “I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one will snatch them out of my hand.” ‭‭John‬ ‭10‬:‭28‬ ‭NIV‬‬ You can follow me on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jgrdina04/or by going to my website at:  www.johngrdina.com You can purchase my book here —------- https://a.co/d/8CziyhT If you feel compelled to donate land for my future ministry, please email me at grdinajohn@gmail.com

Spiritual maturity is always measured by application.  The Talker The Half-listener The Interrupter The Finisher The Assumer  The Fixer The Redirector The Relator The Topper The Pouncer  Psalm 18:6 ESV - In my distress I called upon the Lord; to my God I cried for help. From his temple he heard my voice, and my cry to him reached his ears. Psalm 34:17 ESV - When the righteous cry for help, the Lord hears and delivers them out of all their troubles.  1 Peter 3:12 NLT - The eyes of the Lord watch over those who do right, and his ears are open to their prayers. James 1:19 NIV - My dear brothers and sisters, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry… Matthew 11:15 NIV - Whoever has ears, let them hear. God, give us ears to hear! 

In this week's Church Retreat-themed service, we will explore how God offers us refuge and safety in His unfailing love. Let us meditate on Psalm 91:2, which says, “I will say of the LORD, ‘He is my refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust.'” as we continue to find shelter in God. If you are new to Community Church, WELCOME! We would love to get to know you. Please fill in the following form and we look forward to connecting with you: https://bit.ly/cc-new-connect You can find all timely and relevant links from this service on https://bit.ly/cc-links You can also find out more about us at https://communitychurch.hk/ ================ This Week's Scripture: // Psalm 91:1–2 (NIV) // Whoever dwells in the shelter of the Most High     will rest in the shadow of the Almighty. I will say of the Lord, “He is my refuge and my fortress,     my God, in whom I trust.”

How is the Bible Meant to be Read Today?Asking for a Friend • February 12, 2023Teacher: Adam Barnett--How is the Bible, an ancient document, meant to be read today?Douglas Sweeney“The Bible is the written word of God, from the eternal word of God, and hangs together on the work of the incarnate Word of God.” STEP ONE: Research the World Behind the Text.Exegesis: the careful, systematic study of the Scripture to discover the original, intended meaning.2 Timothy 4:6-8 NIVFor I am already being poured out like a drink offering, and the time for my departure is near. I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Now there is in store for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day—and not only to me, but also to all who have longed for his appearing.Do your best to come to me quickly. – 2 Timothy 4:9Do your best to get here before winter. – 2 Timothy 4:21 STEP TWO: Examine the World of the Text.Romans 12:1 NIVTherefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship. STEP THREE: Discern the World in Front of the Text.We cannot apply the Bible without knowing what it means, but we can know what it means and not apply it.John 14:21 NIV“Whoever has my commands and keeps them is the one who loves me.”

Gods Wisdom For Navigating Life Previous Proverbs Sermon …I have understanding and power. — Proverbs 8:14 (NIV84)  I, wisdom, dwell together with prudence…  — Proverbs 8:12 (NIV) When pride comes, then comes disgrace, but with humility comes wisdom. — Proverbs 11:2 (NIV) Whoever derides their neighbor has no sense, but the one who has understanding holds […]

John 10:3-5 NIV “The gatekeeper opens the gate for him, and the sheep listen to his voice. He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. When he has brought out all his own, he goes on ahead of them, and his sheep follow him because they know his voice. But they will never follow a stranger; in fact, they will run away from him because they do not recognize a stranger's voice.” Proverbs 3:6 MSG Listen for GOD's voice in everything you do, everywhere you go; he's the one who will keep you on track. Luke 8:8b NIV “Whoever has ears to hear, let them hear.” Luke 8:5-8 NIV “A farmer went out to sow his seed. As he was scattering the seed, some fell along the path; it was trampled on, and the birds ate it up. Some fell on rocky ground, and when it came up, the plants withered because they had no moisture. Other seed fell among thorns, which grew up with it and choked the plants. Still other seed fell on good soil. It came up and yielded a crop, a hundred times more than was sown.” When he said this, he called out, “He who has ears to hear, let him hear!” Luke 8:11 NIV “This is the meaning of the parable: The seed is the WORD OF GOD.” Luke 8:12 NIV Those along the path are the ones who hear, and then the devil comes and takes away the word from their hearts, so that they may not believe and be saved. 1. The polluted heart. James 1:21 NLT Get rid of all the filth and evil in your lives, and humbly accept the message God has planted in your hearts, for it is strong enough to save your soul. Luke 8:13 NLT “The rocky soil represents those who hear the message with joy. But like young plants in such soil, their roots don't go very deep. They believe for a while, but they wilt when the hot winds of testing blow.” 2. The distracted heart. Luke 8:14 “The seed that fell among weeds stands for those who hear, but as they go on their way, they are choked by life's worries, riches, and pleasures, and they don't mature.” 3. The immature heart. Hebrews 12:1-2a GW Since we are surrounded by so many examples {of faith}, we must get rid of everything that slows us down, especially sin that distracts us. We must run the race that lies ahead of us and never give up. We must focus on Jesus… Luke 8:15 NIV But the seed on good soil stands for those with a noble and good heart, who hear the word, retain it, and by persevering produce a crop. 4. The prepared heart. 2 Corinthians 7:1b MSG Let's make a clean break with everything that defiles or distracts us, both within and without. Let's make our entire lives fit and holy temples for the worship of God. QUESTIONS: 1) God is always speaking, the condition of our heart makes all the difference in how we hear Him. What type of “soil” do you currently relate to the most in this season? 2) In our culture today, distractions are everywhere. As a Believer, what are strategies you use to help filter out those distractions so that you can connect with God better? 3) As Jesus followers, we all want to know God's will for our lives. In this new year, what specific things are you asking God for clarity on? How can we, as the Church, be praying for you?

Look at King David in the prime of his reign. I heard a message on this many years ago by a prophet. I have never forgotten it. It inspired the basis of this message. Ecc 10:8 (NIV) Whoever digs a pit may fall into it; whoever breaks through a wall may be bitten by a snake. At this juncture in David's life, he made certain errors that changed the season for him, and had a negative impact on his family and the generations to come. We see from this point in his life that things started to decline for him. What can we learn and implement as we come into a new season of fruitfulness? Far easier to learn from others' mistakes than to make them ourselves in ignorance and live with the consequences.

Page | 1Welcome. Continuing our series:VIBE CHECK I want to check your vibe today. Turn with me to Mark chapter 16 starting at verse 15MARK 16:15 NIV He said to them, “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation.MARK 16:16 NIV Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned. MARK 16:17 NIV And these signs will accompany those who believe: In my name they will drive out demons; they will speak in new tongues;MARK 16:18 NIV they will pick up snakes with their hands; and when they drink deadly poison, it will not hurt them at all; they will place their hands on sick people, and they will get well.”I don't really have any snakes here today. But when I read that, it sort-of killed the vibe.FAILING THE VIBE CHECKConcert and they start playing polka musicOutdoor party and it rains … or there's bees!Public speakers are careful not to fail the vibe check. We don't want to kill the vibe – lose the audience.That's what makes sermons like this one, about the importance of tithing, so difficult.I did it again. I failed the vibe check. This sermon is not about tithing. But it is about failing the vibe check.Today I want to tell you about a time Jesus failed the vibe check.That sounds awkward. How could Jesus fail the vibe check? Usually it would be other people who fail the vibe check, not Jesus. But it happened, turn with me to John chapter 6.At times Jesus was a popular guy. He healed incurable diseases and he gave out free food. JOHN 6:1 NIV Some time after this, Jesus crossed to the far shore of the Sea of Galilee (that is, the Sea of Tiberias), JOHN 6:2 NIV  and a great crowd of people followed him because they saw the signs he had performed by healing the sick.You know the story.  The crowd is hungry. They don't have food. A boy offers up his lunch.JOHN 6:11 NIV  Jesus then took the loaves, gave thanks, and distributed to those who were seated as much as they wanted. He did the same with the fish.Everybody thinks that's awesome! The crowd wants to make Jesus king. That's not Jesus' plan.So, He and His disciples cross the sea of Galilee. But the crowd follows Him.When they find Him, he gets into a discussion with them about the kind of food they are seeking.JOHN 6:26 NIV Jesus answered, “Very truly I tell you, you are looking for me, not because you saw the signs I performed but because you ate the loaves and had your fill.JOHN 6:27 NIV Do not work for food that spoils, but for food that endures to eternal life, which the Son of Man will give you. For on him God the Father has placed his seal of approval.”Yeah, Jesus, that's why we're here. We want the food you are going to give us…But then Jesus starts talking about His flesh and His blood, and it becomes clear that He's not giving out any more bread and fish. JOHN 6:53 NIV Jesus said to them, “Very truly I tell you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you have no life in you.And apparently, that wasn't what the crowd wanted to hear.JOHN 6:60 NIV On hearing it, many of his disciples said, “This is a hard teaching. Who can accept it?”JOHN 6:66 NIV From this time many of his disciples turned back and no longer followed him.There it is. Jesus failed the vibe check.But Jesus knew what He was doing. It's almost like Jesus wanted to fail the vibe check. It's like He was intentionally KILLING THE VIBEWhy would Jesus do that?In this series we have defined a “vibe” as a person's emotional state, felt by others; or the tangible atmosphere created by the disposition of our being A vibe is something outside a person that reveals something going on inside the person.And we have discussed that vibes can come from our flesh or from the Holy Spirit.The worst vibes come from the ….   flesh.   But the best vibes come from ….      The Spirit.Jesus had no problem, killing off a vibe that comes from the flesh.These people followed Jesus to the other side of the Sea of Galilee because they thought he would give th...

Sermon Notes: Ephesians 2:11-22 Title: All God's Children Date: Sunday, September 11, 2022 Location: Perris Valley Church Isaiah 42:6 (NIV) 6 “I, the Lord, have called you in righteousness; I will take hold of your hand. I will keep you and will make you to be a covenant for the people and a light for the Gentiles, Colossians 1:21 (NIV) Once you were alienated from God and were enemies in your minds because of your evil behavior.   Ephesians 2:11-12 (NIV) Therefore, remember that formerly you who are Gentiles by birth and called “uncircumcised” by those who call themselves “the circumcision” (which is done in the body by human hands)— 12 remember that at that time you were separate from Christ, excluded from citizenship in Israel and foreigners to the covenants of the promise, without hope and without God in the world.   Point number 1 in your notes: Deliberately rejecting others from the body of Christ limits their hope.   Ephesians 2:13-18 (NIV) 13 But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far away have been brought near by the blood of Christ. 14 For he himself is our peace, who has made the two groups one and has destroyed the barrier, the dividing wall of hostility, 15 by setting aside in his flesh the law with its commands and regulations. His purpose was to create in himself one new humanity out of the two, thus making peace, 16 and in one body to reconcile both of them to God through the cross, by which he put to death their hostility. 17 He came and preached peace to you who were far away and peace to those who were near. 18 For through him we both have access to the Father by one Spirit. Point number 2 in your notes: Only Christ can heal the wounds of our society.   John 13:35 (NIV) By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.   1 John 4:20 (NIV) Whoever claims to love God yet hates a brother or sister is a liar. For whoever does not love their brother and sister, whom they have seen, cannot love God, whom they have not seen.   John 14:12-14 (NIV) Very truly I tell you, whoever believes in me will do the works I have been doing, and they will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father. 13 And I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son. 14 You may ask me for anything in my name, and I will do it.   Ephesians 2:19 (NIV) Consequently, you are no longer foreigners and strangers, but fellow citizens with God's people and also members of his household,   Point number 3 in your notes: Belief in Christ always results in becoming family.   Matthew 28:19-20 (NIV) Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”   1 Peter 4:9 (NIV) Offer hospitality to one another without grumbling.   Isaiah 1:17 (NIV) Learn to do right; seek justice. Defend the oppressed. Take up the cause of the fatherless; plead the case of the widow.   Point number 4 in your notes: Respect for all people is not a suggestion, it is a command.   Matthew 25:40 (NIV) “The King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.'

Influence Proverbs 22:6 (NIV) Start children off on the way they should go, and even when they are old they will not turn from it. Walks Proverbs 13:20 (ESV) Whoever walks with the wise becomes wise, but the companion of fools will suffer harm. Wise Discover friends who are facing the same direction and have the same foundation of life. “Friendship is born at that moment when one person says to another, ‘What! You too? I thought I was the only one.” - CS Lewis – The Four Loves Becomes Proverbs 27:17 (NIV) As iron sharpens iron, so one person sharpens another. Show me your friends and I will show you your future. – Andy Stanley Discover Develop Being a good friend: 1. Be present. Proverbs 17:17 (NIV) A friend loves at all times, and a brother is born for a time of adversity. #17 Being a good friend: 1- 2. Be reliable. 18 Proverbs 18:24 (NIV) One who has unreliable friends soon comes to ruin, but there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother. 3. Be helpful. Proverbs 27:5–6 (NIV) Better is open rebuke than hidden love. Wounds from a friend can be trusted, but an enemy multiplies kisses. Proverbs 28:23 (NIV) Whoever rebukes a person will in the end gain favor rather than one who has a flattering tongue. Proverbs 27:9 (NIV) Perfume and incense bring joy to the heart, and the pleasantness of a friend springs from their heartfelt advice. John 15:13–15 (NIV) Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one's life for one's friends. You are my friends if you do what I command. I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master's business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you.

