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Your Nightly Prayer

Send us a textFeel the Presence! Dive into this 30-minute worship mix filled with inspiring tracks that uplift the soul and draw you closer to His love. From timeless anthems to powerful modern worship, this mix is perfect for reflection, prayer, or simply rejoicing in His goodness.

Your Nightly Prayer

  Hello dear friends and those of you that listen to my podcast!  This is a new presentation that I have created and the podcast is going to send you over to links that you can see there in the site that are going to introduce you to four (4) new, small, video presentations that I have been working on producing in order to use these as ways to encourage those who have an interest in the Lord, or those who are fearful, those who need to pray for our nation and more!    These are just enough to get people to relax, calm down, and listen and pray! And! They are there to encourage YOU!    They are there to share.  They are there to bring visual context and audio context to things that people are struggling with right now, so if you want to head on over to those and just click the pictures below, click any picture for something that you have interest or,  listen to each of these!    Of course you can watch and listen, and you can copy the links and embed them.  Send them in emails and share them!  That's what this is about!    The Lord said to go out into all of the world and preach the good news, the Gospel, and that means the good news of Jesus Christ, that he is here to help us and to keep us from being afraid!   If we are afraid we can come to him.  He teaches us how to pray and how not to be anxious, and teaches us how to stand strong under the shadow of his wing!   You know, I have four consistent supporters, and I bless you!  I've told you that if things would begin to increase just a little bit I would be able to create some videos, and so I had another $150 come in an offering and of course, I have to pay to park these projects somewhere. You can't just create them. You have to park them on a site that processes, stores and compresses video.  So! THANK YOU to that individual (you know who you are) for helping me, because this is also preaching the gospel!   Now folks! Just ⬇️SCROLL DOWN ⬇️ and CLICK one or two of those different videos  and enjoy the beautiful music, the beautiful graphics,  the words, the voiceover  and  I hope they encourage you today!   Have a wonderful, wonderful, day and be blessed in knowing that YOU ARE NOT ALONE!   ➡️ My website also is available to watch and listen to these videos  if you just prefer to go watch them all in one location! ⬅️   You can go to  www.marylindow.com  Click the word VIDEO in the menu bar!    What To Do In A World Filled With Fear? ⬆️ (CLICK PICTURE TO WATCH VIDEO) Be encouraged and be fired up with this 1 min 50 second video about standing strong in a sea of lies and deception! Most people are feeling the shift and tension of world events increasing daily and lies are becoming a national phenomenon! Standing for truth doesn't come easy. People might consider us hopelessly old-school, blind, or call us fools. But in reality, to stand on and advocate for truth is one of the most loving things we can do—because it actually calls people to live in line with reality, and to warn them away from building on falsehoods that sooner or later, will crumble beneath them.   PRAYER: It's More Than Words ⬆️(CLICK PICTURE TO WATCH VIDEO) The Spirit of God desires not only that we seek Him but that we actually find Him! The humbling of our soul and learning to pray - these are not simply spiritual disciplines or mechanical things we do for the sake of revival. They are heart preparations. The invitation from the Lord to seek His face is not to be taken lightly;  in fact, it is a lifestyle!   Prayer For God's Defense ⬆️(CLICK PICTURE TO WATCH VIDEO) When you feel the pressures of life and injustice surrounding you, where do you turn for help, for comfort, for hope?   ⬆️(CLICK PICTURE TO WATCH VIDEO) Anxiety And Fear Have An Antidote Whether we are mourning, or fearful, at a loss or are experiencing grief, HOPE has a name…   Thank you, and I'll talk to you soon! Goodbye for now. Mary Lindow    Duplication and sharing of this writing is welcomed, as long as the complete message, Website, podcast link and information for Mary Lindow is included. Thank You! 2024 "THE MESSENGER"  - Mary Lindow www.marylindow.com www.marylindow.podbean.com   If you would be so kind and assist Mary helping her to meet other administrative needs such as website, podcast, and Video production costs, or desire to bless her service in ministry with Spirit-led Love gifts or regular support:   Please JOYFULLY send your gift in the form of:  ► Personal Checks ► Business Checks ► Money Orders ► Cashiers Checks To:    His Beloved Ministries Inc.  PO Box 1253 Denver, Colorado 80614
 USA    Or feel free to use our send a tax-deductible gift with   Pay Pal   paypal.me/mlindow  Under the name of - His Beloved Ministries Inc.    ALL gifts are tax-deductible under His Beloved Ministries 5013c non-profit status. We are financially accountable and have been in full compliance since 1985. Thank You!  

Worship with us this week! Sermon: Connect with Others - Colossians 4:2-6 Worship & Praise: What a Friend, Give Thanks, The Lord's Prayer (It's Yours), Lord I Need You, What a Friend We Have in Jesus

Worship with us this week! Sermon: Connect with Others - Colossians 4:2-6 Worship & Praise: What a Friend, Give Thanks, The Lord's Prayer (It's Yours), Lord I Need You, What a Friend We Have in Jesus

Thank you to Ed, Dave, Dianne, and Don for being part of the service. Don quoted from The Father's Love Letter, used by permission Father Heart Communications © 1999 https://www.FathersLoveLetter.com Happy birthday this week to John and David. Songs from this service: This Is My Father's World - https://youtu.be/EMAsxu_HwaA -- God So Loved - https://youtu.be/jasoo3UDSwY -- Good Good Father - https://youtu.be/ibbsFuX_eHg -- The Lord's Prayer (It's Yours) - https://youtu.be/G2uPU-NY-sc Scriptures from this service: Communion - Video: Abraham & Isaac - https://youtu.be/R7ghx60PdGA 1 John 3:16-20. Reading: Matthew 6:9-15. Sermon: Psalm 27:10; Hebrews 13:5; Matthew 28:20; Isaiah 41:13; Philippians 4:11; Romans 8:14-17; Exodus 20:12; Leviticus 18:7; Deuteronomy 1:31; Proverbs 15:20; Isaiah 9:6; John 14:31; Psalm 2:7; Philippians 2:11; Hebrews 12:9; 1 John 1:1-4; Psalm 139:1-2; 139:3; Matthew 10:30; Genesis 1:27; Acts 17:28; Psalm 139:16; Acts 17:26; Psalm 139:14; 139:13; 71:6; 1 John 4:16; James 1:17; Jeremiah 31:3; Zephaniah 3:17; Jeremiah 32:40; 32:41; Deuteronomy 4:29; Matthew 28:20; Ephesians 3:20; 2 Thessalonians 2:16; Psalm 34:18; Isaiah 40:11; John 17:23; Revelation 21:4; John 17:26; Romans 8:32; 1 John 2:23; Romans 8:38; Ephesians 3:14-15; John 1:12-13; Luke 15:11-32 (The Prodigal Son). Photo by Daiga Ellaby on Unsplash

A Deepening Life of Prayer: It is important that we spend time with the Lord in prayer (St Therese of Lisieux “For me, prayer is Continue reading The post Preparing for Eternal Life VIII appeared first on Fides et Ratio.

Welcome to the family! You have a place here!Please let us know if you are watching our stream for the first time, if you have made a decision, or need prayer – text CONNECT to (941) 260-1395 or click here: https://form.church/connectionClick here if you would like to give online: https://engage.suran.com/familychurchpc/  Music used with permission, CCLI License # 594759, Streaming Plus License # 21044022The Lord's Prayer (It's Yours) CCLI Song # 7200544Bryan Fowler | Jacob Sooter | Matt Maher © Be Essential Songs; bryanfowlersongs; Caroco Songs; Just When Publishing; So Essential TunesJesus Messiah CCLI Song # 5183443Chris Tomlin | Daniel Carson | Ed Cash | Jesse Reeves ©2008 Rising Springs Music; Vamos Publishing; worshiptogether.com songs;Wondrously Made SongsMy Jesus CCLI Song # 7174531Anne Wilson | Jeff Pardo | Matthew West © 2021 BrentHood Music; Capitol CMG Paragon; Jacobs Story Music; Meaux Mercy; Combustion Five; Third Story House MusicHoney in the Rock CCLI Song # 7191257Brandon Lake | Brooke Ligertwood | Mitch Wong © 2022 Brandon Lake Music; Maverick City Publishing Worldwide; City and Vine Music Publishing International; A Wong Made Write Publishing; Integrity's Praise! Music; Bethel Music PublishingBlessed Assurance CCLI Song # 7212332Fanny Crosby | Jonathan Smith | Logan Cain | Madison Cain Johnson | Phoebe Knapp | Taylor Cain Matz © All Essential Music; Be Essential Songs; Cashagamble Jet Music; Logan Cain Music; Madison Cain Music; Taylor Cain MusicBecause of Jesus CCLI Song # 7232225Charity Gayle | Hannah Rae Miele | Magen Thurman | Ryan Kennedy | Steven Musso © Charity Gayle Music Publishing; Steven Musso Music; Remaining portion is unaffiliated

11.3.24 Prayer - It's Easy To Walk With God Naomi Macdonald by Glory City Church Darwin

~Participating in Prayer~ It's Time For Church Teaching Series, Part 5

Opening Song: The Lord's Prayer (It's Yours) (https://open.spotify.com/track/1baVBBJwh3e2EMvRTDI8WH?si=1ec14b68f3f94cea) by Bryan Fowler, Jacob Sooter, and Matt Maher Lyrics: Father let your kingdom come (holy holy) Father let your will be done On Earth as in Heaven (let it be done) Right here in my heart Give us this day our daily bread Forgive us forgive us As we forgive the ones who sinned Against us forgive them And lead us not into temptation But deliver us from the evil one Let your kingdom come It's yours it's yours All yours all yours The kingdom the power The glory are yours It's yours it's yours All yours all yours Forever and ever The kingdom is yours On Earth as in Heaven Right here in my heart Passage: 15 Then the Pharisees went and plotted how to entangle him in his words. 16 And they sent their disciples to him, along with the Herodians, saying, “Teacher, we know that you are true and teach the way of God truthfully, and you do not care about anyone's opinion, for you are not swayed by appearances.[a] 17 Tell us, then, what you think. Is it lawful to pay taxes to Caesar, or not?” 18 But Jesus, aware of their malice, said, “Why put me to the test, you hypocrites? 19 Show me the coin for the tax.” And they brought him a denarius.[b] 20 And Jesus said to them, “Whose likeness and inscription is this?” 21 They said, “Caesar's.” Then he said to them, “Therefore render to Caesar the things that are Caesar's, and to God the things that are God's.” 22 When they heard it, they marveled. And they left him and went away. Musical Reflection: Children of the Heavenly Father (TRYGGARE KAN INGEN VARA), trad. Swedish folk song Reflection Notes: Lina Sandell-Berg purportedly wrote the lyrics for this hymn after witnessing her father's untimely death in a boating accident. Her text focuses on our heavenly Father, who will never leave us or forsake us, in life or in death. The tune originates from a 19th-century Swedish folk song, its sweet fluidity well-suited for the words of comfort. Prayer: Almighty and everlasting God, you govern all things both in heaven and on earth: Mercifully hear the supplications of your people, and in our time grant us your peace; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

GET YOUR FREE DEVOTION: Grace to Grow: A 5-Day Study of Patience and Prayer It is so hard to be silent before the Lord and wait on Him to act. Psalm 37:7 says we should wait patiently, like we believe with all our hearts that God is about to move. I don't about you, but I think I'm more likely to wait impatiently—grumbling, complaining, and struggling to believe God is going to come through somehow. In my heart, I'd love to be the kind of woman who is full of faith in the God who can. I want to be someone whose overflow is trust, faith, and joy, but the truth is that I have to work for those things.  I think it's the more common human experience. In fact, I think long life‚ maturing and growing in our faith as we face adversity and challenge—is the classroom where faith, trust, and joy are learned. This week, on the Million Praying Moms podcast, we're talking about learning to trust that God has all things covered...even the things that come out of left field and make us feel shaken to the core.  ********** LINKS:  Today's Show Notes Everyday Prayers for Patience: Giving Yourself and Your Kids the Grace to Grow.  

Bible Study: (2:08) Gn 21:5, 8-20a The death of Sarah and What happens when we force God's hand Mt 8:28-34 Why did Jesus send the demons to the pigs?  Letters (20:29) - Sinners saved by grace (29:35) - My mom & having children  Word of the Day: Gadarenes (37:25) Callers (42:11) - Prayer:  It's a dialogue w/the lover and his beloved.  What do you think? (43:51) - What does one do when a priest tells you to give communion to Lutherans? (46:19) - 1 Timothy 1:20, what does it mean? (48:31) - What do the Jews think about relics?

SUMMARY:With nine Grammy nominations and a GMA Dove Award for Songwriter of the Year, Matt Maher is one of the leading songwriters in contemporary Christian music. He joins us for a wide-ranging conversation about creativity, collaboration, and and his evolving career. PART ONE:Paul and Scott talk about the recent Ed Sheeran copyright infringement trial.PART TWO:Our in-depth conversation with Matt MaherABOUT MATT MAHER:Matt Maher is one of the leading songwriters in contemporary Christian music. Raised in Canada, he studied jazz at Arizona State University before launching an artist career and releasing his major label debut, Empty & Beautiful, in 2008. The album spawned the Top 5 single “Your Grace is Enough.” He went on to find further success as an artist with self-penned songs such as “Alive Again,” “Hold Us Together,” “All the People Said Amen,” and the double platinum single “Lord, I Need You.” He has been nominated for nine Grammy awards and was named the GMA Dove Award Songwriter of the Year in 2015. Finding great success with parenthetical titles, Matt has written four songs that have hit #1 on Billboard's Christian Airplay chart for him as an artist: “Because He Lives (Amen),” “Glory (Let There Be Peace),” “Alive & Breathing” (no parentheses), and “The Lord's Prayer (It's Yours),” Additionally, he's hit #1 by writing for other artists, including “I Lift My Hands” (with Chris Tomlin) and “Come As You” (with David Crowder). Further successes writing for other artists includes Chris Tomlin's “I Will Rise,” “Third Day's “Soul on Fire,” and Cody Carnes's “Run to the Father,” among many others. Matt's most recent album as a songwriting artist is called The Stories I Tell Myself.   

