Intro
Hi, this is Dorette Schaal with an encouraging word for your day. In the near future, I will be spending several weeks on the subject of Loving Like Jesus. Last year, we did 7 weeks of concentrated study on our own” Love Project”, which encouraged us to walk in love, and exhibit the 7 main characteristics of a loving person. So as a review and follow up, we are going to spend this week being encouraged and motivated to walk in love and demonstrate love as a way of life through kindness. Be encouraged today! We can make a lifelong impact on our world by loving others.
Monday
This week we will begin looking at the seven characteristics of a loving person. In a world where we are taught to look out for number #1, we are living in an opposite world when we begin to think about others first. This week we will be looking at Kindness as a characteristic of a loving person. A great definition of kindness is discovering the joy of helping others and the joy of meeting someone else’s need before your own, simply for the sake of relationship. A question we want to begin with is this: Would others classify me as a kind person? Do I look for ways to show kindness each day, or am I always looking out for number 1, and letting the chips fall where they may. Sometimes that answer is not clear cut, because if you are like most people, kindness is easier when you are not in a hurry, and when things in your life are good. We say that as Christians we are not moved by what we feel, but we generally are. If we didn’t sleep well, kindness is out the window. If we are in pain, or discomfort, or overstressed, kindness doesn’t come quite as easily. But kindness is a habit we can acquire, and have operate in our life whatever circumstances we are in. It comes along with being selfless. Selfishness centers everything on me. How I am feeling, how rushed I am, how others should treat me. We can begin asking those same questions about someone else. How are they feeling, are they rushed, can I treat them well, and help them in their day? Kindness really does begin with thinking about others more. It can start at home with those you live with. It can be a great avenue for your home life to positively change to be a more loving environment. Amazing what a little kindness can do.
Tuesday
Kindness is the first characteristic of a loving life that we are studying this week.
Kindness really is a great way to show God’s love to our world. It has great potential to change us from the inside as we begin to think about other’s care and comfort more than we do our own. Sometimes the biggest change we see is a change of attitude, and that is a great place to start. During this series, we are hoping to make love more obvious to the world around us that we are believers. Believers should be known specifically for one thing, and that is love. So as we talk about kindness this week, I see it as beginning to put love in action. We are not hearers only, we are doers of the Word! Love is an action, and definitely when we show kindness we are acting in a loving way. We live in a world with lots of injustice. We get to be the ones who start to turn the tide. Let’s not be the one who walks past an opportunity to show kindness. Begin right where you are, and start being observant to the world around you. Open up your eyes, and in the normal processes of life, you can begin demonstrating kindness by the little kind things you do, all the time. Your life will have a whole different feel when you begin to notice or recognize someone else’s needs. We will learn that kindness isn’t only a response to others being kind to us, but us proactively being kind to others. In fact, a great definition of kindness from Gary Chapman’s book Love as a Way of Life is this: kindness is discovering the joy of helping others and the joy of meeting someone else’s need before your own, simply for the sake of relationship. Will kindness have an impact on your relationship? You bet. Why not start showing kindness today?
Wednesday
When we look at all the characteristics of love, kindness rates high on the list. One great way to show kindness is through words. We can speak hope filled, positive, truthful and affirming words of love through kindness. Encouraging Words are my passion! How can your words bring hope? Sometimes just the simple words, it will all be ok, can bring a great measure of hope to someone who is in desperate circumstances. Kind words should be positive and uplifting. We know God turns negative situations around all the time. Our words can begin that process in someone’s life. Kind words are truthful. We are told in the Bible to speak the truth in love. It can be challenging, but we can speak truth in love. Kind words are affirming. I’m always encouraged and affirmed by words that uplift. We do need to put a guard on our mouth, we do need to listen to what we say and how we say it, and we do need to replace negative words with positive words. Being kind is all about seeing value and worth in each person. Kindness can be developed! You can break negative patterns and make changes just by being observant and taking time to think about what we say before it is said. So remember to speak those hope filled, positive, truthful and affirming words of kindness!
Thursday
Here is a good question to consider. How different would your relationships be if kindness was a quality of love that was practiced daily? I bet they would all improve! Bad Habits are the competitor to kindness. Bad habits can be things that we don’t do, like: leaving things out or not putting things away where they belong. What we say when we don’t take care of our own things is that we don’t care if we make more work for others. Often it is just laziness, and sometimes haste that keep us from being more thorough, but it makes things harder for someone else. Just consider the amount of work it takes someone at a restaurant to pick up what you may have dropped on the floor, to scoot your chair in, and to clean the table up. We think that since that is what they do for a job, we can leave a mess for them. That isn’t the kindest thing to do. We do need to consider kindness! Think about that at home too. When it comes to the simple things, show kindness by having good habits! Make it a good habit to take care of your own things. Do a little extra. Offer to help out. Be kinder than necessary! Good things happen when you show kindness….you usually get kindness in return.
Friday
Pay it forward was a popular movie several years back that had a great message. When you receive a kindness from someone, pass it on to someone else. Instead of paying you back, you’re paying it forward. Kindness generates kindness. Have you noticed how true that it? When you make a choice to show kindness, even if it is not reciprocated, it make some sort of impact. Sometimes it is as dramatic as shock and disbelief, but often it is just thankfulness. People are genuinely thankful when a kindness is shown to them. If you look back in your own life, I wouldn’t be surprised if somewhere in your past you have a vivid memory of someone being kind to you. My dad received a Steinway Grand Piano in an inheritance from someone he had been kind to. It wasn’t out of the ordinary for my dad, in fact, he was one of the kindest men I’ve ever known. He was always thinking about the underdog, and he was an encourager by nature. The awesome inheritance came to my dad because he would take time to show kindness to a mentally disabled young man, and his mom was so grateful she put my dad’s name in her will. She payed it forward. Is there some way you can do the same this week? Has someone helped you, or given you something, or made an impact on your life through kindness? Find a way to pay it forward!
Saturday
Kindness is the first characteristic of a loving life that we are talking about this week.
I’m sure you’ve seen people who act like this at school. You be nice to me, and I’ll be nice to you. We are taught in Sunday School and Children’s Church to be kind to one another. Your parents probably tell you the same thing, about your sisters and brothers. Be nice! It is easier to be nice to someone if they are being nice to you, but love tells us to be nice either way! So can you begin practicing kindness? I think you can. I know you might think that some people are just kinder than others, or that they got some special kind of kindness data input that you didn’t receive, but that’s really not the case. It can be from their environment. If you are around people who think about and care about others, you will definitely have a greater tendency to be kind. But even if you are not, you can start the kindness project this week! Kindness bring a smile to your face not only when you receive it, but especially when you give it. I hope you begin looking for ways to show kindness around you. Here are some easy ideas. Give genuine compliments, smile at people, help around the house without being asked, give someone else the last cookie, make an outsider feel like an insider….the list could go on forever! So now it’s your turn. What are you gonna do to show kindness to someone today? When you show your love to others, it does come back to you. So go and sow some seeds of kindness, and see what comes back in return.
Sunday
I hope you are beginning to think proactively about being kind all the time. To make it really practical, here are some simple ideas, or ways for you to start showing kindness to those around you!