(Bilingual) このメッセージではロド牧師が新たにされるライフハウスのビジョンについて以下のポイントから話します。 In this message Ps Rod talks about the renewal of vision in the following points: 1. The Birth of Lifehouse - Vision of the Wave ライフハウスの始まり - 波のビジョン (John 7:38 NIV) Whoever believes in me, as Scripture has said, rivers of living water will flow from within them.” (ヨハネ 7:38 JCB)「わたしを信じれば、心の奥底からいのちの水の川が流れ出ると、聖書に語られているとおりです。」 (John 10:10 NIV) The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full. (ヨハネ10:10 JCB)強盗は、盗んだり、殺したり、滅ぼしたりするために来ます。しかしわたしが来たのは、いのちをあふれるほど豊かに与えるためです。 A Vision  of: こういうビジョン - A joyful community 喜びに溢れたコミュニティー - Salvations 救い - Baptisms 洗礼 - Healings 癒し - Growth in all areas of life 人生のすべての分野で成長がある 2. Refreshing of Lifehouse - The Vision of the River of God リフレッシュされるライフハウス - 神様の川のビジョン Four levels of The River of God (ankles, knees, waist, over our heads) 神様の川での4つのレベル(くるぶし、ひざ、腰、頭の上) (Ezekiel 47:1-6 NIV) The man brought me back to the entrance to the temple, and I saw water coming out from under the threshold of the temple toward the east (for the temple faced east). The water was coming down from under the south side of the temple, south of the altar. (2) He then brought me out through the north gate and led me around the outside to the outer gate facing east, and the water was trickling from the south side. (3) As the man went eastward with a measuring line in his hand, he measured off a thousand cubits and then led me through water that was ankle-deep. (4) He measured off another thousand cubits and led me through water that was knee-deep. He measured off another thousand and led me through water that was up to the waist. (5) He measured off another thousand, but now it was a river that I could not cross, because the water had risen and was deep enough to swim in—a river that no one could cross. (6) He asked me, “Son of man, do you see this?” Then he led me back to the bank of the river. (エゼキエル47:1-6 JCB)「それから、その人は私を神殿の入口に連れ戻しました。見ると、神殿の下から東に向かって、水が流れ出ているのです。水は祭壇の右側、すなわち南側を通って流れていました。(2)私は北の門を通って塀の外へ連れて行かれ、東の門へと回らされました。見ると、水は東の門の南端を流れていました。(3)その人は流れに沿って測りながら東に進み、一千キュビト行ったとき、その流れを渡るように私に命じました。水はくるぶしまでありました。(4)さらに一千キュビト行くと、また、渡るように命じられました。今度は、水はひざまでありました。(5)それから一千キュビト行くと、水の深さは腰までになりました。さらに一千キュビト先へ行くと、もう泳がなければ渡れないほどの川となっていました。深くて、とても歩いて渡ることはできなかったのです。(6)その人は、今見たことをよく脳裏に刻み込んでおくようにと言って、私をその川の岸に沿って連れ帰りました。」 ‭‭ Today: Level One - The Ankles 今日: レベル1 - くるぶし -Paddling in the River of God 神様の川の浅瀬で跳ね回る -OT Greek: “The waters of release”  (Matthew 6:14-15 NIV) For if you forgive other people when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. (15) But if you do not forgive others their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins. (マタイ6:14-15 JCB)「もしあなたがたが、自分に対して罪を犯した人を赦すなら、天の父も、あなたがたを赦してくださいます。 (15)しかし、あなたがたが赦さないなら、天の父も、あなたがたを赦してくださいません。」 (Colossians 3:12-13 NIV) Therefore, as God's chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. (13) Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. (コロサイ3:12-13 JCB)「神に選ばれて愛され、聖なる新しいいのちを与えられたあなたがたは、他の人々に対して情け深く、やさしく親切でなければなりません。謙遜で、どんな時にも、おだやかに忍耐強く行動してほしいものです。(13)互いに耐え、赦し合いなさい。主があなたがたを赦してくださったのですから、あなたがたも、人を赦すべきではありませんか。」 ‭‭ Cleansed and forgiven in the River of God 神様の川の中できよめられ、赦される (John 13:3-7 NIV) Jesus knew that the Father had put all things under his power, and that he had come from God and was returning to God; (4) so he got up from the meal, took off his outer clothing, and wrapped a towel around his waist. (5) After that, he poured water into a basin and began to wash his disciples' feet, drying them with the towel that was wrapped around him. (6) He came to Simon Peter, who said to him, “Lord, are you going to wash my feet?” (7) Jesus replied, “You do not realize now what I am doing, but later you will understand.” (ヨハネ 13:3-7...

(English) In this message Ps Rod talks about the renewal of vision in the following points: 1. The Birth of Lifehouse - Vision of the Wave (John 7:38 NIV) Whoever believes in me, as Scripture has said, rivers of living water will flow from within them.” (John 10:10 NIV) The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full. A Vision  of: - A joyful community - Salvations - Baptisms - Healings - Growth in all areas of life 2. Refreshing of Lifehouse - The Vision of the River of God Four levels of The River of God (ankles, knees, waist, over our heads) (Ezekiel 47:1-6 NIV) The man brought me back to the entrance to the temple, and I saw water coming out from under the threshold of the temple toward the east (for the temple faced east). The water was coming down from under the south side of the temple, south of the altar. (2) He then brought me out through the north gate and led me around the outside to the outer gate facing east, and the water was trickling from the south side. (3) As the man went eastward with a measuring line in his hand, he measured off a thousand cubits and then led me through water that was ankle-deep. (4) He measured off another thousand cubits and led me through water that was knee-deep. He measured off another thousand and led me through water that was up to the waist. (5) He measured off another thousand, but now it was a river that I could not cross, because the water had risen and was deep enough to swim in—a river that no one could cross. (6) He asked me, “Son of man, do you see this?” Then he led me back to the bank of the river. ‭‭ Today: Level One - The Ankles -Paddling in the River of God -OT Greek: “The waters of release”  (Matthew 6:14-15 NIV) For if you forgive other people when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. (15) But if you do not forgive others their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins. (Colossians 3:12-13 NIV) Therefore, as God's chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. (13) Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. ‭‭ Cleansed and forgiven in the River of God (John 13:3-7 NIV) Jesus knew that the Father had put all things under his power, and that he had come from God and was returning to God; (4) so he got up from the meal, took off his outer clothing, and wrapped a towel around his waist. (5) After that, he poured water into a basin and began to wash his disciples' feet, drying them with the towel that was wrapped around him. (6) He came to Simon Peter, who said to him, “Lord, are you going to wash my feet?” (7) Jesus replied, “You do not realize now what I am doing, but later you will understand.” “Do you see this?” (Ezekiel 47:6 NIV) He asked me, “Son of man, do you see this?”Then he led me back to the bank of the river. “Do you perceive this?”  (Isaiah 43:18-19 NIV) “Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past. (19) See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the wilderness and streams in the wasteland.

Christian Meditation is a quiet time for you to re-integrate and re-calibrate your mind with your body. And re-integrate and re-calibrate your mind and body with God‘s presence with you and in you. Remember the quote from the apostle Paul in Acts 17:28 – In him you live and move and have your being.If your podcast app is set to skip the silent sections, disable that in your podcast app for this podcast.Remember the reality of what's called neural plasticity – your brain is always rewiring itself constantly based upon how you use it — what you see, what you say, what you do, what you think and feel — neurons that fire together wire together — so if certain neurons have fired together a lot then they have wired together a lot and made what's like a worn path in the snow where your brain gets really good at something that you repeat a lot — like playing the piano or playing guitar or typing on a keyboard — like we discussed in the last episode — sometimes your brain gets really good at feeling pain in a part of your body even though there's no longer damage or harm there, or sometimes your brain gets really good at responding with anxiety or insecurity or fear or anger in certain situations or feeling threatened in certain situations because you have trained your brain through repeatedly responding that way in those situations. So certain kinds of meditation or mindfulness are a way of remapping your brain to your whole body to help it re-integrate and re-calibrate to your mind and soul. So when you focus on specific areas of your body you are remapping your brain to your body. And when you focus on relaxing and feeling (becoming aware of) your entire body like we do in this kind of meditation, every brain and pain specialist and psychologist I've read says it is calming and even resetting to your central nervous system. But in Christian meditation we go even further than that and also focus on experiencing, through our imagination, the reality of God‘s presence in your body as the Bible emphasizes in so many places. Remember — neurons that fire together wire together — and so your brain will get really good at remembering to feel your body and associating that also with remembering God‘s presence in your body and presence with you always. So that in times where you might usually feel threatened or typically get anxious or angry or stressed – doing a quick meditation to feel your body will also associate in your brain a remembrance of God‘s presence in you and his love and control in every situation. So in typical situations where you would normally worry or become anxious or insecure or angry or frustrated or even hopeless, instead you are reminded that God is present, he is in this, and you can trust him.This is why in this Christian meditation podcast we are always associating a kind of body relaxation and mindfulness with pictures the Bible gives us to imagine our embodied spiritual reality. And we use our imagination to see and feel this unseen embodied reality, and physically experience our embodied connection with God.Psalms 104:30 (ESV)“When you send forth your Spirit, they are created, and you renew the face of the ground.”Psalms 104:29 (ESV)“When you hide your face, they are dismayed; when you take away their breath, they die and return to their dust.”Imagine the Spirit sending forth his life in you and renewing your body.The apostle Peter refers to Jesus as the author of life (Acts 3:15). So imagine the author of life indwelling your entire body as his Holy Temple (1 Cor 6:19) — even at the cellular level in your body — with his Life and Love and Power and Eternal Presence and Glory. Peter goes on to say later…Acts 3:20 (ESV)“…That times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord.” Acts 17:28 (ESV)“In him we live and move and have our being.”Imagine your whole body being connected to God's existence–creating, life-giving, eternal transcendence as the I AM. John 7:38-39 (NIV)“‘Whoever believes in me, as Scripture has said, rivers of living water will flow from within them.' By this he meant the Spirit, whom those who believed in him were later to receive.”Imagine God's Spirit in your inner being right now – strengthening your body. Strengthening your soul. Strengthening your life with the riches of his glory.Who can you share this podcast with? If you found this episode helpful, consider sharing it on social media or texting it to a friend you think might benefit from it.Follow Dave Cover on Twitter @davecoverFollow A Bigger Life on Twitter @ABiggerLifePodOur audio engineer is Diego Huaman.This podcast is a ministry of The Crossing, a church in Columbia, Missouri, a college town where the flagship campus of the University of Missouri is located.

No CondemnationRomans • July 10, 2022Teacher: Leanne Benton--Romans 8:1-4 NIV“Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit who gives life has set you free from the law of sin and death. For what the law was powerless to do because it was weakened by the flesh, God did by sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh to be a sin offering. And so he condemned sin in the flesh, in order that the righteous requirements of the law might be fully met in us, who do not live according to the flesh but according to the Spirit.”Romans 7:14-20 NIV“We know that the law is spiritual; but I am unspiritual, sold as a slave to sin. I do not understand what I do. For what I was to do, I do not do, but what I hate I do. And if I do what I do not want to do, I agree that the law is good. As it is, it is no longer I myself who do it, but it is sin living in me. For I know that good itself does not dwell in me, that is, in my sinful nature. For I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out. For I do not do the good I want to do, but the evil I do not want to do — this I keep on doing. Now if I do what I do not want to do, it is no longer I who do it, but it is sin living in me that does it.”Romans 8:1-2 NIV“Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit who gives life has set you free from the law of sin and death.”Condemnation = declaration of guilt and the sentence for it... both pronouncement AND punishment.NO condemnation. NO declaration of guilt and NO eternal punishment.John 8:36 NIV“So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.”Romans 8:1 NIV"...for those who are in Christ Jesus."Romans 8:3-4 ESV“For God has done what the law, weakened by the flesh, could not do. By sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and for sin, he condemned sin in the the flesh, in order that the righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not according to the flesh but according to the Spirit.”Galatians 4:4 NLT“But when the right time came, God sent his son, born of a woman, subject to the law, so that he could adopt us (redeem those under the law) as his very own children.”The law in condemning sin can only and always get a verdict of GUILTY.David Wells"God's HOLY love rescues us from God's HOLY wrath."Holy Spirit = Conviction, not condemnation.1. Self-CondemnationCraig Groschel“Most of life's battles are won or lost in the mind.”2 Corinthians 12:9-11 NIV“But he said to me, ‘My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.' Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ's power may rest on me.”2. Condemnation from OTHERSAdam Barnett“We often focus on other people's sanctification process instead of focusing on our own.”Luke 6:42 NIV“How can you say to your brother, ‘Brother, let me take the speck out of your eye,' when you yourself fail to see the plank in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your own eye, and then you can see clearly to remove the speck from your brother's eye.”Gossips, slanderers, wickedness, evil, greedy, and depravity.Romans 2:1-4 NIV“You, therefore, have no excuse, you who pass judgment on someone else, for at whatever point you judge another, you are condemning yourself, because you who pass judgment do the same things. Now we know that God's judgment against those who do such things is based on truth. So when you, a mere human being, pass judgment on them and yet do the same things, do you think you will escape God's judgment? Or do you show contempt for the riches of his kindness, forbearance and patience, not realizing that God's kindness is intended to lead you to repentance?”John 8:5-11 NIV"In the Law, Moses commanded us to stone such women. Now what do you say?" "...But Jesus bent down and started to write on the ground with his finger. When they kept on questioning him, he straightened up and said to them, "Let any one of you who is without sin be the first to throw a stone at her." Again he stooped down and wrote on the ground." "At this, those who heard began to go away one at a time, the older ones first, until only Jesus was left, with the woman still standing there." "Jesus straightened up and asked her, "Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?" "No one sir," she said. "Then neither do I condemn you," Jesus declared. "Go now and leave your life of sin."3. The ACCUSER1 Peter 5:8-9 MSG“Keep a cool head. Stay alert. The Devil is poised to pounce, and would like nothing better than to catch you napping. Keep your guard up. You're not the only ones plunged into these hard times. It's the same with Christians all over the world. So keep a firm grip on your faith. The suffering won't last forever. It won't be long before this generous God who has great plans for us in Christ — eternal and glorious plans they are! —will have you put together and on your feet for good. He gets the last word; yes, He does.”Revelation 12:10 ESV“And I heard a loud voice in heaven, saying “Now the salvation and the power and the kingdom of our God and the authority of his Christ have come, for the accuser of our brothers has been thrown down, who accuses them day and night before our God.”John 3:18 NIV"Whoever believes in him is not condemned..."Psalm 103:8-12 AMP“The Lord is merciful and gracious, slow to anger and abounding in compassion and loving kindness. He will not always strive with us. Nor will he keep His anger forever. He has not dealt with us according to our sins [as we deserve], nor rewarded us [with punishment] according to our wickedness. For as the heavens are high above the earth, so great is His lovingkindness toward those who fear and worship Him. As far as the east is from the west, so far has He removed our transgressions from us.”Psalm 34:22 NIV“The Lord will rescue his servants; no one who takes refuge in him will be condemned.”Romans 8:1-2 ESV“There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. For the law of the Spirit of life has set you free in Christ Jesus from the law of sin and death.”

Imagine God's Spirit flowing in and throughout your body like rivers of living water. That's the very image Jesus gives in John 7:38. Christians Meditation is a quiet time for you to re-integrate and re-calibrate your mind with your body. And re-integrate and re-calibrate your mind and body with God‘s presence with you and in you. Remember the quote from the apostle Paul in Acts 17:28 – In him you live and move and have your being.If your podcast app is set to skip the silent sections, disable that in your podcast app for this podcast.John 7:38-39 (NIV)“‘Whoever believes in me, as Scripture has said, rivers of living water will flow from within them.' By this he meant the Spirit, whom those who believed in him were later to receive. Up to that time the Spirit had not been given, since Jesus had not yet been glorified.”Jesus said something similar when he was speaking to the woman by the well…John 4:14 (NIV)“…The water I give them will become in them a spring of water welling up to eternal life.”Psalms 16:11 (ESV)“In your presence there is fullness of joy; at your right hand are pleasures forevermore.”Imagine the fullness of joy being in the presence of God‘s glory and God‘s beauty and God‘s perfect love for you. Seeing the one who created this entire universe with your own eyes. Resurrected eyes in a resurrected body. Imagine this reality and feel it now into your body. The Bible's bigger story is that Joy is the ultimate experience when Heaven returns to earth when Jesus comes back — we will have resurrected bodies of glory and power and true spirituality and immortality and we will live in the amazing presence of God forever.Jesus said all of his teaching has Joy as its ultimate goal…John 15:11 (ESV)“These things I have spoken to you, that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be full.”That's why in John 17, the night Jesus was arrested, when he is praying for his disciples and he is summing up the purpose of his entire life on earth he says…John 17:13 (NIV)“…So that they may have the full measure of my joy within them.”In the final words of the epistle of Jude in the New Testament, Jude says that the ultimate ministry of Jesus in your life is…Jude 1:24 (ESV)“…To present you blameless before the presence of his glory with great joy.”Joy is the ultimate reward in the kingdom of heaven. The joy that comes from being fully in the presence of God.Infinite pleasures in the hand of the infinite God. So using your imagination, take his hand now as your greatest possession. Take his hand now as your security. Your calm confidence. Your peace. Your Joy. Feel this into your body.Even now, consciously knowing that you are in God's presence will begin to replace your worry and fear and anxiety and self-protective reflexes with his joy and the security of his presence. Use your biblically guided imagination to know and experience that he is at your right hand and you are at his right hand in Christ. Knowing right now in this moment that the forever God is your God forever and you are in his presence right now in this moment. He is the fullness of joy right now. In his hand is your greatest pleasure forever.So take hold of his hand right now in your imagination.