I love singing God's Words back to Him. That's why Matt Maher's song "The Lord's Prayer (It's Yours)" is on my playlist! But the real joy for me was diving into Scripture inspired by this song. There's a lot we can learn from Jesus' teaching on how to pray; let's use this song to remind us of all we've learned. Follow me to Matthew 6 as we explore the context and the words of the Lord's Prayer more fully. In this episode, I discuss the following: Taking a B.I.T.E. out of Scripture – this week's Bible Interaction Tool Exercises include: Read in context Use your imagination Consult various translations Consult an outside resource Start with God Consider the opposite The Episode Guide for this week's podcast The two places in Scripture the Lord's Prayer is recorded - Matthew 6:9-13 and Luke 11:2-4 Approaching God's Word with an open heart to what it actually says, laying aside previous teaching or tradition Studying the Lord's Prayer in the context of the entire Sermon on the Mount and in the immediate context of Jesus' teaching on prayer Imagining yourself at the feet of Jesus as He is sharing these truths Two categories of people who prayed in a manner not consistent with how they should pray - Matthew 6:5-8 Reading Matthew 6:9 in various translations to understand Christ's instruction to "pray like this," not necessarily "pray these words" A book on prayer that leads us through Scripture's teaching on how to pray - "Lord, Teach Me to Pray in 28 Days" by Kay Arthur - Amazon Paid Link The topics this model prayer leads us through: Worship Allegiance Submission Petition and provision Confession and forgiveness Watchfulness and deliverance Back to worship   Put yourself on that mountain at the feet of Jesus. Recognize that you come to His teaching with the influence of teachers, or priests, or pastors, or “insert the name of someone you love and respect” who have come before and taught you much about what Jesus is teaching in this sermon. Be astonished at HIS teaching.   Additional Resources Lyrics to "The Lord's Prayer (It's Yours)" by Matt Maher - NewReleaseToday.com "Lord, Teach Me to Pray in 28 Days" by Kay Arthur - Amazon Paid Link Things Unseen Podcast Episode by Sinclair Ferguson - Lead Us Not Into Temptation My new favorite Bible Study Software - Logos Bible Software Affiliate Link This Week's Challenge Read or listen to Matthew 5-7 several times this week. When you have some time to interact with the text, study Matthew 6:5-15 to see Jesus' teaching on prayer. Then take the model prayer He shares and try to identify the topics. Maybe you'll come up with a different word for the topic than I shared—one you feel better represents that section of the model, and that's great. Pray to God daily using this model. I know it may feel clunky at first, and you may even want to write out your prayer each day. Don't forget to begin and end in worship, and I can't wait to hear about how your prayer life will be transformed.

Learn some tips and tricks for memorizing scripture.Join the FREE Community!https://www.facebook.com/groups/doersofthewordThis episode is NOT sponsored. Some product links are affiliate links, meaning we'll receive a small commission if you buy something.Verses:Ephesians 6:10-17Matthew 4:1-11Psalm 119:11

For anyone taking stock of their life journey, this week's talk "At the gate of a New Year" is going to trigger some good thoughts for transition periods. We have a talk will not only be an essential compliment to your processing, it just might even spur a new spiritual tradition for you. Music: The Lord's Prayer (It's Yours); Matt Maher, Bryan Fowler, Jacob Sooter, 2022 I Am A Pilgrim Songs / Be Essential Songs (BMI) ; REWOLF / Just When Publishing / So Essential Tunes (SESAC) All rights admin at EssentialMusicPublishing.com, CCLI#7200544 Lord I Need You; Daniel Carson, Matt Maher, Christy Nockels, and Jesse Reeves, 2011 Sweater Weather Music, Valley Of Songs Music, and Thankyou Music, EMI Christian Music Publishing, CCLI#5925687 Hell Or High Water; Andrew Riddle, Ben Gazdik, Charity Gayle, Daniel Riddle, Jennie Lee Riddle, Joshua Sherman, Kaden Slay, Kaleb Frazier, Mary Grace Batson, Melanie Tierce, Ryan Kennedy, Steven Musso, and Wesley Nilsen, 2019 People & Songs (Admin. by People & Songs LLC), People & Songs (Admin. by People & Songs LLC), CCLI#7127637 My Lighthouse; Rend Collective Experiment, 2013 Thankyou Music, EMI Christian Music Publishing, CCLI#7002032 Run To The Father; Cody Carnes, Matt Maher, and Ran Jackson, 2020 Capitol CMG Paragon (Admin. by Capitol CMG Publishing), Writer's Roof Publishing (Admin. by Capitol CMG Publishing), and Remaining portion is unaffiliated, CCLI#7133494 River City Church jingle by Pat Chan.

Prayer: It can be a duty, a means to an end—or the conduit to pull closer to God in connection you crave. Ruth Bethany offers ideas to drive prayer deeper. Show Notes You can find us  here on our social channels.

Why do we participate in communion? Do we just do this out of tradition, or because Jesus did it with his disciplines? This week Darrell will unpack communion and bring us back to heart of the meal that Jesus' shared with his followers before going to the cross. If you are curious about communion, this is a really good week to fine out more what Christianity is about. If you have been following Jesus a long time, this will equally challenge you to dig into the wonder of this beautiful sacrament with thanksgiving. We will take time to celebrate this sacrament together and it will be more meaningful Music: Firm Foundation (He Won't); Austin Davis, Chandler Moore, and Cody Carnes, 2021 Capitol CMG Paragon (Admin. by Capitol CMG Publishing), TBCO Publishing (Admin. by Capitol CMG Publishing), Writer's Roof Publishing (Admin. by Capitol CMG Publishing), A.L.K.D. Music (Admin. by Watershed Music Group (Admin. by Capitol CMG Publishing)), and Remaining portion is unaffiliated, CCLI#7188203 The Lord's Prayer (It's Yours); Matt Maher, Bryan Fowler, Jacob Sooter, 2022 I Am A Pilgrim Songs / Be Essential Songs (BMI) ; REWOLF / Just When Publishing / So Essential Tunes (SESAC) All rights admin at EssentialMusicPublishing.com, CCLI#7200544 Death Was Arrested; Adam Kersh, Brandon Coker, Heath Balltzglier, and Paul Taylor, 2015 Music At North Point (Admin. by Music Services, Inc.), Paul Taylor Smith Publishing (Admin. by Music Services, Inc.), Seems Like Music (Admin. by Music Services, Inc.), and Remaining portion is unaffiliated, CCLI#7046448 Evidence; Ed Cash, Ethan Hulse, and Josh Baldwin, 2020 Capitol CMG Paragon (Admin. by Capitol CMG Publishing), We The Kingdom Music (Admin. by Capitol CMG Publishing), Be Essential Songs (Admin. by Essential Music Publishing LLC), EGH Music Publishing (Admin. by Essential Music Publishing LLC), and Bethel Music Publishing, CCLI#7147432 Enough (Elias Dummer); Elias Dummer, Jeff Johnson, and Tom Eccleshall, 2019 KXC Publishing (Admin. by Capitol CMG Publishing), sixsteps Music (Admin. by Capitol CMG Publishing), worshiptogether.com songs (Admin. by Capitol CMG Publishing), and Remaining portion is unaffiliated, CCLI#7110035 River City jingle by Pat Chan.

We're heading into the homestretch of 2022 and our year long series on Investigating Jesus. Way back in January we began this journey - can you believe it? This week don't forget we need PASTA for our internal drive for the Cambridge food bank. Music: LION; Steven Furtick, Chris Brown, Brandon Lake, Pat Barrett, 2022 Elevation Worship, CCLI#7181115 Praise The Lord (Evermore); Anna Hellebronth, Ben Cantelon, Nick Herbert, and Sam Bailey, © Ben Cantelon Designee (Admin. by Capitol CMG Publishing), Safe & Sound Music (Admin. by Capitol CMG Publishing), Thankyou Music (Admin. by Capitol CMG Publishing), and Remaining portion is unaffiliated, Capitol CMG Publishing, CCLI#7084588 1,000 Names; Adrian Disch, Phil Wickham, Sean Curran, and Taylor Scott Johnson, 2021 Phil Wickham Music (Fair Trade Music Publishing [c/o Essential Music Publishing LLC]), Simply Global Songs (Fair Trade Music Publishing [c/o Essential Music Publishing LLC]), Sing My Songs (Fair Trade Music Publishing [c/o Essential Music Publishing LLC]), and Remaining portion is unaffiliated, Phil Wickham Music (Fair Trade Music Publishing [c/o Essential Music Publishing LLC]), Simply G, CCLI#7176517 The Lord's Prayer (It's Yours); Matt Maher, Bryan Fowler, Jacob Sooter, 2022 I Am A Pilgrim Songs / Be Essential Songs (BMI) ; REWOLF / Just When Publishing / So Essential Tunes (SESAC) All rights admin at EssentialMusicPublishing.com, CCLI#7200544 River City jingle by Pat Chan.

Sorry about the delay. Received a new computer and I am not able to remove the 5 minutes at the front of the service. We're heading into the homestretch of 2022 and our year long series on Investigating Jesus. Way back in January we began this journey - can you believe it? This week, don't forget we need PASTA for our internal drive for the Cambridge food bank. Music: LION; Steven Furtick, Chris Brown, Brandon Lake, Pat Barrett, 2022 Elevation Worship, CCLI#7181115 Praise The Lord (Evermore); Anna Hellebronth, Ben Cantelon, Nick Herbert, and Sam Bailey, © Ben Cantelon Designee (Admin. by Capitol CMG Publishing), Safe & Sound Music (Admin. by Capitol CMG Publishing), Thankyou Music (Admin. by Capitol CMG Publishing), and Remaining portion is unaffiliated, Capitol CMG Publishing, CCLI#7084588 1,000 Names; Adrian Disch, Phil Wickham, Sean Curran, and Taylor Scott Johnson, 2021 Phil Wickham Music (Fair Trade Music Publishing [c/o Essential Music Publishing LLC]), Simply Global Songs (Fair Trade Music Publishing [c/o Essential Music Publishing LLC]), Sing My Songs (Fair Trade Music Publishing [c/o Essential Music Publishing LLC]), and Remaining portion is unaffiliated, Phil Wickham Music (Fair Trade Music Publishing [c/o Essential Music Publishing LLC]), Simply G, CCLI#7176517 The Lord's Prayer (It's Yours); Matt Maher, Bryan Fowler, Jacob Sooter, 2022 I Am A Pilgrim Songs / Be Essential Songs (BMI) ; REWOLF / Just When Publishing / So Essential Tunes (SESAC) All rights admin at EssentialMusicPublishing.com, CCLI#7200544 River City jingle by Pat Chan.

Mentorship and coaching is seen all throughout the Bible, but what is not talked about often is the sacrifice needed from both the mentor and the mentee. In this episode, Matt Maher takes us through a story of embarrassment and shame that shaped his faith walk and identified his need for a mentor. The biblical reference in the episode is based on Deuteronomy 34. 4 And the Lord said to him, “This is the land of which I swore to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, ‘I will give it to your offspring.' I have let you see it with your eyes, but you shall not go over there.” 5 So Moses the servant of the Lord died there in the land of Moab, according to the word of the Lord… Then to verse 9 - And Joshua the son of Nun was full of the spirit of wisdom, for Moses had laid his hands on him. So the people of Israel obeyed him and did as the Lord had commanded Moses. Moses had sinned against God and, even though God had said all along that he would use Moses to lead his people to the promised land, he didn't allow Moses “into” the promised land. God showed Moses the completion of his vision, but didn't allow Moses to see it through himself. He used Moses's mentee, Joshua. What would that look like for you? Would you be okay if God had given you a vision, but didn't intend for you to complete that vision? Only to instigate it and be a part of pushing it along? We all assume we're the hero of our own story, but when we realize we're a small part of a much greater story, we release expectations and are more able to mentor and guide others, which is the way of Jesus. He mentored 12 through his entire ministry and in order to complete the vision God had for him he was required to die, much in the same way that Moses did. Of course, the people of that day thought that the vision died with Jesus, but for those of us who are followers of The Way, we know the good news that happened three days later. But, to the point of this episode, those that Jesus mentored founded the very church that still exists today. So, leaders, reflect on who has a similar call and vision to your own that you can mentor. For those who don't have a mentor, seek one out through prayer. We can also help be a resource for you as we provide mentorship and coaching through the Worship Leader Institute.  Here's a great scripture to close us out: 1 Corinthians 3:10 By the grace God has given me, I laid a foundation as a wise builder, and someone else is building on it. But each one should build with care. 11 For no one can lay any foundation other than the one already laid, which is Jesus Christ. - - - - - - Please subscribe to our social channels for more information and great content surrounding building a lifestyle of worship. This podcast is brought to you by Authentic Media and Worship Leader Magazine. Our host is Joshua Swanson and the show's co-producer and editor is Matt McCartie. More episodes can be found here. Who Is Matt Maher A 9x Grammy nominee and a 5x GMA Dove Award winner, Matt Maher is a thought leader in the artistic, musical and songwriter community and music industry. Named an official Steinway artist in 2015, Matt has performed in front of more Papal events than any other artist, and releases his 12th studio album, “The Stories I Tell Myself” on October 21. He is the prolific songwriter behind well-known worship anthems like the RIAA Platinum certified “Lord, I Need You” and “Your Grace Is Enough” as well as multiple #1 radio singles: both the RIAA Gold certified “Because He Lives (Amen)” and “Alive and Breathing” and Crowder's “Come As You Are” and Third Day's “Soul On Fire”. His next single, “The Lord's Prayer (It's Yours) showcases his writing, recording and producing, and adds to his more than 1M career sales and streams over the past two decades. Maher embarks on his 12th headline tour in Spring 2023, is a native of Newfoundland Canada, and currently resides in Nashville, TN with his wife, Kristin, their three children and two pups.