1. Take every opportunity to smile at people
2. Remember the elderly, the mentally or physically challenged have additional
hurdles in life….try to help make life easier for them through kindness
3. Let others in line ahead of you
4. Be kind in traffic!
5. Give compliments!
6. Hold the door for others
7. Pay for someone’s meal or drink in the coffee line or fast food restaurant
8. Tip well
9. Call, text or email people in your world who might need encouragement
Never underestimate how much impact kind words can have on someone’s life. Always be looking for ways to affirm and value those around you. It is all too easy to do the opposite. We look for things that are negative naturally. We have to train ourselves to look for the positive and to use our words to say the kind thing instead of what might have come to mind initially. There is the power of life and death in what we speak, and kind words in any situation, have the power to change situations for the better.
Tuesday, July 27, 2010
Wednesday, July 21, 2010
Intro
During this month, I want to talk about the importance of giving God’s Word high priority. Hi, this is Dorette Schaal with an encouraging word for your day. From reading the Word, to taking time to study it, to meditating on it, and to memorizing and living it out, God’s Word is our guiding force. To make right choices, and to live the victorious life God has for us, let’s give God’s Word preeminence always! This week by talking about reading and studying God’s Word. Here is your encouraging word for the day.
Word for the Week: II Tim 3;16,17 Study to show yourself approved unto God…..
Monday
What does it mean to study the Word of God? I know lots of you read your Bible everyday, but do you know as Christians we are to study the Word of God as well? Remember the scripture “study to show yourself approved unto God”? The word study really is in there! When you study something, it isn’t just a casual read through. We should study the Word like we would study for a test. There might be a couple of them on on your journey!
What tools can make it easy to study? There are a couple of things I always use when I study the Bible. The most valuable tool to me is my concordance. I use a Strong’s Concordance, and it is fabulous. It is called an exhaustive concordance, because it is! Anything you need to find is in there. Additionally, there are all kinds of Bible helps available on computer, that I encourage you to use as well. A second thing that I always do is have something to write on or have my computer handy. When you receive some clarity on a scripture or a passage in the Word, I write it down. I would encourage you to write down your thoughts about what you have learned. Think about it, do some cross referencing which means finding other scriptures that say nearly the same thing, or relate in some way. Then do a word search to find other scriptures that have the exact word you are studying within them.
The greatest encouragement I could give you when it comes to studying God’s Word is to find a place to start. Why not make today the day you start studying to show yourself approved unto God. Then, don’t get down on yourself if you miss a day…..keep right on going! Make a plan, work the plan, and get ready to grow in God as you grow in your knowledge of the Word.
Tuesday
The Bible is a sharp sword….Eph 6:17, and a two edged sword as it says in Hebrews 4:12. Because not too many people we know use swords as weapons anymore (thank God!) those scriptures don’t have the same meaning to us as they might have to a new Christian who lived in the first century when a sword was an invaluable too. But even today, when cooking in the kitchen, sharp knives make life easier. A dull knife is just about useless, it makes things take longer and can even be dangerous because of the extra force needed to make even a simple cut. The Bible is a sharp sword! It has a point that gets to the point. As we talk about studying God’s Word this week, I think it is good to remember that the Bible is our best weapon against the enemy’s attacks. A good chef will sharpen his/her knives. A military man or woman will make sure they clean and care for their weapons. Even a hunter will make sure their arrows are sharp or their gun is well cared for. When we realize that we are in a war, but the weapons we fight with are not carnal as it says in II Corinthians chapter 10, it would be to our advantage to know our weapon. Knowledge requires study! We should become well acquainted with how the Bible is set up, why there is an old covenant and a new covenant. We should know who are the major men and women surrounding the most important person in the Bible - Jesus. It is great to know our weapon so that when we are attacked by the enemy, we have an artillery of scripture that can help us stand strong and not be shaken. Because we have studied, we will know the character of our God, and know how He operates and what He would want us to do in each situation. What great benefits we have from taking time to study His Word. Why not study your Bible today!
Wednesday
Yesterday we talked about the value of having the word of God hidden in our heart so that we can stand firm against any attack of the enemy, our adversary the devil. The Bible tells us to stand firm and be inflexible in Heb 10:23. We are to hold fast, tightly, rejecting all attempts of anyone who tries to steal it from us, not fickle in our commitment, but determined to be inflexible and unmoving in what we believe and confess as it says in another version of the Bible. Most of the time, it is good to be flexible. Certainly your muscles and joints feel better when we stretch them and are flexible. Dealing with people, we just can’t be pushy and inflexible when it comes to opinions and preferences. If you’re married you’ve certainly learned that being flexible enough to compromise is beneficial!!! Each opinion is important, and for peace in the home, we can be flexible. But when it comes to the Word of God, there should be no wavering. We stand firm! We will not be shaken! A huge key in having the ability to do that comes from reading, studying and meditating on God’s Word! Taking the time before an attack comes is so much easier than trying to read the manual during the battle. Advance preparation is key. So today remember this, we do have weapons to fight with, but they are not carnal. They are powerful, because they are our tools provided by our Heavenly Father to overcome in this life. The weapon is…..the Word of God. Read it, study it, be prepared to use it!
Thursday
It says in Col 3:16, for us to make God’s Word feel at home in your heart. Are you comfortable with it, and know it inside and out? In real estate, the mantra is location, location, location. I want to encourage you to find your perfect location in the middle of the Word! We can find our home and live and abide in the promises of God which are all wrapped up in His Word. On a daily basis we can have the freshly spoken word of God – the “rhema” become manifest in our lives as we read and study the building blocks or logos or foundational princples of God’s Word. Everything we do should be measured against the standard of the Word of God. Whenever we wonder about anything, we should find out what God’s Word has to say about it. When something comes out of our mouth, we need to make sure it lines up with God’s Word. A great question to keep in mind is …..where did you find that in the Word? So much of the time, we hear something repeated and because it sounds good, we take it for truth. But the enemy really finds joy in deceiving believers. The way to avoid deception is to be aware when God’s Word is being twisted or taken out of context, because you have knowledge of the context. When the Word of God is hidden in your heart, you won’t be easily deceived. The Bible tells us to pay attention to my word. All through the book of Proverbs, continually there is the admonition to pay attention to God’s Word. I want to encourage you the same way! Pay attention to the Word, plant the seed of God’s Word in your heart, and you will reap the harvest. Start planting today!
Friday
The Bible: God’s instruction Book….read it, follow it, live it! You’ve probably all heard the song that says the word Bible is an acronym for Basic Instructions Before Leaving Earth. I’m not sure who came up with that, but I think it is great. The time that having the Word of God planted deeply in your heart benefits us the most - is on this side of heaven. When we reach glory, we will be in the presence of the Word made Flesh – Jesus himself. So the Bible really is our manual for “doing life” on this planet. And truly the Word of God isn’t really complicated. The basics are pretty simple. When we love God with all of our heart, soul and might, and love our neighbor as ourselves we have summed up the whole book. Loving God is the easy part, sometimes we make the next part complicated. When we can love ourselves like God loves us, we can love others. When we take time to study the Word of God, we can learn the value God places on us, and begin to value and cherish what He has put on the inside of us. When we have love to give, everyone around us benefits. A great word study to do is to look up all of the scriptures on love. Study to find out how you can love more completely, and how love is supposed to act. You could probably take a year on that one word alone. We can get creative doing the Word. James 1:22 in the Greek means this: Put your heart and soul into finding ways to act on what you have heard. The NKJV says it this way, be a doer of the Word. The best way to do something is to know about it, to have read up on it, and to study it. So study away! To be an effective doer, get the Word of God planted deeply in your heart!
