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Comfort God's Presence God's Provision

Practicing God’s Presence

“Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me.” Psalm 23:4 (NIV) In the Seventeenth Century, a monk named, Brother Lawrence, worked in the kitchen of the Carmelite Monastery in Paris, France. He is […]

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God's Provision Restoration Soul Nourishment

Restoring Your Soul

“He makes me lie down in green pastures, he leads me beside quiet waters, he restores my soul. He guides me in paths of righteousness for his name’s sake.” Psalm 23:2-3 (NIV) The Shepherd will restore your soul. Living in a fallen world can erode your enthusiasm and erase your energy. The constant friction of […]

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God's Nature God's Provision Shepherd

Finding Your Shepherd

“The LORD is my shepherd, I shall not be in want.” Psalm 23:1 (NIV) God never intended for you to walk through adversity alone. Maybe you have heard someone say that God will never put more on you than you can handle. That’s not true. God will not put more on you than you can handle with His help. When […]

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Listening to God Obedience Responsiveness

Listening and Obeying

“Then a cloud appeared and enveloped them, and a voice came from the cloud: ‘This is my Son, whom I love. Listen to him!’” Mark 9:7 (NIV) Peter, James, and John had a mountaintop experience with Jesus on Mt. Transfiguration. They were privileged to hear the voice of God affirming His Son and our Savior, Jesus. God’s direct word to them […]

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Love Ministry Motive

Love that Labors

“We continually remember before our God and Father your work produced by faith, your labor prompted by love, and your endurance inspired by hope in our Lord Jesus Christ.” 1 Thess 1:3 (NIV) What prompted Jesus to leave the glory of Heaven in order to come to earth and be mistreated, misunderstood, and crucified? Why […]

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Faith Ministry Motive

Faith that Works

“We continually remember before our God and Father your work produced by faith, your labor prompted by love, and your endurance inspired by hope in our Lord Jesus Christ.” 1 Thess 1:3 (NIV) You cannot work for your salvation. Once you experience salvation, you will want to work. The faith operative in your life will […]

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Abraham Faith Journey

Journey of Faith

“By faith Abraham, when called to go to a place he would later receive as his inheritance, obeyed and went, even though he did not know where he was going.” Heb 11:8 (NIV) Is it possible to obey God and not know where you are going? God told Abraham to leave and go to a […]

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Abraham Blessing Covenant

Being God’s Conduit of Blessing

“The Scripture foresaw that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, and announced the gospel in advance to Abraham: ‘All nations will be blessed through you.’ So those who have faith are blessed along with Abraham, the man of faith.” Gal 3:8-9 (NIV) The gospel begins with God. God is the Creator of life and […]

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Abraham Covenant Faith

Seeing the Unseen

“Then the word of the LORD came to him: ‘This man will not be your heir, but a son coming from your own body will be your heir.’ He took him outside and said, ‘Look up at the heavens and count the stars–if indeed you can count them.’ Then he said to him, ‘So shall […]

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Abraham Faith Obedience

Taking the Next Step

“The LORD had said to Abram, ‘Leave your country, your people and your father’s household and go to the land I will show you.’” Gen 12:1 (NIV) What is keeping you from obeying God? Do you fear the unknown? Are you uncomfortable making a move without having more information? Maybe God has chosen to limit […]

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God's Love Reconciliation Restoration

God’s Restoration Plan

“And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, ‘Now the dwelling of God is with men, and he will live with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God. He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or […]

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Priorities Rest Soul Nourishment

Nurture a Creative Soul

“Dear friend, I pray that you may enjoy good health and that all may go well with you, even as your soul is getting along well.” 3 John 1:2 (NIV) How’s the condition of your soul? Are you at peace? Are you living a life of balance? In order to nurture a creative soul, you […]

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Exercise Physical Health Rest

Nurture Physical Health

“Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your body.” 1 Cor 6:19-20 (NIV) You are the walking tabernacle of the Presence of God. […]

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Personal Mission Statement Priorities Selfless Ambition

Live to Benefit Others

“Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves. Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others.” Phil 2:3-4 (NIV) Have you ever written a mission statement for your own life? Let me share a few personal […]

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Example Love Parenting

Model What You Want to Multiply

“Be imitators of God, therefore, as dearly loved children and live a life of love, just as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.” Eph 5:1-2 (NIV) Did you know that you will multiply what you model? Now that is convicting! That means that it […]