This week Darrell discusses the importance of welcoming all, which is the riskiest part of being a Christian. Most churches would not put this as their Mission Statement because they do not want to welcome all. Jesus welcomed all, but that didn't mean He accepted what they did. River City Church is dedicated to follow the example of Jesus with welcoming all. Music: He Lives; Anthony Skinner, Chris McClarney, and Jonathan Smith, 2020 Capitol CMG Genesis (Admin. by Capitol CMG Publishing), Tiny Hits (Admin. by Capitol CMG Publishing), Be Essential Songs (Admin. by Essential Music Publishing LLC), Cashagamble Jet Music (Admin. by Essential Music Publishing LLC), and Remaining portion is unaffiliated, CCLI#7133098 The Lord's Prayer (It's Yours); Matt Maher, Bryan Fowler, Jacob Sooter, 2022 I Am A Pilgrim Songs / Be Essential Songs (BMI) ; REWOLF / Just When Publishing / So Essential Tunes (SESAC) All rights admin at EssentialMusicPublishing.com, CCLI#7200544 Lord I Need You; Daniel Carson, Matt Maher, Christy Nockels, and Jesse Reeves, 2011 Sweater Weather Music, Valley Of Songs Music, and Thankyou Music, EMI Christian Music Publishing, CCLI#5925687 Enough (Elias Dummer); Elias Dummer, Jeff Johnson, and Tom Eccleshall, 2019 KXC Publishing (Admin. by Capitol CMG Publishing), sixsteps Music (Admin. by Capitol CMG Publishing), worshiptogether.com songs (Admin. by Capitol CMG Publishing), and Remaining portion is unaffiliated, Admin. by Capitol CMG Publishing, CCLI#7110035 River City Church jingle by Pat Chan.

As far as "beginning with the end in mind", LOVE is a good place to start. The Bible shares that faith, hope and love are three things that will remain and the greatest of these is love (1 Corinthian 13:13). For many of us though, our lived experiences and relationships will tell us that love can be difficult to initiate and sustain. As River City moves on with its new mission statement, "Love others" is our highest aim and we need one another to figure this out. Music: The Lord's Prayer (It's Yours); Matt Maher, Bryan Fowler, Jacob Sooter, 2022 I Am A Pilgrim Songs / Be Essential Songs (BMI) ; REWOLF / Just When Publishing / So Essential Tunes (SESAC) All rights admin at EssentialMusicPublishing.com, CCLI#7200544 Graves Into Gardens; Brandon Lake, Chris Brown, Steven Furtick, and Tiffany Hammer, 2019 Maverick City Publishing Worldwide (Admin. by Heritage Worship Publishing), Bethel Music Publishing, and Remaining portion is unaffiliated, CCLI#7138219 Echo Holy; Jake Espy, Kory Miller, Mia Fieldes, and Ran Jackson, Be Essential Songs (Admin. by Essential Music Publishing LLC), Songs From Richmond Park (Admin. by Essential Music Publishing LLC), Songs Of Red Rocks Worship Publishing (Admin. by Essential Music Publishing LLC), and Upside Down Under (Admin. by Essential Music Publishing LLC), CCLI#7162703 Yet Not I But Through Christ In Me; Jonny Robinson, Rich Thompson, and Michael Farren, 2018 CityAlight Music and Remaining portion is unaffiliated, CCLI#7121852 River City Jingle by Pat Chan

In this next series, River City is thinking about the importance of Beginning with the End in Mind. It is a fact that how you finish depends greatly on how you begin. Music: Firm Foundation (He Won't); Austin Davis, Chandler Moore, and Cody Carnes, 2021 Capitol CMG Paragon (Admin. by Capitol CMG Publishing), TBCO Publishing (Admin. by Capitol CMG Publishing), Writer's Roof Publishing (Admin. by Capitol CMG Publishing), A.L.K.D. Music (Admin. by Watershed Music Group (Admin. by Capitol CMG Publishing)), and Remaining portion is unaffiliated, CCLI#7188203 God So Loved; Andrew Bergthold, Ed Cash, Franni Cash, Martin Cash, and Scott Cash, 2019 Capitol CMG Genesis (Admin. by Capitol CMG Publishing) and We The Kingdom Music (Admin. by Capitol CMG Publishing), CCLI#7138599 Reckless Love; Caleb Culver, Cory Asbury, and Ran Jackson, Heritage Worship Music Publishing (Admin. by Bethel Music Publishing), Richmond Park Publishing (Admin. by Bethel Music Publishing), Bethel Music Publishing, and Remaining portion is unaffiliated, Bethel Music Publishing, CCLI#7089641 The Lord's Prayer (It's Yours); Matt Maher, Bryan Fowler, Jacob Sooter, 2022 I Am A Pilgrim Songs / Be Essential Songs (BMI) ; REWOLF / Just When Publishing / So Essential Tunes (SESAC) All rights admin at EssentialMusicPublishing.com, CCLI#7200544 Run To The Father; Cody Carnes, Matt Maher, and Ran Jackson, 2020 Capitol CMG Paragon (Admin. by Capitol CMG Publishing), Writer's Roof Publishing (Admin. by Capitol CMG Publishing), and Remaining portion is unaffiliated, CCLI#7133494 River City Jingle by Pat Chan

Is your Christian walk like your work life? You fight tooth and nail for everything? You get things done promptly and precisely? Or do you just TRY to make time for your earthly boss? To watch our Video, Click Here Featured Songs: Left It In The Water- We The Kingdom The Lord's Prayer (It's Yours)- Matt Maher What Kind Of Love- Amy Grant Let It Roll- Rend Collective How Good Of God- Matthew West Take it To Jesus- Anna Golden Love U Need U- Hannah Honey We Come Alive- Jonathan Traylor We're Here Because You're Here- Elias Dummer Lean On The Lord- Ryan Elias Jesus Changed My Life- Katy Nichole Holy Forever- Chris Tomlin King Of Kings- Newsboys & Bart Millard

Opening Song: Psalm 15 (https://open.spotify.com/track/5tZ8fBsHp5yHx8EOFpRmTN?si=03d3260cd32045dd)by Adam Wright Lyrics: O Lord, who shall sojourn in your tent? Who shall dwell on your holy hill? 2 He who walks blamelessly and does what is right and speaks truth in his heart; 3 who does not slander with his tongue and does no evil to his neighbor, nor takes up a reproach against his friend; 4 in whose eyes a vile person is despised, but who honors those who fear the Lord; who swears to his own hurt and does not change; 5 who does not put out his money at interest and does not take a bribe against the innocent. He who does these things shall never be moved. Passage: 1 O Lord, who shall sojourn in your tent? Who shall dwell on your holy hill? 2 He who walks blamelessly and does what is right and speaks truth in his heart; 3 who does not slander with his tongue and does no evil to his neighbor, nor takes up a reproach against his friend; 4 in whose eyes a vile person is despised, but who honors those who fear the Lord; who swears to his own hurt and does not change; 5 who does not put out his money at interest and does not take a bribe against the innocent. He who does these things shall never be moved. (Psalm 15:1-5 ESV) Musical Reflection: “Jesus, Remember Me” by Jacques Berthier Reflection Notes: “Jesus, Remember Me” is a tune from the French Taizé tradition; these simple songs are meant to be repeated indefinitely with added instrumentation or voice parts. They are meant to be meditative and allow for prayer. Prayer: It is good that faith comes before reason so that we do not appear to demand our proofs from human beings but rather from the Lord our God. How unfitting it is for us to believe human testimony concerning others and not to believe God's oracles concerning himself! Therefore, let us imitate Abraham so that we may be heirs of the land through the justice of faith, through which he was made an heir of the world. Ambrose

We all know that growing in your connection to God is important. Listening to the Bible, reading the Bible, Christian meditation and PRAYER can jumpstart your journey of growth. Listen to The Stoicess' advice on how to use Prayer-- It really can help! https://stoicmatchmaker.com/meditation-registration/ 

Every day leading up to Christmas we will be reading, studying, and reflecting on a chapter of the Gospel of Luke. There are twenty-four days leading up to Christmas and twenty-four Chapters in Luke. We are going to enter the celebration of the birth of Jesus with a full context of his life and ministry. My hope and prayer for each of us is that we fully experience a closeness to Jesus like never before. Prayer never has been and never will be a formula for how to get rich, famous, and powerful and have all of your wildest dreams come true! Luke 11 covers Jesus teaching the disciples how to pray (the Lord's Prayer) It also documents Jesus telling people what they don't want to hear. In our generation and our culture, we're not used to hearing some of the things Jesus said. We have a stereotypical image of Jesus as a "nice guy" who spoke of peace, love, and understanding. But today's passage challenges those assumptions.This is the VERSED podcast; a daily pursuit to become more perceptive to what the Bible says. If you would like to dive deeper into certain verses in the Bible, have a verse you would like to submit to have included in a future episode, have questions about the Bible that you would like answered in a bonus episode, or simply want to connect with me... text VERSED to 88474 or click hereAlso included in that link is a list of resources and references I use in this podcast and can help you grow deeper in your faith as well. As always – ratings and reviews are massive! They really help others discover the podcast and ultimately help us improve VERSED. Thanks in advance for that

How to Pray, Episode 8: The Beginning of Contemplation – Contemplatio (Contemplation) ‘Contemplate and share the fruits of contemplation with others', Saint Thomas Aquinas. Glorified Love – ‘As the Risen Christ is a true man and the same man that He was, both in body as well as in soul before the Resurrection, so He has still the same human affections now', Thomas Goodwin. Food for Prayer – ‘It is not only the scriptures, but anything inspired by them, that can inspire us with the prayer that leads to contemplative union', Francisco de Osuna

THE WEEK OF TRINITY XII - MONDAYLESSON: PSALM 57:1‒3Bear one another's burdens and so fulfill the law of Christ. Galatians 6:2The Gospel for this week (Mark 7:31‒37) describes works of love. These men seize the initiative and go to the poor, deaf man with speech troubles to lend him a hand. Without their merits or any initiative from them, Christ sends forth His Word and attends to the spreading of His goodness and mercy. Accordingly, after drawing from the fountain, there is an outflowing from them which is quite spontaneous. They now share gratuitously with their neighbor, without any condemnation of merits.Love must always do its work in this way, quite freely and with no other consideration but the neighbor's welfare. Among other things, St. Paul says of love that it “does not insist on its own way” (1 Corinthians 13:5). To the Philippians he writes, “Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others” (Philippians 2:4).This is the attitude which we find here also among these pious people. They do not need the work in question. They do not consider simply their own interests; they think only of the poor, deaf man and of how they can help him. They seek no reward. They render their services to this man quite gratuitously.This is also the kind of sincerity which should mark your good deeds to your neighbor or otherwise you are not Christians. Mark well, then, how love is described here. It takes upon itself another man's troubles. If we follow this example, good for us. If we refuse to follow it, God can punish us with the blindness which afflicted our forebears for almost four hundred years.SL 11:1517 (5‒6)PRAYER: It is your will, heavenly Father, that we should always practice our faith, especially in the love which we show to each other. Grant us your grace that we love each other without any self-interest, looking not to our own things but to the things of our neighbor, in and through Christ our Savior. Amen.Editor's note: No American Edition (AE) equivalent for today's sermon excerpt exists at the time of this publication. For an alternate English translation of this sermon, see Lenker, Church Postil—Gospels, 4:370-380.

THE WEEK OF TRINITY V - FRIDAYLESSON: PSALM 143If thou, O Lord, shouldst mark iniquities, Lord, who could stand? But there is forgiveness with thee, that thou mayest be feared. Psalm 130:3-4When you feel your sins and become like Peter with a desire to run away from God, you must turn around and get closer and closer to Him. For if God were disposed to flee from you and were not willing to take away your sins, He would never have come to you or pursued you. Therefore, the more you feel that you are a sinner, and the more you want to run away from God, the more importunately you should seek Him.Mark this well! For as St. Peter reacted here, so all consciences react in fear because of their sins, trying to escape from God and seeking some false god. Do not end your struggle like this. You cannot possibly end it like this. Present a bold front and cling to God. Otherwise, when you run off in search of works to seek help with another god, and then later want to come back to the true God, you may well have the same experience that the foolish virgins had after going off to buy oil for their lamps, returning only to find the doors locked (Matthew 25:10).But what did Jesus do after Peter had humbled himself to such an extent that, in great fear and terror, he requested the Lord to depart from him? Did He allow Peter to remain in his despondency? By no means! He proceeded to comfort Peter with the words, “Do not be afraid; henceforth you will be catching men” (Luke 5:10).SL 11:1311 (18-20)PRAYER: It is Your assurance, heavenly Father, that the more we feel our sins, the nearer we always are to the forgiveness of sins. Keep us ever steadfast in our faith and hope that You will help and save us, in and through our Savior Jesus Christ. Amen.Editor's note: No American Edition (AE) equivalent for today's sermon excerpt exists at the time of this publication. For an alternate English translation of this sermon, see Lenker, Church Postil—Gospels, 4:131-140.

