People Like You, They Will Listen to You
By Rick Warren —
“Believers shouldn’t curse anyone or be quarrelsome, but they should be gentle and show courtesy to everyone.” (Titus 3:2 GW)Gentleness is a witness to unbelievers. They’re watching you all the time to see if you are any different when you’re under stress. When you respond to pressure with gentleness, it is an incredible testimony to the world.
The Bible says in Titus 3:2, “Believers shouldn’t curse anyone or be quarrelsome, but they should be gentle and show courtesy to everyone” (GW).
If you claim to be a follower of Jesus, you are not allowed to speak evil of anyone. You are not allowed to be quarrelsome. Instead you must be gentle with everybody, and you must show courtesy to everybody. Does that mean even people of a different political party? Yes.
God gave me the gift of evangelism, which means I spend most of my time when I’m not at Saddleback Church speaking to people I totally disagree with. But I believe that you cannot win your enemies to Christ; you can only win your friends.
People aren’t going to trust Jesus until they trust you first. People usually don’t ask me if the Bible is credible. They want to see that I am credible. Do I live with integrity? Am I gentle? Am I loving? Am I compassionate?
If people like what they see, they will listen to what you say.
Here’s the thing: If you actually obey Titus 3:2, you’re going to be criticized by other Christians. They’re going to say you’re compromising. I know this from experience. When I say I have friends who are Muslims or atheists or gay or Democrats or Republicans, they say, “How could you do that?” And they accuse me of compromising.
Treating other people with respect does not mean you have to compromise what you believe. Being nice to liberal people does not make you a liberal. Being nice to a conservative person does not make you conservative.
Nobody gets it right all the time. I have friends who are Republicans. I have friends who are Democrats. I’m for my friends. Why? Because there’s something more important than politics: Do they know Jesus?
“Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect” (1 Peter 3:15b NIV).
PLAY today’s audio teaching from Pastor Rick >>
Talk It Over
By Rick Warren —
“Believers shouldn’t curse anyone or be quarrelsome, but they should be gentle and show courtesy to everyone.” (Titus 3:2 GW)Gentleness is a witness to unbelievers. They’re watching you all the time to see if you are any different when you’re under stress. When you respond to pressure with gentleness, it is an incredible testimony to the world.
The Bible says in Titus 3:2, “Believers shouldn’t curse anyone or be quarrelsome, but they should be gentle and show courtesy to everyone” (GW).
If you claim to be a follower of Jesus, you are not allowed to speak evil of anyone. You are not allowed to be quarrelsome. Instead you must be gentle with everybody, and you must show courtesy to everybody. Does that mean even people of a different political party? Yes.
God gave me the gift of evangelism, which means I spend most of my time when I’m not at Saddleback Church speaking to people I totally disagree with. But I believe that you cannot win your enemies to Christ; you can only win your friends.
People aren’t going to trust Jesus until they trust you first. People usually don’t ask me if the Bible is credible. They want to see that I am credible. Do I live with integrity? Am I gentle? Am I loving? Am I compassionate?
If people like what they see, they will listen to what you say.
Here’s the thing: If you actually obey Titus 3:2, you’re going to be criticized by other Christians. They’re going to say you’re compromising. I know this from experience. When I say I have friends who are Muslims or atheists or gay or Democrats or Republicans, they say, “How could you do that?” And they accuse me of compromising.
Treating other people with respect does not mean you have to compromise what you believe. Being nice to liberal people does not make you a liberal. Being nice to a conservative person does not make you conservative.
Nobody gets it right all the time. I have friends who are Republicans. I have friends who are Democrats. I’m for my friends. Why? Because there’s something more important than politics: Do they know Jesus?
“Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect” (1 Peter 3:15b NIV).
PLAY today’s audio teaching from Pastor Rick >>
Talk It Over
- How are you intentionally making friends from all walks of life so that you can talk to them about Jesus?
- Why do you think gentleness stands out so much in today’s world?
- What do you need to do to be better prepared to “give an answer to everyone who asks you to give a reason for the hope that you have”?
- ___________________________________________________________________________________________________________
The Keys to a Blessed Life
How Gentleness Calms Conflict
By Rick Warren — “A gentle answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger.” (Proverbs 15:1 NIV)
Have you noticed that human beings have a tendency to mimic the emotions of people across from us? The reason we do this is because of mirror neurons in your brain. They allow you to sympathize and also to mirror what other people feel.
For instance, if somebody gets angry with you, you get angry back. If somebody is really depressed and you hang around that person long enough, you get depressed.
In the same way, when people raise their voice against you, you usually raise your voice back. Then they raise their voice higher. Then you raise your voice higher. Then pretty soon it’s escalated, and your emotions are out of control.
The Bible says, “A gentle answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger”(Proverbs 15:1 NIV).
Let me give you a little tip that will save you a lot of heartache and conflict in your life: When other people raise their voice, lower yours — in your marriage, in your parenting, in your friendships, and at work. That’s called strength under control.
Gentleness defuses conflict. It deescalates anger.
Here’s a good verse you’re going to need someday — maybe even this week. Ecclesiastes 10:4 says, “If your boss is angry at you, don’t quit! A quiet spirit can overcome even great mistakes” (NLT, second edition).
When your boss rips into you or your spouse raises his voice in anger, you need to realize it may not have anything to do with you. Instead of getting defensive, practice gentleness. Let your gentle answer disarm the other person and diffuse the situation.
Talk It Over
How Gentleness Calms Conflict
By Rick Warren — “A gentle answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger.” (Proverbs 15:1 NIV)
Have you noticed that human beings have a tendency to mimic the emotions of people across from us? The reason we do this is because of mirror neurons in your brain. They allow you to sympathize and also to mirror what other people feel.
For instance, if somebody gets angry with you, you get angry back. If somebody is really depressed and you hang around that person long enough, you get depressed.
In the same way, when people raise their voice against you, you usually raise your voice back. Then they raise their voice higher. Then you raise your voice higher. Then pretty soon it’s escalated, and your emotions are out of control.
The Bible says, “A gentle answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger”(Proverbs 15:1 NIV).
Let me give you a little tip that will save you a lot of heartache and conflict in your life: When other people raise their voice, lower yours — in your marriage, in your parenting, in your friendships, and at work. That’s called strength under control.
Gentleness defuses conflict. It deescalates anger.
Here’s a good verse you’re going to need someday — maybe even this week. Ecclesiastes 10:4 says, “If your boss is angry at you, don’t quit! A quiet spirit can overcome even great mistakes” (NLT, second edition).
When your boss rips into you or your spouse raises his voice in anger, you need to realize it may not have anything to do with you. Instead of getting defensive, practice gentleness. Let your gentle answer disarm the other person and diffuse the situation.
Talk It Over
- What is your normal reaction to raised voices, such as when your kids are misbehaving or there is a disagreement with your spouse or partner?
- Why do you think responding in gentleness rather than anger is so disarming? Why does it get people’s attention?
- Look for ways to practice gentleness this week. How do people react when you respond to them with gentleness? You may even want to record your efforts and their effect and share it with your small group.
- ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Today’s Scripture
“Then the LORD said to him, ‘What is that in your hand?’...”
(Exodus 4:2, NIV)
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What’s in Your Hand?
Do you ever feel inadequate for what you are called to do? You’re not the first one to feel that way! So often, when we think of Moses, we remember him as the great spiritual giant who led the Israelites out of captivity. But did you know that Moses doubted himself, too? He didn’t feel equipped. In fact, he had a stuttering problem that made him self-conscious! God simply said to him, “What do you have in your hand?” God showed Moses that it didn’t matter what he thought he needed. The God of the universe can take what you have and turn it into whatever it needs to be in order for you to accomplish what He’s called you to do. What’s in your hand today? It may not seem like much, but God wants to use it. He wants to take you to places you never dreamed. He wants to pour out His blessing and favor so you can live the abundant life He has in store for you!
A Prayer for Today
“Father, today I release to You all that I am and all that I have. I invite You to flood every part of my being and use me for Your glory. Thank You for using what is in my hand today in Jesus name. Amen.”
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
“Then the LORD said to him, ‘What is that in your hand?’...”
(Exodus 4:2, NIV)
SHARE WITH YOUR FRIENDS
What’s in Your Hand?
Do you ever feel inadequate for what you are called to do? You’re not the first one to feel that way! So often, when we think of Moses, we remember him as the great spiritual giant who led the Israelites out of captivity. But did you know that Moses doubted himself, too? He didn’t feel equipped. In fact, he had a stuttering problem that made him self-conscious! God simply said to him, “What do you have in your hand?” God showed Moses that it didn’t matter what he thought he needed. The God of the universe can take what you have and turn it into whatever it needs to be in order for you to accomplish what He’s called you to do. What’s in your hand today? It may not seem like much, but God wants to use it. He wants to take you to places you never dreamed. He wants to pour out His blessing and favor so you can live the abundant life He has in store for you!