Imagine God's Spirit flowing in and throughout your body like rivers of living water. That's the very image Jesus gives in John 7:38. Christians Meditation is a quiet time for you to re-integrate and re-calibrate your mind with your body. And re-integrate and re-calibrate your mind and body with God‘s presence with you and in you. Remember the quote from the apostle Paul in Acts 17:28 – In him you live and move and have your being.If your podcast app is set to skip the silent sections, disable that in your podcast app for this podcast.John 7:38-39 (NIV)“‘Whoever believes in me, as Scripture has said, rivers of living water will flow from within them.' By this he meant the Spirit, whom those who believed in him were later to receive. Up to that time the Spirit had not been given, since Jesus had not yet been glorified.”Jesus said something similar when he was speaking to the woman by the well…John 4:14 (NIV)“…The water I give them will become in them a spring of water welling up to eternal life.”Psalms 16:11 (ESV)“In your presence there is fullness of joy; at your right hand are pleasures forevermore.”Imagine the fullness of joy being in the presence of God‘s glory and God‘s beauty and God‘s perfect love for you. Seeing the one who created this entire universe with your own eyes. Resurrected eyes in a resurrected body. Imagine this reality and feel it now into your body. The Bible's bigger story is that Joy is the ultimate experience when Heaven returns to earth when Jesus comes back — we will have resurrected bodies of glory and power and true spirituality and immortality and we will live in the amazing presence of God forever.Jesus said all of his teaching has Joy as its ultimate goal…John 15:11 (ESV)“These things I have spoken to you, that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be full.”That's why in John 17, the night Jesus was arrested, when he is praying for his disciples and he is summing up the purpose of his entire life on earth he says…John 17:13 (NIV)“…So that they may have the full measure of my joy within them.”In the final words of the epistle of Jude in the New Testament, Jude says that the ultimate ministry of Jesus in your life is…Jude 1:24 (ESV)“…To present you blameless before the presence of his glory with great joy.”Joy is the ultimate reward in the kingdom of heaven. The joy that comes from being fully in the presence of God.Infinite pleasures in the hand of the infinite God. So using your imagination, take his hand now as your greatest possession. Take his hand now as your security. Your calm confidence. Your peace. Your Joy. Feel this into your body.Even now, consciously knowing that you are in God's presence will begin to replace your worry and fear and anxiety and self-protective reflexes with his joy and the security of his presence. Use your biblically guided imagination to know and experience that he is at your right hand and you are at his right hand in Christ. Knowing right now in this moment that the forever God is your God forever and you are in his presence right now in this moment. He is the fullness of joy right now. In his hand is your greatest pleasure forever.So take hold of his hand right now in your imagination. Enjoy his presence right now and feel it into your body.What is it that you think you need right now that you don't really need? Let it go. It's just giving you anxiety and stress and anger. Let it go and take the better possession of God‘s hand. God‘s presence.Remind yourself that you are in the presence of the forever God and his presence is fullness of joy and pleasure forevermore. Forevermore. The forever God is forever more! More than whatever else you think you need to have to have joy. Imagine this. Feel this – sense this reality – into your body right now. And find rest in his presence. Joy in his presence. The security of knowing that in his hand you possess the greatest possession that is forever more than anything else you think you need.Who can you share this podcast with? If you found this episode helpful, consider sharing it on social media or texting it to a friend you think might benefit from it.Follow Dave Cover on Twitter @davecoverFollow A Bigger Life on Twitter @ABiggerLifePodOur audio engineer is Diego Huaman.This podcast is a ministry of The Crossing, a church in Columbia, Missouri, a college town where the flagship campus of the University of Missouri is located.

Imagine God's Spirit flowing in and throughout your body like rivers of living water. That's the very image Jesus gives in John 7:38. Christians Meditation is a quiet time for you to re-integrate and re-calibrate your mind with your body. And re-integrate and re-calibrate your mind and body with God‘s presence with you and in you. Remember the quote from the apostle Paul in Acts 17:28 – In him you live and move and have your being.If your podcast app is set to skip the silent sections, disable that in your podcast app for this podcast.John 7:38-39 (NIV)“‘Whoever believes in me, as Scripture has said, rivers of living water will flow from within them.' By this he meant the Spirit, whom those who believed in him were later to receive. Up to that time the Spirit had not been given, since Jesus had not yet been glorified.”Jesus said something similar when he was speaking to the woman by the well…John 4:14 (NIV)“…The water I give them will become in them a spring of water welling up to eternal life.”Psalms 16:11 (ESV)“In your presence there is fullness of joy; at your right hand are pleasures forevermore.”Imagine the fullness of joy being in the presence of God‘s glory and God‘s beauty and God‘s perfect love for you. Seeing the one who created this entire universe with your own eyes. Resurrected eyes in a resurrected body. Imagine this reality and feel it now into your body. The Bible's bigger story is that Joy is the ultimate experience when Heaven returns to earth when Jesus comes back — we will have resurrected bodies of glory and power and true spirituality and immortality and we will live in the amazing presence of God forever.Jesus said all of his teaching has Joy as its ultimate goal…John 15:11 (ESV)“These things I have spoken to you, that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be full.”That's why in John 17, the night Jesus was arrested, when he is praying for his disciples and he is summing up the purpose of his entire life on earth he says…John 17:13 (NIV)“…So that they may have the full measure of my joy within them.”In the final words of the epistle of Jude in the New Testament, Jude says that the ultimate ministry of Jesus in your life is…Jude 1:24 (ESV)“…To present you blameless before the presence of his glory with great joy.”Joy is the ultimate reward in the kingdom of heaven. The joy that comes from being fully in the presence of God.Infinite pleasures in the hand of the infinite God. So using your imagination, take his hand now as your greatest possession. Take his hand now as your security. Your calm confidence. Your peace. Your Joy. Feel this into your body.Even now, consciously knowing that you are in God's presence will begin to replace your worry and fear and anxiety and self-protective reflexes with his joy and the security of his presence. Use your biblically guided imagination to know and experience that he is at your right hand and you are at his right hand in Christ. Knowing right now in this moment that the forever God is your God forever and you are in his presence right now in this moment. He is the fullness of joy right now. In his hand is your greatest pleasure forever.So take hold of his hand right now in your imagination.

Imagine God's Spirit flowing throughout your body like rivers of living water. That's the very image Jesus gives in John 7:38. Christians Meditation is a quiet time for you to re-integrate and re-calibrate your mind with your body. And re-integrate and re-calibrate your mind and body with God‘s presence with you and in you. Remember the quote from the apostle Paul in Acts 17:28 – In him you live and move and have your being.If your podcast app is set to skip the silent sections, disable that in your podcast app for this podcast.John 7:38-39 (NIV)Whoever believes in me, as Scripture has said, rivers of living water will flow from within them.” By this he meant the Spirit, whom those who believed in him were later to receive. Up to that time the Spirit had not been given, since Jesus had not yet been glorified.So imagine the Spirit of God flowing like rivers of living water within your entire body with his Life and Light and Power and Glory. Focus your mind on feeling your whole body from within. Imagine and feel God's life and light and power and glory and love and presence flowing up and down your spine from your brain to your sacrum, and flowing through your veins throughout your entire body. Imagine your whole body being one with God's life-giving, light-giving, power. Imagine God focused on you right now with his infinite and intimate love and wisdom. Say quietly to yourself, “The Spirit of God is in me right now. I am calm and confident in his presence and care.” Imagine and feel this reality all throughout your body for a moment. Remember, neurons that fire together wire together! Make it a habit of feeling your body and also feeling God's presence in your body at the same time.John 7:38-39 (NIV)Whoever believes in me, …rivers of living water will flow from within them.” By this he meant the Spirit…Jesus said something similar when he was speaking to the woman by the well…John 4:14 (NIV)“…The water I give them will become in them a spring of water welling up to eternal life.”So imagine this into your body right now — the Spirit of God being a spring of water in you that is welling up as eternal life.This is an image Jesus wants you to imagine as an unseen reality within you. So imagine this. The Spirit of God flowing within you like rivers of living water. The Spirit of God welling up within you like a spring of water of life. Feel this flowing all through your body. Replacing stress and tension with the transcendent presence of God‘s peace. Replacing anxiety with the calm confidence of God‘s presence. Replacing fear and insecurity with the renewing strength of God‘s eternal life. Replacing anger with the softening assurance of God‘s love. Imagine this.

Imagine God's Spirit flowing throughout your body like rivers of living water. That's the very image Jesus gives in John 7:38. Christians Meditation is a quiet time for you to re-integrate and re-calibrate your mind with your body. And re-integrate and re-calibrate your mind and body with God‘s presence with you and in you. Remember the quote from the apostle Paul in Acts 17:28 – In him you live and move and have your being.If your podcast app is set to skip the silent sections, disable that in your podcast app for this podcast.John 7:38-39 (NIV)Whoever believes in me, as Scripture has said, rivers of living water will flow from within them.” By this he meant the Spirit, whom those who believed in him were later to receive. Up to that time the Spirit had not been given, since Jesus had not yet been glorified.So imagine the Spirit of God flowing like rivers of living water within your entire body with his Life and Light and Power and Glory. Focus your mind on feeling your whole body from within. Imagine and feel God's life and light and power and glory and love and presence flowing up and down your spine from your brain to your sacrum, and flowing through your veins throughout your entire body. Imagine your whole body being one with God's life-giving, light-giving, power. Imagine God focused on you right now with his infinite and intimate love and wisdom. Say quietly to yourself, “The Spirit of God is in me right now. I am calm and confident in his presence and care.” Imagine and feel this reality all throughout your body for a moment. Remember, neurons that fire together wire together! Make it a habit of feeling your body and also feeling God's presence in your body at the same time.John 7:38-39 (NIV)Whoever believes in me, …rivers of living water will flow from within them.” By this he meant the Spirit…Jesus said something similar when he was speaking to the woman by the well…John 4:14 (NIV)“…The water I give them will become in them a spring of water welling up to eternal life.”So imagine this into your body right now — the Spirit of God being a spring of water in you that is welling up as eternal life.This is an image Jesus wants you to imagine as an unseen reality within you. So imagine this. The Spirit of God flowing within you like rivers of living water. The Spirit of God welling up within you like a spring of water of life. Feel this flowing all through your body. Replacing stress and tension with the transcendent presence of God‘s peace. Replacing anxiety with the calm confidence of God‘s presence. Replacing fear and insecurity with the renewing strength of God‘s eternal life. Replacing anger with the softening assurance of God‘s love. Imagine this. Feel this. Rest in this. Let go of all anxiety and stress and tension and insecurity and anger and let all of that flow out of you as God's Spirit flows like rivers of life-giving water and love and God‘s presence throughout your entire body.The God who created this universe is flowing through your body right now. Welling up to eternal life. Bringing his life into your whole body. Your whole life. In this present moment. Right now. And in every present moment.God's Spirit in you as a spring of water welling up all throughout your body. Bringing God's power and glory and presence and love and renewal and life that is welling up to eternal life in you. And because his Spirit of life is in you, the forever God is your God forever. Because his Spirit of life is in your body right now, your body will rise even from the dead in power and glory and spiritual ability and immortality. And you can feel this into your body even right now. In this present moment.God is present. He is in you. And you can trust him. Because the forever God is your God forever.Timestamps:00:36 - 11:41 Body Meditation11:54 - 26:05 Bible Meditation: John 7:38Who can you share this podcast with? If you found this episode helpful, consider sharing it on social media or texting it to a friend you think might benefit from it.Follow Dave Cover on Twitter @davecoverFollow A Bigger Life on Twitter @ABiggerLifePodOur audio engineer is Diego Huaman.This podcast is a ministry of The Crossing, a church in Columbia, Missouri, a college town where the flagship campus of the University of Missouri is located.

Imagine God's Spirit flowing throughout your body like rivers of living water. That's the very image Jesus gives in John 7:38. Christians Meditation is a quiet time for you to re-integrate and re-calibrate your mind with your body. And re-integrate and re-calibrate your mind and body with God‘s presence with you and in you. Remember the quote from the apostle Paul in Acts 17:28 – In him you live and move and have your being.If your podcast app is set to skip the silent sections, disable that in your podcast app for this podcast.John 7:38-39 (NIV)Whoever believes in me, as Scripture has said, rivers of living water will flow from within them.” By this he meant the Spirit, whom those who believed in him were later to receive. Up to that time the Spirit had not been given, since Jesus had not yet been glorified.So imagine the Spirit of God flowing like rivers of living water within your entire body with his Life and Light and Power and Glory. Focus your mind on feeling your whole body from within. Imagine and feel God's life and light and power and glory and love and presence flowing up and down your spine from your brain to your sacrum, and flowing through your veins throughout your entire body. Imagine your whole body being one with God's life-giving, light-giving, power. Imagine God focused on you right now with his infinite and intimate love and wisdom. Say quietly to yourself, “The Spirit of God is in me right now. I am calm and confident in his presence and care.” Imagine and feel this reality all throughout your body for a moment. Remember, neurons that fire together wire together! Make it a habit of feeling your body and also feeling God's presence in your body at the same time.John 7:38-39 (NIV)Whoever believes in me, …rivers of living water will flow from within them.” By this he meant the Spirit…Jesus said something similar when he was speaking to the woman by the well…John 4:14 (NIV)“…The water I give them will become in them a spring of water welling up to eternal life.”So imagine this into your body right now — the Spirit of God being a spring of water in you that is welling up as eternal life.This is an image Jesus wants you to imagine as an unseen reality within you. So imagine this. The Spirit of God flowing within you like rivers of living water. The Spirit of God welling up within you like a spring of water of life. Feel this flowing all through your body. Replacing stress and tension with the transcendent presence of God‘s peace. Replacing anxiety with the calm confidence of God‘s presence. Replacing fear and insecurity with the renewing strength of God‘s eternal life. Replacing anger with the softening assurance of God‘s love. Imagine this.

John 3:18 is today's Bible verse in which Jesus talks about our freedom from condemnation by believing in his saving work on The Cross. John 3:18 is Jesus' statement that "Whoever believes is not condemned; but whoever does not believe is condemned already, because they haven't believed in God's one-and-only Son." This verse is a strong reminder of the importance faith. We are not condemned as believers because we believe in Jesus. Those who don't believe are already condemned because they haven't believed in the One who can save them. This verse should be a reminder to all who don't know Christ to share the gospel with them, so they can have forgiveness and eternal life. It also reminds us of the importance of keeping our faith strong so we don't get condemned. John 3:18 Daily Bible Verse for Jun 15 John 3:18 (ESV) Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God. (KJV) He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. (MSG) Anyone who trusts in him is acquitted; anyone who refuses to trust him has long since been under the death sentence without knowing it. And why? Because of that person's failure to believe in the one-of-a-kind Son of God when introduced to him. (NIV) Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because they have not believed in the name of God's one and only Son. (NLT) “There is no judgment against anyone who believes in him. But anyone who does not believe in him has already been judged for not believing in God's one and only Son. 15 June Scripture reading and reflection for today Realizing that we are not the only ones in this world is powerful. Our Heavenly Father has made it possible for us to share eternal life with Him. This is possible because He sent His Son Jesus Christ into the world to save it. It is not to condemn it but to show us how to live eternally. This is a wonderful act of God's love. It is something we can all do by reflecting on His Word, and allowing it change our lives. This will help us become more like Christ, and allow us to share His love with others. It is amazing to realize that we can be a part of God's salvation plan!