THE WEEK OF TRINITY V - TUESDAYLESSON: 2 THESSALONIANS 3:6-13When he had ceased speaking, he said to Simon, “Put out into the deep and let down your nets for a catch.” Luke 5:4Jesus says here in effect: “Let down your nets and do the work that belongs to a fisherman and let Me do the worrying. I do not want you to worry but to work.” We always want to change this procedure. We want to do the worrying and let Him do the work. This is one reason why so much usury is practiced today. Men want to make money to avoid the necessity of working.If you want to live like a real Christian, leave the worrying to your God. Let Him bring the fish into the net, and you take up a position in which you have to work. All of us would prefer positions in which we do not have to work. For this attitude, the devil is responsible. There was only one reason why such large numbers formerly became monks and priests: we all wanted to live like aristocrats and avoid the necessity of work. Parents even sent their children to school so that they might subsequently enjoy good days in the service of God. In the end, no one really knew any longer what good days were.God has indicated that it is His pleasure that man should eat his bread in the sweat of his brow, and He has therefore ordered man to work. He said to Adam, “In the sweat of your face you shall eat bread” (Genesis 3:19). The more closely you stick to God's law in this respect, the better it is for you. Do your work in faith and let God freely exercise His government.SL 11:1308 (10-11)PRAYER: It is your will, heavenly Father, that Your children here on earth should be honest and reliable workers in whatever calling or position You may place them. May we ever remember that it is Your will that we should work in faith and trust to Your governance of all times, in and through Christ our Lord. Amen.Editor's note: No American Edition (AE) equivalent for today's sermon excerpt exists at the time of this publication. For an alternate English translation of this sermon, see Lenker, Church Postil—Gospels, 4:131-140.

Continuing our series, “The Road to Revival” today we are looking at the sixth chapter in the book of Nehemiah. Today we are looking at how to stay focused on the road to revival when the enemy seeks to distract us from our faith journey. Main Point: Distracted driving can take us on the wrong path. The Enemy's Plan: Distraction, Deception, Destroy If the enemy can't have you then his next goal is to make sure you are distracted, the last thing he wants is for you to be dedicated and focused. Our Plan: Remain Focused On The Goal Nehemiah's goal was to build the wall around Jerusalem. ANYTHING that didn't keep his hands working, he knew, was a distraction.   The Enemy's Plan: Relentlessly Persistent The stakes are enormous and the enemy will not relent when it comes to seeing us staying  focused on what God has called us to complete. Our Plan: Stand Firm In Our Priorities As believers, our chief priority is to glorify God by knowing Jesus Christ and by being conformed to His character beginning at the heart level. Anything that pulls you away from that priority, even if it is a ministry, is a ploy of the devil. The Enemy's Plan: Rumor, Slander, and False Accusations If Satan can't distract you with a good thing, then he'll try to distract you with the rear-view mirror using: A) Our Past B) Comparison C) Our guilt and shame D) Our sense of worth Our Response: Truth and Prayer Nehemiah realized his strength came from God, and we need to do the same. The Enemy's Plan: Fear and Intimidation The enemy will try to scare you into sinful behavior to ruin your testimony. Don't yield! Our Response: Fearless Obedience and Prayer It is always right to obey God's Word no matter what the threatened consequences may be. Closing Point: Our Ultimate Goal is God's Glory.

THE WEEK OF TRINITY III - THURSDAYLESSON: MATTHEW 18:10-14He told them this parable: “What man of you, having a hundred sheep, if he has lost one of them, does not leave the ninety-nine in the wilderness and go after the one which is lost, until he finds it? And when he has found it, he lays it on his shoulders, rejoicing. And when he comes home, he calls together his friends and his neighbors, saying to them, ‘Rejoice with me, for I have found my sheep which was lost.' … Or what woman, having ten silver coins, if she loses one coin, does not light a lamp and sweep the house and seek diligently until she finds it? And when she has found it, she calls together her friends and neighbors, saying, ‘Rejoice with me, for I have found the coin which I had lost.'” Luke 15:3-6, 8-9Christ is the shepherd, and He is also the woman. It is Christ who has lit the lamp, that is, the Gospel, and it is Christ who walks about in the wilderness, that is, the world, and who sweeps the house seeking the lost sheep and the lost coin. He does this seeking with His Word so that, first of all, sin is proclaimed to us and, thereafter, grace and mercy.When we are told here that the shepherd takes up the lost sheep on His shoulders, the reference is to the fact that our sin has been laid on Christ's shoulders. This certainly must strengthen our confidence in Christ, and this must also follow from the way in which tax collectors and other sinners flocked to Him and were received by Him. Had they regarded him as nothing but a stubborn judge, they would never have come to Him. But these sinners recognized themselves as sinners in need of His grace. And when they heard tell of His attractive words, they came to Him.Learn from this that we should seek out our neighbor to cover his shame with our honor and to hide his sin with our piety.SL 11:1239 (15-16)PRAYER: It is not Your will, O Lord, that we should ever delight in the sins of others and gloat over them, but that we should rather help them to repentance and provide joy in heaven. Fix this truth in our hearts in such a way that we always act according to it, for the sake of Jesus our Savior. Amen.Editor's note: No American Edition (AE) equivalent for today's sermon excerpt exists at the time of this publication. For an alternate English translation of this sermon, see Lenker, Church Postil—Gospels, 4:57-66.

THE WEEK OF JUBILATE - THURSDAYLESSON: PSALM 33:13-22“You have sorrow now, but I will see you again and your hearts will rejoice, and no one will take your joy from you.” John 16:22These words are spoken to all Christians. A Christian must face temptation, fear, distress, opposition, and sorrow in whatever manner they may arise. Jesus makes no mention here of suffering on a cross; He simply mentions “sorrow,” and that they will have reason to “weep and lament.”In the world, Christians always experience persecutions of many kinds. Some suffer the loss of goods; others come under disgrace and contempt as the result of evil rumors. Some are drowned; others burnt. Some even lose their head. One meets his end in this way; another in that way. It is the invariable experience of the Christian to suffer misfortune and persecution. Only rarely is he quite free from distress and opposition. He is always being belabored and flogged in some way or other, and he can look for nothing better as long as he is here on earth. This is the badge by which he is known. He who is a Christian must not be ashamed of this badge.Why does God act in this way? Why does He allow His children to be persecuted and hounded in this manner? He does it to subdue and suppress man's free will so that man does not seek help and assistance from his own efforts, but, as far as free will is concerned, he becomes a fool in regard to the works of God and learns to trust and rely on God alone and not on himself.SL 11:835 (16-17)PRAYER: It is Your will, heavenly Father, that we must experience trials and tribulations as Your children in the midst of a hostile world. Strengthen our faith and endue us with the grace to squarely meet all our commitments, for the love of our Savior. Amen.Editor's note: No American Edition (AE) equivalent for today's sermon excerpt exists at the time of this publication. For an alternate English translation of this sermon, see Lenker, Church Postil—Gospels, 3:72-86.

THE WEEK OF MISERICORDIA DOMINI - TUESDAYLESSON: 1 TIMOTHY 2:1-6A bruised reed he will not break, and a dimly burning wick he will not quench. Isaiah 42:3Matthew declares that these words of Isaiah were fulfilled in Christ (Matthew 12:20). A bruised reed is a reed very close to breaking point. One who has received a very serious injury or is carrying a very heavy wound—that is, a Christian who is not only weak and stumbling, but who is overwhelmed in temptation, actually breaking a leg, so to say. It may be that he has fallen so deeply that he denies the Gospel, as Peter did when he denied Christ.Even if such a man has stumbled, suffering a reverse and a complete upset, you should not reject him as though he never belonged to Christ's kingdom. You must allow Christ to retain His peculiar characteristic, that in His kingdom there is nothing but grace and mercy, pure and abounding. He is ever ready to help those who realize their wretchedness and misery, and who would be glad to get rid of it.Christ's kingdom is a kingdom where men find true comfort and consolation. He is a consoling, friendly shepherd, coaxing and encouraging every man to draw close to Him. Christ alone is the one true, good shepherd who heals all ills and helps the fallen to rise again. He who does not do that is no shepherd.SL 11:785 (16-17)PRAYER: It is Your declared will, heavenly Father, that all men should learn to know Your mercy, grace, and salvation. Grant that we, too, may become entrusted to help fallen sinners to find real help and consolation, for Christ, our Savior's sake. Amen. Editor's note: No American Edition (AE) equivalent for today's sermon excerpt exists at the time of this publication. For an alternate English translation of this sermon, see Lenker, Church Postil—Gospels, 3:17-31.

Prayer- It's the light of my life | Virtues of praying | Prayer- I Love You This video is also available on YOUTUBE as a Video - link: https://youtu.be/cXkby1aeXFI Chapters of the Video:

Prayer It's Purpose & Power Tonight Series

Join me, Alison Elizabeth as we read out of James 5:13-14 which says "13 Is anyone among you in trouble? Let them pray. Is anyone happy? Let them sing songs of praise. 14 Is anyone among you sick? Let them call the elders of the church to pray over them and anoint them with oil in the name of the Lord.""Here are some four ways you can apply prayer and worship in your daily life. Worship in the Car - this is one of my favorite times to do so. Just me, God, and the open road. Maybe you're never in the car alone, that's okay, play worship music with your loved ones. It allows the room for the entire family to partake in a nice worship session.Read Your Bible - read stories and do the SOAP method. It's kind of what we do here. SOAP stands of Scripture, Observation, Application, and Prayer - It's good to clean yourself every morning, or right before you go to bed. I know this devotional was created and works for us because we are busy people, but maybe you can try and find one night of the week to reading scripture on your own. This leads me to point number 3.Schedule Your Time -  This right here will save you so many hours. It will help you take bake the time you spend aimlessly scrolling, or watching TV. Block out your schedule, put locks on your apps. Hey, I have a 1 hour time block on Tik Tok. I needed it. It's okay to come to those realizations. If you play video games, the same thing applies. If you have a schedule and a routine it's hard to break it. Every morning I wake up at the same time, and I produce this show. It's a daily habit at this point.Pray before bed - make it a habit to say the words, “Jesus, thank you for everything you did today, I love you” right before you go to bed. It doesn't have to be a long prayer, just enough where you know and are constantly reminded of who protected you all day and who gives you breath in the mornings.

“It is Time to Seek the Lord until He Comes” – Hosea 10:12 … for it is time to seek the LORD, until he comes and showers righteousness on you. The Lord’s Prayer – It is Time to Seek the Lord until …SO… How? * John 14:13-14 ... In Jesus’s Name * 2 Chronicles 7:14 … Humble, Pray, Draw Close – For the sake of our Children and Grandchildren’s Generation. – Ezekiel 36:16-38 * God will pour out his Spirit – New Covenant * God will bless the land, crops, environment. * When we come to God on His terms, He promises to answer with power. * When we come to Him for the sake of His name being honored/hallowed, He hears.

One of Jesus' disciples asked Him a profound question in Luke 11: "Lord, teach us how to pray."In light of the times we are living in, we must know how to use the greatest lifeline God has given to us as humans...Prayer

Jesus' disciples asked Him a profound question in Luke 11: "Lord, teach us how to pray."In light of the times we are living in, we must know how to use the greatest lifeline God has given to us as humans...Prayer

Prayer - It's how we renew our minds in a world that is filled with chaos. It's the key to Living Transformed. It takes intentionality, and there is no substitute for it. If we aren't living Transformed lives, we run the risk of living Conformed lives. We have to Live Transformed!

Have you ever talked with someone who only talked about how they felt? And they never waited for you to respond? They only talked about themselves. That describes the prayer life for way too many Christians. So, what to do?  I have found this best thing to do is go to the scriptures, and literally … Continue reading Prayer: It’s Not About You →

The new framework is actually an old one. We are ALL priests. And worship and prayer is our first ministry. TABLE TALK A dinner table discussion guide for your family and friends. Discussion: What about Sunday's message impacted you the most? Scripture Engagement: “They devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. Everyone was filled with awe at the many wonders and signs performed by the apostles. All the believers were together and had everything in common. They sold property and possessions to give to anyone who had need. Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved.” - Acts 2:42-47Learning and Doing - “They devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching.” Q. What do we know that we need to do? Fellowship - Fellowship is knowing others and being known by others. Q. Who do we need to invite into our lives on a deeper level? Breaking Bread - Eating together Q. Who can we invite to our table? Prayer - It's about connection with the Father's heart. Q. How can I adjust our prayers to better connect with God? Praying Together: Thank Him. What can we thank Him for? Praise Him. What is one thing about who Jesus is that we can praise Him about?Ask Him. What is a need we have or an area in which we would like to see God break through. Listen to Him: What is on God's heart about your need. What is He saying to you? Let Him complete this sentence to you. “My child, I love you, and I want you to know...”