A Prayer for Today
“Father, today I release to You all that I am and all that I have. I invite You to flood every part of my being and use me for Your glory. Thank You for using what is in my hand today in Jesus name. Amen.”
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Today’s Scripture
“My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness...”
(2 Corinthians 12:9, NKJV)
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His Grace is Enough
Grace is God’s unmerited favor. It’s kindness from Him that we don’t deserve. Grace empowers us and strengthens us. No matter what has happened in your past, you can receive God’s grace and start fresh today. You can hold your head up high because His grace is enough. You may not be perfect, but you are forgiven and empowered to live in victory.
Today, receive His grace. Don’t hold on to past mistakes. Jesus has already paid for them. All you have to do is receive His grace and thank Him. Take it one step further and extend that grace to others. Don’t try to punish people for their past mistakes; instead, give them favor to start over. As you allow God’s grace to flow through you, you’ll see yourself rise higher, and you will enjoy God’s blessing all the days of your life!
A Prayer for Today
“Father, thank You for Your goodness and grace today. I receive Your strength and favor in my life. Help me to extend that grace to others in Jesus’ name. Amen.”
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
“My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness...”
(2 Corinthians 12:9, NKJV)
SHARE WITH YOUR FRIENDS
His Grace is Enough
Grace is God’s unmerited favor. It’s kindness from Him that we don’t deserve. Grace empowers us and strengthens us. No matter what has happened in your past, you can receive God’s grace and start fresh today. You can hold your head up high because His grace is enough. You may not be perfect, but you are forgiven and empowered to live in victory.
Today, receive His grace. Don’t hold on to past mistakes. Jesus has already paid for them. All you have to do is receive His grace and thank Him. Take it one step further and extend that grace to others. Don’t try to punish people for their past mistakes; instead, give them favor to start over. As you allow God’s grace to flow through you, you’ll see yourself rise higher, and you will enjoy God’s blessing all the days of your life!
A Prayer for Today
“Father, thank You for Your goodness and grace today. I receive Your strength and favor in my life. Help me to extend that grace to others in Jesus’ name. Amen.”
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
God Wants to Save You, Not Scold You By Rick Warren — “For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.” (John 3:17 NIV)
Knowing God is for you will change your whole perspective on life. You’ll stop thinking of God as someone looking down from Heaven, ready to yell “Gotcha!” any time you mess up.
God is for your success in life. He created you for a purpose, and he wants you to succeed. It is God, your Creator, who will measure your success in life, and no one else.
This is extremely good news!
It means you don’t need to be afraid of God, because God is for you. Yet some people are so afraid of God they get nervous just talking about him. Do you know why? They feel guilty, and then they start thinking, “If I get close to God, he’s going to lecture me. He’s going to remind me of all the things I’ve done wrong, and then I’ll feel even worse!”
Nothing could be further from the truth of God. John 3:17 says, “For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him” (NIV). In effect, Jesus is saying, “I didn’t come to scold you. I came to save you.”
Jesus came to save us, not to scare us.
In fact, when God sends a message to people in the Bible, it’s not unusual for the first words to be: “Don’t be afraid.” There are 365 messages from God in the Bible that begin with a phrase like, “Fear not!” In other words, every single day of the year you can read a message from God that says, in effect, “You don’t need to be afraid. I am for you; I am with you; I love you.”
How would your life change if you consistently believed God is for you? Ask God to help you in your unbelief.
PLAY today’s audio teaching from Pastor Rick >>
Talk It Over
Knowing God is for you will change your whole perspective on life. You’ll stop thinking of God as someone looking down from Heaven, ready to yell “Gotcha!” any time you mess up.
God is for your success in life. He created you for a purpose, and he wants you to succeed. It is God, your Creator, who will measure your success in life, and no one else.
This is extremely good news!
It means you don’t need to be afraid of God, because God is for you. Yet some people are so afraid of God they get nervous just talking about him. Do you know why? They feel guilty, and then they start thinking, “If I get close to God, he’s going to lecture me. He’s going to remind me of all the things I’ve done wrong, and then I’ll feel even worse!”
Nothing could be further from the truth of God. John 3:17 says, “For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him” (NIV). In effect, Jesus is saying, “I didn’t come to scold you. I came to save you.”
Jesus came to save us, not to scare us.
In fact, when God sends a message to people in the Bible, it’s not unusual for the first words to be: “Don’t be afraid.” There are 365 messages from God in the Bible that begin with a phrase like, “Fear not!” In other words, every single day of the year you can read a message from God that says, in effect, “You don’t need to be afraid. I am for you; I am with you; I love you.”
How would your life change if you consistently believed God is for you? Ask God to help you in your unbelief.
PLAY today’s audio teaching from Pastor Rick >>
Talk It Over
- What misconceptions about God make people afraid of him?
- How does God use discipline for our good?
- You may understand that God wants you to succeed. How does he help you succeed?
- _____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Today’s Scripture“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.”
(Matthew 11:28, NIV)SHARE WITH YOUR FRIENDSRest for Your Soul God wants to give you rest. He wants to refresh and restore your soul. It’s so easy sometimes to get caught up in the “busyness” of life. Before long, your mind, will and emotions are so “spun up” that you can barely think straight! But even in the hustle of life, you can find rest, ease and relaxation. That’s what God has for you. He wants you to enjoy your life. He wants you to come to Him so He can take care of everything that concerns you.
Imagine how you would feel if someone came up to you today and said, “Give me all of your monthly bills; I’m going to pay them.” You’d get pretty excited, wouldn’t you? But it wouldn’t happen until you did your part to actually hand that person your bills. They can’t pay them for you if you never release them. In the same way, when we release our cares and concerns to God, He promises to take care of them.
Today, choose to release your cares to the Lord. Let Him fill you with His peace and joy. Receive the rest that He promises and enjoy the fulfillment and blessing He has for you!
A Prayer for Today“Father, today I humbly come to You. I choose to cast my cares on You so that I can live in Your rest. Thank You for Your goodness to me. Help me find ways to share Your goodness with those around me today in Jesus’ name. Amen.”
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You Have to Believe It Before You Can See It By Rick Warren — Sep 2, 2015
“Faith is the confidence that what we hope for will actually happen; it gives us assurance about things we cannot see.” (Hebrews 11:1 NLT, second edition)
Faith is visualizing the future. It’s believing it before you see it. Hebrews 11:1 says, “Faith is the confidence that what we hope for will actually happen; it gives us assurance about things we cannot see” (NLT, second edition).
A lot of people say, “I’ll believe it when I see it!” God says the exact opposite is true: “You will see it when you first believe it.” There are many things in life that have to be believed before they can be seen.
In the 1960s, the Russians sent the first cosmonaut into outer space. He circled the earth, and when he came back down, he did a press conference and said, “I searched the heavens, and I looked for God, and I did not see him anywhere. Therefore, there is no God.” The Communists, which was an atheistic regime, said, “We now have scientific proof that there is no God.” About six months later, John Glenn went into space, circled the earth three times on Gemini, came back down, and held a press conference. He said, “I saw God everywhere! I saw his glory in the galaxy. I saw his splendor in the universe. I saw his majesty in the stars.”
Which one was right? They both were. Jesus said, “Unless you are born again, you cannot see the Kingdom of God” (John 3:3). Before there is spiritual transformation in your life, you’re too narrow-minded to see the possibility of what God wants to do in your life.
Wernher von Braun, the father of the nuclear movement, said, “There has never been any great accomplishment in history without faith.” It is faith that causes an architect to design a building because, first, he believes it can be done. It is faith that causes an Olympic athlete to practice and go to the Olympic trials because she believes she can achieve. It is faith that causes a sculptor or an artist to believe that he can paint a picture or attempt the sculpture. It is faith that causes the scientist to believe that we can put a man on the moon. Someone has to believe it before you see it. It is a universal principle of life.
PLAY today’s audio teaching from Pastor Rick >>
Talk It Over
“Faith is the confidence that what we hope for will actually happen; it gives us assurance about things we cannot see.” (Hebrews 11:1 NLT, second edition)
Faith is visualizing the future. It’s believing it before you see it. Hebrews 11:1 says, “Faith is the confidence that what we hope for will actually happen; it gives us assurance about things we cannot see” (NLT, second edition).
A lot of people say, “I’ll believe it when I see it!” God says the exact opposite is true: “You will see it when you first believe it.” There are many things in life that have to be believed before they can be seen.
In the 1960s, the Russians sent the first cosmonaut into outer space. He circled the earth, and when he came back down, he did a press conference and said, “I searched the heavens, and I looked for God, and I did not see him anywhere. Therefore, there is no God.” The Communists, which was an atheistic regime, said, “We now have scientific proof that there is no God.” About six months later, John Glenn went into space, circled the earth three times on Gemini, came back down, and held a press conference. He said, “I saw God everywhere! I saw his glory in the galaxy. I saw his splendor in the universe. I saw his majesty in the stars.”