Saturday
Eword for Kidz
Do you know that starting a positive habit in your life when you are a kid has great advantages for the long term? There are lots of things that you can do in the natural realm that help you live healthy, just by developing a positive habit. How about the habit of getting exercise daily, instead of being a couch potato, or eating fruits and vegetables, instead of eating twinkies and drinking Dr. Pepper, or exercising your mind by reading or playing games, instead of watching tv or playing video games all day. One awesome habit to begin is to read your Bible everyday. What is so great about God’s Word is that it is jam packed full of wisdom, and it is full of life! The Bible tells us when given the choice between life and death, to choose life! So one way to do that is to read the Bible! It is great to have a reading plan, and be systematic, but actually, just getting the Word of God in your life any way possible will have tremendous benefits. The Word of God is a light to your path. It is wisdom for your life. It has the power to change your behavior. It gives your courage to face your fears. The list could go on and on. So why not read a chapter from the New Testament and a Psalm and a Proverb everyday. It will take you less than15 minutes, and you will gain more than you can realize. When you digest God’s Word, and make it a priority in your life, not only will you be empowered to succeed in the plan God has for you, but you will have mastery over the areas in your life that could have led you down a wrong path. So what kind of habit can you begin that will bless every part of your life? Read the BIBLE daily!
Sunday
I love the verse that tells us to study to show ourselves approved unto God, like a workman that doesn’t need to be ashamed, rightly dividing the Word of Truth. Most people as soon as they are done with school put study behind them forever. As Christians we are going to be life-long learners and life-long “studiers” of God’s Word. There is so much meat for us to digest, that truly in a lifetime, we can’t exhaust all the riches to be found in the Word of God. Each day as we read and study the Word of God, we are on a treasure hunt. What new “golden nugget” will we find today? What question in your life will be answered by taking time to read and study the Word of God? What preparation is taking place so that you can overcome any fiery dart the enemy may throw your way? What great foundation Pis being built so that when the storms of life hit, you will stand strong, and not be blown out of the water.
So how can we make reading and studying God’s Word a priority? One way is to put it in your planner. Make an appointment every day, just like you do any other important thing in your life. If you have a daily plan, you give yourself permission to take time to do something for yourself that is important. Probably most of you take time to exercise several times a week. (If you don’t you should!!!) Probably most of you go to church every Sunday to spend time worshipping God. (If you don’t you should!) Probably most of you take time to get to the grocery store to buy good healthy fresh fruits and vegetables at least once a week. (If you don’t, you should!!!) So why not make it a priority to eat some living bread, and drink some living water that will not only build your spirit, but give you wisdom and strength for your life. That sounds like something that is too good to pass up!
So make this commitment today. From this day forward, I will not only feed my body, I will feed my spirit. I will make sure that I nourish the most important part of me. My body is temporary, but my spirit is eternal. I will give God’s Word top priority in my life. I believe you can do it!
During this month, I want to talk about the importance of giving God’s Word high priority. Hi, this is Dorette Schaal with an encouraging word for your day. From reading the Word, to taking time to study it, to meditating on it, and to memorizing and living it out, God’s Word is our guiding force. To make right choices, and to live the victorious life God has for us, let’s give God’s Word preeminence always! This week by talking about reading and studying God’s Word. Here is your encouraging word for the day.
Word for the Week: II Tim 3;16,17 Study to show yourself approved unto God…..
Monday
What does it mean to study the Word of God? I know lots of you read your Bible everyday, but do you know as Christians we are to study the Word of God as well? Remember the scripture “study to show yourself approved unto God”? The word study really is in there! When you study something, it isn’t just a casual read through. We should study the Word like we would study for a test. There might be a couple of them on on your journey!
What tools can make it easy to study? There are a couple of things I always use when I study the Bible. The most valuable tool to me is my concordance. I use a Strong’s Concordance, and it is fabulous. It is called an exhaustive concordance, because it is! Anything you need to find is in there. Additionally, there are all kinds of Bible helps available on computer, that I encourage you to use as well. A second thing that I always do is have something to write on or have my computer handy. When you receive some clarity on a scripture or a passage in the Word, I write it down. I would encourage you to write down your thoughts about what you have learned. Think about it, do some cross referencing which means finding other scriptures that say nearly the same thing, or relate in some way. Then do a word search to find other scriptures that have the exact word you are studying within them.
The greatest encouragement I could give you when it comes to studying God’s Word is to find a place to start. Why not make today the day you start studying to show yourself approved unto God. Then, don’t get down on yourself if you miss a day…..keep right on going! Make a plan, work the plan, and get ready to grow in God as you grow in your knowledge of the Word.
Tuesday
The Bible is a sharp sword….Eph 6:17, and a two edged sword as it says in Hebrews 4:12. Because not too many people we know use swords as weapons anymore (thank God!) those scriptures don’t have the same meaning to us as they might have to a new Christian who lived in the first century when a sword was an invaluable too. But even today, when cooking in the kitchen, sharp knives make life easier. A dull knife is just about useless, it makes things take longer and can even be dangerous because of the extra force needed to make even a simple cut. The Bible is a sharp sword! It has a point that gets to the point. As we talk about studying God’s Word this week, I think it is good to remember that the Bible is our best weapon against the enemy’s attacks. A good chef will sharpen his/her knives. A military man or woman will make sure they clean and care for their weapons. Even a hunter will make sure their arrows are sharp or their gun is well cared for. When we realize that we are in a war, but the weapons we fight with are not carnal as it says in II Corinthians chapter 10, it would be to our advantage to know our weapon. Knowledge requires study! We should become well acquainted with how the Bible is set up, why there is an old covenant and a new covenant. We should know who are the major men and women surrounding the most important person in the Bible - Jesus. It is great to know our weapon so that when we are attacked by the enemy, we have an artillery of scripture that can help us stand strong and not be shaken. Because we have studied, we will know the character of our God, and know how He operates and what He would want us to do in each situation. What great benefits we have from taking time to study His Word. Why not study your Bible today!
Wednesday
Yesterday we talked about the value of having the word of God hidden in our heart so that we can stand firm against any attack of the enemy, our adversary the devil. The Bible tells us to stand firm and be inflexible in Heb 10:23. We are to hold fast, tightly, rejecting all attempts of anyone who tries to steal it from us, not fickle in our commitment, but determined to be inflexible and unmoving in what we believe and confess as it says in another version of the Bible. Most of the time, it is good to be flexible. Certainly your muscles and joints feel better when we stretch them and are flexible. Dealing with people, we just can’t be pushy and inflexible when it comes to opinions and preferences. If you’re married you’ve certainly learned that being flexible enough to compromise is beneficial!!! Each opinion is important, and for peace in the home, we can be flexible. But when it comes to the Word of God, there should be no wavering. We stand firm! We will not be shaken! A huge key in having the ability to do that comes from reading, studying and meditating on God’s Word! Taking the time before an attack comes is so much easier than trying to read the manual during the battle. Advance preparation is key. So today remember this, we do have weapons to fight with, but they are not carnal. They are powerful, because they are our tools provided by our Heavenly Father to overcome in this life. The weapon is…..the Word of God. Read it, study it, be prepared to use it!