This week Michelle begins a new series with commentary on the CoVid19 Pandemic from a biblical perspective and talking the next few weeks about turning the posture of our hearts to fasting and prayer. Today, we will look at how perfect love casts out fear and how turning our hearts to receive God’s Perfect Love helps us to in turn love others well. Show Transcript: You are listening to the Blooming Inspired Podcast on the Blooming Inspired Podcast Network. We exist to empower the voices of women who live their lives #BloomingAlive through Podcast Community. Now, here is your host. Blooming Inspired Podcast equipping and empowering the voices of women who live their lives Blooming Alive. Introduction Good Morning! This is Michelle Bentham, host of Blooming Inspired Podcast. Review Over the last 6 weeks we’ve been having a conversation with Karen Dearmand Gardener sharing her testimony about walking out of a 30 year marriage where she suffered Domestic Abuse and Violence, and how God spent the last 15 years redeeming her past and her pain as she has learned to heal and overcome those years of trauma and abuse. Be sure to keep up with Karen and the publication of her book on the subject scheduled for publication in 2021. Her Facebook Page is: facebook.com/crackthesilence This Week’s Reading Let’s Pray, Father God, I ask that you would give each person within the sound of my voice eyes to see, ears to hear and a heart to know you more. I pray that every person would encounter your living presence and power through the Scriptures today and that as we do we would be changed by them. Let our hearts be inspired to believe for more, to live for more and to experience more so your glory may be known upon the earth. Give us eyes to see, ears to hear and a heart to know! I ask these things in Jesus’ Precious Name, AMEN. The title for this episode and series is “Fasting & Prayer” It comes from Daniel 9:3 (ESV) “Then I turned my face to the Lord God, seeking him by prayer and pleas for mercy with fasting and sackcloth and ashes.” Today we’re going to look at this posture of Fasting & Prayer represented in Daniel’s prayers throughout the book that bears his name. A posture of mourning, solitude and prayer where he allowed himself to be afflicted in order to draw near to God. Before we jump into Scripture I’d like to speak a bit on the CoVid19 Pandemic and just how I plan to spend my days in solitude as we watch for God’s healing power to overcome this deadly disease and bring peace and healing to all the people afflicted by it’s symptoms. I’ve been watching the “panic button” type fears as our stores are emptying with shoppers stocking up on anything and everything concerned about quarantines, and reading the posts of individuals who are living in what is now more than 50 days of isolation in Wuhan. Watching the “Flash Mob” on balconies in Italy and the ever darkening reports of increasing numbers of those who are testing positive, being hospitalized and the climbing death toll. I returned home with my husband last Friday night after going to the store to pick up groceries to get us through a couple of weeks and wept in his arms. Not because I am afraid, but because I am dismayed. Dismayed by people so selfish in their thinking that they would buy up all the toilet paper in the county daily. I mean really, toilet paper? I understand staple food products like bottled water, powdered milk or juice concentrates, flour, sugar, rice, beans, milk, cheese, bulk meats like ground beef, chicken and sausage. But the first thing to disappear is toilet paper? Dismayed by the mainstream media and Fox News for their fear mongering, politicizing and downright irresponsible reporting. Everything is exaggerated, dramatized and criticized. It is crazy out there. And as I felt myself spinning with all this dismay, wrapped in my husband’s arms - we prayed. I turned my heart to God, the Father whom I affectionately call Poppa, and I wept over the state of the people around me, and prayed for my family and those I love, my community, city, state nation and the entire world who is so affected by this pandemic: a word that has given much anxiety and fear in recent days. I wanted to take a moment to read a few posts from Facebook to you. Two of my own and one of the woman I read about in Wuhan. Rebecca Franks posted: March 8 at 1:42 AM WUHAN. It's roughly day 48 of the city's quarantine. We've been locked in our apartment complex for many weeks. I haven't eaten out since January 19. We're living in such strange times. After my last post, which was all about locks on doors and further restrictions, my husband asked me if I've posted any of the good. But...but... well, but nothing. That convicted me. So from the epicenter of the coronavirus, here is just SOME of the good we have been experiencing because of the lockdown: (Be warned - there is no way this post could be short.) Our family life has never been better. Usually one weekend is long enough before I'm ready to send each of us back to school or work. But for SEVEN weeks, we've been home together with very little outside influences or distraction, forced to reconnect with one another, learn how to communicate better, give each other space, slow down our pace, and be a stronger family than ever before. We've learned how to accept help from others. During this time, we've HAD to rely on others to show us how to get food and other things we need. People here are so good, and they want to help. It's satisfying to accept the help. Shopping is so much easier now. It comes straight to our complex, and we just pick it up. Simple. Right now I hear birds outside my window (on the 25th floor). I used to think there weren't really birds in Wuhan, because you rarely saw them and never heard them. I now know they were just muted and crowded out by the traffic and people. All day long now I hear birds singing. It stops me in my tracks to hear the sound of their wings. Spring in Wuhan is absolutely stunning. God has been giving us glimpses of the beauty to come with near-perfect weather. Because of lockdown, we get to watch spring slowly unfold right in front of us with no work, traffic, pollution, or other distractions. I have pulled up my chair and am ready for the creator's show. My cooking has gotten way more creative. I'm cooking like a homesteader. Housekeeping hasn't suffered, either. We take naps in the middle of the day sometimes. We've all been reading so much more than before. I've reconnected with lots of old friends. We've talked with our families more than ever before. We still work and do school, but all from home and all on flexible hours. It is not perfect, but it is fairly productive and good. We are exercising more. Because we borrowed a rowing machine from school right before the lockdown, Edgar Franks has been rowing regularly at home and has lost several kilos already. I still walk in the morning as usual, but I do so with no time restrictions and now with friend Erika Carlson. In my yoga world, I have finally done a forearm stand. I also share goofy yoga photos each day with a local friend/yogi. This keeps us connected in spirit and movement. I could devote a whole post to the amazing community we've been blessed with because of this lockdown. We live near 4 other staff members, most of whom we didn't know well at all prior to this. Because of this quarantine, we have bonded with and supported each other in ways that I've never experienced in 9 years of living here. (Crowd sourcing for feminine products and coffee, creatively sharing overstock of carrots and squash, etc) Friday night, we four staff women celebrated Julia Marie Roehrkasse's birthday together. We four have never before been together without husbands, kids, or larger community. But that night, I felt like I won the lottery in the friendship department. Our gathering was genuine in a way that can only be shared by people who are experiencing the same thing at the same time and understand what each other are going through. This bond we have may lessen when our world gets back to normal, but for now I wouldn't trade it for anything. It is good. My prayer life has never been better and my study time has been much more real. I have quiet time that is actually (usually) quiet - and I can devote real time to it. Most days I have so much more time to think, to listen, to process, and to discover. I am discovering the good gifts that God has given me and my family. More than anything, I am bowled over by his goodness at every turn. He overwhelms me with his goodness. We had "church" by Zoom this morning at 10:30, as usual. My husband just woke up from his nap. My kid is reading quietly on the couch. I have the luxury of writing uncensored here on FB. We are about to go pick up a ham that a friend is giving us, taking her our coffee and cranberries to share. God is providing so many opportunities for good while we are here, and he is showing us his goodness every single moment. We are at peace in the epicenter of the virus. We are at peace in the epicenter of his will. Fear is a faithless coward and has no place in the lives of believers. Fear and worry have no seat at our table. We're here because he wants us here, right now, for his purpose. Coronavirus wants you to isolate and stock up and take care of your own first. Instead, look to him first while you take care of others. In community, we can do so much more than we can do on our own. God is caring for us so richly and showering us with SO MUCH GOOD each and every moment. And the song just plays nonstop in my head - Oh, the overwhelming, never-ending, reckless love of God. It chases me down, fights 'til I'm found, leaves the 99. I couldn't earn it, I don't deserve it, still, You give Yourself away. Oh, the overwhelming, never-ending, reckless love of God. Psalm 118:6 - The Lord is with me; I will not be afraid. What can man do to me? Pray.” And my response was to consider in all this what I am grateful for in spite of all that dismays me in this world. And so I also wrote, after putting the groceries away and reading Rebecca’s post at 12:08 am March 14, 2020: I don't know what else I have to offer, but I'm offering Jesus and gratitude tonight. For a Good God still in the miracle business. Grateful for friends and family to share life with. That Scott and I have life's necessities tonight. Food, Clothing, Shelter Community and Family. I'm grateful for the conversations we had with our girls this week planning for our first grandbaby and other milestones that are just too good and joyful... But cannot yet be spoken of in public. I'm grateful for the privilege of taking my nearly 75 yo Momma to the gym and shopping for workout clothes which have not disappeared from the store racks this week. I'm grateful for air to breathe and that another day to awaken to life is another day to reach into the lives of others with Jesus' truly good news!!! I'm letting you know He came to save you, but that's not all... He also came to transform you, heal you, deliver you, set you free, equip you, empower you, and to give you His joy, His peace, His love, His life and His abundance. Nothing in life scares me when I remember Who He is, all He has promised, all He has done and all He will come back to finish this with us!!! Do you know Him? Yes, I'm grateful for Him most of all. Nothing is impossible for those who believe!!! And all those things He will do for you - He wants to do through you in the lives of other people. "In this world you will have trouble, but take heart for I have overcome the world." - Jesus (John 16:33) "Be anxious for nothing, but in everything through prayer and petition - with thanksgiving - make your requests known to God, and His peace which passes all understanding will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus." - Apostle Paul (Philippians 4:6-7) He is love. Love casts out fear. Love Never fails. Take heart indeed. March 14 at 9:08 am As I become more and more dismayed by humanity... I have one hope: Jesus multiplied the loaves and fishes in His disciples hands. He is the God of more than enough. Praying for peace and rest over you today as we watch our world feeding a hysterical panic. Let's get better at expressing the only Love that saves. "God is Perfect Love. There is no fear in love... Perfect Love casts out ALL Fear." -The Apostle John (1John 4) Now for today’s reading, found in 1 John 4, The New King James Version (NKJV) The heading for Chapter Four Reads: Love for God & One Another Verses 1-3: Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits, whether they are of God; because many false prophets have gone out into the world. By this you know the Spirit of God: Every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is of God, and every spirit that does not confess that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is not of God. And this is the spirit of the Antichrist, which you have heard was coming, and is now already in the world. As I have been praying over this virus God began to show me the governments of this world that oppose Him and operate in an Anti-Christ Spirit. He bid me pray for these government leaders and for the repentance of nations, especially governmental leaders who oppose Him. Many of these countries have been heavily afflicted by this virus. Now mind you, I’m not saying the people are of the Anti-Christ spirit - but the governments oppose God through the Anti-Christ Spirit. China, North Korea, Iran, Italy - except for Italy the other three countries oppose Jesus Christ as the Son of God. They persecute believers and seek to destroy anything that opposes their government, especially Jews and Christians - and in China, more recently Muslims. And in Italy the Pope recently met with a leader of the Islamic faith and agreed to an accord that stated that whether one serves the God of the Bible or the God of the Koran, Allah, that we serve the same God. How does that ring to you? And now CoVid19, also known as the Coronavirus, has spread to the United States of America where the church has largely surrendered her influence to the government, expecting the government to do for us what God has called us to do in Him. In case you’ve missed it, our government is failing miserably at honoring God in most every way these days. Even with President Trump, who allows for weekly worship and prayer. Who is standing by faith to protect religious freedoms and calling the nation to prayer. Still. Failing. Why? Anything we put our faith in that is not God, will surely fail us. It has to - or else why would we need God. We can buy every roll of toilet paper in the world, and still not save ourselves or our family from this deadly virus. We should remember that God’s adversary Satan is one whom Jesus called a liar, the Father of lies actually, and Satan trafficks in scarcity, lack and fear as he rules this world - the prince of the air, with authority from God - as he comes to kill, steal and destroy. But, my question is… Will you let him win this battle? Will you give in to fear, scarcity and lack - allowing Him to steal from you, to destroy those around you and even seek to take the lives of those you love? Or, Are you willing to take your position, stand your watch upon God’s wall and not give Him rest day or night until He makes this nation, every nation for that matter, a praise declaring His glory upon the earth. (Isaiah 62) You see the Coronavirus may seem new, but it’s been around since the mid- 1960s when it was first identified. The CoVid19 strain may be more potent than previous strains, but it is not new. And the enemy of God is using it to destroy people. The world has turned further and further away from God because the church has not risen to the occasion. We are right now in a moment where the clarion call of Heaven is for the church to rise up and take her place. Reclaiming for God the nations, the people, she is called to preach the Gospel to and make disciples of… The nations she serves. God is calling His Church to rise in this hour above the fear and the dismay, into a place of battle. Do you have your armor on? When I say none of this is new: Think about it… John likely wrote these books toward the end of his life. Many date the writing to between 70-90 AD. And John writes during the end of the first century that the Anti-Christ Spirit had already been released in the world. The Anti-Christ spirit has been opposing God and His people for generation after generation. And we’re still here. We may be barely breathing, but if we’re breathing He will strengthen us for the fight. Verse 4: You are of God, little children, and have overcome them, because He who is in you is greater than he who is in the world. Do you hear that beloved of God? If you are in Christ, you are of God - His Children - and you have already overcome them. How? Jesus. HE is in YOU. And He who is in you is greater than he who is in the world. Amen? Verses 5-6: They are of the world. Therefore they speak as of the world, and the world hears them. We are of God. He who knows God hears us; he who is not of God does not hear us. By this we know the spirit of truth and the spirit of error. We have to be careful what we agree with, partner with and confess with our mouth. We are of God. And He is about to tell us what part of fear we should have… Where we line up will tell us if we believe in truth or in the lies of the enemy who is seeking to devour us. Heading: Knowing God Through Love Verse 7-10: Beloved, let us love one another, for love is of God; and everyone who loves is born of God and knows God. He who does not love does not know God, for God is love. In this the love of God was manifested toward us, that God has sent His only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through Him. In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation (meaning the substitutionary sacrifice that paid the price) for our sins. Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. God’s love is identified by the Greek word, agapē (Strong’s G26) which is most commonly translated simply love, but may also be translated as benevolence - a word commonly associated with charity - but herein actually refers to the sacrificial nature of God who is love. A love so lavish we may feast upon it. Some say it is the highest form of love, a love that desires the very best for others and pursues that best on their behalf - sacrificing itself, believing the best, expressing affection and kindness, bearing up in patience, refusing to be rude, never jealous of - but jealous for, a love free of envy, boasting, anger or the like. 1 Corinthians 13 concludes it’s ode to love saying, “Love bears all things, believe all things, hopes all things. Love Never Fails.” If God is love - HE NEVER FAILS. Do you get that? Why should we fear if we belong to God? He will not fail us. He is love - He sacrifices so we can experience Him as love. That is a beautiful thing to consider. Heading: Seeing God Through Love… Do You See God through Love? Verse 12-16: No one has seen God at any time. If we love one another, God abides in us, and His love has been perfected in us. By this we know that we abide in Him, and He in us, because He has given us of His Spirit. And we have seen and testify that the Father has sent the Son as Savior of the world. Whoever confesses that Jesus is the Son of God, God abides in him, and he in God. And we have known and believed the love that God has for us. God is love, and he who abides in love abides in God, and God in him. First of all, I would be remiss if I didn’t seize this opportunity to ask… Have you confessed Jesus as the Son of God, who died as the sacrifice paying the price for your sins? Well, beloved, no time like the present. If you want a relationship with Jesus and to surrender to him as Love, then today’s the day. Just confess with your mouth what you believe in your heart (See Romans 8:9-10). “Lord God, I believe that Jesus is your only Son who died on a cross for my sins and rose in power to be the Lord of my life. Today I surrender myself to your love, fill me with your eternal life and your holy spirit.” That’s it… now all you have to do is learn to abide in Him as Love and be an expression of that love to the world around you. Isn’t that good news? Do you know God, do you see Him as love? Not just a God who loves, but our God who is Love. That’s a capital L. It was His love for us that compelled the Father to send the Son to die on a cross for us. It was His love for us and His Father that compelled Christ to the Cross to willingly die on our behalf. Jesus died so we don’t have to live in eternal punishment, separated from God for sin. And if we know Him and abide in Him then we abide in love. Now let me ask you, How are you doing at abiding in love? Sacrificing on behalf of others so they may know Love, too. Heading: The Consummation of Love Verse 17-19: Love has been perfected among us in this: that we may have boldness in the day of judgment; because as He is, so are we in this world. There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves torment. But he who fears has not been made perfect in love. We love Him because He first loved us. The Love that is God is consummated in us when it casts out all FEAR. Fear involves torment, but when God comes to us as Perfect Love - it casts out all fear. Not some, not part - but all. If I am responding and reacting in panic to fear then I am not abiding in God who is perfect love. Do you get that? I cannot possibly love others selflessly without first abiding in the only Sacrificial love there is the Love who is God, Himself. The Common English Bible (CEB) renders verse 18 this way: “ There is no fear in love, but perfect love drives out fear, because fear expects punishment. The person who is afraid has not been made perfect in love.” And if I give place to fear, allowing anxiety and worry to keep me from abiding in God, then I am living in fear. You see, fear is not of God because it is not God’s desire to punish us. He will chasten those He loves to teach us discipline - the root word of discipline is disciple. But, He will not willingly bring harm to us or torment us with fear. It is not in His nature. To fear God is to live in awe of His glory, to be reverent of His holiness, and to honor Him as Good. But, this fear is not the same as fear of punishment or torment. A healthy caution and a holy reverence are often called fear, but in fact they are true wisdom. A healthy caution understands that danger and evil exist in this world and lives proactively pursuing God in reverence, walking in His wisdom and love - which casts out fear. When we live with the wisdom of healthy caution and holy reverence - fear will have no place in our lives because the Spirit of God - the Holy Spirit - who lives inside of us will guide us into all truth when we yield ourselves to Him. When we love God, we yield ourselves to Him which brings us to our conclusion. Heading: Obedience by Faith Verse 20-21: If someone says, “I love God,” and hates his brother, he is a liar; for he who does not love his brother whom he has seen, how can he love God whom he has not seen? And this commandment we have from Him: that he who loves God must love his brother also. Bill Johnson is the Senior Leader of Bethel Church in Redding, CA. My friend, Tracy, and I have been to Bethel for prophetic and healing schools and follow their services regularly online. She reminds me often of something that Bill says, “Obedience is the love language of the Holy Spirit.” To walk in fear is to walk in disobedience to the love of God. Do you see that? To walk in hatred toward others, to mock them or believe deception and live by it - confess it - means you do not live in obedience to the Love of God. I mentioned 1 Corinthians 13 earlier and here is how the Apostle Paul defined love: “Love is large and incredibly patient. Love is gentle and consistently kind to all. It refuses to be jealous when blessing comes to someone else. Love does not brag about one’s achievements nor inflate its own importance. Love does not traffic in shame and disrespect, nor selfishly seek its own honor. Love is not easily irritated or quick to take offense. Love joyfully celebrates honesty and finds no delight in what is wrong. Love is a safe place of shelter, for it never stops believing the best for others. Love never takes failure as defeat, for it never gives up...Until then, there are three things that remain: faith, hope, and love—yet love surpasses them all. So above all else, let love be the beautiful prize for which you run.” (1 Corinthians 13:4-7, 13 TPT) You see if I am going to love as God loves, I have to first live in Him as Love. And as He lives in me, and expresses Himself through me - when I yield myself to His perfect love - only then will I be loving others with incredible patience, through gentle and consistent kindness to ALL, not just believers, but everyone - even those who despise me, insult me, persecute me and seek my life - ALL. Only then will I be able to refuse jealousy when I see the blessing in other people’s lives. Only then will I not be concerned with bragging about my achievements or inflating myself in self-promotion or importance, but rather I will bow low, and humbly serve even if I am never recognized. I will gladly promote others and their welfare beyond my own. If I live in the Perfect Love that is God, and that Love abides in me then I will not traffic in shame or disrespect toward others, nor selfishly seek my own honor. I will not be easily irritated or angered, and will not be quick to take offense. YOU SEE.. Love joyfully celebrates honesty and doesn’t glory when others or even itself is found wrong. When I walk in God’s Love toward others I become a safe place of shelter, never failing to believe the best for others. I never take failure as a sign of defeat, and I never give up! Paul assures us that in the end three things will remain: faith, hope and love - and LOVE will be what surpasses them all. So let’s do it friends. Let’s overcome the present evil, and this plague of Coronavirus with Love - for it is the most beautiful prize we run toward. Jesus Himself, our God is Love. I pray over the next week you’ll find yourself fasting from judgments, criticisms and fear as you turn your heart toward Perfect Love and become an expression of that love to everyone around you! Poppa God, we come today humbled by your words of exhortation toward perfect love. Make us vessels of your perfect love, and turn our hearts to dwell in you, the God who is Perfect love. Keep our minds from anxious and worried thoughts, keep our hearts set on you and your perfect love through these trying days, seeking ways to sacrificially love others more than we love ourselves. In Jesus’ name I pray, Amen. Closing Remarks Thank you for tuning in with us. I pray this is some encouragement to you as you seek to set your heart in a posture of love through this grievous time of solitude, mourning and despair. May His joy be complete in you and you walk in His steadfast love for you. Next week we’ll dig deeper into this idea of turning our hearts to God, grieving over the state of His people and our communities as we seek His face in Fasting & Prayer. I also want to ask you if this podcast has been a blessing to you: would you consider subscribing to it and share it with your friends and family? We’d love to partner with you in sharing messages that encourage and inspire. If you’d like to be a guest on this show or get more information about hosting your own podcast on the Blooming Inspired Podcast Network - please reach out to michelle.bentham@bloominginspirednetwork.com. I’d love the opportunity to connect with you and figure out how we can share your voice with the world around us. Join Us Through Facebook Live for Bible Study on Saturday at 10am (CT)! We’ll continue reading Luke 14 this week and digging into the life of Christ Verse-By-Verse considering what we would believe if reading the Scriptures was the primary way we inform our faith! You can learn more and catch up on last week’s study by visiting facebook.com/bloominginspired. If you need encouragement of any kind, prayer or would just like to stay connected with us here at Blooming Inspired Network, please reach out by visiting us on Facebook, @BloomingInspired or bloominginspirednetwork.com and click the Direct Message or Contact link at the top of the page. 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This week Michelle begins a new series with commentary on the CoVid19 Pandemic from a biblical perspective and talking the next few weeks about turning the posture of our hearts to fasting and prayer. Today, we will look at how perfect love casts out fear and how turning our hearts to receive God’s Perfect Love helps us to in turn love others well. Show Transcript: You are listening to the Blooming Inspired Podcast on the Blooming Inspired Podcast Network. We exist to empower the voices of women who live their lives #BloomingAlive through Podcast Community. Now, here is your host. Blooming Inspired Podcast equipping and empowering the voices of women who live their lives Blooming Alive. Introduction Good Morning! This is Michelle Bentham, host of Blooming Inspired Podcast. Review Over the last 6 weeks we’ve been having a conversation with Karen Dearmand Gardener sharing her testimony about walking out of a 30 year marriage where she suffered Domestic Abuse and Violence, and how God spent the last 15 years redeeming her past and her pain as she has learned to heal and overcome those years of trauma and abuse. Be sure to keep up with Karen and the publication of her book on the subject scheduled for publication in 2021. Her Facebook Page is: facebook.com/crackthesilence This Week’s Reading Let’s Pray, Father God, I ask that you would give each person within the sound of my voice eyes to see, ears to hear and a heart to know you more. I pray that every person would encounter your living presence and power through the Scriptures today and that as we do we would be changed by them. Let our hearts be inspired to believe for more, to live for more and to experience more so your glory may be known upon the earth. Give us eyes to see, ears to hear and a heart to know! I ask these things in Jesus’ Precious Name, AMEN. The title for this episode and series is “Fasting & Prayer” It comes from Daniel 9:3 (ESV) “Then I turned my face to the Lord God, seeking him by prayer and pleas for mercy with fasting and sackcloth and ashes.” Today we’re going to look at this posture of Fasting & Prayer represented in Daniel’s prayers throughout the book that bears his name. A posture of mourning, solitude and prayer where he allowed himself to be afflicted in order to draw near to God. Before we jump into Scripture I’d like to speak a bit on the CoVid19 Pandemic and just how I plan to spend my days in solitude as we watch for God’s healing power to overcome this deadly disease and bring peace and healing to all the people afflicted by it’s symptoms. I’ve been watching the “panic button” type fears as our stores are emptying with shoppers stocking up on anything and everything concerned about quarantines, and reading the posts of individuals who are living in what is now more than 50 days of isolation in Wuhan. Watching the “Flash Mob” on balconies in Italy and the ever darkening reports of increasing numbers of those who are testing positive, being hospitalized and the climbing death toll. I returned home with my husband last Friday night after going to the store to pick up groceries to get us through a couple of weeks and wept in his arms. Not because I am afraid, but because I am dismayed. Dismayed by people so selfish in their thinking that they would buy up all the toilet paper in the county daily. I mean really, toilet paper? I understand staple food products like bottled water, powdered milk or juice concentrates, flour, sugar, rice, beans, milk, cheese, bulk meats like ground beef, chicken and sausage. But the first thing to disappear is toilet paper? Dismayed by the mainstream media and Fox News for their fear mongering, politicizing and downright irresponsible reporting. Everything is exaggerated, dramatized and criticized. It is crazy out there. And as I felt myself spinning with all this dismay, wrapped in my husband’s arms - we prayed. I turned my heart to God, the Father whom I affectionately call Poppa, and I wept over the state of the people around me, and prayed for my family and those I love, my community, city, state nation and the entire world who is so affected by this pandemic: a word that has given much anxiety and fear in recent days. I wanted to take a moment to read a few posts from Facebook to you. Two of my own and one of the woman I read about in Wuhan. Rebecca Franks posted: March 8 at 1:42 AM WUHAN. It's roughly day 48 of the city's quarantine. We've been locked in our apartment complex for many weeks. I haven't eaten out since January 19. We're living in such strange times. After my last post, which was all about locks on doors and further restrictions, my husband asked me if I've posted any of the good. But...but... well, but nothing. That convicted me. So from the epicenter of the coronavirus, here is just SOME of the good we have been experiencing because of the lockdown: (Be warned - there is no way this post could be short.) Our family life has never been better. Usually one weekend is long enough before I'm ready to send each of us back to school or work. But for SEVEN weeks, we've been home together with very little outside influences or distraction, forced to reconnect with one another, learn how to communicate better, give each other space, slow down our pace, and be a stronger family than ever before. We've learned how to accept help from others. During this time, we've HAD to rely on others to show us how to get food and other things we need. People here are so good, and they want to help. It's satisfying to accept the help. Shopping is so much easier now. It comes straight to our complex, and we just pick it up. Simple. Right now I hear birds outside my window (on the 25th floor). I used to think there weren't really birds in Wuhan, because you rarely saw them and never heard them. I now know they were just muted and crowded out by the traffic and people. All day long now I hear birds singing. It stops me in my tracks to hear the sound of their wings. Spring in Wuhan is absolutely stunning. God has been giving us glimpses of the beauty to come with near-perfect weather. Because of lockdown, we get to watch spring slowly unfold right in front of us with no work, traffic, pollution, or other distractions. I have pulled up my chair and am ready for the creator's show. My cooking has gotten way more creative. I'm cooking like a homesteader. Housekeeping hasn't suffered, either. We take naps in the middle of the day sometimes. We've all been reading so much more than before. I've reconnected with lots of old friends. We've talked with our families more than ever before. We still work and do school, but all from home and all on flexible hours. It is not perfect, but it is fairly productive and good. We are exercising more. Because we borrowed a rowing machine from school right before the lockdown, Edgar Franks has been rowing regularly at home and has lost several kilos already. I still walk in the morning as usual, but I do so with no time restrictions and now with friend Erika Carlson. In my yoga world, I have finally done a forearm stand. I also share goofy yoga photos each day with a local friend/yogi. This keeps us connected in spirit and movement. I could devote a whole post to the amazing community we've been blessed with because of this lockdown. We live near 4 other staff members, most of whom we didn't know well at all prior to this. Because of this quarantine, we have bonded with and supported each other in ways that I've never experienced in 9 years of living here. (Crowd sourcing for feminine products and coffee, creatively sharing overstock of carrots and squash, etc) Friday night, we four staff women celebrated Julia Marie Roehrkasse's birthday together. We four have never before been together without husbands, kids, or larger community. But that night, I felt like I won the lottery in the friendship department. Our gathering was genuine in a way that can only be shared by people who are experiencing the same thing at the same time and understand what each other are going through. This bond we have may lessen when our world gets back to normal, but for now I wouldn't trade it for anything. It is good. My prayer life has never been better and my study time has been much more real. I have quiet time that is actually (usually) quiet - and I can devote real time to it. Most days I have so much more time to think, to listen, to process, and to discover. I am discovering the good gifts that God has given me and my family. More than anything, I am bowled over by his goodness at every turn. He overwhelms me with his goodness. We had "church" by Zoom this morning at 10:30, as usual. My husband just woke up from his nap. My kid is reading quietly on the couch. I have the luxury of writing uncensored here on FB. We are about to go pick up a ham that a friend is giving us, taking her our coffee and cranberries to share. God is providing so many opportunities for good while we are here, and he is showing us his goodness every single moment. We are at peace in the epicenter of the virus. We are at peace in the epicenter of his will. Fear is a faithless coward and has no place in the lives of believers. Fear and worry have no seat at our table. We're here because he wants us here, right now, for his purpose. Coronavirus wants you to isolate and stock up and take care of your own first. Instead, look to him first while you take care of others. In community, we can do so much more than we can do on our own. God is caring for us so richly and showering us with SO MUCH GOOD each and every moment. And the song just plays nonstop in my head - Oh, the overwhelming, never-ending, reckless love of God. It chases me down, fights 'til I'm found, leaves the 99. I couldn't earn it, I don't deserve it, still, You give Yourself away. Oh, the overwhelming, never-ending, reckless love of God. Psalm 118:6 - The Lord is with me; I will not be afraid. What can man