Which one was right? They both were. Jesus said, “Unless you are born again, you cannot see the Kingdom of God” (John 3:3). Before there is spiritual transformation in your life, you’re too narrow-minded to see the possibility of what God wants to do in your life.
Wernher von Braun, the father of the nuclear movement, said, “There has never been any great accomplishment in history without faith.” It is faith that causes an architect to design a building because, first, he believes it can be done. It is faith that causes an Olympic athlete to practice and go to the Olympic trials because she believes she can achieve. It is faith that causes a sculptor or an artist to believe that he can paint a picture or attempt the sculpture. It is faith that causes the scientist to believe that we can put a man on the moon. Someone has to believe it before you see it. It is a universal principle of life.
PLAY today’s audio teaching from Pastor Rick >>
Talk It Over
- What do you believe God wants you to accomplish in your life?
- How should faith affect your goal setting?
- Why do you think God wants us to believe in faith instead of just showing us before we believe?
You Can Choose How God Will Bless Your Life
“Give, and you will receive. Your gift will return to you in full — pressed down, shaken together to make room for more, running over, and poured into your lap. The amount you give will determine the amount you get back.” (Luke 6:38 NLT, second edition)
Generosity determines the blessings in your life.
Proverbs 22:9 says, “Blessed are those who are generous” (NLT, second edition). I’ve seen that time after time in my own life and in the lives of others.
Tom Holladay, a pastor at Saddleback Church, says that the time he and his wife saw most in their married life how God blesses them through generosity was when they lost it all. Years ago a levy near their house broke, and nine feet of water flooded their house. Everything was lost. All they had left was the car they were driving and the clothes on their backs.
Tom says: “We had more than tithed all of our lives. I’m a pastor. I wasn’t going to challenge other people to follow Jesus in a way that I wasn’t going to follow Jesus. So why would God let that happen to us?
“Over the several months after our house flooded, we saw God bless our lives in ways that we’d never seen before. Even through their own difficulties, people from all over the country came in and rebuilt our house and supplied all the things we had lost. Before I was on staff as a pastor at Saddleback, people from that church took up an offering for me to buy books for my pastor’s library. Now every time I go look in my library, I see the books bought by Saddleback Church because they loved me before I came. That’s a blessing I wouldn’t have had otherwise. God blesses us in the ups and downs of life through our generosity.”
Jesus said in Luke 6:38, “Give, and you will receive. Your gift will return to you in full — pressed down, shaken together to make room for more, running over, and poured into your lap. The amount you give will determine the amount you get back.”
God’s saying you get to choose. You get to choose how he will bless your life. As you give, you will receive.
Talk It Over
“Give, and you will receive. Your gift will return to you in full — pressed down, shaken together to make room for more, running over, and poured into your lap. The amount you give will determine the amount you get back.” (Luke 6:38 NLT, second edition)
Generosity determines the blessings in your life.
Proverbs 22:9 says, “Blessed are those who are generous” (NLT, second edition). I’ve seen that time after time in my own life and in the lives of others.
Tom Holladay, a pastor at Saddleback Church, says that the time he and his wife saw most in their married life how God blesses them through generosity was when they lost it all. Years ago a levy near their house broke, and nine feet of water flooded their house. Everything was lost. All they had left was the car they were driving and the clothes on their backs.
Tom says: “We had more than tithed all of our lives. I’m a pastor. I wasn’t going to challenge other people to follow Jesus in a way that I wasn’t going to follow Jesus. So why would God let that happen to us?
“Over the several months after our house flooded, we saw God bless our lives in ways that we’d never seen before. Even through their own difficulties, people from all over the country came in and rebuilt our house and supplied all the things we had lost. Before I was on staff as a pastor at Saddleback, people from that church took up an offering for me to buy books for my pastor’s library. Now every time I go look in my library, I see the books bought by Saddleback Church because they loved me before I came. That’s a blessing I wouldn’t have had otherwise. God blesses us in the ups and downs of life through our generosity.”
Jesus said in Luke 6:38, “Give, and you will receive. Your gift will return to you in full — pressed down, shaken together to make room for more, running over, and poured into your lap. The amount you give will determine the amount you get back.”
God’s saying you get to choose. You get to choose how he will bless your life. As you give, you will receive.
Talk It Over
- Think of a time in your life when you were in need. Did you think about giving during that time? Why or why not?
- How have you seen God bless your life because you were generous?
- What is one way you can be more generous today?
- ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Have a Conversation with Your Creator By Rick Warren — “I love the Lord because he hears my voice and my prayer for mercy. Because he bends down to listen, I will pray as long as I have breath!” (Psalm 116:1-2 NLT, second edition)
It took me a while, but I finally figured out that this marriage thing is about communication. I discovered that on the days that I had deep, soul-communication with my wife Kay — not “Hi. How are you? I love you. See you later” — that’s when our relationship would grow. And on those days when we have little or no communication, our relationship decays. A relationship is never standing still. It’s either growing or decaying.
The same is true with God. On the days when you have deep, significant talks with God, your relationship grows. On the days when you have little or no conversation with God, your relationship decays. It’s that simple.
When you really love somebody, you don’t just want to spend time with him. You want to talk with him. Remember when you first fell in love as a teenager and your parents got upset because you were always on the phone? You talked and talked and talked because you were getting to know that person. Communication is how you get to know others.
What do you talk about if you want to express love to God? Anything that you’d talk to your best friend about: your hopes, your fears, your dreams, your anxieties, the things you’re embarrassed about, the things you’re proud of, the things you’re ashamed of, your goals, your ambitions, your hurts, your cares — every part of your life.
The Bible says in Psalm 116:1-2, “I love the Lord because he hears my voice and my prayer for mercy. Because he bends down to listen, I will pray as long as I have breath!” (NLT, second edition)
If you don’t feel close to God because your Christian life has become routine, dull, joyless, and lifeless, there’s a simple remedy: Start talking to God again.
Prayer is not some duty that you have to do. It’s a privilege that you get to do. You get to talk to the Creator of the universe! He’s waiting on you to have a conversation with him so that your relationship can grow.
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
It took me a while, but I finally figured out that this marriage thing is about communication. I discovered that on the days that I had deep, soul-communication with my wife Kay — not “Hi. How are you? I love you. See you later” — that’s when our relationship would grow. And on those days when we have little or no communication, our relationship decays. A relationship is never standing still. It’s either growing or decaying.
The same is true with God. On the days when you have deep, significant talks with God, your relationship grows. On the days when you have little or no conversation with God, your relationship decays. It’s that simple.
When you really love somebody, you don’t just want to spend time with him. You want to talk with him. Remember when you first fell in love as a teenager and your parents got upset because you were always on the phone? You talked and talked and talked because you were getting to know that person. Communication is how you get to know others.
What do you talk about if you want to express love to God? Anything that you’d talk to your best friend about: your hopes, your fears, your dreams, your anxieties, the things you’re embarrassed about, the things you’re proud of, the things you’re ashamed of, your goals, your ambitions, your hurts, your cares — every part of your life.
The Bible says in Psalm 116:1-2, “I love the Lord because he hears my voice and my prayer for mercy. Because he bends down to listen, I will pray as long as I have breath!” (NLT, second edition)
If you don’t feel close to God because your Christian life has become routine, dull, joyless, and lifeless, there’s a simple remedy: Start talking to God again.
Prayer is not some duty that you have to do. It’s a privilege that you get to do. You get to talk to the Creator of the universe! He’s waiting on you to have a conversation with him so that your relationship can grow.
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Is Fear Is Holding You Back? By Rick Warren — Aug 24, 2015 “For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.” (Ephesians 2:10 NIV)
What keeps you from developing your full potential? Fear. What keeps you from becoming all God wants you to be? Fear. What keeps you from building a legacy that will last into eternity? Fear.
There are three kinds of fear that will keep you from developing your talents and accomplishing your purpose.
PLAY today’s audio teaching from Pastor Rick >>
Talk It Over
What keeps you from developing your full potential? Fear. What keeps you from becoming all God wants you to be? Fear. What keeps you from building a legacy that will last into eternity? Fear.
There are three kinds of fear that will keep you from developing your talents and accomplishing your purpose.
- Self-doubt. It keeps people locked in a prison and unable to develop their potential. This is actually the fear of failure. But failure is not fatal! In fact, the fear of failure is far worse than failure itself. Failure is actually a good thing. Failure is how you learn what doesn’t work. And it’s how you grow into a better parent, partner, and professional. Don’t let self-doubt keep you down. I’d rather attempt to do something great and fail than attempt to do nothing and succeed.
