My Favorite People

Who are your favorite people to be around?

I like spending time with people who lift me up when I’m feeling down. People who value me.

People can like you or even love you, but if they don’t value you, their love will never be enough. You can love something and neglect it, you can love someone and still be treated poorly. Loving someone doesn’t guarantee that they will do whatever it takes to take care of you or protect you. The only people that will do that is the ones that value you.

When you surround yourself with people who lift you up, instead of tearing you down, its a part of self-love is having a high standard of the people your inner circle.

My Favorite Shoes

Tell us about your favorite pair of shoes, and where they’ve taken you.

My favorite pair of shoes are the comfortable ones. As long as they don’t hurt my feet. I like them.

I do tend to be drawn to boots more often than regular shoes because they have more room for my toes. I am a big sandal-wearer.

The Greatest Treasure

There was once a box of treasure buried in a field, and when a man found ug, he sold everything he had so he could buy the field and own the treasure (Matth13:44). This is how Jesus described the kingdom of God. In his letters Pauk talks about salvation in terms of wealth, describing it as the “riches of God’s grace (Romans 10:12; Ephesians 1:7).

Money can make things easier, but money can or buy everything. Money can buy a nice car or a large house, but it’s not the secret to finding lifelong happiness.

The most important part of having an inheritance of God’s treasure is every spiritual blessing comes from Him, it’s not about money. It’s about love.

There are only two portions in this life. The portion of the Lord or the portion of the world. The Book of Revelation vividly depicts this for us, those who choose the works have wealth and fame and success for a little while, and their selfishness and greed destine them for destruction (Revelation 18:21-20). To choose the Lord as your portion is to reject the seductive, worthless vanities of this life and have greater riches than material wealth.

This week in church we are praying with Psalm 16. Every week the pastor selects a Psalm and the whole church prays with it throughout the week then on Sunday we tell the church what we received from the Psalm.

This is the passage is the one I have been drawn to this week,

“The Lord is my chosen portion and my cup. You have made my lot secure. The lines have fallen to me in pleasant places. Yes, I have a good inheritance.” -Psalm 16:5-6

To have the Lord as our portion is to have the fullness of joy, eternal security, and life itself. It means having a treasure beyond the price that will never fade away and can never be stolen. The lines of allotment have created a place where no suffering or corruption can enter and where joy abounds. Dwelling with God is to dwell in the presence of goodness and joy itself, and God delights to draw near to His people (James 4:8).

Colossians 3:3-4 tells us,

We are to seek the things above, where Jesus is seated at the right hand of God. set our minds on the things above, not on the things that are on the earth.

The “things that are above“ are nothing less than Jesus Himself and all the rich spiritual blessings of salvation, godliness, thankfulness, and praise. These things bring us heavenly treasures (Matthew 6:19-21).

Set your hope, set your very life upon these things, for this is where your treasure and consequently, your heart lies. Faith involves understanding and holding onto the fact that though we may be poor in the terms of this world, we are rich in God. If you have been saved by the blood of Jesus, then the Lord is your portion, and the lines have fallen for you in pleasant places.

The Greatest Gift

Share one of the best gifts you’ve ever received.

The best gifts I have ever received are my children. Their souls are a heavy responsibility. They Were placed in my hands in my hands. My children taught me how to love unconditionally. They taught me to show grace, mercy, and forgiveness.

My responsibility was to treasure them, and not to expect perfection from them. I’ve always looked as a blessing, not an inconvenience. My job was to teach them how to be responsible adults. So they could function in society and to teach them they way that they should go so that when they are old they will not depart from it.

The joy of my children will never leave my heart. Both of then were gifted to me by God. He has entrusted them to me to nurture and care for.

Trial By Fire

These trials show that our faith is genuine. It is being tested as fire tests and purifies gold – though our faith is far more precious than gold. When our faith remains strong through many trials, it will bring you praise and glory and honor on the day when Christ Jesus is revealed to the entire world.

Knowing our trials will make us stronger does not promise they will be painless. But, our attitude in facing trials can make a difference between the situation as a source of joy or a reason to be despondent. Though our trials are tough to work through our mental attitude makes a huge difference.