It takes maturity and security to make better moves.  Make Better Moves Simple- WATCH/LISTEN. Listen and hear my voice; pay attention and hear what I say. -Isaiah‬ ‭28:23‬ ‭NIV‬‬ Whoever listens to what is taught will succeed, and whoever trusts the Lord will be happy. -Proverbs‬ ‭16:20‬ ‭NCV‬‬ Keep a close watch on how you live and on your teaching. Stay true to what is right for the sake of your own salvation and the salvation of those who hear you.‭‭ -1 Timothy‬ ‭4:16‬ ‭NLT‬‬ Keep your eyes focused on what is right, and look straight ahead to what is good. ‭‭-Proverbs‬ ‭4:25‬ ‭NCV‬‬ LEARN.   Therefore let us move beyond the elementary teachings about Christ and be taken forward to maturity… -Hebrews‬ ‭6:1‬ ‭NIV‬‬ So we must be more careful to follow what we were taught. Then we will not stray away from the truth. -Hebrews‬ ‭2:1‬ ‭NCV‬‬ There is much more we would like to say about this, but it is difficult to explain, especially since you are spiritually dull and don't seem to listen. You have been believers so long now that you ought to be teaching others. Instead, you need someone to teach you again the basic things about God's word. You are like babies who need milk and cannot eat solid food. For someone who lives on milk is still an infant and doesn't know how to do what is right. Solid food is for those who are mature, who through training have the skill to recognize the difference between right and wrong. -Hebrews‬ ‭5:11-14‬ ‭NLT‬‬   DO.   I will show you what it's like when someone comes to me, listens to my teaching, and then follows it. It is like a person building a house who digs deep and lays the foundation on solid rock. When the floodwaters rise and break against that house, it stands firm because it is well built. But anyone who hears and doesn't obey is like a person who builds a house right on the ground, without a foundation. When the floods sweep down against that house, it will collapse into a heap of ruins. -‭‭Luke‬ ‭6:47-49‬ ‭NLT‬‬    Jesus replied, “But even more blessed are all who hear the word of God and put it into practice. ‭‭-Luke‬ ‭11:28‬ ‭NLT‬‬   Benjamin is a ravenous wolf; in the morning he devours the prey, in the evening he divides the plunder. -Genesis‬ ‭49:27‬ ‭NIV‬‬

In biblical meditation, you're intentionally focusing your inner voice and thoughts on God's presence and promises in your life. When you try to meditate, you'll discover that this is hard to do. Your mind will wander into other imaginations. Other stories. This is normal. Don't get frustrated with yourself when it happens. Just pick right back up with where we are in our meditation. By listening to this podcast episode, you're carving out a quiet time to be alone with God. Using meditation to recalibrate your mind and heart and even your body with the vertical reality of God's presence and God's promises. Biblically guided meditation is using your imagination to experience God's presence and promises to you in a way that replaces stress and anxiety and worry and even shame with God's peace and joy and assurances. This is something God's people have been doing for thousands of years. The apostle Paul writes in… 2 Corinthians 3:18 (NIV) And we all, who … contemplate the Lord's glory, are being transformed into his image with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit. A synonym for contemplate is to meditate. Biblical meditation is a focused imagination that “contemplates the LORD's glory” (2 Cor 3:18), and brings transformation by recalibrating your whole self, including your body, with God's Spirit. One way to experience this kind of transformation is by replacing built-up tension and stress and anxiety in your mind and body with a rejuvenating and relaxing experience of God's presence and promises. Let's take the time to do that now. (But first, if your podcast app is set to skip silent sections, disable that now.) A common image for God in the Bible is a clear, abundant stream of life-giving water. Like when God calls himself “the fountain of living waters” in Jeremiah 2:13. That's a picture for you to set your imagination on in mediation so you see God and experience God in a deeper way. So David meditates on this image in… Psalms 63:1 (ESV)  O God, you are my God; earnestly I seek you; my soul thirsts for you; my flesh faints for you, as in a dry and weary land where there is no water. “My soul thirsts…my flesh faints for you” — in the OT your soul is your whole being, including your body. Even your body thirsts for God — “the fountain of living waters.” In David's meditation, he is presenting his entire self — spirit, mind, and body – to God as HIS God and the only satisfaction for his thirst. Let's meditate using this same biblical image…picture this!  Let's meditate on Jeremiah's meditation in… Jeremiah 17:13-14 (ESV) …the LORD [is] the fountain of living water. Heal me, O LORD, and I shall be healed; save me, and I shall be saved… This is a meditation on an image with a promise. Picture this. A “fountain of living water” that brings life and complete healing. Washing and bathing in God as your healing waters. Drinking from him as a pure flowing fountain. This is the I AM. Jesus uses this image of the I AM as a picture of who he is… John 4:14 NIV …Whoever drinks the water I give them will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give them will become in them a spring of water welling up to eternal life. Say quietly to yourself… “Because I have Jesus, the forever God is my God forever!” Who can you share this podcast with? If you found this episode helpful, consider sharing it on social media or texting it to a friend you think might benefit from it. Follow Dave Cover on Twitter https://twitter.com/davecover (@davecover) Follow A Bigger Life on Twitter https://twitter.com/abiggerlifepod (@ABiggerLifePod) This podcast is a ministry of https://www.thecrossingchurch.com/ (The Crossing), a church in Columbia, Missouri, a college town where the flagship campus of the University of Missouri is located.

In biblical meditation, you're intentionally focusing your inner voice and thoughts on God's presence and promises in your life. When you try to meditate, you'll discover that this is hard to do. Your mind will wander into other imaginations. Other stories. This is normal. Don't get frustrated with yourself when it happens. Just pick right back up with where we are in our meditation. By listening to this podcast episode, you're carving out a quiet time to be alone with God. Using meditation to recalibrate your mind and heart and even your body with the vertical reality of God's presence and God's promises. Biblically guided meditation is using your imagination to experience God's presence and promises to you in a way that replaces stress and anxiety and worry and even shame with God's peace and joy and assurances. This is something God's people have been doing for thousands of years. The apostle Paul writes in… 2 Corinthians 3:18 (NIV) And we all, who … contemplate the Lord's glory, are being transformed into his image with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit. A synonym for contemplate is to meditate. Biblical meditation is a focused imagination that “contemplates the LORD's glory” (2 Cor 3:18), and brings transformation by recalibrating your whole self, including your body, with God's Spirit. One way to experience this kind of transformation is by replacing built-up tension and stress and anxiety in your mind and body with a rejuvenating and relaxing experience of God's presence and promises. Let's take the time to do that now. (But first, if your podcast app is set to skip silent sections, disable that now.) A common image for God in the Bible is a clear, abundant stream of life-giving water. Like when God calls himself “the fountain of living waters” in Jeremiah 2:13. That's a picture for you to set your imagination on in mediation so you see God and experience God in a deeper way. So David meditates on this image in… Psalms 63:1 (ESV)  O God, you are my God; earnestly I seek you; my soul thirsts for you; my flesh faints for you, as in a dry and weary land where there is no water. “My soul thirsts…my flesh faints for you” — in the OT your soul is your whole being, including your body. Even your body thirsts for God — “the fountain of living waters.” In David's meditation, he is presenting his entire self — spirit, mind, and body – to God as HIS God and the only satisfaction for his thirst. Let's meditate using this same biblical image…picture this!  Let's meditate on Jeremiah's meditation in… Jeremiah 17:13-14 (ESV) …the LORD [is] the fountain of living water. Heal me, O LORD, and I shall be healed; save me, and I shall be saved… This is a meditation on an image with a promise. Picture this. A “fountain of living water” that brings life and complete healing. Washing and bathing in God as your healing waters. Drinking from him as a pure flowing fountain. This is the I AM. Jesus uses this image of the I AM as a picture of who he is… John 4:14 NIV …Whoever drinks the water I give them will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give them will become in them a spring of water welling up to eternal life. Say quietly to yourself… “Because I have Jesus, the forever God is my God forever!” Who can you share this podcast with? If you found this episode helpful, consider sharing it on social media or texting it to a friend you think might benefit from it. Follow Dave Cover on Twitter https://twitter.com/davecover (@davecover) Follow A Bigger Life on Twitter https://twitter.com/abiggerlifepod (@ABiggerLifePod) This podcast is a ministry of https://www.thecrossingchurch.com/ (The Crossing), a church in Columbia, Missouri, a college town where the flagship campus of the University of Missouri is located.

Get Baptized • https://willamette.cc/baptisms • If you have accepted Jesus but have never had the opportunity to celebrate your new life in Him through water baptism, this is your next step! Find Community • https://willamette.cc/community • Growth happens best in community. Community Life starts this week! Week 2 Study Resources • https://cdn.willamette.cc/assets/images/logos/Choose_Wk_2_Digital.pdf • Download the resources used by our Home Communities to study this chapter of Ruth Sermon Notes - January 30, 2022Choose: Ruth - Chapter 2 - Brian Becker Setting: Time of the Judges"Everyone was doing what was right in their own eyes." "The Choices we make, make us."-Cassandra Clare "Prisoners who appeared early in the morning received parole about 70 percent of the time, while those who appeared late in the day were paroled less than 10 percent of the time." -NYT (Aug 17, 2011) Decision FatigueCompassion Fatigue How to read Ruth: It is God's story.The smaller story tells the larger story.It is not an American story. Choices that honor God:Week 1: Choose BraveryWeek 2: Choose GenerosityWeek 3: Choose IntegrityWeek 4: Choose PurityWeek 5: Choose Legacy Choose Generosity Hesed חֶסֶד (Hebrew):A costly brand of love that involves going above and beyond what anyone has a right to ask or expect. Ruth 2:1-7 (ESV)Now Naomi had a relative of her husband's, a worthy man of the clan of Elimelech, whose name was Boaz. And Ruth the Moabite said to Naomi, "Let me go to the field and glean among theirs of the grain after him in whose sight I shall find favor." And she said to her, "Go, my daughter." So she set out and went and gleaned in Sheffield after the reapers, and she happened to come to the part of the field belonging to Boaz, who was of the clan of Elimelech. And behold, Boaz came from Bethlehem. And he said to the reapers, "The Lord be with you!" And they answered, "The Lord bless you!" Then Boaz said to his young man who was in charge of the reapers, "Whose young woman is this?" And the servant who was in charge of the reapers answered, "She is the young Moabite woman, who came back with Naomi from the country of Moab. She said, 'Please let me glean and gather among the sheaves after the reapers.' So she came, and she has continued from early morning until now, except for a short rest." Ruth 2:8-13 (ESV)Then Boaz said to Ruth, "Now listen, my daughter, do not go to glean in another field or leave this one, but keep close to my young women. Let your eyes be on the field that they are reaping, and go after them. Have I not charged the young men not to touch you? And when you are thirsty, go to the well and drink what the young men have drawn." Then she fell on her face, bowing to the ground, and said to him, "Why have I found favor in your eyes, that you should take notice of me, since I am a foreigner?" But Boaz answered her, "All that you have done for your mother-in-law since the death of your husband has been fully told to me, and how you left your father and mother and your native land and came to a people that you did not know before. The Lord repay you for what you have done, and a full reward be given you by the Lord, the God of Israel, under whose wings you have come to take refuge." Then she said, "I have found favor in your eyes, my lord, for you have comforted me and spoken kindly to your servant, though I am not one of your servants." Ruth 2:14-17 (ESV)And at mealtime Boaz said to her, "Come here and eat some bread and dip your morsel in the wine." So she sat beside the reapers, and he passed to her roasted grain. And she ate until she was satisfied, and she had some left over. When she rose to glean, Boaz instructed his young men, saying, "Let her glean even among the sheaves, and do not reproach her. And also pull out some from the bundles for her and leave it for her to glean, and do not rebuke her. So she gleaned in the field until evening. Ruth 2:3b (ESV)… she happened to come to the part of the field belonging to Boaz, who was of the clan of Elimelech. Ruth 2:1-17 Breakdown:Boaz comes to his field…Declares a pastoral blessing…Fulfills the law…Shows lovingkindness to - the enemy…Becomes a person of refuge & safety…Provides a way where there is no way…Forgives a debt that cannot be repaid… Ruth 2:1,4a (ESV)Now Naomi had a relative of her husband's, a worthy man of the clan of Elimelech, whose name was Boaz. And behold, Boaz came from Bethlehem… Boaz declares a pastoral blessing… Ruth 2:4b (ESV)And he said to the reapers, "The Lord be with you!" And they answered, "The Lord bless you." Boaz fulfills the law… Leviticus 19:9-10 (ESV)When you reap the harvest of your land, you shall not reap your field right up to its edge, neither shall you gather the gleanings after your harvest. And you shall not strip your vineyard bare, neither shall you gather the fallen grapes of your vineyard. You shall leave them for the poor and for the sojourner: I am the Lord your God. Boaz shows loving kindness to-the enemy… Numbers 24:17 (NIV)I see him, but not now; I behold him, but not near. A star will come out of Jacob; a scepter will rise out of Israel. He will crush the foreheads of Moab…" Ruth 2:8,10 (ESV)Then Boaz said to Ruth, "Now, listen, my daughter, do not go to glean in another field or leave this one, but keep close to my young women. Then she fell on her face… and said to him, "Why have I found favor in your eyes, that you should take notice of me, since I am a foreigner?" Boaz becomes a person of refuge & safety Ruth 2:8-9 (ESV)Then Boaz said to Ruth, "Now listen, my daughter, do not go to glean in another field or leave this one, but keep close to my young women. Let your eyes be on the field that they are reaping, and go after them. Have I not charged the young men not to touch you? Ruth 2:12 (ESV)The Lord repay you for what you have done, and a full reward be given you by the Lord, the God of Israel, under whose wings you have come to take refuge!" Psalm 91:1-2,4 (NIV)Whoever dwells in the shelter of the Most High will rest in the shadow of the Almighty. I will say of the Lord, "He is my refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust." He will cover you with his feathers, and under his wings you will find refuge; Boaz provides a way where there is no way… Ruth 2:14 (ESV)And at mealtime Boaz said to her, "Come ere and eat some bread and did your morsel in the wine." So she sat beside the reapers, and he passed to her roasted grain. And she ate until she was satisfied, and she had some left over. Boaz forgives a debt that cannot be repaid… Ruth 2:15 (ESV)When she rose to glean, Boaz instructed his young men, saying, "Let her glean even among the sheaves, and do not reproach her. And also pull out some from the bundles for her and leave it for her to glean, and do not rebuke her. Hesed חֶסֶד (Hebrew):A costly brand of love that involves going above and beyond what anyone has a right to ask or expect. Be like Boaz…But realize that we are Ruth… Realize that we are Ruth:-She descended from Moab.-She came spiritually confused.-She came empty handed.-She gleaned from another's field. Boaz points to Jesus… 1000 years later:Jesus comes to his field…Jesus pronounces a blessing…Jesus invites those who are not his people…Jesus becomes a refuge and safe place…Jesus provides an impossible way forward…Jesus pays the debt we could never repay… Let's continue to choose generosity and Jesus.