- Self-consciousness. If you worry about what other people think, nothing will ever get done in your life. You just have to do what God tells you to do. That’s all you’re accountable for. You’re not called to be the best in the world. You’re called to be the best that God made you to be.
- Self-pity. There were two disciples that had spectacular failures. Peter and Judas both denied Jesus in clutch time, but they responded to their failure in very different ways. Judas went out and had a pity party and hung himself. Peter, on the other hand, wept bitterly, grieved about it, repented, asked God to forgive him, picked himself up, and went back to serving God. And 40 days later, Peter spoke to the whole city of Jerusalem on Pentecost, and 3,000 people became believers and the Church was born. Of all the people God could have used to start the church, he used the guy with the biggest failure. That means there’s room for you in the family of God!
PLAY today’s audio teaching from Pastor Rick >>
Talk It Over
- In what part of your life are you concerned about other people’s opinion of you? How has your self-doubt kept you from reaching your potential?
- Why are we so afraid of failure?
- What failure in your life has kept you from reaching your potential? What purpose do you think God intended for that failure?
- _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Today’s Scripture“I will listen to what God the Lord says; he promises peace to his people...”
(Psalm 85:8, NIV) The Promises of PeaceNo matter what is going on in your life right now, the Lord promises that you can have peace. It doesn’t matter what’s happening in the economy, in your relationships or at the office; nothing in this world can take His peace from you. But notice the first part of this verse—we have to do our part. We have to listen to what He tells us to do.
You may be thinking to yourself, “God doesn’t speak to me.” But once you receive Jesus as your Lord and Savior, you become His. The Bible says that you are His sheep, and you can hear His voice, and the voice of a stranger you will not follow.
The Lord speaks in many ways. First of all, He speaks through the Word of God. But sometimes, He speaks through the encouragement of a friend, or through a song, or in the beauty of nature. Sometimes it’s a simple “knowing” deep down on the inside of you in your spirit. If you aren’t sure how God speaks to you, ask Him to teach you. Open your heart and be willing to hear His voice. As you take time to be still and listen to Him, He will speak. He will reveal Himself to you and give you peace all the days of your life.
A Prayer for Today“Father, thank You for Your promise of peace. Today, I open my heart to You and ask that You teach me to hear Your voice clearly. I will listen, I will obey, and I will walk in Your ways in Jesus’ name. Amen.”
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(Psalm 85:8, NIV) The Promises of PeaceNo matter what is going on in your life right now, the Lord promises that you can have peace. It doesn’t matter what’s happening in the economy, in your relationships or at the office; nothing in this world can take His peace from you. But notice the first part of this verse—we have to do our part. We have to listen to what He tells us to do.
You may be thinking to yourself, “God doesn’t speak to me.” But once you receive Jesus as your Lord and Savior, you become His. The Bible says that you are His sheep, and you can hear His voice, and the voice of a stranger you will not follow.
The Lord speaks in many ways. First of all, He speaks through the Word of God. But sometimes, He speaks through the encouragement of a friend, or through a song, or in the beauty of nature. Sometimes it’s a simple “knowing” deep down on the inside of you in your spirit. If you aren’t sure how God speaks to you, ask Him to teach you. Open your heart and be willing to hear His voice. As you take time to be still and listen to Him, He will speak. He will reveal Himself to you and give you peace all the days of your life.
A Prayer for Today“Father, thank You for Your promise of peace. Today, I open my heart to You and ask that You teach me to hear Your voice clearly. I will listen, I will obey, and I will walk in Your ways in Jesus’ name. Amen.”
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What Are You Thinking?by Joyce Meyer
Did you know you can be free from negative thinking? The first step to your freedom is facing the truth and saying, "I'm a negative person and I want to change." If you really want to, you can overcome it because according to the Bible, you're a new person in Christ (see 2 Corinthians 5:17).
Your next step is to find out what may be blocking any positive progress.
Identify Your Obstacles
Have you ever thought that nothing good is going to happen to you? Maybe you've even said something like "If I don't expect anything good to happen, I won't be disappointed if it doesn't."These thoughts are obstacles in your mind, and simply recognizing them will pave the way to your freedom. As Christians, we need to learn to fight for our thoughts, because our minds don't automatically come into agreement with God's plans.
I can look back at it and remember thinking, I'm probably never going to be in worldwide ministry—I probably just made that up because I wanted it to happen. It probably wasn't God's will at all. This was my obstacle, and it was a lie all the time. I had encountered so many disappointments in my life that I was afraid to believe anything good might happen. And when I really began to study the Word and to trust God to restore me, I realized my negativism had to go.
Practice the Positive
Once you've identified any obstacles, the next step is to start practicing being positive in all kinds of situations. If you're going through a difficult time in life, start believing that God will work things out for your good.
Even positive thinkers deal with disappointing situations. The difference is that they have learned to let things roll off their back and enjoy life no matter what happens.
Say What God's Word Says
Nearly everything God has brought me through has happened by believing and confessing His Word. I recommend that you not only purposely think right thoughts, but that you go the extra mile and speak them out loud as personal confessions of faith (see Mark 4:24).
Basically, God's telling us that the more time we spend meditating on His Word, the more we will see the benefits in our everyday lives and even have a closer relationship with Him. He even promises we'll be prosperous and successful! (See Joshua 1:8.)
I encourage you to spend time examining His Word and comparing it to your thought life. Give God time to help you put your thoughts in line with His.
Make up your mind to work toward changing your way of thinking. I've found the best way to become a positive thinker is to ask God for a lot of help—and to ask for it often.
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Did you know you can be free from negative thinking? The first step to your freedom is facing the truth and saying, "I'm a negative person and I want to change." If you really want to, you can overcome it because according to the Bible, you're a new person in Christ (see 2 Corinthians 5:17).
Your next step is to find out what may be blocking any positive progress.
Identify Your Obstacles
Have you ever thought that nothing good is going to happen to you? Maybe you've even said something like "If I don't expect anything good to happen, I won't be disappointed if it doesn't."These thoughts are obstacles in your mind, and simply recognizing them will pave the way to your freedom. As Christians, we need to learn to fight for our thoughts, because our minds don't automatically come into agreement with God's plans.
I can look back at it and remember thinking, I'm probably never going to be in worldwide ministry—I probably just made that up because I wanted it to happen. It probably wasn't God's will at all. This was my obstacle, and it was a lie all the time. I had encountered so many disappointments in my life that I was afraid to believe anything good might happen. And when I really began to study the Word and to trust God to restore me, I realized my negativism had to go.
Practice the Positive
Once you've identified any obstacles, the next step is to start practicing being positive in all kinds of situations. If you're going through a difficult time in life, start believing that God will work things out for your good.
Even positive thinkers deal with disappointing situations. The difference is that they have learned to let things roll off their back and enjoy life no matter what happens.
Say What God's Word Says
Nearly everything God has brought me through has happened by believing and confessing His Word. I recommend that you not only purposely think right thoughts, but that you go the extra mile and speak them out loud as personal confessions of faith (see Mark 4:24).
Basically, God's telling us that the more time we spend meditating on His Word, the more we will see the benefits in our everyday lives and even have a closer relationship with Him. He even promises we'll be prosperous and successful! (See Joshua 1:8.)
I encourage you to spend time examining His Word and comparing it to your thought life. Give God time to help you put your thoughts in line with His.
Make up your mind to work toward changing your way of thinking. I've found the best way to become a positive thinker is to ask God for a lot of help—and to ask for it often.
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Today’s Scripture“Yes, my soul, find rest in God; my hope comes from him.”
(Psalm 62:5, NIV) SHARE WITH YOUR FRIENDS
Hope Comes from Him. God is constantly planting seeds of hope and victory in your life. He’s constantly speaking to your heart and encouraging faith. Often times, when we’re anxious and worried, it’s difficult to hear His voice of hope and confidence. But when we stop and quiet ourselves, when we find rest in Him, we can more easily recognize His voice of hope.
The Bible says that faith gives substance to the things we hope for. In other words, your hope gives your faith something to work toward. Hope is the foundation for your faith.
If the cares of this world have left you frustrated and empty, make the decision right now to open your heart and allow the Lord to deposit His hope on the inside of you. It doesn’t matter what you are facing today or what’s happened in your past, there is hope for the future. Believe it and receive it today! Hope comes from Him!
A Prayer for Today“Father, thank You for the gift of hope. I receive it by faith today. Thank You for lifting me up into heavenly places with You. Use me for Your glory and show me how to be a vessel of hope to those who are around me today in Jesus’ name. Amen.”
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Waiting on God? Don’t Fear, Fret or Faint
“I will bless the Lord and not forget the glorious things he does for me.” Psalm 103:2 (TLB)
When our dream is delayed, it causes us to forget many things. We tend to forget our dream. We forget what God has done in our lives and his goodness to us in the past. We tend to forget that God is with us. We forget God’s power.