Thursday
It says in Col 3:16, for us to make God’s Word feel at home in your heart. Are you comfortable with it, and know it inside and out? In real estate, the mantra is location, location, location. I want to encourage you to find your perfect location in the middle of the Word! We can find our home and live and abide in the promises of God which are all wrapped up in His Word. On a daily basis we can have the freshly spoken word of God – the “rhema” become manifest in our lives as we read and study the building blocks or logos or foundational princples of God’s Word. Everything we do should be measured against the standard of the Word of God. Whenever we wonder about anything, we should find out what God’s Word has to say about it. When something comes out of our mouth, we need to make sure it lines up with God’s Word. A great question to keep in mind is …..where did you find that in the Word? So much of the time, we hear something repeated and because it sounds good, we take it for truth. But the enemy really finds joy in deceiving believers. The way to avoid deception is to be aware when God’s Word is being twisted or taken out of context, because you have knowledge of the context. When the Word of God is hidden in your heart, you won’t be easily deceived. The Bible tells us to pay attention to my word. All through the book of Proverbs, continually there is the admonition to pay attention to God’s Word. I want to encourage you the same way! Pay attention to the Word, plant the seed of God’s Word in your heart, and you will reap the harvest. Start planting today!
Friday
The Bible: God’s instruction Book….read it, follow it, live it! You’ve probably all heard the song that says the word Bible is an acronym for Basic Instructions Before Leaving Earth. I’m not sure who came up with that, but I think it is great. The time that having the Word of God planted deeply in your heart benefits us the most - is on this side of heaven. When we reach glory, we will be in the presence of the Word made Flesh – Jesus himself. So the Bible really is our manual for “doing life” on this planet. And truly the Word of God isn’t really complicated. The basics are pretty simple. When we love God with all of our heart, soul and might, and love our neighbor as ourselves we have summed up the whole book. Loving God is the easy part, sometimes we make the next part complicated. When we can love ourselves like God loves us, we can love others. When we take time to study the Word of God, we can learn the value God places on us, and begin to value and cherish what He has put on the inside of us. When we have love to give, everyone around us benefits. A great word study to do is to look up all of the scriptures on love. Study to find out how you can love more completely, and how love is supposed to act. You could probably take a year on that one word alone. We can get creative doing the Word. James 1:22 in the Greek means this: Put your heart and soul into finding ways to act on what you have heard. The NKJV says it this way, be a doer of the Word. The best way to do something is to know about it, to have read up on it, and to study it. So study away! To be an effective doer, get the Word of God planted deeply in your heart!
Saturday
Eword for Kidz
Do you know that starting a positive habit in your life when you are a kid has great advantages for the long term? There are lots of things that you can do in the natural realm that help you live healthy, just by developing a positive habit. How about the habit of getting exercise daily, instead of being a couch potato, or eating fruits and vegetables, instead of eating twinkies and drinking Dr. Pepper, or exercising your mind by reading or playing games, instead of watching tv or playing video games all day. One awesome habit to begin is to read your Bible everyday. What is so great about God’s Word is that it is jam packed full of wisdom, and it is full of life! The Bible tells us when given the choice between life and death, to choose life! So one way to do that is to read the Bible! It is great to have a reading plan, and be systematic, but actually, just getting the Word of God in your life any way possible will have tremendous benefits. The Word of God is a light to your path. It is wisdom for your life. It has the power to change your behavior. It gives your courage to face your fears. The list could go on and on. So why not read a chapter from the New Testament and a Psalm and a Proverb everyday. It will take you less than15 minutes, and you will gain more than you can realize. When you digest God’s Word, and make it a priority in your life, not only will you be empowered to succeed in the plan God has for you, but you will have mastery over the areas in your life that could have led you down a wrong path. So what kind of habit can you begin that will bless every part of your life? Read the BIBLE daily!
Sunday
I love the verse that tells us to study to show ourselves approved unto God, like a workman that doesn’t need to be ashamed, rightly dividing the Word of Truth. Most people as soon as they are done with school put study behind them forever. As Christians we are going to be life-long learners and life-long “studiers” of God’s Word. There is so much meat for us to digest, that truly in a lifetime, we can’t exhaust all the riches to be found in the Word of God. Each day as we read and study the Word of God, we are on a treasure hunt. What new “golden nugget” will we find today? What question in your life will be answered by taking time to read and study the Word of God? What preparation is taking place so that you can overcome any fiery dart the enemy may throw your way? What great foundation Pis being built so that when the storms of life hit, you will stand strong, and not be blown out of the water.
So how can we make reading and studying God’s Word a priority? One way is to put it in your planner. Make an appointment every day, just like you do any other important thing in your life. If you have a daily plan, you give yourself permission to take time to do something for yourself that is important. Probably most of you take time to exercise several times a week. (If you don’t you should!!!) Probably most of you go to church every Sunday to spend time worshipping God. (If you don’t you should!) Probably most of you take time to get to the grocery store to buy good healthy fresh fruits and vegetables at least once a week. (If you don’t, you should!!!) So why not make it a priority to eat some living bread, and drink some living water that will not only build your spirit, but give you wisdom and strength for your life. That sounds like something that is too good to pass up!
So make this commitment today. From this day forward, I will not only feed my body, I will feed my spirit. I will make sure that I nourish the most important part of me. My body is temporary, but my spirit is eternal. I will give God’s Word top priority in my life. I believe you can do it!
Monday, July 12, 2010
Intro
During this week I want to talk about the importance of giving God’s Word high priority. Hi, this is Dorette Schaal with an encouraging word for your day. From reading the Word, to taking time to study it, to meditating on it, and to memorizing and living it out, God’s Word is our guiding force. To make right choices, and to live the victorious life God has for us, let’s give God’s Word preeminence always! Here is your encouraging word about studying and meditating on the Word of God.
Monday
What does it mean to study the Word of God? I know lots of you read your Bible everyday, but do you know as Christians we are to study the Word of God as well? Remember the scripture “study to show yourself approved unto God”? The word “study” really is in there! When you study something, it isn’t just a casual read through. We should study the Word like we would study for a test. There might be a couple of them on on your journey! What tools can make it easy to study? There are a couple of things I always use when I study the Bible. The most valuable tool to me is my concordance. I use a Strong’s Concordance, and it is fabulous. It is called an exhaustive concordance, because it is! Anything you need to find is in there. Additionally, there are all kinds of Bible helps available on computer, that I encourage you to use as well. A second thing that I always do is have something to write on or have my computer handy. When you receive some clarity on a scripture or a passage in the Word, I write it down. I would encourage you to write down your thoughts about what you have learned. Think about it, do some cross referencing which means finding other scriptures that say nearly the same thing, or relate in some way. Then do a word search to find other scriptures that have the exact word you are studying within them.
The greatest encouragement I could give you when it comes to studying God’s Word is to find a place to start. Why not make today the day you start studying to show yourself approved unto God. Then, don’t get down on yourself if you miss a day…..keep right on going! Make a plan, work the plan, and get ready to grow in God as you grow in your knowledge of the Word.