I want to begin talking to you over the next few weeks about Giving to The Poor. On December 12 we are going to have a special offering to benefit the poor. It will be our first annual Special Benevolence Offering. The goal and idea of this offering is simply to benefit those that are less fortunate. We have Faith Projects. These are things that we are believing for and as a result sowing or saving towards. And rightfully so, we should always have Faith Projects. Now, our Faith Projects are directly and indirectly self benefiting. Do you know what I mean by that? For example, we are currently saving seed to sow into other churches while we believe for the harvest of our own debt free facilities. This Special Benevolence Offering is also indirectly self benefiting. What? We are going to sow into the poor specifically for their benefit. However, because we are giving to the poor it is also indirectly self benefiting. You just can't beat God giving, no matter how hard you try. The more you give, the more He gives to you. You can see the evidence of what I am saying in these foundational verses. Proverbs 19:17 - He who has pity on the poor lends to the LORD, And He will pay back what he has given. NLT - If you help the poor, you are lending to the LORD— and he will repay you! ESV - Whoever is generous to the poor lends to the LORD, and he will repay him for his deed. NIV - Whoever is kind to the poor lends to the LORD, and he will reward them for what they have done. CSB - Kindness to the poor is a loan to the LORD, and he will give a reward to the lender. Do you really think that the Lord is one for one in this verse? No way! When He does something it's not according to our standards, it's always "according to His riches in glory." So let's just say you will be rewarded. --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/myfaithfam/support

WHAT IS THE CALL?Genesis 2:15 - The LORD God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to work it and take care of it. (NIV)Part of who we are is made up of what we are called to do.Man is given work before he is given a partner.Ephesians 2:10 - For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them. (ESV)Romans 11:29 - the gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable. (ESV)There is a difference between work and a job.Work is attached to the God-vision that is inside of us.A job is a task, especially one that is paid. WHO IS CALLED?Ephesians 4:1 - Therefore I, a prisoner for serving the Lord, beg you to lead a life worthy of your calling, for you have been called by God. (NLT)Calling - klésis - a summon to walk in the way of salvationWorthy - axios - weight to weight2 Timothy 1:9 - For God saved us and called us to live a holy life. (NLT)Hebrews 3:1 - Therefore, holy brothers and sisters, who share in the heavenly calling, fix your thoughts on Jesus, whom we acknowledge as our apostle and high priest. (NIV)1 Peter 4:10-11 - Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others, as faithful stewards of God's grace in its various forms. If anyone speaks, they should do so as one who speaks the very words of God. If anyone serves, they should do so with the strength God provides, so that in all things God may be praised through Jesus Christ. To him be the glory and the power for ever and ever. Amen. (NIV)HOW WE RESPOND1 - We love one another. John 13:34-35 - A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; as I have loved you, that you also love one another. By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another. (ESV)2 - We show up and serve. Mark 10:45 - For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many. (NIV)Matthew 5:14 - You are the light of the world—like a city on a hilltop that cannot be hidden. (NLT)3 - We go into all the world. Mark 16:15 - "And he said to them, 'As you go into all the world, preach openly the wonderful news of the gospel to the entire human race!'" (TPT)Matthew 28:18-20 - Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” (NIV)POSITIONING OURSELVES FOR THE CALLTHE HEARTBEATS OF THE CALLNew Song Answers exists to position believers to be a conduit through which Christ's love is ministered.Family - “Father to the fatherless, defender of the widows -- this is God, whose dwelling is holy. God places the lonely in families." Psalm 68:5-6a (NLT)Education - “And Jesus grew in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and man.” Luke 2:52 (NIV)Restoration - “‘But I will restore to you health and heal your wounds,' declares the Lord, ‘because you are called an outcast, Zion for whom no one cares.'” Jeremiah 30:17 (NIV)“Whoever brings blessing will be enriched, and one who waters will himself be watered.” Proverbs 11:25 (ESV)MATURITY FOR THE CALLYou are a saint and you are called to ministry.Ministry = serviceEphesians 4:1 Ephesians 4:11-12Being a disciple, or one who follows God, means walking like Jesus did.RECEIVE HIS CALLDon't get hung up on the what when we've been told what to do.Proverbs 29:18 Isaiah 6:8 

I want to begin talking to you over the next few weeks about Giving to The Poor. On December 12 we are going to have a special offering to benefit the poor. It will be our first annual Special Benevolence Offering. The goal and idea of this offering is simply to benefit those that are less fortunate. We have Faith Projects. These are things that we are believing for and as a result sowing or saving towards. And rightfully so, we should always have Faith Projects. Now, our Faith Projects are directly and indirectly self benefiting. Do you know what I mean by that? For example, we are currently saving seed to sow into other churches while we believe for the harvest of our own debt free facilities. This Special Benevolence Offering is also indirectly self benefiting. What? We are going to sow into the poor specifically for their benefit. However, because we are giving to the poor it is also indirectly self benefiting. You just can't beat God giving, no matter how hard you try. The more you give, the more He gives to you. You can see the evidence of what I am saying in these foundational verses. Proverbs 19:17 - He who has pity on the poor lends to the LORD, And He will pay back what he has given. NLT - If you help the poor, you are lending to the LORD— and he will repay you! ESV - Whoever is generous to the poor lends to the LORD, and he will repay him for his deed. NIV - Whoever is kind to the poor lends to the LORD, and he will reward them for what they have done. CSB - Kindness to the poor is a loan to the LORD, and he will give a reward to the lender. Do you really think that the Lord is one for one in this verse? No way! When He does something it's not according to our standards, it's always "according to His riches in glory." So let's just say you will be rewarded. --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/myfaithfam/support

Ryan and Alexis Ford are new to Pensacola (where this podcast is broadcast out of) and they are opening up a new donut shop, AND they love the Lord... AND working for/with the Lord... So we had to get them on! So grateful for their time and how willing they were to share how God is using their new donut business for His glory! I pray you are drawn closer to Christ from this conversation!  Connect with Ryan and Alexis on their shop's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/grindandglazefl/ And Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/grindandglazedoughnuts The Bible verses helping Ryan in this season are Psalm 128:2 and Proverbs 10:9. "You will eat the fruit of your labor; blessings and prosperity will be yours." Psalm 128:2 NIV "Whoever walks in integrity walks securely, but whoever takes crooked paths will be found out." Proverbs 10:9 New Wine song by Hillsong: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1ozGKlOzEVc

Join us for a short, but powerful time of prayer and reflection, where we think about how God is our living water.Define: “God” - Elohim - plural, Father, Son, Holy SpiritEarnestly - look for God early in the morningParched - really thirstyVerses:You, God, are my God,    earnestly I seek you;I thirst for you,    my whole being longs for you,in a dry and parched land    where there is no water.Psalm 63:1(NIV)“Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, ‘Out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.'”John 7:38 (ESV)Ask Your Kids:Share about a time when you were super thirsty.What is one thing you could do today to be filled up with God's living water?Engage Your Kids:Role play with your kids and pretend like you are in the desert without any water.Discuss how God provides living water for us and satisfies our thirst.Go Deeper Become my email friend and receive a weekly guide to help your family go deeper with these verses.  

Our weekly worship service and messaxge from St. Augustine, Florida with Pastor Josh Hersey. Sermon Notes: Good In-Tension (Genesis 27:3 NLT) Take your bow and a quiver full of arrows, and go out into the open country to hunt some wild game for me. (Matthew 10:16 NLT) Look, I am sending you out as sheep among wolves. So be as shrewd as snakes and harmless as doves. (James 1:2-4 NIV) Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, 3 because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. 4 Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything. (Romans 5:3-4 NLT) We can rejoice, too, when we run into problems and trials, for we know that they help us develop endurance. 4 And endurance develops strength of character, and character strengthens our confident hope of salvation. (2 Corinthians 4:17 NIV) For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. Just in Case (Psalm 91:1-2 NIV) Whoever dwells in the shelter of the Most High will rest in the shadow of the Almighty. 2 I will say of the Lord, “He is my refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust.” (Psalm 91:9-10 NLT) If you make the Lord your refuge, if you make the Most High your shelter, 10 no evil will conquer you; no plague will come near your home. (Proverbs 18:10 ESV) The name of the Lord is a strong tower; the righteous man runs into it and is safe. Full Draw (John 6:44 ESV) No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him. And I will raise him up on the last day. (John 12:32 TLB) And when I am lifted up on the cross, I will draw everyone to me.

1. SUBMIT___Ephesians 5:21NIV 21 Submit to one another out of reverence for Christ.___Ephesians 5:21-24 NIV 21 Submit to one another out of reverence for Christ. 22 Wives, submit yourselves to your own husbands as you do to the Lord. 23 For the husband is the head of the wife as Christ is the head of the church, his body, of which he is the Savior. 24 Now as the church submits to Christ, so also wives should submit to their husbands in everything.___Ephesians 5:25-33 NIV 25 Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her 26 to make her holy, cleansing her by the washing with water through the word, 27 and to present her to himself as a radiant church, without stain or wrinkle or any other blemish, but holy and blameless. 28 In this same way, husbands ought to love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself. 29 After all, no one ever hated their own body, but they feed and care for their body, just as Christ does the church—30 for we are members of his body. 31 “For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh.” 32 This is a profound mystery—but I am talking about Christ and the church. 33 However, each one of you also must love his wife as he loves himself, and the wife must respect her husband.____2. HONOR  ____Ephesians 6:1-3 NIV 1 Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right. 2 “Honor your father and mother”—which is the first commandment with a promise — 3 “so that it may go well with you and that you may enjoy long life on the earth.”___Ephesians 6:1 NIV 1 Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right. __Ephesians 6:1-3 NIV 1 Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right. 2 “Honor your father and mother” - which is the first commandment with a promise - 3 “so that it may go well with you and that you may enjoy long life on the earth.”___Ephesians 6:4 ESV 4 Fathers, do not provoke your children to anger, but bring them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord.___3. DISCIPLINE___Proverbs 13:24 NIV Whoever spares the rod hates their children, but the one who loves their children is careful to discipline them.___Psalm 119:105 NIV Your word is a lamp for my feet, a light on my path.___Ephesians 6:4 NLT 4 Fathers, do not provoke your children to anger, but bring them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord.____Psalm 23:4b NIV 4...Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me.____Questions: What does it mean that Scripture tells us to submit to each other out of reverence for Christ? Why does the military picture that Paul is painting matter?How can you honor someone even when you don't agree with them? How might God use that to draw people to Him?What is your honest view of God the Father/Shepherd? Why do you think you view Him that way? How does that affect the way you approach Him and His Word?

Join us as Brian teaches for our first week of The Greatest Stories Rarely Told, taking a look at some of the greatest, yet lesser-known stories of the Bible, that point back to values that reflect the character of Jesus: Sacrificial Generosity, Radical Hospitality, and Uncommon Humility. Share Your Story • https://willamette.cc/grow#story • How is God working in and through your life? If you want to share your story, fill out a short form to let us know! I'm New • https://willamette.cc/sunday/join-us-in-person/im-new • Find opportunities to engage and grow! I've accepted Jesus • https://willamette.cc/follow-christ • Let us know you made this decision, and we'll help you discover what's next! Let us pray with you • https://willamette.cc/prayer • Fill out a quick form to let us know how we can be praying for you. Sermon Notes - June 6, 2021The Greatest Stories Rarely Told - Brian Becker Sermon Notes - June 6, 2021The Greatest Stories Rarely Told - Brian Becker Sacrificial GenerosityRadical HospitalityUncommon Humility Every defining moment begins with a decision. 2 Kings 6:24-25 (NIV)Sometime later, Ben-Hadad king of Aram mobilized his entire army and marched up and laid siege to Samaria. There was a great famine in the city; the siege lasted so long that donkeys head sold for eighty shekels of silver, and a quarter of a cab of seed pods for five shekels. Civil War: 1865Bacon: $20/lbLive Hens: $50 eaButter $20/lb 2 Kings 7:3 (NLT)Now there were four men with leprosy sitting at the entrance of the city gates. “Why should we sit here waiting to die?” they asked each other. 2 Kings 7:4 (NLT)“We will starve if we stay here, but with the famine in the city, we will starve if we go back there. So we might as well go out and surrender to the Aramean army. If they let us live, so much the better. But if they kill us, we would have died anyway.” 2 Kings 7:5 (NLT)So at twilight, they set out for the camp of the Arameans. But when they came to the edge of the camp, no one was there! 2 Kings 7:6 (NLT)For the Lord had caused the Aramean army to hear the clatter of speeding chariots and the galloping of horses and the sounds of a great army approaching. “The king of Israel has hired the Hittites and Egyptians to attack us!” they cried to one another. 2 Kings 7:7-8 (NLT)So they panicked and ran into the night, abandoning their tents, horses, donkeys, and everything else, as they fled for their lives. When the men with leprosy arrived at the edge of the camp, they went into one tent after another, eating and drinking wine; and they carried off silver and gold and clothing. When the men with leprosy arrived at the edge of the camp, they went into one tent after another, eating and drinking wine; and they carried off silver and gold and clothing and hid it. 2 Kings 7:9 (NLT)Finally, they said to each other, “This is not right. This is a day of good news, and we aren't sharing it with anyone! If we wait until morning, some calamity will certainly fall upon us. Come on, let's go back and tell the people at the palace.” 2 Kings 7:10-11 (NLT)So they went back to the city and told the gatekeepers what had happened. “We went out to the Aramean camp,” they said, “and no one was there! The horses and donkeys were tethered and the tents were all in order, but there wasn't a single person around!” Then the gatekeepers shouted the news to the people in the palace. 2 Kings 7:12 (NLT)The king got out of bed in the middle of the night and told his officers, “I know what has happened. The Arameans know we are starving, so they have left their camp and have hidden in the fields. They are expecting us to leave the city, and then they will take us alive and capture the city.” 2 Kings 7:13 (NLT)One of his officers replied, “We had better send out scouts to check into this. Let them take five of the remaining horses. If something happens to them, it will be no worse than if they stay here and die with the rest of us.” 2 Kings 7:14-15 (NLT)So two chariots with horses were prepared, and the king sent scouts to see what had happened to the Aramean army. They went all the way to the Jordan River, following a trail of clothing and equipment that the Arameans had thrown away in their mad rush to escape. The scouts returned and told the king about it. 2 Kings 7:16 (NLT)Then the people of Samaria rushed out and plundered the Aramean camp.God provides.They decide.Everyone benefits. The four men of 2 Kings 7:Lepers.Outcast.Dealt a bad hand.Living in pain.Brink of death.Uncertain Future.Finally made it. Way overdue. Legitimate Excuses To Withhold:We did the work.We were smarter.We had more courage.We've had it harder.We'll need more for later. Legitimate Excuses to Withhold:It's my money.I worked for it.I was smart enough to make it.I've had to be courageous.I've had it harder than most.I will definitely need more of it. Ecclesiastes 5:10 (NIV)Whoever loves money never has enough; whoever loves wealth is never satisfied with their income. Anything we have is a provision from God.Intentional giving changes the world. 2 Kings 7:6-7 (NLT)For the Lord had caused the Aramean army to hear the clatter of speeding chariots and the galloping of horses and the sounds of a great army approaching… So they panicked and ran into the night, abandoning their tents, horses, donkeys, and everything else, as they fled for their lives. Psalm 24:1 (NIV)The earth is the Lord's, and everything in it, the world, and all who live in it. Deuteronomy 8:18 (NIRV)But remember the Lord your God. He gives you the ability to produce wealth. Anything we have is a provision from God.Intentional giving changes the world. 2 Kings 7:9 (NLT)Finally, they said to each other, “This is not right. This is a day of good news, and we aren't sharing with anyone! If we wait until morning, some calamity will certainly fall upon us. Come on, let's go back and tell the people at the palace.”What decision do you need to make, in the midst of wherever you are, to share the goods and good news that God has entrusted you with?

1. TRUST Proverbs 28:6 AMP Better is the poor who walks in his integrity Than he who is crooked and two-faced though he is rich. Proverbs 10:9 NIV Whoever walks in integrity walks securely, but whoever takes crooked paths will be found out. 2. HONESTY Proverbs 19:20 NIV Listen to advice and accept discipline, and at the end you will be counted among the wise. Proverbs 14:5 NIV An honest witness does not deceive, but a false witness pours out lies. 3. COMMITMENT Romans 12:9-10 NIV Love must be sincere. Hate what is evil; cling to what is good. Be devoted to one another in love. Honor one another above yourselves. Thank you for joining us online this weekend! Livestream Schedule: SATURDAY 6:15 PM SUNDAY 9 AM, 11:30 AM To get to know us more, be sure to check out our website: http://www.coastalcommunity.tv --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/coastalchurch/message

On this episode, our focus scripture is PSALM 91:1 (NIV) Whoever dwells in the shelter of the Most High will rest in the shadow of the Almighty. as read by @victoronuabuobi #dailywordbytes #DwellInHisPresence #victoronuabuobi --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/dailywordbytes/message

Lead Pastor Josh Hersey February 14, 2021 Series - A New Day Message: Your Grip    (Isaiah 43:19 NIV) I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the wilderness and streams in the wasteland. (Exodus 4:1-4 NLT) God prepared Moses for a significant future with a simple staff. (Zechariah 4:10 NIV)  God promoted Moses form a shepherd in a pasture to a shepherd of His people. (Luke 16:10 NIV) Whoever can be trusted with little can also be trusted with much.    