This was the fourth mistake that the Israelites made in the wilderness: “They forgot the many times [God] showed them his love, and they rebelled against the Almighty at the Red Sea. But he saved them, as he had promised, in order to show his great power. But they quickly forgot what he had done and acted without waiting for his advice”
(Psalm 106:7b-8, 13 (GNT).
It’s unbelievable how short their memory was! In Egypt, God sent 10 plagues on the Egyptians just to rescue his people, and the children of Israel forget it just a few days later when they’re at the Red Sea saying, “We’re all going to die!” They forgot what God had done. Then, God does a miracle and opens the Red Sea. They walk through to the other side and immediately forget that miracle and cry, “We’re going to die of thirst!” God miraculously provides water. The Israelites forget that and complain, “We’re going to die because we have no food!” They were always forgetting.
But we shouldn’t be too quick to judge them, because we do the exact same thing. When a delay occurs in our lives, we start acting like God’s never done anything for us. Has God done things for you in the past? Sure he has. And you can count on him to do it again tomorrow and the next day and the day after that.
Instead of forgetting, you need to remember God’s promises. There are more than 7,000 of them in the Bible. Whenever you have a problem, find a promise, like 2 Timothy 2:13: “Even when we are too weak to have any faith left, he remains faithful to us and will help us … and he will always carry out his promises to us” (TLB). The promises are always greater than the problems you’re facing!
God may not have fulfilled the promise in your life because he’s waiting on you. He’s waiting on you to learn to not fear, not fret, not faint, not forget. He wants you to learn that before he delivers you.
God can do things immediately, but he’s working on a larger agenda. The delays that come in your life do not destroy God’s purpose. They fulfill God’s purpose in your life.
“I will bless the Lord and not forget the glorious things he does for me” (Psalm 103:2).
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“I will bless the Lord and not forget the glorious things he does for me.” Psalm 103:2 (TLB)
When our dream is delayed, it causes us to forget many things. We tend to forget our dream. We forget what God has done in our lives and his goodness to us in the past. We tend to forget that God is with us. We forget God’s power.
This was the fourth mistake that the Israelites made in the wilderness: “They forgot the many times [God] showed them his love, and they rebelled against the Almighty at the Red Sea. But he saved them, as he had promised, in order to show his great power. But they quickly forgot what he had done and acted without waiting for his advice”
(Psalm 106:7b-8, 13 (GNT).
It’s unbelievable how short their memory was! In Egypt, God sent 10 plagues on the Egyptians just to rescue his people, and the children of Israel forget it just a few days later when they’re at the Red Sea saying, “We’re all going to die!” They forgot what God had done. Then, God does a miracle and opens the Red Sea. They walk through to the other side and immediately forget that miracle and cry, “We’re going to die of thirst!” God miraculously provides water. The Israelites forget that and complain, “We’re going to die because we have no food!” They were always forgetting.
But we shouldn’t be too quick to judge them, because we do the exact same thing. When a delay occurs in our lives, we start acting like God’s never done anything for us. Has God done things for you in the past? Sure he has. And you can count on him to do it again tomorrow and the next day and the day after that.
Instead of forgetting, you need to remember God’s promises. There are more than 7,000 of them in the Bible. Whenever you have a problem, find a promise, like 2 Timothy 2:13: “Even when we are too weak to have any faith left, he remains faithful to us and will help us … and he will always carry out his promises to us” (TLB). The promises are always greater than the problems you’re facing!
God may not have fulfilled the promise in your life because he’s waiting on you. He’s waiting on you to learn to not fear, not fret, not faint, not forget. He wants you to learn that before he delivers you.
God can do things immediately, but he’s working on a larger agenda. The delays that come in your life do not destroy God’s purpose. They fulfill God’s purpose in your life.
“I will bless the Lord and not forget the glorious things he does for me” (Psalm 103:2).
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How Do I Know I’m Saved?
BY RICK WARREN
“It is by grace you have been saved, through faith — and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God — not by works, so that no one can boast.” (Ephesians 2:8-9 NIV)
In Luke 23:42, one of the criminals hanging next to Jesus on the cross prayed, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom” (NIV).
Notice that he didn’t ask Jesus to stop his pain, although he would have been in excruciating pain on the cross. By that time, Jesus was famous for doing miracles, but the man didn’t ask Jesus to save him from death, either.
He said, “Jesus, remember me.” Why? Because he knew that his deepest need was salvation from sin — not just salvation to get into Heaven. He believed in Jesus.
The Bible says in Acts 16:31, “Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved” (NIV).
So how do you know for sure that you’re saved? How do you know you’re going to Heaven when you die? How can you be certain? How can you eliminate your doubt?
Your assurance of salvation is not by your works, because you can’t earn your salvation. Your assurance of salvation is not by your feelings, because feelings come and go.
What is your assurance of salvation? The promise of God’s Word. If God says it, that settles it, because God cannot lie. You can trust the promise of God’s Word. You can rest in it.
Jesus replied to the criminal hanging on the cross, “I assure you, today you will be with me in paradise” (Luke 23:43 NLT). Your assurance of salvation is the same: God’s promise that you will be in Heaven with him one day if you believe in faith.
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BY RICK WARREN
“It is by grace you have been saved, through faith — and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God — not by works, so that no one can boast.” (Ephesians 2:8-9 NIV)
In Luke 23:42, one of the criminals hanging next to Jesus on the cross prayed, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom” (NIV).
Notice that he didn’t ask Jesus to stop his pain, although he would have been in excruciating pain on the cross. By that time, Jesus was famous for doing miracles, but the man didn’t ask Jesus to save him from death, either.
He said, “Jesus, remember me.” Why? Because he knew that his deepest need was salvation from sin — not just salvation to get into Heaven. He believed in Jesus.
The Bible says in Acts 16:31, “Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved” (NIV).
So how do you know for sure that you’re saved? How do you know you’re going to Heaven when you die? How can you be certain? How can you eliminate your doubt?
Your assurance of salvation is not by your works, because you can’t earn your salvation. Your assurance of salvation is not by your feelings, because feelings come and go.
What is your assurance of salvation? The promise of God’s Word. If God says it, that settles it, because God cannot lie. You can trust the promise of God’s Word. You can rest in it.
Jesus replied to the criminal hanging on the cross, “I assure you, today you will be with me in paradise” (Luke 23:43 NLT). Your assurance of salvation is the same: God’s promise that you will be in Heaven with him one day if you believe in faith.
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Our Daily Bread -- Unpredictable
August 8, 2015
The unpredictability of life is not always so thrilling, however. We devise and strategize. We make plans, projections, and proposals about what we would like to see happen in life, but often they are little more than our best guess. We have no idea what a year, a month, a week, or even a day might bring. So we pray and plan, and then we trust the God who knows fully and completely what we can never predict. That is why I love the promise of Psalm 46:10: “Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth!”
Life is unpredictable. There are countless things I can never know with certainty. What I can know, however, is that there is a God who knows all and loves me deeply. And by knowing Him, I can “be still”—I can be at peace. —Bill Crowder
INSIGHT: Today’s psalm contains the much-loved and often-quoted words of verse 10: “Be still, and know that I am God.” But it is interesting to note the context of these words. The psalmist opens by celebrating the help of God in times of trouble (vv. 1-3) and then shows how strong the city of God is because God is there (vv. 4-7). In verses 8-9 the psalmist describes the strength of the Lord in terms of His power over war and desolation, and in verse 10 he proclaims that God will be “exalted among the nations.” In the midst of upheaval, whether natural or man-made, God is our stability. J.R. Hudberg
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August 8, 2015
The unpredictability of life is not always so thrilling, however. We devise and strategize. We make plans, projections, and proposals about what we would like to see happen in life, but often they are little more than our best guess. We have no idea what a year, a month, a week, or even a day might bring. So we pray and plan, and then we trust the God who knows fully and completely what we can never predict. That is why I love the promise of Psalm 46:10: “Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth!”
Life is unpredictable. There are countless things I can never know with certainty. What I can know, however, is that there is a God who knows all and loves me deeply. And by knowing Him, I can “be still”—I can be at peace. —Bill Crowder
INSIGHT: Today’s psalm contains the much-loved and often-quoted words of verse 10: “Be still, and know that I am God.” But it is interesting to note the context of these words. The psalmist opens by celebrating the help of God in times of trouble (vv. 1-3) and then shows how strong the city of God is because God is there (vv. 4-7). In verses 8-9 the psalmist describes the strength of the Lord in terms of His power over war and desolation, and in verse 10 he proclaims that God will be “exalted among the nations.” In the midst of upheaval, whether natural or man-made, God is our stability. J.R. Hudberg
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God Is Working While You’re WaitingBY RICK WARREN — AUGUST 7, 2015
“I wait expectantly, trusting God to help, for he has promised.” (Psalm 130:5 TLB)
God wants you to wait patiently for him to answer your prayer, but he also wants you to wait expectantly. Have faith. Trust God to hear and to answer. When you wait expectantly, you show God that you believe his promises. You believe he’s going to keep his word.