Tuesday
The Bible is a sharp sword….Eph 6:17, and a two edged sword as it says in Hebrews 4:12. Because not too many people we know use swords as weapons anymore (thank God!) those scriptures don’t have the same meaning to us as they might have to a new Christian who lived in the first century when a sword was an invaluable too. But even today, when cooking in the kitchen, sharp knives make life easier. A dull knife is just about useless, it makes things take longer and can even be dangerous because of the extra force needed to make even a simple cut. The Bible is a sharp sword! It has a point that gets to the point. As we talk about studying God’s Word this week, I think it is good to remember that the Bible is our best weapon against the enemy’s attacks. A good chef will sharpen his/her knives. A military man or woman will make sure they clean and care for their weapons. Even a hunter will make sure their arrows are sharp or their gun is well cared for. When we realize that we are in a war, but the weapons we fight with are not carnal as it says in II Corinthians chapter 10, it would be to our advantage to know our weapon. Knowing requires study! We should become well acquainted with how the Bible is set up, why there is an old covenant and a new covenant. We should know who are the major men and women surrounding the most important person in the Bible - Jesus. It is great to know our weapon so that when we are attacked by the enemy, we have an artillery of scripture that can help us stand strong and not be shaken. Because we have studied, we will know the character of our God, and know how He operates and what He would want us to do in each situation. What great benefits we have from taking time to study His Word.
Wednesday
Yesterday we talked about the value of having the word of God hidden in our heart so that we can stand firm against any attack of the enemy, our adversary the devil. The Bible tells us to stand firm and be inflexible in Heb 10:23. We are to hold fast, tightly, rejecting all attempts of anyone who tries to steal it from us, not fickle in our commitment, but determined to be inflexible and unmoving in what we believe and confess as it says in another version of the Bible. Most of the time, it is good to be flexible. Certainly your muscles and joints feel better when we stretch them and are flexible. Dealing with people, we just can’t be pushy and inflexible when it comes to opinions and preferences. If you’re married you’ve certainly learned that being flexible enough to compromise is a good thing. Each opinion is important, and for peace in the home, we can be flexible. But when it comes to the Word of God, there should be no wavering. We stand firm! We will not be shaken! A huge key in having the ability to do that comes from reading, studying and meditating on God’s Word! Taking the time before an attack comes is so much easier than trying to read the manual during the battle. Advance preparation is key. So today remember this, we do have weapons to fight with, but they are not carnal. They are powerful, because they are our tools provided by our heavenly father to overcome in this life. The weapon is…..the Word of God. Read it, study it, be prepared to use it!
Thursday
It says in Col 3:16, for us to make God’s Word feel at home in your heart. Are you comfortable with it, and know it inside and out? In real estate, the mantra is location, location, location. I want to encourage you to find your perfect location in the middle of the Word! We can find our home and live and abide in the promises of God which are all wrapped up in His Word. On a daily basis we can have the freshly spoken word of God – the “rhema” become manifest in our lives as we read and study the building blocks or logos or foundational princples of God’s Word. Everything we do should be measured against the standard of the Word of God. Whenever we wonder about anything, we should find out what God’s Word has to say about it. When something comes out of our mouth, we need to make sure it lines up with God’s Word. A great question to keep in mind is …..where did you find that in the Word? So much of the time, we hear something repeated and because it sounds good, we take it for truth. But the enemy really finds joy in deceiving believers. The way to avoid deception is to be aware when God’s Word is being twisted or taken out of context, because you have knowledge of the context. When the Word of God is hidden in your heart, you won’t be easily deceived. The Bible tells us to pay attention to my word. All through the book of Proverbs, continually there is the admonition to pay attention to God’s Word. I want to encourage you the same way! Pay attention to the Word, plant the seed of God’s Word in your heart, and you will reap the harvest. Start planting today!
Friday
The Bible: God’s instruction Book….read it, follow it, live it! You’ve probably all heard the song that says the word Bible is an acronym for Basic Instructions Before Leaving Earth. I’m not sure who came up with that, but I think it is great. The time that having the Word of God planted deeply in your heart benefits us the most is on this side of heaven. When we reach glory, we will be in the presence of the Word made Flesh – Jesus himself. So the Bible really is our manual for “doing life” on this planet. And truly the Word of God isn’t really complicated. The basics are pretty simple. When we love God with all of our heart, soul and might, and love our neighbor as ourselves we have summed up the whole book. Loving God is the easy part, sometimes we make the next part complicated. When we can love ourselves like God loves us, we can love others. When we take time to study the Word of God, we can learn the value God places on us, and begin to value and cherish what He has put on the inside of us. When we have love to give, everyone around us benefits. A great word study to do is to look up all of the scriptures on love. Study to find out how you can love more completely, and how love is supposed to act. You could probably take a year on that one word alone. We can get creative doing the Word. James 1:22 in the Greek means this: Put your heart and soul into finding ways to act on what you have heard. The NKJV says it this way, be a doer of the Word. The best way to do something is to know about it, to have read up on it, and to study it. So study away! To be an effective doer, get the Word of God planted deeply in your heart!
Saturday
Eword for Kidz
Do you know that starting a positive habit in your life when you are a kid has great advantages for the long term? There are lots of things that you can do in the natural realm that help you live healthy, just by developing a positive habit. How about the habit of getting exercise daily, instead of being a couch potato, or eating fruits and vegetables, instead of eating twinkies and drinking Dr. Pepper, or exercising your mind by reading or playing games, instead of watching tv or playing video games all day. One awesome habit to begin is to read your Bible everyday. What is so great about God’s Word is that it is jam packed full of wisdom, and it is full of life! The Bible tells us when given the choice between life and death, to choose life! So one way to do that is to read the Bible! It is great to have a reading plan, and be systematic, but actually, just getting the Word of God in your life any way possible will have tremendous benefits. The Word of God is a light to your path. It is wisdom for your life. It has the power to change your behavior. It gives your courage to face your fears. The list could go on and on. So why not read a chapter from the New Testament and a Psalm and a Proverb everyday. It will take you less than15 minutes, and you will gain more than you can realize. When you digest God’s Word, and make it a priority in your life, not only will you be empowered to succeed in the plan God has for you, but you will have mastery over the areas in your life that could have led you down a wrong path. So what kind of habit can you begin that will bless you for your whole life? Reading the Bible everyday. Why not try it!
Sunday
I love the verse that tells us to study to show ourselves approved unto God, like a workman that doesn’t need to be ashamed, rightly dividing the Word of Truth. Most people as soon as they are done with school put study behind them forever. As Christians we are going to be life long learners and life long “studiers” of God’s Word. There is so much meat for us to digest, that truly in a lifetime, we can’t exhaust all the riches to be found in the Word of God. Each day as we read and study the Word of God, we are on a treasure hunt. What new “golden nugget” will we find today? What question in your life will be answered by taking time to read and study the Word of God? What preparation is taking place so that you can overcome any fiery dart the enemy may throw your way? What great foundation is being built so that when the storms of life hit, you will stand strong, and not be blown out of the water.
So how can we make reading and studying God’s Word a priority? One way is to put it in your planner. Make an appointment every day, just like you do any other important thing in your life. If you have a daily plan, you give yourself permission to take time to do something for yourself that is important. Probably most of you take time to exercise several times a week. (If you don’t you should!!!) Probably most of you go to church every Sunday to spend time worshipping God. (If you don’t you should!) Probably most of you take time to get to the grocery store to buy good healthy fresh fruits and vegetables at least once a week. (If you don’t, you should!!!) So why not make it a priority to eat some living bread, and drink some living water that will not only build your spirit, but give you wisdom and strength for your life. That sounds like something that is too good to pass up!
So make this commitment today. From this day forward, I will not only feed my body, I will feed my spirit. I will make sure that I nourish the most important part of me. My body is temporary, but my spirit is eternal. I will give God’s Word top priority in my life.
I believe you can do it!