do to me? Pray.” And my response was to consider in all this what I am grateful for in spite of all that dismays me in this world. And so I also wrote, after putting the groceries away and reading Rebecca’s post at 12:08 am March 14, 2020: I don't know what else I have to offer, but I'm offering Jesus and gratitude tonight. For a Good God still in the miracle business. Grateful for friends and family to share life with. That Scott and I have life's necessities tonight. Food, Clothing, Shelter Community and Family. I'm grateful for the conversations we had with our girls this week planning for our first grandbaby and other milestones that are just too good and joyful... But cannot yet be spoken of in public. I'm grateful for the privilege of taking my nearly 75 yo Momma to the gym and shopping for workout clothes which have not disappeared from the store racks this week. I'm grateful for air to breathe and that another day to awaken to life is another day to reach into the lives of others with Jesus' truly good news!!! I'm letting you know He came to save you, but that's not all... He also came to transform you, heal you, deliver you, set you free, equip you, empower you, and to give you His joy, His peace, His love, His life and His abundance. Nothing in life scares me when I remember Who He is, all He has promised, all He has done and all He will come back to finish this with us!!! Do you know Him? Yes, I'm grateful for Him most of all. Nothing is impossible for those who believe!!! And all those things He will do for you - He wants to do through you in the lives of other people. "In this world you will have trouble, but take heart for I have overcome the world." - Jesus (John 16:33) "Be anxious for nothing, but in everything through prayer and petition - with thanksgiving - make your requests known to God, and His peace which passes all understanding will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus." - Apostle Paul (Philippians 4:6-7) He is love. Love casts out fear. Love Never fails. Take heart indeed. March 14 at 9:08 am As I become more and more dismayed by humanity... I have one hope: Jesus multiplied the loaves and fishes in His disciples hands. He is the God of more than enough. Praying for peace and rest over you today as we watch our world feeding a hysterical panic. Let's get better at expressing the only Love that saves. "God is Perfect Love. There is no fear in love... Perfect Love casts out ALL Fear." -The Apostle John (1John 4) Now for today’s reading, found in 1 John 4, The New King James Version (NKJV) The heading for Chapter Four Reads: Love for God & One Another Verses 1-3: Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits, whether they are of God; because many false prophets have gone out into the world. By this you know the Spirit of God: Every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is of God, and every spirit that does not confess that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is not of God. And this is the spirit of the Antichrist, which you have heard was coming, and is now already in the world. As I have been praying over this virus God began to show me the governments of this world that oppose Him and operate in an Anti-Christ Spirit. He bid me pray for these government leaders and for the repentance of nations, especially governmental leaders who oppose Him. Many of these countries have been heavily afflicted by this virus. Now mind you, I’m not saying the people are of the Anti-Christ spirit - but the governments oppose God through the Anti-Christ Spirit. China, North Korea, Iran, Italy - except for Italy the other three countries oppose Jesus Christ as the Son of God. They persecute believers and seek to destroy anything that opposes their government, especially Jews and Christians - and in China, more recently Muslims. And in Italy the Pope recently met with a leader of the Islamic faith and agreed to an accord that stated that whether one serves the God of the Bible or the God of the Koran, Allah, that we serve the same God. How does that ring to you? And now CoVid19, also known as the Coronavirus, has spread to the United States of America where the church has largely surrendered her influence to the government, expecting the government to do for us what God has called us to do in Him. In case you’ve missed it, our government is failing miserably at honoring God in most every way these days. Even with President Trump, who allows for weekly worship and prayer. Who is standing by faith to protect religious freedoms and calling the nation to prayer. Still. Failing. Why? Anything we put our faith in that is not God, will surely fail us. It has to - or else why would we need God. We can buy every roll of toilet paper in the world, and still not save ourselves or our family from this deadly virus. We should remember that God’s adversary Satan is one whom Jesus called a liar, the Father of lies actually, and Satan trafficks in scarcity, lack and fear as he rules this world - the prince of the air, with authority from God - as he comes to kill, steal and destroy. But, my question is… Will you let him win this battle? Will you give in to fear, scarcity and lack - allowing Him to steal from you, to destroy those around you and even seek to take the lives of those you love? Or, Are you willing to take your position, stand your watch upon God’s wall and not give Him rest day or night until He makes this nation, every nation for that matter, a praise declaring His glory upon the earth. (Isaiah 62) You see the Coronavirus may seem new, but it’s been around since the mid- 1960s when it was first identified. The CoVid19 strain may be more potent than previous strains, but it is not new. And the enemy of God is using it to destroy people. The world has turned further and further away from God because the church has not risen to the occasion. We are right now in a moment where the clarion call of Heaven is for the church to rise up and take her place. Reclaiming for God the nations, the people, she is called to preach the Gospel to and make disciples of… The nations she serves. God is calling His Church to rise in this hour above the fear and the dismay, into a place of battle. Do you have your armor on? When I say none of this is new: Think about it… John likely wrote these books toward the end of his life. Many date the writing to between 70-90 AD. And John writes during the end of the first century that the Anti-Christ Spirit had already been released in the world. The Anti-Christ spirit has been opposing God and His people for generation after generation. And we’re still here. We may be barely breathing, but if we’re breathing He will strengthen us for the fight. Verse 4: You are of God, little children, and have overcome them, because He who is in you is greater than he who is in the world. Do you hear that beloved of God? If you are in Christ, you are of God - His Children - and you have already overcome them. How? Jesus. HE is in YOU. And He who is in you is greater than he who is in the world. Amen? Verses 5-6: They are of the world. Therefore they speak as of the world, and the world hears them. We are of God. He who knows God hears us; he who is not of God does not hear us. By this we know the spirit of truth and the spirit of error. We have to be careful what we agree with, partner with and confess with our mouth. We are of God. And He is about to tell us what part of fear we should have… Where we line up will tell us if we believe in truth or in the lies of the enemy who is seeking to devour us. Heading: Knowing God Through Love Verse 7-10: Beloved, let us love one another, for love is of God; and everyone who loves is born of God and knows God. He who does not love does not know God, for God is love. In this the love of God was manifested toward us, that God has sent His only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through Him. In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation (meaning the substitutionary sacrifice that paid the price) for our sins. Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. God’s love is identified by the Greek word, agapē (Strong’s G26) which is most commonly translated simply love, but may also be translated as benevolence - a word commonly associated with charity - but herein actually refers to the sacrificial nature of God who is love. A love so lavish we may feast upon it. Some say it is the highest form of love, a love that desires the very best for others and pursues that best on their behalf - sacrificing itself, believing the best, expressing affection and kindness, bearing up in patience, refusing to be rude, never jealous of - but jealous for, a love free of envy, boasting, anger or the like. 1 Corinthians 13 concludes it’s ode to love saying, “Love bears all things, believe all things, hopes all things. Love Never Fails.” If God is love - HE NEVER FAILS. Do you get that? Why should we fear if we belong to God? He will not fail us. He is love - He sacrifices so we can experience Him as love. That is a beautiful thing to consider. Heading: Seeing God Through Love… Do You See God through Love? Verse 12-16: No one has seen God at any time. If we love one another, God abides in us, and His love has been perfected in us. By this we know that we abide in Him, and He in us, because He has given us of His Spirit. And we have seen and testify that the Father has sent the Son as Savior of the world. Whoever confesses that Jesus is the Son of God, God abides in him, and he in God. And we have known and believed the love that God has for us. God is love, and he who abides in love abides in God, and God in him. First of all, I would be remiss if I didn’t seize this opportunity to ask… Have you confessed Jesus as the Son of God, who died as the sacrifice paying the price for your sins? Well, beloved, no time like the present. If you want a relationship with Jesus and to surrender to him as Love, then today’s the day. Just confess with your mouth what you believe in your heart (See Romans 8:9-10). “Lord God, I believe that Jesus is your only Son who died on a cross for my sins and rose in power to be the Lord of my life. Today I surrender myself to your love, fill me with your eternal life and your holy spirit.” That’s it… now all you have to do is learn to abide in Him as Love and be an expression of that love to the world around you. Isn’t that good news? Do you know God, do you see Him as love? Not just a God who loves, but our God who is Love. That’s a capital L. It was His love for us that compelled the Father to send the Son to die on a cross for us. It was His love for us and His Father that compelled Christ to the Cross to willingly die on our behalf. Jesus died so we don’t have to live in eternal punishment, separated from God for sin. And if we know Him and abide in Him then we abide in love. Now let me ask you, How are you doing at abiding in love? Sacrificing on behalf of others so they may know Love, too. Heading: The Consummation of Love Verse 17-19: Love has been perfected among us in this: that we may have boldness in the day of judgment; because as He is, so are we in this world. There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves torment. But he who fears has not been made perfect in love. We love Him because He first loved us. The Love that is God is consummated in us when it casts out all FEAR. Fear involves torment, but when God comes to us as Perfect Love - it casts out all fear. Not some, not part - but all. If I am responding and reacting in panic to fear then I am not abiding in God who is perfect love. Do you get that? I cannot possibly love others selflessly without first abiding in the only Sacrificial love there is the Love who is God, Himself. The Common English Bible (CEB) renders verse 18 this way: “ There is no fear in love, but perfect love drives out fear, because fear expects punishment. The person who is afraid has not been made perfect in love.” And if I give place to fear, allowing anxiety and worry to keep me from abiding in God, then I am living in fear. You see, fear is not of God because it is not God’s desire to punish us. He will chasten those He loves to teach us discipline - the root word of discipline is disciple. But, He will not willingly bring harm to us or torment us with fear. It is not in His nature. To fear God is to live in awe of His glory, to be reverent of His holiness, and to honor Him as Good. But, this fear is not the same as fear of punishment or torment. A healthy caution and a holy reverence are often called fear, but in fact they are true wisdom. A healthy caution understands that danger and evil exist in this world and lives proactively pursuing God in reverence, walking in His wisdom and love - which casts out fear. When we live with the wisdom of healthy caution and holy reverence - fear will have no place in our lives because the Spirit of God - the Holy Spirit - who lives inside of us will guide us into all truth when we yield ourselves to Him. When we love God, we yield ourselves to Him which brings us to our conclusion. Heading: Obedience by Faith Verse 20-21: If someone says, “I love God,” and hates his brother, he is a liar; for he who does not love his brother whom he has seen, how can he love God whom he has not seen? And this commandment we have from Him: that he who loves God must love his brother also. Bill Johnson is the Senior Leader of Bethel Church in Redding, CA. My friend, Tracy, and I have been to Bethel for prophetic and healing schools and follow their services regularly online. She reminds me often of something that Bill says, “Obedience is the love language of the Holy Spirit.” To walk in fear is to walk in disobedience to the love of God. Do you see that? To walk in hatred toward others, to mock them or believe deception and live by it - confess it - means you do not live in obedience to the Love of God. I mentioned 1 Corinthians 13 earlier and here is how the Apostle Paul defined love: “Love is large and incredibly patient. Love is gentle and consistently kind to all. It refuses to be jealous when blessing comes to someone else. Love does not brag about one’s achievements nor inflate its own importance. Love does not traffic in shame and disrespect, nor selfishly seek its own honor. Love is not easily irritated or quick to take offense. Love joyfully celebrates honesty and finds no delight in what is wrong. Love is a safe place of shelter, for it never stops believing the best for others. Love never takes failure as defeat, for it never gives up...Until then, there are three things that remain: faith, hope, and love—yet love surpasses them all. So above all else, let love be the beautiful prize for which you run.” (1 Corinthians 13:4-7, 13 TPT) You see if I am going to love as God loves, I have to first live in Him as Love. And as He lives in me, and expresses Himself through me - when I yield myself to His perfect love - only then will I be loving others with incredible patience, through gentle and consistent kindness to ALL, not just believers, but everyone - even those who despise me, insult me, persecute me and seek my life - ALL. Only then will I be able to refuse jealousy when I see the blessing in other people’s lives. Only then will I not be concerned with bragging about my achievements or inflating myself in self-promotion or importance, but rather I will bow low, and humbly serve even if I am never recognized. I will gladly promote others and their welfare beyond my own. If I live in the Perfect Love that is God, and that Love abides in me then I will not traffic in shame or disrespect toward others, nor selfishly seek my own honor. I will not be easily irritated or angered, and will not be quick to take offense. YOU SEE.. Love joyfully celebrates honesty and doesn’t glory when others or even itself is found wrong. When I walk in God’s Love toward others I become a safe place of shelter, never failing to believe the best for others. I never take failure as a sign of defeat, and I never give up! Paul assures us that in the end three things will remain: faith, hope and love - and LOVE will be what surpasses them all. So let’s do it friends. Let’s overcome the present evil, and this plague of Coronavirus with Love - for it is the most beautiful prize we run toward. Jesus Himself, our God is Love. I pray over the next week you’ll find yourself fasting from judgments, criticisms and fear as you turn your heart toward Perfect Love and become an expression of that love to everyone around you! Poppa God, we come today humbled by your words of exhortation toward perfect love. Make us vessels of your perfect love, and turn our hearts to dwell in you, the God who is Perfect love. Keep our minds from anxious and worried thoughts, keep our hearts set on you and your perfect love through these trying days, seeking ways to sacrificially love others more than we love ourselves. In Jesus’ name I pray, Amen. Closing Remarks Thank you for tuning in with us. I pray this is some encouragement to you as you seek to set your heart in a posture of love through this grievous time of solitude, mourning and despair. May His joy be complete in you and you walk in His steadfast love for you. Next week we’ll dig deeper into this idea of turning our hearts to God, grieving over the state of His people and our communities as we seek His face in Fasting & Prayer. I also want to ask you if this podcast has been a blessing to you: would you consider subscribing to it and share it with your friends and family? We’d love to partner with you in sharing messages that encourage and inspire. If you’d like to be a guest on this show or get more information about hosting your own podcast on the Blooming Inspired Podcast Network - please reach out to michelle.bentham@bloominginspirednetwork.com. I’d love the opportunity to connect with you and figure out how we can share your voice with the world around us. Join Us Through Facebook Live for Bible Study on Saturday at 10am (CT)! We’ll continue reading Luke 14 this week and digging into the life of Christ Verse-By-Verse considering what we would believe if reading the Scriptures was the primary way we inform our faith! You can learn more and catch up on last week’s study by visiting facebook.com/bloominginspired. If you need encouragement of any kind, prayer or would just like to stay connected with us here at Blooming Inspired Network, please reach out by visiting us on Facebook, @BloomingInspired or bloominginspirednetwork.com and click the Direct Message or Contact link at the top of the page. We’d love to join hands with you in this season and lift you up. If you’d like to get this podcast delivered to your smart device, we're available on both Apple and Google Podcasts - take a moment to Subscribe and leave a review today! Thank you for listening to the Blooming Inspired Podcast on the Blooming Inspired Podcast Network. This show airs weekly on Tuesdays. Please take a moment to like, share and subscribe to this podcast. To learn more about this podcast and it’s network, or the ministries of Blooming Inspired Network please visit BloomingInspiredNetwork.com and click the podcast link at the top of the page.