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Commitment Marriage Priorities

Make Room for Marriage

“However, each one of you also must love his wife as he loves himself, and the wife must respect her husband.” Eph 5:33 (NIV) Being selfish requires no effort. Selfishness comes naturally to us. If we aren’t careful, we will operate our lives on the assumption that life revolves around us. Being self-centered and self-absorbed […]

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Intimacy with God Priesthood of the Believer Priorities

Start Your Day with God

“But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light.” 1 Peter 2:9 (NIV) If you have become a child of God through faith in Jesus alone, then you are […]

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Humility Responsiveness Tenderness

Be Tender

“Tell the king of Judah, who sent you to inquire of the LORD, ‘This is what the LORD, the God of Israel, says concerning the words you heard: Because your heart was responsive and you humbled yourself before the LORD when you heard what I have spoken against this place and its people, that they […]

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Family Tree Seeking God Thirst

Be Thirsty

“In the eighth year of his reign, while he was still young, he began to seek the God of his father David.” 2 Chron 34:3 (NIV) Be thirsty. What caused Josiah, at the age of sixteen, to begin to seek God? When you look at his family tree, you find that both his father, Amon, and his grandfather, […]

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Encouragement Josiah Teachable

Be Teachable

“Josiah was eight years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem thirty-one years. He did what was right in the eyes of the LORD and walked in the ways of his father David, not turning aside to the right or to the left.” 2 Chron 34:1-2 (NIV) Be Teachable. Can you imagine […]

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Focus Passion Tenacity

Be Tenacious

“Josiah removed all the detestable idols from all the territory belonging to the Israelites, and he had all who were present in Israel serve the LORD their God. As long as he lived, they did not fail to follow the LORD, the God of their fathers.” 2 Chron 34:33 (NIV) Be tenacious. God used Josiah […]

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Intentionality Jesus Love

Intentional Love

“But the chief priests stirred up the crowd to have Pilate release Barabbas instead.” Mark 15:11 (NIV) Have you ever encountered injustice? Have you ever been treated unfairly? I think we have all been there. It hurts! The scars serve as a constant reminder. In our verse today, we find a word that compels us […]

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Concentration Focus Tenacity

Finding That One Thing

“Brothers, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.” Phil 3:13-14 (NIV) Life is full of […]

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Assessment Current Reality Humility

Assessing Your Current Reality

“Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already been made perfect, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me.” Phil 3:12 (NIV) Do you know where you are spiritually? Have you identified your current reality? Paul knew where he was and where he […]

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Passion Paul Pursuing God

Unrelenting Pursuit

“I want to know Christ and the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of sharing in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, and so, somehow, to attain to the resurrection from the dead.” Phil 3:10-11 (NIV) What makes you come alive? What are you passionate about? What gets your focus, attention, and […]

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Heart Integrity Sincerity

Sincere Integrity

“And David shepherded them with integrity of heart; with skillful hands he led them.” Psalms 78:72 (NIV) Does the tongue in your mouth line up with the tongue in your shoe? Is your talk in alignment with your walk? If so, that’s integrity! Honesty and truthfulness are garments that every child of God should feature. […]

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Faith Pleasing God Spirit-filled

Spirit-filled Faith

“And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him.” Heb 11:6 (NIV) This is your fresh start. You have a clean canvas for God to apply the paint of His plan for you this year. […]

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Blessing Brokenness God's Heart

Brokenness

“You do not delight in sacrifice, or I would bring it; you do not take pleasure in burnt offerings. The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not despise.” Psalms 51:16-17 (NIV) On the final day of the year, let’s explore what moves the heart of […]

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Ambition Humility Others

Down-to-earth Humility

“Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves.” Phil 2:3 (NIV) How do you view yourself? Your answer to that question provides insight into your understanding of humility. As Rick Warren says, “Humility is not thinking less of yourself, it is thinking of yourself less.” It […]

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Obedience Soul Consciousness Soulwinning

Deep Craving to Reach the Lost

“I pray that you may be active in sharing your faith, so that you will have a full understanding of every good thing we have in Christ.” Philem 1:6 (NIV) God uses the person who embodies a deep craving for the lost. It is possible to live your life each day and become so consumed […]