During this week I want to talk about the importance of giving God’s Word high priority. Hi, this is Dorette Schaal with an encouraging word for your day. From reading the Word, to taking time to study it, to meditating on it, and to memorizing and living it out, God’s Word is our guiding force. To make right choices, and to live the victorious life God has for us, let’s give God’s Word preeminence always! Here is your encouraging word about studying and meditating on the Word of God.
Monday
What does it mean to study the Word of God? I know lots of you read your Bible everyday, but do you know as Christians we are to study the Word of God as well? Remember the scripture “study to show yourself approved unto God”? The word “study” really is in there! When you study something, it isn’t just a casual read through. We should study the Word like we would study for a test. There might be a couple of them on on your journey! What tools can make it easy to study? There are a couple of things I always use when I study the Bible. The most valuable tool to me is my concordance. I use a Strong’s Concordance, and it is fabulous. It is called an exhaustive concordance, because it is! Anything you need to find is in there. Additionally, there are all kinds of Bible helps available on computer, that I encourage you to use as well. A second thing that I always do is have something to write on or have my computer handy. When you receive some clarity on a scripture or a passage in the Word, I write it down. I would encourage you to write down your thoughts about what you have learned. Think about it, do some cross referencing which means finding other scriptures that say nearly the same thing, or relate in some way. Then do a word search to find other scriptures that have the exact word you are studying within them.
The greatest encouragement I could give you when it comes to studying God’s Word is to find a place to start. Why not make today the day you start studying to show yourself approved unto God. Then, don’t get down on yourself if you miss a day…..keep right on going! Make a plan, work the plan, and get ready to grow in God as you grow in your knowledge of the Word.
Tuesday
The Bible is a sharp sword….Eph 6:17, and a two edged sword as it says in Hebrews 4:12. Because not too many people we know use swords as weapons anymore (thank God!) those scriptures don’t have the same meaning to us as they might have to a new Christian who lived in the first century when a sword was an invaluable too. But even today, when cooking in the kitchen, sharp knives make life easier. A dull knife is just about useless, it makes things take longer and can even be dangerous because of the extra force needed to make even a simple cut. The Bible is a sharp sword! It has a point that gets to the point. As we talk about studying God’s Word this week, I think it is good to remember that the Bible is our best weapon against the enemy’s attacks. A good chef will sharpen his/her knives. A military man or woman will make sure they clean and care for their weapons. Even a hunter will make sure their arrows are sharp or their gun is well cared for. When we realize that we are in a war, but the weapons we fight with are not carnal as it says in II Corinthians chapter 10, it would be to our advantage to know our weapon. Knowing requires study! We should become well acquainted with how the Bible is set up, why there is an old covenant and a new covenant. We should know who are the major men and women surrounding the most important person in the Bible - Jesus. It is great to know our weapon so that when we are attacked by the enemy, we have an artillery of scripture that can help us stand strong and not be shaken. Because we have studied, we will know the character of our God, and know how He operates and what He would want us to do in each situation. What great benefits we have from taking time to study His Word.
Wednesday
Yesterday we talked about the value of having the word of God hidden in our heart so that we can stand firm against any attack of the enemy, our adversary the devil. The Bible tells us to stand firm and be inflexible in Heb 10:23. We are to hold fast, tightly, rejecting all attempts of anyone who tries to steal it from us, not fickle in our commitment, but determined to be inflexible and unmoving in what we believe and confess as it says in another version of the Bible. Most of the time, it is good to be flexible. Certainly your muscles and joints feel better when we stretch them and are flexible. Dealing with people, we just can’t be pushy and inflexible when it comes to opinions and preferences. If you’re married you’ve certainly learned that being flexible enough to compromise is a good thing. Each opinion is important, and for peace in the home, we can be flexible. But when it comes to the Word of God, there should be no wavering. We stand firm! We will not be shaken! A huge key in having the ability to do that comes from reading, studying and meditating on God’s Word! Taking the time before an attack comes is so much easier than trying to read the manual during the battle. Advance preparation is key. So today remember this, we do have weapons to fight with, but they are not carnal. They are powerful, because they are our tools provided by our heavenly father to overcome in this life. The weapon is…..the Word of God. Read it, study it, be prepared to use it!
Thursday
It says in Col 3:16, for us to make God’s Word feel at home in your heart. Are you comfortable with it, and know it inside and out? In real estate, the mantra is location, location, location. I want to encourage you to find your perfect location in the middle of the Word! We can find our home and live and abide in the promises of God which are all wrapped up in His Word. On a daily basis we can have the freshly spoken word of God – the “rhema” become manifest in our lives as we read and study the building blocks or logos or foundational princples of God’s Word. Everything we do should be measured against the standard of the Word of God. Whenever we wonder about anything, we should find out what God’s Word has to say about it. When something comes out of our mouth, we need to make sure it lines up with God’s Word. A great question to keep in mind is …..where did you find that in the Word? So much of the time, we hear something repeated and because it sounds good, we take it for truth. But the enemy really finds joy in deceiving believers. The way to avoid deception is to be aware when God’s Word is being twisted or taken out of context, because you have knowledge of the context. When the Word of God is hidden in your heart, you won’t be easily deceived. The Bible tells us to pay attention to my word. All through the book of Proverbs, continually there is the admonition to pay attention to God’s Word. I want to encourage you the same way! Pay attention to the Word, plant the seed of God’s Word in your heart, and you will reap the harvest. Start planting today!
Friday
The Bible: God’s instruction Book….read it, follow it, live it! You’ve probably all heard the song that says the word Bible is an acronym for Basic Instructions Before Leaving Earth. I’m not sure who came up with that, but I think it is great. The time that having the Word of God planted deeply in your heart benefits us the most is on this side of heaven. When we reach glory, we will be in the presence of the Word made Flesh – Jesus himself. So the Bible really is our manual for “doing life” on this planet. And truly the Word of God isn’t really complicated. The basics are pretty simple. When we love God with all of our heart, soul and might, and love our neighbor as ourselves we have summed up the whole book. Loving God is the easy part, sometimes we make the next part complicated. When we can love ourselves like God loves us, we can love others. When we take time to study the Word of God, we can learn the value God places on us, and begin to value and cherish what He has put on the inside of us. When we have love to give, everyone around us benefits. A great word study to do is to look up all of the scriptures on love. Study to find out how you can love more completely, and how love is supposed to act. You could probably take a year on that one word alone. We can get creative doing the Word. James 1:22 in the Greek means this: Put your heart and soul into finding ways to act on what you have heard. The NKJV says it this way, be a doer of the Word. The best way to do something is to know about it, to have read up on it, and to study it. So study away! To be an effective doer, get the Word of God planted deeply in your heart!
Saturday
Eword for Kidz
Do you know that starting a positive habit in your life when you are a kid has great advantages for the long term? There are lots of things that you can do in the natural realm that help you live healthy, just by developing a positive habit. How about the habit of getting exercise daily, instead of being a couch potato, or eating fruits and vegetables, instead of eating twinkies and drinking Dr. Pepper, or exercising your mind by reading or playing games, instead of watching tv or playing video games all day. One awesome habit to begin is to read your Bible everyday. What is so great about God’s Word is that it is jam packed full of wisdom, and it is full of life! The Bible tells us when given the choice between life and death, to choose life! So one way to do that is to read the Bible! It is great to have a reading plan, and be systematic, but actually, just getting the Word of God in your life any way possible will have tremendous benefits. The Word of God is a light to your path. It is wisdom for your life. It has the power to change your behavior. It gives your courage to face your fears. The list could go on and on. So why not read a chapter from the New Testament and a Psalm and a Proverb everyday. It will take you less than15 minutes, and you will gain more than you can realize. When you digest God’s Word, and make it a priority in your life, not only will you be empowered to succeed in the plan God has for you, but you will have mastery over the areas in your life that could have led you down a wrong path. So what kind of habit can you begin that will bless you for your whole life? Reading the Bible everyday. Why not try it!