Trials hurt, but because of God’s promise, we can end up being strengthened and not someone who simply survived.

Romans 8:28 declares that we can know God will always cause our circumstances to work for the good to those who love Him and are called to His purpose.

If we have a clear understanding of out trials then we know we can ask God for wisdom without the fear of being rebuffed by Him.

We live in a world of uncertainty. It often feels like no one is in control and things are getting progressively worse. Being content knowing we have to face trials, and knowing that God is in sovereign control and is using our trials to strengthen us, allows us the privilege and opportunity to live in sharp contrast to those around us who get up every morning and go to bed each night without hope.

We have the privilege to ask and understand if we are willing to believe that God without a doubt, is bigger than all our circumstances.

Budgeting

Write about your approach to budgeting.

Money is a tool God has given us so we can help others, meet or needs, and serve Him.

A lot of times people get caught up in tho idea of “more money“ as a goal and a solution to their problems.

I used to be a horrible at budgeting. I was hooked on shopping, buying clothes made me get a sort of high. In the last few years I have gotten better.

I think Americans are spoiled. We have been so set on buying material things. Money makes life easier, it can help make us happier. But it will never be able to the hole we are trying to fill.

There are 1 in 5 children that go hungry in America. And I’m sure it’s even more in other countries. While we are squandering our money on material things.

This is definitely something I need to think more about. When I’m buying a shirt when I have no need for it.

There are 331.9 million people in America, imagine we all gave 1 dollar to charity that feeds children. What a difference it would make.

First Faith Then Understanding

Faith precedes understanding. The world says, “Seeing is believing.” but the Bible says, “Believing is seeing.” Likewise, people say, “Show me and then I will believe.” Jesus says, “Believe me and then I will show you.”

Believing in something before you see it, is so contrary to human nature. We have been conditioned to see things first, and then believe. Life teaches us to adopt the phrase, ‘I’ll believe it, when I see it.”

Life is full of setbacks, disappointments and I kept promises. So many of us have been hurt by people we have trusted the most.

Because of the way our minds have been conditioned, sometimes we can by guilty of putting God into the same category that we put people in.

Our faith pleases God. When we have faith, and believe God’s Word and His promises it actually brings Joy.

Before I became a believer I tried picking up the Bible and reading it. It seemed to be all gibberish. I could not even pretend I understood it, because I didn’t. When I began to have faith, I began to understand the Bible.

Hebrews 11:6 tells us, “Without faith it is impossible to be well pleasing to Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He exists, and that He is the rewarder of those who seek Him.

Jesus tells His disciples in Matthew 17 when they could not cast out a demon, that it was because of their unbelief. And if they have the faith of a mustard seed they could move mountains.

There is no where in the Bible where we read God is not able, or God does not exist. God can do anything but fail.

God wants us to believe in His character, that He says who He is, God’s Word tells us that it is impossible to please God without faith.

“God is not man that He should lie, He is not human, that He should change His mind. Has He ever spoken and failed to act. Has He promised and not carried through” -Numbers 23:19 (NLT).

Are You Patriotic

Are you patriotic? What does being patriotic mean to you?

I am a patriot. I am a person who lives, supports, and defends my country and it’s interests with devotion.

Being a patriot to be means I value individual rights. And am willing to defend those rights against interference by the federal government. I support freedom and because defending freedom means defending human rights.

I support the freedom of religion and freedom of speech. I support my God-given rights which is life, liberty, and the fruits of my own labor, and the pursuit of happiness.

It’s Not God’s Fault

Why does God let this happen? Have you ever asked that question? Why would God allow me to suffer?

We all have asked that question at some point in our lives. Even David the King of Isreal, who was known as a man after God’s own heart. He asked over and over again in Psalm 22:1.

So why does God allow us to suffer? Couldn’t He have created a world where there was no suffering? The answer is He did.

When God created the world it was perfect. Genesis 1:31 says, “God saw all that He made, and it was very good.” There was no sin, no sickness, no death, or betrayal. But after the first humans were put on earth, they sinned, and that changed everything (Genesis 1:2).

Since then, it’s not a matter of if will we have troubles, but when we will. In John 16:33, Jesus says, “I have told you these things so that in me you may have peace. In this world, you will have trouble, but cheer up! I have overcome the world.”