Daniel Boone, the famous frontiersman, was once asked, “Have you ever gotten lost in the wilderness?” He said, “No, I’ve never been lost. I’ve been bewildered for weeks at a time, but I’ve never been lost.”
Some of you may feel bewildered right now. You’re bewildered about your marriage: “I’m praying for it to get better, but it’s not getting any better.” You’re bewildered about your career: “Do I go up, down, change jobs?” You’re bewildered about relationships. You may feel powerless and hopeless and like you can’t do anything to change your situation on your own. You’re bewildered.
Don’t be discouraged! Don’t give up! Look up. Turn to prayer. I have had many, many requests in my life that I’ve prayed to God that have never been answered. I can think of one prayer that I have prayed almost every day for 24 years, and it hasn’t been answered. I don’t know why God hasn’t chosen to answer that prayer, and I don’t understand it. But I have decided this: Whether or not God ever answers that prayer, I am going to die believing his promises. Because God is a good God, and he knows what’s best, even when I don’t understand it.
When God doesn’t answer your prayers, you need to remember a couple very important truths. First, God is in control, and you’re not. He knows better what you need than you do. There is no mountain too tall that he can’t move it. There is no problem so big that he can’t solve it. There is no sorrow so deep he cannot soothe it. God is in control, and he has a plan.
The second thing you need to remember is that, whether or not you ever receive your answer, God will honor your patience — if not in this world then in eternity.
“I wait expectantly, trusting God to help, for he has promised” (Psalm 130:5 TLB).
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“I wait expectantly, trusting God to help, for he has promised.” (Psalm 130:5 TLB)
God wants you to wait patiently for him to answer your prayer, but he also wants you to wait expectantly. Have faith. Trust God to hear and to answer. When you wait expectantly, you show God that you believe his promises. You believe he’s going to keep his word.
Daniel Boone, the famous frontiersman, was once asked, “Have you ever gotten lost in the wilderness?” He said, “No, I’ve never been lost. I’ve been bewildered for weeks at a time, but I’ve never been lost.”
Some of you may feel bewildered right now. You’re bewildered about your marriage: “I’m praying for it to get better, but it’s not getting any better.” You’re bewildered about your career: “Do I go up, down, change jobs?” You’re bewildered about relationships. You may feel powerless and hopeless and like you can’t do anything to change your situation on your own. You’re bewildered.
Don’t be discouraged! Don’t give up! Look up. Turn to prayer. I have had many, many requests in my life that I’ve prayed to God that have never been answered. I can think of one prayer that I have prayed almost every day for 24 years, and it hasn’t been answered. I don’t know why God hasn’t chosen to answer that prayer, and I don’t understand it. But I have decided this: Whether or not God ever answers that prayer, I am going to die believing his promises. Because God is a good God, and he knows what’s best, even when I don’t understand it.
When God doesn’t answer your prayers, you need to remember a couple very important truths. First, God is in control, and you’re not. He knows better what you need than you do. There is no mountain too tall that he can’t move it. There is no problem so big that he can’t solve it. There is no sorrow so deep he cannot soothe it. God is in control, and he has a plan.
The second thing you need to remember is that, whether or not you ever receive your answer, God will honor your patience — if not in this world then in eternity.
“I wait expectantly, trusting God to help, for he has promised” (Psalm 130:5 TLB).
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FIND REST
Today’s Scripture“Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.”
(Matthew 11:29, NIV) SHARE WITH YOUR FRIENDS Find Rest
Sometimes, the day-to-day pressures of life can cause unnecessary stress. In fact, many people lose sleep worrying about things or people in their lives. But God doesn’t want us to live stressed out and overwhelmed. He wants us to live a life of rest and peace.
When Jesus walked on this earth, He took time for Himself. He got away from the crowds. He spent time with the Father. That’s how He found rest. He was gentle and humble in heart. Do you ever notice that when you are stressed out or worrying about something, you’re less tolerant of others? You’re more likely to say something you don’t really mean. Today, God wants you to cast your cares on Him and live with a gentle and humble attitude. Release your burdens to Him. Follow the example of Jesus, and you will find rest for your soul.
A Prayer for Today“Father, today I cast my cares on You. Teach me, Holy Spirit, to have a gentle and humble attitude. Help me find rest for my soul so that I can love others the way You love me in Jesus’ name. Amen.”
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How to Follow Forgiveness Instead of Our Emotions
But God instructs us to practice forgiveness. And when we choose to follow the path of forgiveness, we will experience the peace and joy that come through obeying God's Word.
How do you respond when someone hurts your feelings? Do you let it rob you of joy? Or maybe your emotions run wild?
Luke 6:27-28 tells us what we should do when people hurt us:
But I tell you who hear me: Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you.
Can you believe that? We're to pray something like, "Oh, Lord, I pray that You'd just make them so happy!"
I still don't get that, but I'm willing to do it in obedience and say, "Lord, I don't know that I really want them to be happy, but I'll pray that in faith anyway, because You're telling me to bless them with Your presence
Luke 6:35 goes further. It says:
But love your enemies, do good to them, and lend to them without expecting to get anything back. Then your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High, because he is kind to the ungrateful and wicked.
Why You Must Follow ForgivenessThat's why we need to pray for them and say, "God forgive them." In fact, what does God say will happen to us when we obey His Word?
Luke 6:35 states "…and then your recompense (your reward) will be great (rich, strong, intense, and abundant), and you will be sons of the Most High…."
God tells us that we'll receive a reward. We will get double for our trouble if we will do things His way.
The Bible says that love covers a multitude of sins. Do you know what that means? It means that love will even have you making excuses for your enemies. Someone might come up to us and say, "Well, I heard what so-and-so did to you."
When we really decide to forgive someone and pray the prayer that blesses our enemies, making the decision that we will not talk bad about them, but instead, cover their fault and their mess, we still might not feel any different.
Now, I believe choosing forgiveness is one of the most difficult things God asks us to do, especially if we believe that whoever hurt us is in the wrong and doesn't deserve to be forgiven.
But God instructs us to practice forgiveness. And when we choose to follow the path of forgiveness, we will experience the peace and joy that come through obeying God's Word.
source: Joyce Meyers Ministries
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But God instructs us to practice forgiveness. And when we choose to follow the path of forgiveness, we will experience the peace and joy that come through obeying God's Word.
How do you respond when someone hurts your feelings? Do you let it rob you of joy? Or maybe your emotions run wild?
Luke 6:27-28 tells us what we should do when people hurt us:
But I tell you who hear me: Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you.
Can you believe that? We're to pray something like, "Oh, Lord, I pray that You'd just make them so happy!"
I still don't get that, but I'm willing to do it in obedience and say, "Lord, I don't know that I really want them to be happy, but I'll pray that in faith anyway, because You're telling me to bless them with Your presence
Luke 6:35 goes further. It says:
But love your enemies, do good to them, and lend to them without expecting to get anything back. Then your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High, because he is kind to the ungrateful and wicked.
Why You Must Follow ForgivenessThat's why we need to pray for them and say, "God forgive them." In fact, what does God say will happen to us when we obey His Word?
Luke 6:35 states "…and then your recompense (your reward) will be great (rich, strong, intense, and abundant), and you will be sons of the Most High…."
God tells us that we'll receive a reward. We will get double for our trouble if we will do things His way.
The Bible says that love covers a multitude of sins. Do you know what that means? It means that love will even have you making excuses for your enemies. Someone might come up to us and say, "Well, I heard what so-and-so did to you."
When we really decide to forgive someone and pray the prayer that blesses our enemies, making the decision that we will not talk bad about them, but instead, cover their fault and their mess, we still might not feel any different.
Now, I believe choosing forgiveness is one of the most difficult things God asks us to do, especially if we believe that whoever hurt us is in the wrong and doesn't deserve to be forgiven.
But God instructs us to practice forgiveness. And when we choose to follow the path of forgiveness, we will experience the peace and joy that come through obeying God's Word.
source: Joyce Meyers Ministries
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Today’s Scripture“I will go before you and make the crooked places straight...”
(Isaiah 45:2, NKJV) SHARE WITH YOUR FRIENDS He Prepares Your PathDo you ever feel like that every time you try to move forward in something, you hit a roadblock? Maybe something happens that throws you off course? Be encouraged today because right now, God is going before you. He’s preparing a way. It may not be the way you thought, but you can be sure that God’s ways are higher than our own. Trust that He is making your crooked places straight and your rough places smooth.
You may be going through a difficult time right now, but it’s not the end. It’s only the beginning. God has equipped you for this journey. Keep speaking words of faith and listen for His still, small voice. Trust that He is leading and guiding you. Keep an attitude of praise and thanksgiving and move forward in the good things He has prepared for you!