Take a ride with John in his Jetta and talk about the Lord’s Prayer. Whats the most important word in the Lord’s Prayer? It’s “Father.” The post The Lord’s Prayer – John Talkin’ Jesus in a Jetta with Java appeared first on Journey of Life Church.

Learn the Prayer—It’s Better Than Yours.

Today we sit down with one of the most recognizable and respected Maryknoll Missioners and U.S. Air Force Veteran, Fr. Robert Jalbert, M.M.. Fr. Bob heads the Church Engagement Division here at Maryknoll where he and his team are creating and supporting a “culture of mission” in the Catholic Community in the U.S. During his Missionary career, Fr. Bob served in East Africa in both Kenya and Tanzania and today is actively involved in forming communities of missionary disciples around the world.   Fr. Bob, whose fluent in Russian, served in the Air Force in Italy and rural Turkey during the Cold War. What’s interesting is how his assignment and time overseas lead to his Vocational calling with Maryknoll.   Episode Notes The following prayer is referenced by Father Bob toward the end of this interview. We want to share it with you here:   A Step Along the Way: Archbishop Romero’s Prayer It helps, now and then, to step back and take a long view. The kingdom is not only beyond our efforts, it is even beyond our vision. We accomplish in our lifetime only a tiny fraction of the magnificent enterprise that is God’s work. Nothing we do is complete, which is a way of saying that the Kingdom always lies beyond us. No statement says all that could be said. No prayer fully expresses our faith. No confession brings perfection. No pastoral visit brings wholeness. No program accomplishes the Church’s mission. No set of goals and objectives includes everything. This is what we are about. We plant the seeds that one day will grow. We water seeds already planted, knowing that they hold future promise. We lay foundations that will need further development. We provide yeast that produces far beyond our capabilities. We cannot do everything, and there is a sense of liberation in realizing that. This enables us to do something, and to do it very well. It may be incomplete, but it is a beginning, a step along the way, an opportunity for the Lord’s grace to enter and do the rest. We may never see the end results, but that is the difference between the master builder and the worker. We are workers, not master builders; ministers, not messiahs. We are prophets of a future not our own. Amen.

PRAYER: It's a topic that gets discussed a lot in Christian circles, but how often is it really applied...well? Join us in exploring the prayer of Nehemiah, a man whom God used to do great things, as we discover how to pray "the prayer of power."

ACKNOWLEDGE unto EFFECTUAL FAITH and PRAYER It is Written: The Effectual Fervent Prayer of the Righteous Avails Much! What makes Faith and Prayer EFFECTUAL? Philemon 1:6 KJV That the communication of thy faith may become effectual by the acknowledging of every good thing which is in you in Christ Jesus. EFFECTUAL FAITH Ephesians 3:7 KJV Whereof I was made a minister, according to the gift of the grace of God given unto me by the effectual working of his power. EFFECTUAL FERVENT PRAYER AVAILS MUCH James 5:16(KJV) 16 Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much. BY THE ACKNOWLEDGING Acknowledge Defined: •verb: accept (someone) to be what is claimed or accept his power and authority •verb: accept as legally binding and valid •verb: express obligation, thanks, or gratitude for •verb: report the receipt of •verb: declare to be true or admit the existence or reality or truth of •verb: express recognition of the presence or existence of, or acquaintance with To ASK is to DECLARE John 15:16 (KJV) Ye have not chosen me, but I have chosen you, and ordained you, that ye should go and bring forth fruit, and that your fruit should remain: that whatsoever ye shall ASK of the Father in my name, he may give it you. • If you don’t acknowledge it you can’t perceive it • If you don’t perceive it you can’t conceive it • Without conception there will be no birth of fruit Preach Be a Voice Not an Echo www.preachbvne.webs.com www.preachbvne.blogspot.com Twitter@Preach_BA_Voice Facebook:www.facebook.com/PREACHbeaVoicenotanEcho Message: Minister Mrs. Shawntrell Davis Audio Production: Minister Mr. Thomas Emmanuel Davis Preach Be A Voice Not An Echo (All Rights Reserved)

ACKNOWLEDGE unto EFFECTUAL FAITH and PRAYER It is Written: The Effectual Fervent Prayer of the Righteous Avails Much! What makes Faith and Prayer EFFECTUAL? Philemon 1:6 KJV DON'T BE NO FOOL! Wisdom Cries Out! Grace Note: A Wise man speaks because he has something to say – A fool speaks because he just has to say something! Ponder that! DON'T BE NO FOOL SCRIPTURE:THE FOOL Psalms 14:1 1The fool hath said in his heart, There is no God. They are corrupt, they have done abominable works, there is none that doeth good. HATES and SLANDERS Proverbs 10:18 18He that hideth hatred with lying lips, and he that uttereth a slander, is a fool. DEVICES or LOVES MISCHIEF Proverbs 10:23 23It is as sport to a fool to do mischief: but a man of understanding hath wisdom. Contradictory Speaking has PERVERS LIPS Proverbs 19:1 1Better is the poor that walketh in his integrity, than he that is perverse in his lips FOOLS will come to POVERTY AND SHAME Proverbs 13:18 18Poverty and shame shall be to him that refuseth instruction: but he that regardeth reproof shall be honoured. Grace Notes: *A fool despises Wisdom and Instructions *A fool is Right in His own eyes - Makes a Mockery *A fool Hides Hatred - Does Mischief for Sport *A fool Trusts in his own Understanding and Trusts his own heart *A fool Utters all His mind, Holds nothing Back *A fool Refuses Instructions *A fool Is Slow to receive the Word and Slow to Obey *A fool Walks in Darkness *A fool Does Not pay His Vow – Repent if you did it in foolishness, or Pay *A fool You don’t have to verbally say there is no God to be acting like a fool, you say it by your acts and/omissions Grace Note: Christians, We have been saved by Grace, we should not do foolish things that lead to consequences here in this physical realm. Trust that if you have received salvation foolish ways will begin to go away as you are renewed in the Mind of you Spirit. Although the Spirit in us has been made Perfect the transformation in the flesh is a process , not instant. He who has begun a good work in you will continue until the day of Christ. To the Lost, Don’t be a fool leading unto your complete and total destruction and separation from God for now and forever. You can’t do this separate of God and salvation through Christ. You cannot and will not have the understanding nor Grace to accomplish it! Repent, Trust God and let Him do it! Preach Be a Voice Not an Echo www.preachbvne.webs.com www.preachbvne.blogspot.com Twitter@Preach_BA_Voice Facebook:www.facebook.com/PREACHbeaVoicenotanEcho Message: Minister Mrs. Shawntrell Davis Audio Production: Minister Mr. Thomas Emmanuel Davis Preach Be A Voice Not An Echo (All Rights Reserved)

The pastor left his sermon manuscript in the pulpit. When the janitor found it, he couldn’t resist the urge to read it. He was impressed, until he stumbled over a note in the margin: “Argument weak here. Start yelling!” The post Prayer – It’s What Gets Us Through the Trials appeared first on Diane Markins.

In this half-hour, Tripp and Bo chat about last week's: podcast with Dr. John Cobb Calvin blog with Rachel Held Evans Granny blog with Kurt Willems Paul Capetz on Calvin  Tony Jones blog on Prayer It is a wild and woolly 30 minutes as they prepare for the 2012 Emergent Village Theological Conversation. You have two week to sign up and get yourself to Southern California. p.s. it was 76 and sunny here yesterday*   * previous results do not guarantee future success   Follow the podcast, drop a review, send feedback/questions or become a member of the HBC Community. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

2006-06-28-1900 Kenny Martin is the speaker for Central on Wednesday evening June 28th, 2006. Scripture Ref: Matt. 24:13, 10:22; Heb. 6:15, 12:12; Prov. 3:5-6Topic: EnduranceNotes:- Definition of Endurance- We work out, eat right for physical endurance, but neglect spiritual- We must do what is necessary on this journey to see Jesus in the end- Don’t neglect Word of God and Prayer- It’s not who I am, but who’s I am- Disciples in storm, Jesus on water, Peter stepped out.  Things come at us in life to build endurance.- Concrete pipe, let the spirit pass through me. stay humble- Jimmy-man with lump, came for prayer, back for salvation- 3 things to build spiritual endurance: Prayer, share Word with others, Trust in God- Son born with half a heart, finally dying.  Hand of God moving and carrying them through- House fire.  Lost everything material.