Sunday
I love the verse that tells us to study to show ourselves approved unto God, like a workman that doesn’t need to be ashamed, rightly dividing the Word of Truth. Most people as soon as they are done with school put study behind them forever. As Christians we are going to be life long learners and life long “studiers” of God’s Word. There is so much meat for us to digest, that truly in a lifetime, we can’t exhaust all the riches to be found in the Word of God. Each day as we read and study the Word of God, we are on a treasure hunt. What new “golden nugget” will we find today? What question in your life will be answered by taking time to read and study the Word of God? What preparation is taking place so that you can overcome any fiery dart the enemy may throw your way? What great foundation is being built so that when the storms of life hit, you will stand strong, and not be blown out of the water.
So how can we make reading and studying God’s Word a priority? One way is to put it in your planner. Make an appointment every day, just like you do any other important thing in your life. If you have a daily plan, you give yourself permission to take time to do something for yourself that is important. Probably most of you take time to exercise several times a week. (If you don’t you should!!!) Probably most of you go to church every Sunday to spend time worshipping God. (If you don’t you should!) Probably most of you take time to get to the grocery store to buy good healthy fresh fruits and vegetables at least once a week. (If you don’t, you should!!!) So why not make it a priority to eat some living bread, and drink some living water that will not only build your spirit, but give you wisdom and strength for your life. That sounds like something that is too good to pass up!
So make this commitment today. From this day forward, I will not only feed my body, I will feed my spirit. I will make sure that I nourish the most important part of me. My body is temporary, but my spirit is eternal. I will give God’s Word top priority in my life.
I believe you can do it!
Monday, June 28, 2010
Introduction
As a nation we are about to celebrate Independence Day. The 4th of July is about freedom and independence and being free is awesome! Hi this is Dorette Schaal with an encouraging word for your day. What a joy to know Christ and have total freedom because of our relationship with Him. Cherish and value your freedom and remember that you are completely liberated because of Jesus! Be encouraged this week.
Word for the Week: John 8:32 And you will know the Truth and the Truth will set you free.
Monday
Freedom isn’t free, it cost somebody something. I love looking in history books, and reading about people who gave their lives for something great. You think about some of the events in our own American history and we are thankful for people who were committed to liberty, so much so that they said, Give me freedom, whatever the cost. Patrick Henry on March 23, 1775 stood up in Virginia’s House of Burgess and said, there is no room for hope….the situation had gone from bad to worse. He continued, if we want to be free, we have to fight. 3 million people armed with the cause of liberty, began the American War for Independence with these words….. “We shall not fight alone, God presides over the destinies of nations, and will raise up friends for us. The battle is not for the strong alone, it is for the vigilant, the active, the brave….Is life so dear, or peace so sweet as to be purchased at the price of chains and slavery? Forbid it Almighty God. I know not what course others may take, but as for me, give me liberty or give me death.” What powerful words. He knew a secret that I believe he found in the Word of God. Once you’ve tasted freedom, you never want to go back into bondage. Remember the freedoms you enjoy today, and thank God that Jesus has set you free.
Tuesday
Do you remember this song? He whom the Son sets free is free indeed, completely liberated from the curse of the law. It continues….He whom the son sets free is free indeed, free to be a servant of the most high God. It’s an oldie, with a 2 great truths wrapped up in those first two lines. What a wonderful privilege we have in Christ….we can be completely liberated from the curse of the law. The Bible says that the law was the school master, to lead us to Christ, and true liberty. Jesus told the Jews who had believed Him in John 8:31 and 32, that “If you hold to My teaching, you are really my disciples. Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” He was talking about the freedom from being slaves to sin. And in John 8, verse 36, he reiterates His point. So if the Son has set you free, you will be free indeed. The next line in the song talks about servanthood. When we are set free from the slavery of sin, we are free to be servants to God. It sounds a little bit backward, that freedom in Christ, makes you free to serve, but the Kingdom of God is a bit opposite to the world’s system. Our freedom makes us want to serve, not only God but others too. I encourage you today, to serve someone as proof of your freedom in Christ!
Wednesday
One scripture I love to use in prayer is in Romans 8:2. It says in Romans 8:2 that the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has set me free from the law of sin and death. What an amazing thing, through Christ we are set free from the power of sin in our lives. The law of sin that started in the garden through disobedience to God by Adam and Eve, has been revoked on our behalf through Jesus. Glory! We can live above the temptations of the enemy. We are no longer slaves to sin. To be set free from the bondage of sin and to be able to live in that realm where the Spirit of Life resides, is true freedom. The law of love, overrides the law of sin. When love came to earth in the form of Jesus, and died on a cross, he made us more than conquerors. Jesus conquered death, hell and the grave, and made us free to live above the world’s system, and to walk in, live in, and abide in the spirit. He was the conqueror and he gave us His victory! How amazing! Is there some area of bondage in your life that keeps hooking you in? The enemy knows where our hooks are. We can rise above his tactics that steal and destroy and live in the abundant life that Jesus paid a huge price for us to receive. Let’s live in that freedom.
Thursday
There are some places that I put strategic scriptures, and one place in on my refrigerator. I know how important it is to be encouraged, so I encourage myself in the Word, every time I open my refrigerator! One I keep really handy is from Is 61:1 which was quoted by Jesus in Luke 4:18. It says:
The Spirit of the Lord is on me,
Because He has anointed me
To preach the good news to the poor.
He sent me to bind up the broken hearted,
To proclaim FREEDOM for the captives,
And the release from darkness for the prisoners
Of course we know that is what Jesus came to do, but we know that is our mission too. He sent us out to tell the good news, and it is about freedom! God’s Spirit lives within us, and He has anointed us. Let’s be about our Father’s business of bringing freedom to those who are bound! We run into people all the time who are broken hearted and are prisoners to something. Let’s use our words to let them know that Jesus died to set them free. They can know the same freedom we have experienced. Remember, God’s spirit is on you and in you to help others. Open your mouth and let them know!
Friday
One of the greatest joys in my life is worshipping God through music. I love to sing and play before the Lord and worship God in totally freedom. I can remember back so well at the time in my life when I was just beginning to walk into the understanding of living the Spirit-led, Spirit-controlled life. I can recall having the urge to lift my hands to the Lord but feeling very self-conscious about it. I was sitting next to a friend in a worship service and she must have known from the outside the struggle I had going on in the inside. She whispered in my ear…. “it really won’t hurt to lift your hands, and it will probably bring you more freedom than you’ve ever known.” She was right. I went from being totally self-conscious about worshipping God to total freedom and a greater consciousness of God than ever before. Simply breaking through something in the natural realm, moved me into a greater depth of freedom than I had ever experienced before. Now I love the freedom I have to worship God with all my might – and with my mind, soul and strength.