A Prayer for Today“Father, thank You for Your goodness in my life. Thank You for preparing my path in life. I trust that You are restoring my soul and leading me into victory in everything I do in Jesus’ name. Amen.”
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Today’s Scripture“Therefore I tell you, her sins, many [as they are], are forgiven her—because she has loved much. But he who is forgiven little loves little.”
(Luke 7:47, AMP) SHARE WITH YOUR FRIENDS The Door to Love Did you know that forgiveness opens the door for love to operate in your life? Today’s verse is talking about the story of the woman with the alabaster box of costly perfume. She was a notorious sinner in her day, but when she encountered Jesus, her life changed. She fell at His feet in worship and began washing His feet with her tears and drying them with her hair. When she received Christ’s forgiveness, love was the automatic response. She was forgiven much, and her love was extravagant.
Do you want more love in your life? Do you want to feel more of God’s love and have stronger relationships with the people around you? Open your heart to forgiveness. Receive Christ’s forgiveness and extend it to others. When you are forgiven much, you will love much, and His love will empower you to rise higher in every area of life!
A Prayer for Today“Father, Thank You for loving me. Thank You for Your forgiveness which opens the door for Your love to flow through me. Help me to be Your light and Your example of love to those around me in Jesus’ name. Amen.”
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(Luke 7:47, AMP) SHARE WITH YOUR FRIENDS The Door to Love Did you know that forgiveness opens the door for love to operate in your life? Today’s verse is talking about the story of the woman with the alabaster box of costly perfume. She was a notorious sinner in her day, but when she encountered Jesus, her life changed. She fell at His feet in worship and began washing His feet with her tears and drying them with her hair. When she received Christ’s forgiveness, love was the automatic response. She was forgiven much, and her love was extravagant.
Do you want more love in your life? Do you want to feel more of God’s love and have stronger relationships with the people around you? Open your heart to forgiveness. Receive Christ’s forgiveness and extend it to others. When you are forgiven much, you will love much, and His love will empower you to rise higher in every area of life!
A Prayer for Today“Father, Thank You for loving me. Thank You for Your forgiveness which opens the door for Your love to flow through me. Help me to be Your light and Your example of love to those around me in Jesus’ name. Amen.”
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Today’s Scripture“Love never fails...”
(1 Corinthians 13:8, NIV) Love Never Fails
We all have people in our lives that are difficult at times. Maybe it’s someone you work with, a family member, or even your spouse. Relationships can be complicated, but always remember: love never fails.
The Word of God clearly defines love in 1 Corinthians 13. It says that love is patient and kind. It doesn’t seek its own way. It keeps no record of wrongs. And most importantly, love never fails. Notice that this chapter on love doesn’t talk at all about how you feel. God’s love isn’t about feelings. It’s a choice. You can choose to be patient, even when you don’t feel like being patient. You can choose to be kind, even when you don’t feel like being kind.
No matter what situation you find yourself in, you can choose love. You are never more like God than when you are walking in love. When you are walking in love, you will never fail because love never fails. Open your heart and receive God’s love today!
A Prayer for Today“Father, thank You for Your love which never fails. Thank You for filling me and setting me free to love others. Empower me, by Your Spirit, to walk in love no matter what I may face today in Jesus’ name. Amen.”
Source: Joel Osteen
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(1 Corinthians 13:8, NIV) Love Never Fails
We all have people in our lives that are difficult at times. Maybe it’s someone you work with, a family member, or even your spouse. Relationships can be complicated, but always remember: love never fails.
The Word of God clearly defines love in 1 Corinthians 13. It says that love is patient and kind. It doesn’t seek its own way. It keeps no record of wrongs. And most importantly, love never fails. Notice that this chapter on love doesn’t talk at all about how you feel. God’s love isn’t about feelings. It’s a choice. You can choose to be patient, even when you don’t feel like being patient. You can choose to be kind, even when you don’t feel like being kind.
No matter what situation you find yourself in, you can choose love. You are never more like God than when you are walking in love. When you are walking in love, you will never fail because love never fails. Open your heart and receive God’s love today!
A Prayer for Today“Father, thank You for Your love which never fails. Thank You for filling me and setting me free to love others. Empower me, by Your Spirit, to walk in love no matter what I may face today in Jesus’ name. Amen.”
Source: Joel Osteen
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Find the Love, Peace and Joy You're Longing For
I want to ask you a question: Do you love yourself?
Take a minute to think about it. It’s an important question because your answer will determine how much love you are able to give to others. You see, if you don’t love yourself in a healthy, balanced way, then you won’t be able to spread the love of God to those around you because you can’t give away something you don’t have to begin with.
Now, I’m not talking about a selfish, self-centered kind of love for yourself that is arrogant and puffed up. That is not what I’m saying. There is a balanced way to develop a godly appreciation for who you are and the abilities God has given you.
One reason for this is we compare ourselves to other people and wonder why we can’t look or act like they do. Or we believe that God is mad at us for some reason…and then fall into the trap of thinking we need to try harder to measure up.
Don’t Be Misled
The devil wants us to feel bad about ourselves. He tries to mess with our thinking so we are always wondering why something is wrong with us. And many times we make the mistake of getting mad at ourselves because of it.
But God’s Word says that those who are in Christ have been made righteous.
Second Corinthians 5:21 (AMP) says, “For our sake He made Christ [virtually] to be sin Who knew no sin, so that in and through Him we might become…the righteousness of God [what we ought to be, approved and acceptable and in right relationship with Him, by His goodness].”
I like the Amplified version of this verse because it helps us understand the meaning of righteousness. As the verse says, it means that in Christ, we are as we ought to be. God created us. He approves and accepts us by His love and goodness.
Get Completely in God’s Will
As soon as you accept Christ, His love is poured into your heart. In fact, He loved you before you ever accepted Him as your Savior.
I really want you to get this because the fact that God loves you is one of the most important truths you need to know. Loving God and then yourself in a healthy, balanced way is the first step toward fulfilling your destiny and becoming a vessel of God’s love so you can spread His love to others. It’s also the key to having everything Jesus died for you to have, like His righteousness, peace and joy.
I love what Romans 14:17 (AMP) says, “[After all] the kingdom of God is not a matter of [getting the] food and drink [one likes], but instead it is righteousness (that state which makes a person acceptable to God) and [heart] peace and joy in the Holy Spirit.”
That verse says the kingdom of God is not food or drink. I like to say that God is not about stuff. And He wants to give us something much more important—righteousness, peace and joy.
Are You Living in God’s Kingdom?
How much joy do you have? It’s pretty much impossible to have joy if you don’t know God loves you as you are and have peace with yourself. If you lack joy, maybe it’s because of the way you see yourself. Do you enjoy spending time with yourself? Some people get overly involved in activities because they can’t stand to be alone. And some folks are angry with themselves, so they avoid their own presence.
A good place to start growing in the area of balanced, godly self-love that includes a healthy attitude about yourself is by meditating on Ephesians 1:4-5 (NLT): “Even before he made the world, God loved us and chose us in Christ to be holy and without fault in his eyes. God decided in advance to adopt us into his own family by bringing us to himself through Jesus Christ. This is what he wanted to do, and it gave him great pleasure.”
Remember that God loves you unconditionally. He created your temperament, your talents, and all your other traits. But we all have specific areas we can grow in and things to work on. That’s okay. The Holy Spirit is willing and able to help you grow in areas of weakness. Like I often say, “I may not be where I want to be, but thank God I’m not where I used to be!”
Wherever you are in your relationship with God, know that He has singled you out and chosen you to be His child. He is pleased with how He made you and His love surrounds you. You are the apple of His eye.
Source: Joyce Meyer
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I want to ask you a question: Do you love yourself?
Take a minute to think about it. It’s an important question because your answer will determine how much love you are able to give to others. You see, if you don’t love yourself in a healthy, balanced way, then you won’t be able to spread the love of God to those around you because you can’t give away something you don’t have to begin with.
Now, I’m not talking about a selfish, self-centered kind of love for yourself that is arrogant and puffed up. That is not what I’m saying. There is a balanced way to develop a godly appreciation for who you are and the abilities God has given you.
One reason for this is we compare ourselves to other people and wonder why we can’t look or act like they do. Or we believe that God is mad at us for some reason…and then fall into the trap of thinking we need to try harder to measure up.
Don’t Be Misled
The devil wants us to feel bad about ourselves. He tries to mess with our thinking so we are always wondering why something is wrong with us. And many times we make the mistake of getting mad at ourselves because of it.
But God’s Word says that those who are in Christ have been made righteous.
Second Corinthians 5:21 (AMP) says, “For our sake He made Christ [virtually] to be sin Who knew no sin, so that in and through Him we might become…the righteousness of God [what we ought to be, approved and acceptable and in right relationship with Him, by His goodness].”
