Mind
4 For everything that was written in the past was written to teach us, so that through the endurance taught in the Scriptures and the encouragement they provide we might have hope.
5 May the God who gives endurance and encouragement give you the same attitude of mind toward each other that Christ Jesus had, 6 so that with one mind and one voice you may glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. Romans 15:4-6
Where is your mind during the day? Does it move from idea to idea, with thoughts that you can make a difference in today's world? Or, does it move from idea to doubt to where the enemy sneaks in and talks to you about how you are not worth it and neither is anyone else. The enemy is strong but scripture is stronger. This set of verses focuses on the endurance that we face through the teaching of the scriptures. This typically ends with hope, and you know that the enemy doesn't do well with hope, because God surrounds those with hope in their life. We need to remember to pick up those around us and give us hope in the path that we have before us. Have endurance and have hope to defeat those thoughts from the enemy.
Have a great weekend.
Matt
Friday, April 26, 2019
Friday, April 19, 2019
Fantastic Friday #677 - Easy
Easy
11 Therefore encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing.12 Now we ask you, brothers and sisters, to acknowledge those who work hard among you, who care for you in the Lord and who admonish you.13 Hold them in the highest regard in love because of their work. Live in peace with each other. 1 Thessalonians 5:11-13
I am amazed by the number of people I see daily who try and take the easy way out. They do work to a certain level, maybe just enough to get by or they try and find the easy way out by putting in no effort at all. I saw a kid and his dad at the baseball field tonight, one that I have known for a number of years. He was working out with his dad, I am sure just hours after he had worked out with his college team. He is one that doesn't find the easy way out with baseball, but continues to work hard to reach his goal. We all need to look at ourselves to not find the easy way out in life but work hard in coming closer to God and encouraging others. Sometimes it is "easy" to just pass by someone without encouraging them or lifting their spirits, but we should go out of our way to do God's work. We must hold all around us in a higher regard and work hard to spread God's love.
Have a great weekend.
Matt
11 Therefore encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing.12 Now we ask you, brothers and sisters, to acknowledge those who work hard among you, who care for you in the Lord and who admonish you.13 Hold them in the highest regard in love because of their work. Live in peace with each other. 1 Thessalonians 5:11-13
I am amazed by the number of people I see daily who try and take the easy way out. They do work to a certain level, maybe just enough to get by or they try and find the easy way out by putting in no effort at all. I saw a kid and his dad at the baseball field tonight, one that I have known for a number of years. He was working out with his dad, I am sure just hours after he had worked out with his college team. He is one that doesn't find the easy way out with baseball, but continues to work hard to reach his goal. We all need to look at ourselves to not find the easy way out in life but work hard in coming closer to God and encouraging others. Sometimes it is "easy" to just pass by someone without encouraging them or lifting their spirits, but we should go out of our way to do God's work. We must hold all around us in a higher regard and work hard to spread God's love.
Have a great weekend.
Matt
Friday, April 12, 2019
Fantastic Friday #676 - Liar
Liar
22 Who is the liar? It is whoever denies that Jesus is the Christ. Such a person is the antichrist—denying the Father and the Son. 23 No one who denies the Son has the Father; whoever acknowledges the Son has the Father also. 1 John 2:22-23
I heard a great man this week make an amazingly simple statement. "If you are not sure you even believe in God, start there." How many times are we listening to other voices when doubt creeps into our mind, and we doubt God is even around to listen? Don't let the enemy creep in and put doubt in your mind, this is the liar who wants to pull us away from God. This man talked about being humble and creating experiences with God. Maybe that is what we are lacking and we need to look for those moments when we can ignore the liar and lean into God for a new experience. I don't want to be an individual that denies the Father and has no place with Him, I want to be one that Glorifies the Lord through my actions and learns from God.
Have a great weekend.