PURCHASE THE GO CREATOR GO BOOK & JOURNAL:www.antoinebeane.comhttps://www.amazon.com/dp/B08GV2DK1Vhttps://www.amazon.com/dp/B08GVJ6MP5FOLLOW GO CREATOR GO & TRIUMPH MEDIAWORKS:Facebook & IG: @gogreatorgo & @triumphmediaworkswww.triumphmediaworks.com___________________________________SCRIPTURES RELATED TO THIS EPISODE:JOB 22:28 MSG & NLT- You’ll decide what you want and it will happen; your life will be bathed in light.- You will succeed in whatever you choose to do, and light will shine on the road ahead of you.2 Timothy 4:2 NIV Preach the Word; be prepared in season and out of season; correct, rebuke and encourage with great patience and careful instruction. For the time will come when men will not put up with sound doctrine.Habakkuk 2:3 ISV For the revelation pertains to an appointed time— it speaks truthfully about the end. Though it delays, wait for it, because it will surely come about— it will not be late!Proverbs 21:5 NIV The plans of the diligent lead surely to abundance, but everyone who is hasty comes only to poverty.Jeremiah 29:11 NIV For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.Proverbs 24:6-7 MSG Strategic planning is the key to warfare; to win, you need a lot of good counsel.  Wise conversation is way over the head of fools; in a serious discussion they haven't a clue.PREPARE FOR GOD'S BLESSINGS BY:PLANTING YOURSELF FIRM IN THE FAITH - 1 PETER 3:15 NIV Instead, you must worship Christ as Lord of your life. And if someone asks about your Christian hope, always be ready to explain it.BEING AWARE - 1 THESSALONIANS 5:2 NIV For you yourselves know very well that the Day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night.PLANNING AHEAD - PROVERBS 28:19-20 NIV Whoever works his farmland will have abundant food, but whoever chases fantasies will become very poor. The faithful man will prosper with blessings, but whoever is in a hurry to get rich will not escape punishment.BEING ON GUARD AGAINST THE ENEMY - 1 PETER 5:8 NIV  Stay alert! Watch out for your great enemy, the devil. He prowls around like a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour. Stand firm against him, and be strong in your faith. Remember that your Christian brothers and sisters all over the world are going through the same kind of suffering you are.STANDING FIRM IN JESUS CHRIST - JOHN 16:33 NIV These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.FINISHING WHAT YOU COMMIT TO START - MATTHEW 5:16 ESV In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.  

Denise Goulet talks with Natalia Casiano, a young woman that is spreading like wildfire in the younger generation of Christian influencers. Natalia is the Youth Director at International Church of Las Vegas; she is a Christian content creator, and has a genuine heart after God. She shares how she was set free from homosexuality, the rawness of groing up in a broken home, but shares with boldness how the prophetic voice of God changed her life.    Verses To Remember: “Pursue love, and desire spiritual gifts, but especially that you may prophesy.” -1 Corinthians 14:1 (NKJV) “But if an unbeliever or an inquirer comes in while everyone is prophesying, they are convicted of sin and are brought under judgment by all, as the secrets of their hearts are laid bare. So they will fall down and worship God, exclaiming, ‘God is really among you!’” -1 Corinthians 14:24-25 (NIV) “Whoever can be trusted with very little can also be trusted with much, and whoever is dishonest with very little will also be dishonest with much.” -Luke 16:10 (NIV) “Even when their paths wind through the dark valley of tears, they dig deep to find a pleasant pool where others find only pain. He gives to them a brook of blessing filled from the rain of an outpouring.” -Psalms 84:6 (TPT)

Human Suffering & Deliverance  Faithful God | Week 4September 20, 2020 | Adam Barnett--We are desperate for an enduring sense of safety and security. Psalm 91:1–16 NIV Whoever dwells in the shelter of the Most High will rest in the shadow of the Almighty. I will say of the Lord, “He is my refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust.” Surely he will save you from the fowler’s snare and from the deadly pestilence. He will cover you with his feathers, and under his wings you will find refuge; his faithfulness will be your shield and rampart. You will not fear the terror of night, nor the arrow that flies by day, nor the pestilence that stalks in the darkness, nor the plague that destroys at midday.A thousand may fall at your side, ten thousand at your right hand, but it will not come near you. You will only observe with your eyes and see the punishment of the wicked. If you say, “The Lord is my refuge,” and you make the Most High your dwelling, no harm will overtake you, no disaster will come near your tent.For he will command his angels concerning you to guard you in all your ways; they will lift you up in their hands, so that you will not strike your foot against a stone. You will tread on the lion and the cobra; you will trample the great lion and the serpent.“Because he loves me,” says the Lord, “I will rescue him, I will protect him, for he acknowledges my name. He will call on me, and I will answer him; I will be with him in trouble, I will deliver him and honor him. With long life I will satisfy him and show him my salvation.”Matthew 4:6 NIV “If you are the Son of God,” he said, “throw yourself down. For it is written: ‘He will command his angels concerning you,” [Psalm 91:11] and they will lift you up in their hands, so that you will not strike your foot against a stone’” [Psalm 91:12].Jim Elliott //“He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep to gain what he cannot lose." Suffering and death serve our joy and glorify our God!Accept God’s invitation to rest.Psalm 91:1 NIV Whoever dwells in the shelter of the Most High will rest in the shadow of the Almighty.Acknowledge God’s Presence with you.Psalm 91:11 NIV For he will command his angels concerning you to guard you in all your ways.Apply your suffering to serve others. 2 Corinthians 1:3–4 NIV Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves have received from God. Soul liberation occurs when you replace “what if” with “even if.”

Choose Joy with Tisa podcast Simple prayers for a complex world Season 12 Episode 8 www.tisajones.com Prayer for Fruitful Investments | Choose Joy with Tisa | Daily Effective Prayer | 30 Day Challenge //30 Day Prayer Challenge Does God care about my investments? Does God give wealth? What does the bible say about saving? ***Daily Prayers*** CLICK HERE TO SUBSCRIBE TO THE YOUTUBE CHANNEL: https://www.youtube.com/tsjones?sub_confirmation=1 Meditate on these verses with this prayer: The plans of the diligent lead surely to plenty, But those of everyone who is hasty, surely to poverty. Proverbs 21:5 NKJV https://bible.com/bible/114/pro.21.5.NKJV Ship your grain across the sea; after many days you may receive a return. Invest in seven ventures, yes, in eight; you do not know what disaster may come upon the land. Ecclesiastes 11:1‭-‬2 NIV‬‬ https://bible.com/bible/111/ecc.11.1-2.NIV “Whoever can be trusted with very little can also be trusted with much, and whoever is dishonest with very little will also be dishonest with much. Luke 16:10 NIV https://luke.bible/luke-16-10 Precious treasure and oil are in a wise man’s dwelling, but a foolish man devours it. Proverbs 21:20 ESV https://bible.com/bible/59/pro.21.20.ESV 'Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, that he will also reap. For he who sows to his flesh will of the flesh reap corruption, but he who sows to the Spirit will of the Spirit reap everlasting life. ' Galatians 6:7-8 https://my.bible.com/bible/114/GAL.6.7-8 #30daychallenge #investments #sowandreap #choosejoywithtisa © Copyright https://tisajones.com --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/choosejoywithtisa/message

Jesus describes the high cost of following him. Are you ALL IN? Do you "miseo" him more important than all else? Series: Following Together, Speaker: Pastor Don Dodge, Scripture: Luke 14:25-35, Luke 14:26, Luke 14:27, Matthew 10:39, Matthew 6:33, Video: https://www.facebook.com/avalonchurch/live, Sermon page: https://www.avalonchurch.org/sermons/following-together-all-in-part-3/, Discussion Questions: 2020-09-06_following-together-part-3_discussion-questions.pdf, Notes: Patrick MahomesMichael Phelps“If anyone comes to me and does not hate father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters—yes, even their own life—such a person cannot be my disciple." Luke 14:26 (NIV)miseo - compare 2 things of very different valueapostygeo - To abhor"And if you do not carry your own cross and follow me, you cannot be my disciple." Luke 14:27 (NIV)"Whoever finds their life will lose it, and whoever loses their life for my sake will find it." Matthew 10:39 (NIV)"Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need." Matthew 6:33 (NLT)“If anyone comes to me and does not hate father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters—yes, even their own life—such a person cannot be my disciple." Luke 14 (NIV)Discussion Questions: AvalonChurch.org/Sermons

How does God feel about lying? Proverbs 12:22 NLT  //  The Lord detests lying lips, but he delights in those who tell the truth. Detest: Tow' ebah Something disgusting;  an abhorrence, an abomination; something  that makes one nauseous. Ephesians 4:21-25 NLT  //  Since you have heard about Jesus and have learned the truth that comes from him, throw off your old sinful nature and your former way of life, which is corrupted by lust and deception. Instead, let the Spirit renew your thoughts and attitudes. Put on your new nature, created to be like God—truly righteous and holy. So stop telling lies.Let us tell our neighbors the truth, for we are all parts of the same body. John 8:44 NIV  //  ...He [the devil] was a murderer from the beginning, not holding to the truth, for there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks his native language, for he is a liar and the father of lies. Getting you to lie. Get you to lie to yourself. Get you to live a lie. 1 John 2:4 NIV  //  Whoever says, “I know him,” but does not do what he commands is a liar, and the truth is not in that person. Lying reveals that we don't fully trust God. We confess to God for forgiveness. We confess to people for healing. 1 John 1:9 NIV  //  If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness. James 5:16 NIV  //  Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed.

Psalm 91:1-12 (NIV) Whoever dwells in the shelter of the Most High will rest in the shadow of the Almighty. 2 I will say of the Lord, “He is my refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust.” 3 Surely he will save you from the fowler’s snare and from the deadly pestilence. 4 He will cover you with his feathers, and under his wings you will find refuge; his faithfulness will be your shield and rampart. 5 You will not fear the terror of night, nor the arrow that flies by day, 6 nor the pestilence that stalks in the darkness, nor the plague that destroys at midday. 7 A thousand may fall at your side, ten thousand at your right hand, but it will not come near you. 8 You will only observe with your eyes and see the punishment of the wicked. 9 If you say, “The Lord is my refuge,” and you make the Most High your dwelling, 10 no harm will overtake you, no disaster will come near your tent. 11 For he will command his angels concerning you to guard you in all your ways; 12 they will lift you up in their hands, so that you will not strike your foot against a stone. Shelter In Place SHADOW = SHOW AD Luke 4:9-11 (NIV) The devil led him to Jerusalem and had him stand on the highest point of the temple. “If you are the Son of God,” he said, “throw yourself down from here. 10 For it is written: “‘He will command his angels concerning you to guard you carefully; they will lift you up in their hands, so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.’” TRAP T - RUSTING GOD R - EMOVES A - LL P - ROBLEMS Psalm 91:15-16 (NIV) “He will call on me and I will answer him; I WILL BE WITH HIM IN TROUBLE, I will deliver him and honor him. With long life I will satisfy him and show him my salvation.”

Psalm 91:1-12 (NIV) Whoever dwells in the shelter of the Most High will rest in the shadow of the Almighty. 2 I will say of the Lord, “He is my refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust.” 3 Surely he will save you from the fowler’s snare and from the deadly pestilence. 4 He will cover you with his feathers, and under his wings you will find refuge; his faithfulness will be your shield and rampart. 5 You will not fear the terror of night, nor the arrow that flies by day, 6 nor the pestilence that stalks in the darkness, nor the plague that destroys at midday. 7 A thousand may fall at your side, ten thousand at your right hand, but it will not come near you. 8 You will only observe with your eyes and see the punishment of the wicked. 9 If you say, “The Lord is my refuge,” and you make the Most High your dwelling, 10 no harm will overtake you, no disaster will come near your tent. 11 For he will command his angels concerning you to guard you in all your ways; 12 they will lift you up in their hands, so that you will not strike your foot against a stone. Shelter In Place SHADOW = SHOW AD Luke 4:9-11 (NIV) The devil led him to Jerusalem and had him stand on the highest point of the temple. “If you are the Son of God,” he said, “throw yourself down from here. 10 For it is written: “‘He will command his angels concerning you to guard you carefully; they will lift you up in their hands, so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.’” TRAP T - RUSTING GOD R - EMOVES A - LL P - ROBLEMS Psalm 91:15-16 (NIV) “He will call on me and I will answer him; I WILL BE WITH HIM IN TROUBLE, I will deliver him and honor him. With long life I will satisfy him and show him my salvation.”