Unintenually Breaking The Law

Have you ever unintentionally broken the law?

Answer Prompt: Have you ever unintentionally broken the law? I think the only law I ever broke unintentionally would be speeding because I didn’t know what the speed limit was.

I was in a different town, and couldn’t see any speed limit signs. And I was pulled over for speeding. When I told the officer I didn’t see any signs for the speed limit. He let me go.

Grace And Destiny

People talk a lot about the grace of God. Believers are always praying for grace. Grace is God’s inherited favor. The enabling power and presence of God. Grace is another way of saying, “I want God’s blessing on my life.”

Grace and blessings are defined in many different ways. These are all good descriptions, but they leave out one key ingredient -purpose.

There’s always a reason attached to the grace of God. Paul explains this in Romans 1:5,

“Through Him and for His name’s sake, we receive grace and apostleship to call people from all the Gentiles to the obedience that comes from faith.” (We are the Gentiles)

In this short verse, there are two elements of grace. It tells us not only about what God wants to bless us with, but how He wants us to use what He freely gives us. We need to take these to heart if we want to see God’s grace manifested.

He doesn’t give us grace so that we can spend it on our pleasures, it’s about His agenda on earth. Where His grace comes to the forefront.

I need to pick up this attitude. I receive His grace so that His name will be magnified in my life.

Grace and calling go hand in hand. Seeking God’s grace without finding your calling in Christ is worthless. It’s through His grace that we fulfill our purpose.

It is God’s grace that brings you into your destiny. It’s what you were created for. Without that knowledge, you’re simply living from problem to problem. Instead of always seeking grace to get over the next obstacle in you’re life, find the direction that the Holy Spirit is leading you to.

Paul was aware that God’s grace had pinpoint accuracy. He was called to bring the Gospel to the Gentiles. That’s why God poured His grace on Pauls ministry.

It is the same for us. As we grow in Christ, car need to fine-tune our calling. Who am I called to reach? What are my gifts and abilities? When we begin to answer these questions, we will be able to find that perfect position of grace that we are called to walk in.

2 Corinthians 6:1, tells us, “As fellow workers we urge you not to receive God’s grace in vain.”

That means that we don’t receive the grace of God for no purpose. Grace is always attached to destiny. Our walk today must be with an eternal focus. That’s what God’s grace is all about.

Give God Your Revenge

“Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave it to the wrath of God, for it is written, “Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord” – Romans 12:19

This is a crucial promise in overcoming our bent toward bitterness and revenge. And the reason is bitterness and revenge are powerful impulses behind anger becomes impulse that that are not entirely wrong,

In many cases, wrongs have been done to us. But, it is now entirely wrong to feel that justice should be done. What’s wrong is to feel that we must make it happen and that we may feel bitter until it does.

The big mistake is staying bitter and having unforgiveness in your heart. I held on to the bitterness and unforgiveness for many years, too many years. I tell you from experience, the only person who is suffering is you. Bitterness and unforgiveness only kill those who keep it inside.

There are biblical commands and warnings concerning an unforgiving spirit

  • Be kind to one another, tender-hearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgavr you. Ephesians 4:32
  • If you do more forgive others…neither will your Father forgive your trespasses -Matthew 6:15

When we don’t forgive others our souls are in danger.

The grace of God’s judgment is promised to us in Romans 12 which helps us overcome such a deadly spirit of revenge and bitterness.

The Apostle Paul’s argument is that we can be sure that all wrongs will be dealt with by God and that we can leave the matter in His hands because vengeance belongs to the Lord. To motivate us to lay down our vengeful desires He give us a promise: “I will repay, says the Lord.”

The promise that frees us from an unforgiving, bitter, vengeful spirit is the promise that God will settle our accounts. He will do it more justly and more mercifully than we ever could. He punishes all sin. Nobody gets away with anything. He promises it either in Jesus on the cross for those who repent and trust Him, or in hell for those who don’t. There, we can back off and leave room for God to do His perfect work.

This is something I wish I had known years ago. Bitterness and unforgiveness plagued my soul. I was slowly poisoning myself for someone else’s wrong doing.