Matt
22 Who is the liar? It is whoever denies that Jesus is the Christ. Such a person is the antichrist—denying the Father and the Son. 23 No one who denies the Son has the Father; whoever acknowledges the Son has the Father also. 1 John 2:22-23
I heard a great man this week make an amazingly simple statement. "If you are not sure you even believe in God, start there." How many times are we listening to other voices when doubt creeps into our mind, and we doubt God is even around to listen? Don't let the enemy creep in and put doubt in your mind, this is the liar who wants to pull us away from God. This man talked about being humble and creating experiences with God. Maybe that is what we are lacking and we need to look for those moments when we can ignore the liar and lean into God for a new experience. I don't want to be an individual that denies the Father and has no place with Him, I want to be one that Glorifies the Lord through my actions and learns from God.
Have a great weekend.
Matt
Friday, April 5, 2019
Fantastic Friday #675 - Foundation
Foundation
9 For we are co-workers in God’s service; you are God’s field, God’s building.
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. 1 Corinthians 3:9-11
If you have ever watched a foundation to house or building be prepared for a concrete pour, you will notice that there is a lot of leveling of the ground first where the foundation will be laid. You can't pour a foundation on ground that is full of hills, rocky and un-level, because the foundation will crack and heave and not have the ability to have a strong building placed on it. God worked to lay the foundation for His building . We have to be sure to be careful how we build upon that foundation. We cannot ignore any guidance God has given us, and we certainly cannot rely upon ourselves to be the only ones building on it. We must have others with us to support us and help strengthen God's church. We need to set an example for others to follow and not follow the ways of the high-speed world to complete a building too quickly. We don't want that building to crumble, so we must be careful to take God's guidance daily. Have a good plan and make sure you are building on God's foundation and not the enemy's rocky and unstable ground.
Have a great weekend.
9 For we are co-workers in God’s service; you are God’s field, God’s building.
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. 1 Corinthians 3:9-11
If you have ever watched a foundation to house or building be prepared for a concrete pour, you will notice that there is a lot of leveling of the ground first where the foundation will be laid. You can't pour a foundation on ground that is full of hills, rocky and un-level, because the foundation will crack and heave and not have the ability to have a strong building placed on it. God worked to lay the foundation for His building . We have to be sure to be careful how we build upon that foundation. We cannot ignore any guidance God has given us, and we certainly cannot rely upon ourselves to be the only ones building on it. We must have others with us to support us and help strengthen God's church. We need to set an example for others to follow and not follow the ways of the high-speed world to complete a building too quickly. We don't want that building to crumble, so we must be careful to take God's guidance daily. Have a good plan and make sure you are building on God's foundation and not the enemy's rocky and unstable ground.
Have a great weekend.
Friday, March 29, 2019
Fantastic Friday #674 - Endurance
Endurance
4 For everything that was written in the past was written to teach us, so that through the endurance taught in the Scriptures and the encouragement they provide we might have hope.
5 May the God who gives endurance and encouragement give you the same attitude of mind toward each other that Christ Jesus had, 6 so that with one mind and one voice you may glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. Romans 15:4-6
I have been thinking about endurance this week, and making it past the things that are challenging. What I found instead of endurance was a real lack of patience with certain things. This lack of patience did not cause me to lose control, but caused me to build up some anger in my soul, and not be in a good place. It is funny how that same endurance that is spoken of in scripture is supposed to lead to encouragement, and certainly I have experienced that as well, but I let the anger overtake my thoughts which is not a good thing. Moving forward into the weekend I am going to reflect on how I might look at patience as an enduring process that we all need to take our time evaluating. When we are patient, God can give us a calming spirit that can overtake the anger and stress that can build up from not enduring whatever is placed before us. Have a good attitude, and not a negative one, because that can bring down others around you.
Have a great weekend.
Matt
4 For everything that was written in the past was written to teach us, so that through the endurance taught in the Scriptures and the encouragement they provide we might have hope.