Join us as we explore God's ancient wisdom and apply it to our modern lives. His word is as current and relevant today as it was when he inspired its authors more than two and a half millennia ago. The websites where you can reach us are alittlewalkwithgod.com, richardagee.com, or saf.church. I hope you will join us every week and be sure to let us know how you enjoy the podcast and let others know about it, too. Thanks for listening. Thanks for joining me today for "A Little Walk with God." I'm your host Richard Agee. It seems like all we hear about these days is the coronavirus. 80% or more of the news stories talk about it. Conversations on the phone or in emails or wherever you might find yourself (at home, hopefully), continually focus on the dreaded little organism that begins to touch so many lives around the world. Unfortunately, the crisis isn't over by a long-shot. The scientists tell us the first wave might be slowing in some parts of the world, but there will be another wave that comes through, and in the United States, we haven't seen the peak of our first wave yet. The numbers seem to climb relentlessly. It is the way of pandemics. My podcast today is starting to sound like a lot of gloom and doom, I know. But there is good news ahead, I promise. We can compare this pandemic to others that have torn through the world and see that many have been far worse. The Spanish flu killed an estimated 25 million people in 1918 and 1919. The Black Plague took away about 25% of the total population. Smallpox wiped out entire tribes when introduced into communities without immunities. We hear more about this one because of our instant global communications. And don't get me wrong, the numbers of people affected by the current crisis are enormous, but we misuse the word unprecedented. Pandemics have happened before and on a greater scale than we've seen so far. Partly, because we understand the mechanisms by which viruses spread, and we are taking precautions through social distancing, wearing some protective gear, disinfecting high touchpoints, and so forth. We are battling the bug, and although it may look like we are losing in many areas, we really are doing a much better job than in decades and centuries past. Keep up the rules the CDC has given, and we will get through this. The best news today, though, comes from the correlation I find from the pandemic and the Easter message. You see, as I mentioned before, pandemic comes from a Greek word that means all people. And that's who Jesus came to save. Listen to a short sermon Peter gave to a group of people gathered in a Roman centurion's house in Caesarea. It's found in the book of Acts, Chapter 10. Then Peter began to speak to them: "I truly understand that God shows no partiality, but in every nation anyone who fears him and does what is right is acceptable to him. You know the message he sent to the people of Israel, preaching peace by Jesus Christ--he is Lord of all. That message spread throughout Judea, beginning in Galilee after the baptism that John announced: how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power; how he went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with him. We are witnesses to all that he did both in Judea and in Jerusalem. They put him to death by hanging him on a tree; but God raised him on the third day and allowed him to appear, not to all the people but to us who were chosen by God as witnesses, and who ate and drank with him after he rose from the dead. He commanded us to preach to the people and to testify that he is the one ordained by God as judge of the living and the dead. All the prophets testify about him that everyone who believes in him receives forgiveness of sins through his name." (Acts 10:34-43 NIV) The coronavirus shows no partiality. It doesn't care what country you call home. It doesn't care about your race or religion or socioeconomic position. You can't buy your way away from it. You can't wish your way out of it. Pandemics are indiscriminate in their advance through communities. Pandemics, like the word implies, affects all people. Jesus came to change the lives of all people. In his words, "For God so loved the world that he gave his only son, that whoever believes in him will not perish, but have everlasting life."  (John 3:16 NIV) Whoever is all-inclusive. No one is left out. Peter reiterates that message when he says, "I truly understand that God shows no partiality, but in every nation anyone who fears him and does what is right is acceptable to him." Peter's message to Cornelius and all of us reminds us that Jesus came for all of us. He does not discriminate. Regardless of race, ethnicity, socioeconomic status, nationality, political party, or any other characteristic that seems to divide us, Jesus accepts everyone who believes in him for forgiveness for their sins. His redemption encompasses all believers everywhere. I would so like to see a different pandemic in our world today, not one that causes fear and illness and death. I don't want to experience another pandemic that takes the lives of thousands or causes us to continue our social separation. I'm not anxious to go through another crisis that causes our medical systems to collapse and panic to race through our societies. The pandemic I'd like to experience, remember the Greek word meaning all people, is one in which we all understand Jesus is Lord, repent, and follow him. Can you imagine what kind of world that would be if it happened? No more theft. No more lying. No more deceit. The covetousness that drives people to destroy others to gain their own wealth would stop. Drug addicts would find healing because drug pushers would quit their businesses. All the illegal activities across the world would come to an end. People would care for each other and show God's love toward each other. Can you imagine such a place? Can you imagine a pandemic like that? It's that prayer Jesus taught us to pray, "Thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven" - a pandemic of God's will here and now. Stay safe and may God bless you richly. You can find me at richardagee.com. I also invite you to join us at San Antonio First Church of the Nazarene on West Avenue in San Antonio to hear more Bible-based teaching. You can find out more about my church at SAF.church. Thanks for listening. If you enjoyed it, tell a friend. If you didn't, send me an email and let me know how better to reach out to those around you. Until next week, may God richly bless you as you venture into His story each day. Scriptures marked NIV are taken from the NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION (NIV): Scripture taken from THE HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION ®. Copyright© 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.™. Used by permission of Zondervan  

2020/3/8 Ps Luke Kennedy ルーク　ケネディ牧師 Categories: Video: https://osaka.mylifehouse.com/tv/message/healthy-attitudes-in-this-current-trial Healthy Attitudes (In This Current Trial) Jeremiah 29:11-14a (NIV) For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. (12) Then you will call on me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. (13) You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart. (14) I will be found by you,” declares the Lord, “and will bring you back from captivity. Wrong Reactions Blame Fear Rumors John 9:1-5 (NIV) As he went along, he saw a man blind from birth. (2) His disciples asked him, “Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?” (3) “Neither this man nor his parents sinned,” said Jesus, “but this happened so that the works of God might be displayed in him. (4) As long as it is day, we must do the works of him who sent me. Night is coming, when no one can work. (5) While I am in the world, I am the light of the world.” Luke 13:1-5 (NIV) Now there were some present at that time who told Jesus about the Galileans whose blood Pilate had mixed with their sacrifices. (2) Jesus answered, “Do you think that these Galileans were worse sinners than all the other Galileans because they suffered this way? (3) I tell you, no! But unless you repent, you too will all perish. (4) Or those eighteen who died when the tower in Siloam fell on them—do you think they were more guilty than all the others living in Jerusalem? (5) I tell you, no! But unless you repent, you too will all perish.” Right Reactions Pray First Matthew 6:9-13 (NIV) “This, then, is how you should pray: “‘Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name, (10) your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. (11) Give us today our daily bread. (12) And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. (13) And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one.’ Read And Speak The Word Psalm 91:1-6 (NIV) Whoever dwells in the shelter of the Most High will rest in the shadow of the Almighty. (2) I will say of the Lord, “He is my refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust.” (3) Surely he will save you from the fowler’s snare and from the deadly pestilence. (4) He will cover you with his feathers, and under his wings you will find refuge; his faithfulness will be your shield and rampart. (5) You will not fear the terror of night, nor the arrow that flies by day, (6) nor the pestilence that stalks in the darkness, nor the plague that destroys at midday. Praise Luke 21:28 (NIV) When these things begin to take place, stand up and lift up your heads, because your redemption is drawing near. （この大変な状況での）健康的な態度 エレミヤ 29:11-14 (JCB) わたしは、おまえたちのために立てた計画をよく知っている。それは災いではなく祝福を与える計画で、将来と希望を約束する。(12)その時になったら、わたしはおまえたちの祈りに耳を傾ける。(13)真剣に探し求めるなら、おまえたちはわたしを見つけることができる。(14)そうだ。わたしはおまえたちに見つけられる。わたしはおまえたちを奴隷の身分から解放し、財産を回復し、追いやられた国々から集め、再び故国の土を踏ませる。 間違ったリアクション 責める 恐る デマ ヨハネ 9:1-5 (JCB) さて、道を歩いていた時のこと、イエスは生まれつきの盲人をごらんになりました。(2)そこで、弟子たちが尋ねました。「先生。どうしてこの人は、生まれつき目が見えないのですか。本人が罪を犯したからですか。それとも両親ですか。」(3)「いや、そのどちらでもありません。ただ神の力が現されるためです。(4)わたしたちは、わたしをお遣わしになった方に命じられた仕事を、急いでやり遂げなければなりません。もうすぐ夜が来ます。そうしたら、もう仕事はできないのですから。(5)しかし、まだこの世にわたしがいる間は、わたしが光となります。」 ルカ 13:1-5 (JCB) そのころ、ガリラヤ出身のユダヤ人が数名、エルサレムの神殿で供え物をしていた時、ピラトに殺害されたというニュースが、イエスに伝えられました。(2)これを聞いたイエスは言われました。「この人たちが、ほかのどのガリラヤ出身の人よりも罪が深かったから、こんな災難に会ったと思いますか。(3)それは違います。あなたがたも、悔い改めて神に立ち返らなければ、同じように滅びるのです。(4)また、シロアムの塔の下敷きになって、十八人が死にました。彼らのことはどう思いますか。エルサレムで一番罪深い人たちだったのでしょうか。(5)そんなことはありません。あなたがたも罪を悔い改めないなら、同じように滅びるのです。」 正しいリアクション まず祈る マタイ 6:9-13 (ERVからの直訳) 『天の父さんあなたの名がいつまでも誰よりも讃えられるように！あなたの王国よ、来い！あなたの思いどおりになる天のように、ここでも実現されよ！毎日必要な食料の調達を！俺たちが赦したように赦して！どうか俺たちを誘惑から守り、悪から救ってくれ！』 神様のことばを読んで語る 詩篇 91:1-6 (JCB) 私たちは、どんなものにもまさる神によってかくまわれ、この全能のお方 Read rest of the notes 続きを読む https://osaka.mylifehouse.com/tv/message/healthy-attitudes-in-this-current-trial

Covenantal FriendshipsProverbs | Week 4October 13, 2019 | Adam Barnett--Friends are dependable.Proverbs 17:17 NIV A friend loves at all times, and a brother is born for adversity.Friends are transparent.Proverbs 28:13 NIV Whoever conceals their sins does not prosper, but the one who confesses and renounces them finds mercy.We need to CRUCIFY our IMAGE!Friends are safe and trustworthy.Proverbs 16:28 NIV A perverse person stirs up conflict, and a gossip separates close friends.Friends are willing to tenderly confront.Proverbs 27:17 NIV As iron sharpens iron, so one person sharpens another.Friends are an extension of God’s love.Proverbs 19:22 NIV What a person desires is unfailing love; better to be poor than a liar.1 Samuel 18:3-4 NIV And Jonathan made a covenant with David because he loved him as himself. Jonathan took off the robe he was wearing and gave it to David, along with his tunic, and even his sword, his bow and his belt.2 Samuel 1:26 NIV I grieve for you, Jonathan my brother; you were very dear to me. Your love for me was wonderful, more wonderful than that of women.

HOW TO MAKE THE WORLD A BETTER PLACE [FAITH EPISODE] Podcast #332  Our God-breathed wiring tells us that we are meant for more. But, in a culture that is so comparison-driven, politically charged and busy, how can we live our daily lives in a way that we can confidently say we are making the world a better place? About A Confident Spirit, Our Quick-Hit, Faith-Focused Micro Podcast Episode Series: A confident spirit is our bonus weekly confidence podcast that is meant to bring you a brief, but deep blessing to your confidence growth. In these micro episode you'll get a quick hit of confidence coaching for your soul. These episodes are faith-based and intended to help you with clear and practical ways to fill your soul with confidence as you grow in your relationship with God. For me, the core and essence of all my confidence comes from Him. It is God who freed me from my insecurities, who fills me with worth as a daughter of the king, and who gives me the gift to walk in peace and joy all the days of my life. If you want to grow a more confident spirit, these faith-focused episodes are for you ... let's dive in, shall we? Thought of the Week To Make the World a Better Place: How can we can confident that we are making the world a better place? “To leave the world a bit better, whether by a healthy child, a garden patch, or a redeemed social condition; to know that even one life has breathed easier because you have lived - that is to have succeeded” -Ralph Waldo Emerson Bob Goff:"Be Switzerland and Vegas" Seek to be the friend, not the friended. Be the change you want to see in the world. Your net worth to the world is usually determined by what remains after your bad habits are subtracted from your good ones. -Benjamin Franklin Verse of the Week Specific for Making the World a Better Place: Proverbs 11:25 The generous will prosper. Those who refresh others will themselves be refreshed. (NLT) Other Versions of the Same Verse: Did you know that there are over 450 english translations of the Bible? It is possible to give away and become richer! It is also possible to hold on too tightly and lose everything. Yes, the liberal man shall be rich! By watering others, he waters himself. (TLB) The one who blesses others is abundantly blessed; those who help others are helped. (MSG) The generous man [is a source of blessing and] shall be prosperous and enriched, And he who waters will himself be watered [reaping the generosity he has sown]. (AMP) A generous person will prosper; whoever refreshes others will be refreshed. (NIV) Whoever refreshes others will be refreshed. Prayer of the Week: Lord, we praise and thank You for wiring within our hearts a longing for more. Give us wisdom to recognize the unrest we often feel as the divine-calling You have breathed into us. We yearn for heaven; teach us how to bring heaven to earth through the way we live and the love we give. Make us an oasis to those around us. That we might be trees that bear abundant fruit, provide ample shade and are an encouragement to those who feel like they are crawling through a desert in life. May our obedience to growth and to You ... to being the hands and feet of love, of Jesus in this world, be light. May the love you pour out through us make this world a better place. Equip us to not feel overwhelmed or defeated by the incredible need, the daunting darkness and the sadness that reigns around us. You are king of everything, able to do the impossible and to use us beyond anything we could ever dare to ask, imagine or think. Humble us, that we might be mere vessels of love. That the work we do to make a difference in the world isn't about us, but about others. Give us opportunities this week and as we go forward to refresh others, to build them up and to encourage them. This is the work you have put before us, and what a mighty privilege it is that you allow us to take part reflecting your love. Free us from the grumbling in our hearts,

Discipline (Proverbs 4:7 NIV) The beginning of wisdom is this: Get wisdom. Though it cost all you have, get understanding. (Proverbs 3:12 NLT) For the LORD corrects those he loves, just as a father corrects a child in whom he delights. (Proverbs 13:24 NIV) Whoever spares the rod hates their children, but the one who […]

How to Lead When You're Not in Charge with Author and Pastor, Clay Scroggins   Luke 16:10 (NIV) “Whoever can be trusted with very little can also be trusted with much”   Clay Scroggins is the lead pastor of North Point Community Church, providing visionary and directional leadership for all of the local church staff and congregation. Clay works for Andy Stanley and understands firsthand how to manage the tension of leading when you're not in charge. Starting out as a facilities intern, he has worked his way through many organizational levels at North Point Ministries and knows all too well the challenge of authority deprivation. Clay holds a degree in Industrial Engineering from Georgia Tech as well as a master's degree and a doctorate with an emphasis in Online Church from Dallas Theological Seminary. He lives in Forsyth County, Georgia, with his wife, Jenny, and their five children.   At The Savvy Sauce, we will only recommend resources we believe in. We also want you to be aware: We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites.    Clay's Website  Clay's Book Find Clay on social media platforms @clayscroggins North Point Community Church The First 90 Days by Michael D. Watkins The Power of Habit by Charles Duhigg     360-Survey to Ask Others About Yourself: 1. What did I do over the past few years that inspired you?  2. What did I do that frustrated you?  3. What do I not know about myself that has become a blind spot?   Thank You to Our Sponsor: A Perfect Promotion   Connect with The Savvy Sauce on Facebook or Instagram or Our Website   Please help us out by sharing this episode with a friend, leaving a 5-star rating and review, and subscribing to this podcast!   Also, check out our newly launched Patreon Page to find out how to gain access to additional podcasts and freebies!   Gospel Scripture: (all NIV)   Romans 3:23 “for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,”   Romans 3:24 “and are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus.”   Romans 3:25 (a) “God presented him as a sacrifice of atonement, through faith in his blood.”    Hebrews 9:22 (b) “without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness.”    Romans 5:8 “But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”    Romans 5:11 “Not only is this so, but we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received reconciliation.”    John 3:16 “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.”   Romans 10:9 “That if you confess with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.”    Luke 15:10 says “In the same way, I tell you, there is rejoicing in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents.”   Romans 8:1 “Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus”   Ephesians 1:13–14 “And you also were included in Christ when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation. Having believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit, who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God's possession- to the praise of his glory.”   Ephesians 1:15–23 “For this reason, ever since I heard about your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for all the saints, I have not stopped giving thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers. I keep asking that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, may give you the spirit of wisdom and revelation, so that you may know him better. I pray also that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints, and his incomparably great power for us who believe. That power is like the working of his mighty strength, which he exerted in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly realms, far above all rule and authority, power and dominion, and every title that can be given, not only in the present age but also in the one to come. And God placed all things under his feet and appointed him to be head over everything for the church, which is his body, the fullness of him who fills everything in every way.”   Ephesians 2:8–10 “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith – and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God – not by works, so that no one can boast. For we are God‘s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.“   Ephesians 2:13 “But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far away have been brought near through the blood of Christ.“   Philippians 1:6 “being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.”  