I like the Amplified version of this verse because it helps us understand the meaning of righteousness. As the verse says, it means that in Christ, we are as we ought to be. God created us. He approves and accepts us by His love and goodness.
Get Completely in God’s Will
As soon as you accept Christ, His love is poured into your heart. In fact, He loved you before you ever accepted Him as your Savior.
I really want you to get this because the fact that God loves you is one of the most important truths you need to know. Loving God and then yourself in a healthy, balanced way is the first step toward fulfilling your destiny and becoming a vessel of God’s love so you can spread His love to others. It’s also the key to having everything Jesus died for you to have, like His righteousness, peace and joy.
I love what Romans 14:17 (AMP) says, “[After all] the kingdom of God is not a matter of [getting the] food and drink [one likes], but instead it is righteousness (that state which makes a person acceptable to God) and [heart] peace and joy in the Holy Spirit.”
That verse says the kingdom of God is not food or drink. I like to say that God is not about stuff. And He wants to give us something much more important—righteousness, peace and joy.
Are You Living in God’s Kingdom?
How much joy do you have? It’s pretty much impossible to have joy if you don’t know God loves you as you are and have peace with yourself. If you lack joy, maybe it’s because of the way you see yourself. Do you enjoy spending time with yourself? Some people get overly involved in activities because they can’t stand to be alone. And some folks are angry with themselves, so they avoid their own presence.
A good place to start growing in the area of balanced, godly self-love that includes a healthy attitude about yourself is by meditating on Ephesians 1:4-5 (NLT): “Even before he made the world, God loved us and chose us in Christ to be holy and without fault in his eyes. God decided in advance to adopt us into his own family by bringing us to himself through Jesus Christ. This is what he wanted to do, and it gave him great pleasure.”
Remember that God loves you unconditionally. He created your temperament, your talents, and all your other traits. But we all have specific areas we can grow in and things to work on. That’s okay. The Holy Spirit is willing and able to help you grow in areas of weakness. Like I often say, “I may not be where I want to be, but thank God I’m not where I used to be!”
Wherever you are in your relationship with God, know that He has singled you out and chosen you to be His child. He is pleased with how He made you and His love surrounds you. You are the apple of His eye.
Source: Joyce Meyer
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Today’s Scripture“If you declare with your mouth, ‘Jesus is Lord,’ and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.”
(Romans 10:9, NIV)SHARE WITH YOUR FRIENDSConfess and BelieveScripture tells us that salvation comes when a person confesses that Jesus is Lord and believes in their heart that He was raised from the dead. In the same way, God’s Word comes alive in our hearts when we confess and believe it.
The question is: What are you confessing today? What are you saying about your situation? Are you confessing the Word and believing that God is at work behind the scenes? Or, do you talk about your problems and always believe the worst? Whatever you confess and put your faith in will come to pass in your life.
If you’ve been saying the wrong things, it’s time to simply stop and turn your thoughts and words around. You can choose to speak the Word of God any time. Don’t just let your mind and mouth wander. Be intentional. Write down a few Scripture verses and take them with you. Be determined to speak the Word. Confess and believe and walk in victory in every area of your life.
A Prayer for Today“Father, today I repent for anything that I’ve been confessing that isn’t pleasing to You. I choose to turn around and keep my mind and heart focused on Your Word. Make Your truth real to me today in Jesus’ name. Amen.”
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(Galatians 2:20, ESV)Today’s Scripture“...the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God...”
The God Kind of FaithFaith is all around us. People have faith in so many different things: faith that a friend will be true, faith that your job is taking you on a certain career path, faith that the chair you are sitting on is going to hold you up! Faith is simply believing in something. But there are different kinds, or levels, of faith. We’ve all been given a measure of faith. The question is, what are you doing with it?
The God kind of faith will cause you to believe for things when you don’t even know how they’ll happen. It will take you further than you ever dreamed. It probably won’t make sense in your mind, but you have to allow your spirit to rise higher than your thinking.
Don’t ever talk yourself out of believing. Don’t focus on all the reasons why not; instead, allow supernatural faith to rise up within you. Meditate on His Word that says you can do all things through Christ, and you are strong in the Lord and the power of His might. As you rise up in faith, He’ll take you places you’ve never dreamed, and you will live the abundant life He has for you!
A Prayer for Today“Father, today I humbly open my heart to You. Use me for Your glory and have Your way in my life. I choose to trust You. I choose faith in Jesus’ name. Amen.”
Source: Today'sWord with JoelOsteen
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A Posture to Learn
If you’ve ever had a conversation with someone who was constantly checking his or her phone, then you know how frustrating it can be to have half of a person’s attention. Because, honestly, having half of someone’s attention feels like having none of it. It’s offensive, distracting, and unhelpful when a person is “there but not there.” In the end, it costs everyone unnecessary extra time and attention to move forward.
Do you think God ever feels that way about us? Is it possible He says, “I’m willing to teach, but you are …”
• Consumed by your job.
• Distracted by stress.
• Pursuing pleasure.
• Ignoring My Word.
The posture of our lives will tell God whether we really want to hear what He has to say. True disciples position themselves to hear from God. They structure their lives so that when God speaks, they’re ready to listen and respond.
Disciples of Jesus know it’s not enough to simply “want” His truth. They go after it. They sacrifice for it. That’s because receiving truth isn’t a passive experience. To learn from Jesus is to actively bend your life around what matters most. In short, we don’t grow as disciples by listening to a sermon every week or even attending a Bible study.
Rather, disciples learn and grow by making small choices each day—sometimes each hour—to actively trust Jesus and listen for His voice.
In Matthew 5, we saw Jesus’ disciples trek up a mountain in order to hear His teaching in what we now call the Sermon on the Mount. That wasn’t the only time Jesus’ disciples had to make an effort to experience Him more deeply:
After six days Jesus took Peter, James, and his brother John and led them up on a high mountain by themselves. He was transformed in front of them, and His face shone like the sun. Even His clothes became as white as the light (Matthew 17:1–2).
Once again, the disciples put real effort into following Jesus. They sacrificed their time and energy in order to be in the right place to learn from Him—and the reward was incredible.
It’s not easy to follow Jesus. You’ll sometimes need to scale a mountain just to hear from Him. But the effort will be more than worth it.
Unfortunately, some disciples stop at base camp at the bottom of that mountain and find great comfort in never exercising their faith, never growing, and never hearing from God. Others begin the ascent, but the demands of life (or their own bad habits) drag them down well before the summit. But the ones who complete the journey up the mountain will hear from God. And His voice will give them peace, comfort, and joy.
Source: Nourish #weeklymorsel-Lifeway Christian Stores
If you’ve ever had a conversation with someone who was constantly checking his or her phone, then you know how frustrating it can be to have half of a person’s attention. Because, honestly, having half of someone’s attention feels like having none of it. It’s offensive, distracting, and unhelpful when a person is “there but not there.” In the end, it costs everyone unnecessary extra time and attention to move forward.
Do you think God ever feels that way about us? Is it possible He says, “I’m willing to teach, but you are …”
• Consumed by your job.
• Distracted by stress.
• Pursuing pleasure.
• Ignoring My Word.
The posture of our lives will tell God whether we really want to hear what He has to say. True disciples position themselves to hear from God. They structure their lives so that when God speaks, they’re ready to listen and respond.
Disciples of Jesus know it’s not enough to simply “want” His truth. They go after it. They sacrifice for it. That’s because receiving truth isn’t a passive experience. To learn from Jesus is to actively bend your life around what matters most. In short, we don’t grow as disciples by listening to a sermon every week or even attending a Bible study.
Rather, disciples learn and grow by making small choices each day—sometimes each hour—to actively trust Jesus and listen for His voice.
In Matthew 5, we saw Jesus’ disciples trek up a mountain in order to hear His teaching in what we now call the Sermon on the Mount. That wasn’t the only time Jesus’ disciples had to make an effort to experience Him more deeply:
After six days Jesus took Peter, James, and his brother John and led them up on a high mountain by themselves. He was transformed in front of them, and His face shone like the sun. Even His clothes became as white as the light (Matthew 17:1–2).
Once again, the disciples put real effort into following Jesus. They sacrificed their time and energy in order to be in the right place to learn from Him—and the reward was incredible.
It’s not easy to follow Jesus. You’ll sometimes need to scale a mountain just to hear from Him. But the effort will be more than worth it.
Unfortunately, some disciples stop at base camp at the bottom of that mountain and find great comfort in never exercising their faith, never growing, and never hearing from God. Others begin the ascent, but the demands of life (or their own bad habits) drag them down well before the summit. But the ones who complete the journey up the mountain will hear from God. And His voice will give them peace, comfort, and joy.
Source: Nourish #weeklymorsel-Lifeway Christian Stores