5 May the God who gives endurance and encouragement give you the same attitude of mind toward each other that Christ Jesus had, 6 so that with one mind and one voice you may glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. Romans 15:4-6
I have been thinking about endurance this week, and making it past the things that are challenging. What I found instead of endurance was a real lack of patience with certain things. This lack of patience did not cause me to lose control, but caused me to build up some anger in my soul, and not be in a good place. It is funny how that same endurance that is spoken of in scripture is supposed to lead to encouragement, and certainly I have experienced that as well, but I let the anger overtake my thoughts which is not a good thing. Moving forward into the weekend I am going to reflect on how I might look at patience as an enduring process that we all need to take our time evaluating. When we are patient, God can give us a calming spirit that can overtake the anger and stress that can build up from not enduring whatever is placed before us. Have a good attitude, and not a negative one, because that can bring down others around you.
Have a great weekend.
Matt
Friday, March 22, 2019
Fantastic Friday #673 - Drought
Drought
7 “But blessed is the one who trusts in the Lord, whose confidence is in him.
8 They will be like a tree planted by the water that sends out its roots by the stream.
It does not fear when heat comes;
its leaves are always green.
It has no worries in a year of drought
and never fails to bear fruit.” Jeremiah 17:7-8
Do you have a drought in your life right now or have you had one recently? Droughts can come in many forms, whether they be financial, family, or even the lack of a regular relationship with our Lord and Savior. I love the picture that this scripture provides of how you can avoid having a drought affect you. It all starts where you place your faith. If you place your faith in man and the world to solve your problems, your roots are not going to be firmly grounded and nourished. This can cause you to remain in the drought condition until you decide to put your faith where it belongs. I saw a show this week where a man didn't believe in any life after death. It was uncomfortable for me to watch, because I knew how much he was missing out on, and he was truly in a drought. Now I know this was only a show, but I also know there are people out there like this who are not firmly grounded because their faith is in the wrong place. Don't allow your faith to be misaligned but rely on God to keep you out of that drought condition.
Have a great weekend.
Matt
Friday, March 15, 2019
Fantastic Friday #672 - Eloquent
Eloquent
10 Moses said to the Lord, “Pardon your servant, Lord. I have never been eloquent, neither in the past nor since you have spoken to your servant. I am slow of speech and tongue.”
11 The Lord said to him, “Who gave human beings their mouths? Who makes them deaf or mute? Who gives them sight or makes them blind?Is it not I, the Lord? 12 Now go; I will help you speak and will teach you what to say.” Exodus 4:10-12
I have been speaking in front of groups a lot lately, and I never have believed that I am an eloquent speaker. I always feel that I stumble over my words, use the incorrect phrasing, or even completely misspeak. I haven't truly realized what God meant by this scripture until I came across it this week. When we doubt our ability to talk to others about God and gift that He promises, we don't need to rely on our words, but God will provide the words and teach us through these moments as well. I thought it was a very simple explanation by God, of who gave human beings their mouths? If you stop to think about it, if we are his creation, then he not only gave us the tools to do His will, but He also gives us the opportunities. Take those opportunities and use the tools he has given you. We are all eloquent in our own way.
Have a great weekend.
Matt
10 Moses said to the Lord, “Pardon your servant, Lord. I have never been eloquent, neither in the past nor since you have spoken to your servant. I am slow of speech and tongue.”
11 The Lord said to him, “Who gave human beings their mouths? Who makes them deaf or mute? Who gives them sight or makes them blind?Is it not I, the Lord? 12 Now go; I will help you speak and will teach you what to say.” Exodus 4:10-12
I have been speaking in front of groups a lot lately, and I never have believed that I am an eloquent speaker. I always feel that I stumble over my words, use the incorrect phrasing, or even completely misspeak. I haven't truly realized what God meant by this scripture until I came across it this week. When we doubt our ability to talk to others about God and gift that He promises, we don't need to rely on our words, but God will provide the words and teach us through these moments as well. I thought it was a very simple explanation by God, of who gave human beings their mouths? If you stop to think about it, if we are his creation, then he not only gave us the tools to do His will, but He also gives us the opportunities. Take those opportunities and use the tools he has given you. We are all eloquent in our own way.
Have a great weekend.
Matt
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