This message was created, not just to teach you but to give you an encounter with the heart of God. God’s heart is both vast and wonderful, so we could only touch the surface in 40 minutes or so. The best response you can give to this message is to embark on your own quest to understand the heart of God by developing a close intimate relationship with your Father, Shepherd and Lover. He is besotted with you! Below are the bible verses I referenced in my message. After you’ve studied them, why not add to them yourself. Feel free to post your thoughts and findings on our Facebook post for this message. We’d love to hear from you The Fathers Heart Isaiah‬ ‭43:1‬ ‭NIV – I form you, you are MINE Isaiah 64:8 NIV – A cry of the Prophet to the Father in the midst of mankind’s huge sin. Jeremiah 29:11 NIV – My dreams and plans for you Psalm‬ ‭17:6-9‬ ‭NIV‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬ – Keep my as the apple of your eye Psalm 40 NIV – He hears your cry and wants to put a new song in your mouth Psalm 139: 13-18 – Wonderful picture of your formation and his passion for your future. Zechariah‬ ‭2:8‬ ‭NIV‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬ – Whoever touches you touches the apple of my eye Matthew‬ ‭7:9-11‬ ‭NIV‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬ – How much more does your Heavenly Father want to give to YOU! ‭‭‭‭John‬ ‭1:11-18‬ ‭NIV‬‬‬‬‬‬ – Jesus gave us the ability to be children born of God! Ephesians 2:10 NLT – We are Gods masterpiece! The Shepherds Heart John‬ ‭10:11-15‬ ‭NIV‬‬ – I am the Good shepherd, who lays his life down for you Amos‬ ‭3:12‬ ‭NIV‬‬ – Rescues you when it seems hopeless. He cries, “There is hope!” Psalm 23 NIV – A wonderful complete picture of our loving Shepherd. Luke‬ ‭15:4-7‬ ‭NIV – Searches for you when you get lost… The Lovers Heart Hosea 2:19–20 NIV – I will betroth you to me… Isaiah 54:56/Jeremiah‬ ‭3:14‬ NIV‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬- I am your husband 2 Timothy 2:13 NIV – I will be faithful even if you are not Isaiah 62:1-5 – Speaks the truth of our beauty even when we don’t look it or deserve it. Song of Songs 2:10-13 NIV – Longs for time with me, every morning Zephaniah‬ ‭3:15-17‬ ‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬ESV‬‬‬- He sings over us and soothes us with His love. James 4:8 NIV – Come near to God and He’ll come near to you.. And that beauty passage at the end that speaks for itself…. “For you reach into my heart. With one flash of your eyes I am undone by your love, my beloved, my equal, my bride. You leave me breathless— I am overcome by merely a glance from your worshiping eyes, for you have stolen my heart. I am held hostage by your love and by the graces of righteousness shining upon you.”‭‭ Song of Songs‬ ‭4:9‬ ‭TPT Lectio Divina‬‬ In Christianity, “Lectio Divina” is a traditional practice of scriptural reading, meditation and prayer intended to promote communion with God and to increase the knowledge of God’s word. It does not treat scripture as texts to be studied, but asthe living word. 5 Steps of Lectio Divina Reading. – Read a passage slowly and carefully within the bible. Prayer. – Having a loving conversation with God. Meditation. – Thinking deeply or swelling upon a spiritual reality within a text. Contemplation. – Resting in Gods presence. Action. – Go and do likewise

I get this question, in some form or other, at least 3 times a week. It’s usually someone 50 or older, writing to me about why they can’t start a business online. It’s almost like they want me to sanction their excuses, “Am I too old?” “Is it too late?” “Isn’t this a young person’s game?” The answer to all these questions is… Click here to download or listen to this episode now. Tip of the Week: Old media is dying. Instagram & IGTV is the future of  Spiritual Foundations: Proverbs 12:1 (NIV) Whoever loves discipline loves knowledge, but whoever hates correction is stupid. Learn not to resent discipline and learn to love knowledge. Listen to this interview with Matt Crump as he talks about hope and identity in Christ. Feature Presentation “5 Reasons You're Not Too Old“ 5 Reasons You’re Not Too Old 1. You have knowledge. (facts, information, and skills acquired by a person through experience or education; the theoretical or practical understanding of a subject.) 2. You have experience. (practical contact with and observation of facts or events. ..the knowledge or skill acquired by experience over a period of time, especially that gained in a particular profession by someone at work.) 3. You have wisdom. (the quality of having experience, knowledge, and good judgment; the quality of being wise. the soundness of an action or decision with regard to the application of experience, knowledge, and good judgment) 4. You have resources. (a stock or supply of money, materials, staff, and other assets that can be drawn on by a person or organization in order to function effectively. … money/connections/time) 5. You have the advantage. (a condition or circumstance that puts one in a favorable or superior position.) ACTION STEPS 1. Stop using your age as an excuse. 2. Live on 25-year timelines (100 quarters) – Dan Sullivan 3. Learn modern media instead of criticizing it! Resources godsgotthis.love ernietheattorney.net Announcements CAMDB, August 29-31, rayedwards.com/copymillion/ Subscribe to the show through Apple Podcasts and give us a rating and review. Make sure you put your real name and website in the text of the review itself. We will mention you on this show. Get The Transcript Right-Click and “Save As” to Get the PDF Transcript.

The decisions we make today determine the stories we tell tomorrow. But when God, who set me apart from my mother's womb and called me by his grace, was pleased to reveal his Son in me so that I might preach him among the Gentiles… my immediate response was not to consult any human being. I did not go up to Jerusalem to see those who were apostles before I was, but I went into Arabia. Later I returned to Damascus. Then after three years, I went up to Jerusalem to get acquainted with Cephas and stayed with him fifteen days. I saw none of the other apostles—only James, the Lord's brother. Then I went to Syria and Cilicia. I was personally unknown to the churches of Judea that are in Christ. They only heard the report: “The man who formerly persecuted us is now preaching the faith he once tried to destroy.” And they praised God because of me. Galatians 1:15-24 (NIV) Then after fourteen years, I went up again to Jerusalem, this time with Barnabas. I took Titus along also. I went in response to a revelation and, meeting privately with those esteemed as leaders, I presented to them the gospel that I preach among the Gentiles. I wanted to be sure I was not running and had not been running my race in vain. Galatians 2:1-2 (NIV) And now, compelled by the Spirit, I am going to Jerusalem, not knowing what will happen to me there. I only know that in every city the Holy Spirit warns me that prison and hardships are facing me. However, I consider my life worth nothing to me; my only aim is to finish the race and complete the task the Lord Jesus has given me—the task of testifying to the good news of God's grace. Acts 20:22-24 (NIV) The Spirit's Prompting In their hearts humans plan their course, but the Lord establishes their steps. Proverbs 16:9 (NIV) Certain Uncertainty Your word is a lamp for my feet, a light on my path. Psalm 119:105 (NI Predictable Resistance I only know that in every city the Holy Spirit warns me that prison and hardships are facing me. Acts 20:23 (NIV) Uncommon Confidence However, I consider my life worth nothing to me; my only aim is to finish the race and complete the task the Lord Jesus has given me—the task of testifying to the good news of God's grace. Acts 20:24 (NIV) Supernatural Peace Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Philippians 4:6-7 (NIV) Whoever is patient has great understanding, but one who is quick-tempered displays folly. A heart at peace gives life to the body, but envy rots the bones. Proverbs 14:29-30 (NIV)

Relate And Respond - Bro. Jimmie Witherspoon Luke 10:33-34 (NLT) “Then a despised Samaritan came along, and when he saw the man, he felt compassion for him. 34Going over to him, the Samaritan soothed his wounds… The despised Samaritan related to the wounds of the Jewish traveler. Can you relate and respond to their wounds? Ask Don’t Assume - Pastor David Rathel Philippians 2:1-4 (NLT) Is there any encouragement from belonging to Christ? Any comfort from his love? Any fellowship together in the Spirit? Are your hearts tender and compassionate? 2Then make me truly happy by agreeing wholeheartedly with each other, loving one another, and working together with one mind and purpose. 3Don’t be selfish; don’t try to impress others. Be humble, thinking of others as better than yourselves. 4Don’t look out only for your own interests, but take an interest in others, too. Christ Over Color, Culture, & Clan - Pastor David Rathel Colossians 3:7-11 (NLT) You used to do these things when your life was still part of this world. 8But now is the time to get rid of anger, rage, malicious behavior, slander, and dirty language. 9Don’t lie to each other, for you have stripped off your old sinful nature and all its wicked deeds.10Put on your new nature, and be renewed as you learn to know your Creator and become like him. 11In this new life, it doesn’t matter if you area Jew or a Gentile, circumcised or uncircumcised, barbaric, uncivilized, slave, or free. Christ is all that matters, and he lives in all of us. Engage For Eternity - Missionary Twinkle Johnson Revelation 7:9 (NIV) After this I looked, and there before me was a great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, tribe, people and language, standing before the throne and before the Lamb. 1 John 4:20 (NIV) Whoever claims to love God yet hates a brother or sister is a liar. For whoever does not love their brother and sister, whom they have seen,cannot love God, whom they have not seen.

Are you worried, stressed, lonely, discouraged, or just tired? There is only one place where we can find true rest and peace, where we can refresh ourselves and find the courage we need to boldly step out and become all that God created us to be. That is in the presence of our Father God. True happiness only comes from living in the Shadow of our amazing Father.   Psalm 91:1-2 (NIV): "Whoever dwells in the shelter of the Most High will rest in the shadow of the Almighty. I will say of the Lord, “He is my refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust.” 

The rich rule over the poor, and the borrower is slave to the lender. Proverbs 22:7 (NIV) Now Joseph and all his brothers and all that generation died, but the Israelites were exceedingly fruitful; they multiplied greatly, increased in numbers and became so numerous that the land was filled with them. Exodus 1:6-7 (NIV) Then a new king, to whom Joseph meant nothing, came to power in Egypt.  “Look,” he said to his people, “the Israelites have become far too numerous for us.  Come, we must deal shrewdly with them or they will become even more numerous and, if war breaks out, will join our enemies, fight against us and leave the country.” Exodus 1:8-13 (NIV) They made their lives bitter with harsh laboring brick and mortar and with all kinds of work in the fields; in all their harsh labor the Egyptians worked them ruthlessly. Exodus 1:14 (NIV) 6 Realities of Debt: Debt makes us a SERVANT to someone other than God. The rich rule over the poor, and the borrower is slave to the lender. Proverbs 22:7 (NIV) The name of the Lord is a fortified tower; the righteous run to it and are safe. Proverbs 18:10 (NIV) The wealth of the rich is their fortified city; they imagine it a wall too high to scale. Proverbs 18:11 (NIV) Debt is something God WANTS us out of. The Lord will open the heavens, the storehouse of his bounty, to send rain on your land in season and to bless all the work of your hands. You will lend to many nations but will borrow from none. Deuteronomy 28:12 (NIV) The Lord will make you the head, not the tail. If you pay attention to the commands of the Lord your God that I give you this day and carefully follow them, you will always be at the top, never at the bottom. Deuteronomy 28:13 (NIV) Do not turn aside from any of the commands I give you today, to the right or to the left, following other gods and serving them. Deuteronomy 28:14 (NIV) In the Bible, debt was always LIMITED to seven years. At the end of every seven years you must cancel debts.  This is how it is to be done: Every creditor shall cancel any loan they have made to a fellow Israelite. Deuteronomy 15:1-2 (NIV) They shall not require payment from anyone among their own people, because the Lord's time for canceling debts has been proclaimed. Deuteronomy 15:2 (NIV) Debt has the possibility of DICTATING our future. Now listen, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we will go to this or that city, spend a year there, carry on business and make money.”  Why, you do not even know what will happen tomorrow. James 4:13-14 (NIV) What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes.  Instead, you ought to say, “If it is the Lord's will, we will live and do this or that.” James 4:14-15 (NIV) Debt can affect our RELATIONSHIP with God, our family and our marriage. Those who trust in their riches will fall, but the righteous will thrive like a green leaf. Proverbs 11:28 (NIV) Whoever brings ruin on their family will inherit only wind, and the fool will be servant to the wise. Proverbs 11:29 (NIV) The Bible never condemns debt; it just says we need to have a TRAJECTORY out of it. 6 Bondage Breakers: COMMIT to God to get out of DEBT. Let no debt remain outstanding, except the continuing debt to love one another, for whoever loves others has fulfilled the law. Romans 13:8 (NIV) Don't ACQUIRE any more debt. Put God FIRST in your finances. Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight. Proverbs 3:5-6 (NIV) Do not be wise in your own eyes; fear the Lord and shun evil.  This will bring health to your body and nourishment to your bones. Proverbs 3:7-8 (NIV) Honor the Lord with your wealth, with the first fruits of all your crops; Proverbs 3:9 (NIV) Develop a WRITTEN plan. Put it on a TIME FRAME. Adjust your LIFESTYLE. You have to live like no one else, so later you can live like no one else. – Dave Ramsey

This episode Jasmine Doster discusses the price it cost to follow Christ. A lot of times we think we’re following Jesus, but we’re really not. We don’t give him our life; we’re all talk and no repentance.  Learn how to live a new life in Christ, find your identity, be content while serving him and walking out his plan for your life. Key Verses: Luke 17:33 NIV - Whoever tries to keep their life will lose it, and whoever loses their life will preserve it. Luke 9:23 NIV - Then he said to them all: “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me. Luke 9:3-4 "Take nothing for your journey,” he instructed them. “Don’t take a walking stick, a traveler’s bag, food, money,or even a change of clothes.  Wherever you go, stay in the same house until you leave town. Matthew 19:27 - Peter answered him, "We have left everything to follow you! What then will there be for us?"   Check out our blog www.youngflysanctified.com Join us for the FREE 7-Day Choice Pearls Prayer Challenge :http://eepurl.com/6ACm1 And Get a copy of the FREE Choice Pearls Discussion Guide:  http://eepurl.com/6IjGP Purchase Choice Pearls by Jasmine Doster: http://www.amazon.com/Choice-Pearls-Preserved-Precious-Priceless-ebook/dp/B00NMZULN6

The Pursuit of Joy, Week 2: You Go FirstFor most, life is all about the pursuit of happiness. We chase after the boy, the girl, the car, the job and the American Dream only to find that happiness is a moving target.  While happiness is short lived and good times are in short supply, there is still the pursuit of something better, something lasting, something called JOY. In this four-week study of the book of Philippians we will go on a quest to unlock the power of joy in our lives.  You'll discover the secret to a happiness that doesn't change with the stock market or the weather.  It's time to begin the pursuit of a lifetime—the pursuit of joy. "Do not grieve, for the joy of the LORD is your strength." Nehemiah 8:10 (NIV) "I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete." John 15:11 (NIV) Joy Killers1.      Disunity"If you have any encouragement from being united with Christ, if any comfort from his love, if any fellowship with the Spirit, if any tenderness and compassion, then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and purpose." Philippians 2:1-2 (NIV)  "Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace". Ephesians 4:3 (NIV) "What causes fights and quarrels among you?  Don't they come from your desires that battle within you?" James 4:1 (NIV) 2.      Pride "Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit but in humility consider others better than yourselves." Philippians 2:3 (NIV)  "A man's pride brings him low, but a man of lowly spirit gains honor." Proverbs 29:23 (NIV) 3.      Selfishness. "Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others." Philippians 2:4 (NIV) "For where you have envy and selfish ambition, there you find disorder and every evil practice." James 3:16 (NIV) "Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus." Philippians 2:5 (NIV)   You've got to be humble."Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit but in humility consider others better than yourselves." Philippians 2:3 (NIV) "Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped." Philippians 2:6 (NIV) "But even if I am being poured out like a drink offering on the sacrifice and service coming from your faith, I am glad and rejoice with all of you." Philippians 2:17 (NIV) "Whoever tries to keep his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life will preserve it." Luke 17:33 (NIV) You've got to obey. "And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient to death-- even death on a cross!" Philippians 2:8 (NIV) "Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first must be your slave." Matthew 20:26-27 (NIV) In what area or areas is God asking me to be obedient?  "Therefore God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father." Philippians 2:9-11 (NIV)You've got to love."Welcome (Epaphroditus) in the Lord with great joy, and honor men like him, because he almost died for the work of Christ, risking his life to make up for the help you could not give me." Philippians 2:29-30 (NIV) "Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends." John 15:13 (NIV) For more information on the vision of Freedom Church, please visit our website at www.freedom-church.org.