Perhaps you are feeling bound in an area of your life…..sometimes just doing something in the natural breaks you through to greater freedom. For me it came by lifting my hands. Now I don’t even think about it. I worship God freely all the time. Perhaps there is a habit that has you bound. The devil has bondage mastered! He doesn’t want us to be free. It is hard to break free from bad habits, and it often seems like the enemy has such a tight hold that he doesn’t want to let go. When you realize the incredible price Jesus paid for your freedom, you may begin to look at bondage from a different view. It isn’t all just about will power (sometimes we need won’t power!). Freedom is about being completely dependent on God and knowing His will for you is to be totally free. Just like an alcoholic isn’t wise to own a bar, a smoker isn’t wise to plan to spend each evening with their smoking buddies when he is trying to break free from tobacco. It not only takes the spiritual element, it takes making wise choices as well. When you add God’s “SUPER” to your “natural”, it becomes supernatural! That’s what freedom is all about. God living BIG on the inside of you, and you making right choices. That’s living supernaturally! That’s true freedom!
Encoruaging Word for KIDz
Don’t you just love freebies? That’s when you get things you don’t have to work for just because. Whether it is candy at a parade, or free ice cream at on a special day, a birthday check or whatever, things that we get for free are wonderful.
Not only do we live in a free country, because we love God and have made a choice to serve Him, we have more free things than you can imagine. The biggest freebie is Heaven! Wow, we get to live with God forever when we die. Another freebie is that we can live above our problems and see God do great things for us because we pray. Another freebie is to have a conscious that is totally clean and clear because we choose to obey God’s Word. Another freebie is the ability to go to church each Sunday and learn more about the God we love so much. God is pretty amazing! He gives us so much!
Just like the freedoms for our nation, we know that really it does cost somebody something. We are thankful for the people who defend our nation and especially those who gave their lives for America . Our freedom in Christ cost Jesus His life. He did the ultimate sacrifice because He loves you so much. Pretty amazing…..all those benefits I listed above, plus many more…..His provision is abundant in every area of your life….. are all yours! It’s a freebie to you, but cost Jesus a bunch! You know how you can repay his love for you? His Word says that if you love Him, you obey Him. You can make the choice as a kid to choose friends wisely, to make good life choices, to make the Word of God your priority, and then the things of the world will never even have a pull on you. That’s the way to live in true freedom!
Sunday
Happy 4th of July! What a big party today is for all Americans! So much of our nation’s history is founded by godly men and women, longing for freedom to worship God. From the original voyages across the ocean looking for a new world, the explorers were on a mission, to tell the new world about God. When the puritans came from England, they wanted freedom of worship. Not only was the new world a land of opportunity, it was a place where God could be worshipped freely. America’s founders were Godly men and women. America was founded on godly principles. We have strayed from that foundation, but thankfully, we still live in a country where we can worship God freely. 2 Cor 3:17 says that where the spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. We use that verse in our churches all the time. We can apply that to our country too. Where and when we let the Spirit of God reign, we will experience freedom. Let’s not forget the foundations and our humble beginnings. Let us not forget those who gave their lives for our freedom. Let us not forget to thank God, for men and women of courage, who bravely fought for our freedoms. Thank God we are free!
As a nation we are about to celebrate Independence Day. The 4th of July is about freedom and independence and being free is awesome! Hi this is Dorette Schaal with an encouraging word for your day. What a joy to know Christ and have total freedom because of our relationship with Him. Cherish and value your freedom and remember that you are completely liberated because of Jesus! Be encouraged this week.
Word for the Week: John 8:32 And you will know the Truth and the Truth will set you free.
Monday
Freedom isn’t free, it cost somebody something. I love looking in history books, and reading about people who gave their lives for something great. You think about some of the events in our own American history and we are thankful for people who were committed to liberty, so much so that they said, Give me freedom, whatever the cost. Patrick Henry on March 23, 1775 stood up in Virginia’s House of Burgess and said, there is no room for hope….the situation had gone from bad to worse. He continued, if we want to be free, we have to fight. 3 million people armed with the cause of liberty, began the American War for Independence with these words….. “We shall not fight alone, God presides over the destinies of nations, and will raise up friends for us. The battle is not for the strong alone, it is for the vigilant, the active, the brave….Is life so dear, or peace so sweet as to be purchased at the price of chains and slavery? Forbid it Almighty God. I know not what course others may take, but as for me, give me liberty or give me death.” What powerful words. He knew a secret that I believe he found in the Word of God. Once you’ve tasted freedom, you never want to go back into bondage. Remember the freedoms you enjoy today, and thank God that Jesus has set you free.
Tuesday
Do you remember this song? He whom the Son sets free is free indeed, completely liberated from the curse of the law. It continues….He whom the son sets free is free indeed, free to be a servant of the most high God. It’s an oldie, with a 2 great truths wrapped up in those first two lines. What a wonderful privilege we have in Christ….we can be completely liberated from the curse of the law. The Bible says that the law was the school master, to lead us to Christ, and true liberty. Jesus told the Jews who had believed Him in John 8:31 and 32, that “If you hold to My teaching, you are really my disciples. Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” He was talking about the freedom from being slaves to sin. And in John 8, verse 36, he reiterates His point. So if the Son has set you free, you will be free indeed. The next line in the song talks about servanthood. When we are set free from the slavery of sin, we are free to be servants to God. It sounds a little bit backward, that freedom in Christ, makes you free to serve, but the Kingdom of God is a bit opposite to the world’s system. Our freedom makes us want to serve, not only God but others too. I encourage you today, to serve someone as proof of your freedom in Christ!
Wednesday
One scripture I love to use in prayer is in Romans 8:2. It says in Romans 8:2 that the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has set me free from the law of sin and death. What an amazing thing, through Christ we are set free from the power of sin in our lives. The law of sin that started in the garden through disobedience to God by Adam and Eve, has been revoked on our behalf through Jesus. Glory! We can live above the temptations of the enemy. We are no longer slaves to sin. To be set free from the bondage of sin and to be able to live in that realm where the Spirit of Life resides, is true freedom. The law of love, overrides the law of sin. When love came to earth in the form of Jesus, and died on a cross, he made us more than conquerors. Jesus conquered death, hell and the grave, and made us free to live above the world’s system, and to walk in, live in, and abide in the spirit. He was the conqueror and he gave us His victory! How amazing! Is there some area of bondage in your life that keeps hooking you in? The enemy knows where our hooks are. We can rise above his tactics that steal and destroy and live in the abundant life that Jesus paid a huge price for us to receive. Let’s live in that freedom.
Thursday
There are some places that I put strategic scriptures, and one place in on my refrigerator. I know how important it is to be encouraged, so I encourage myself in the Word, every time I open my refrigerator! One I keep really handy is from Is 61:1 which was quoted by Jesus in Luke 4:18. It says:
The Spirit of the Lord is on me,
Because He has anointed me
To preach the good news to the poor.
He sent me to bind up the broken hearted,
To proclaim FREEDOM for the captives,
And the release from darkness for the prisoners
Of course we know that is what Jesus came to do, but we know that is our mission too. He sent us out to tell the good news, and it is about freedom! God’s Spirit lives within us, and He has anointed us. Let’s be about our Father’s business of bringing freedom to those who are bound! We run into people all the time who are broken hearted and are prisoners to something. Let’s use our words to let them know that Jesus died to set them free. They can know the same freedom we have experienced. Remember, God’s spirit is on you and in you to help others. Open your mouth and let them know!
Friday
One of the greatest joys in my life is worshipping God through music. I love to sing and play before the Lord and worship God in totally freedom. I can remember back so well at the time in my life when I was just beginning to walk into the understanding of living the Spirit-led, Spirit-controlled life. I can recall having the urge to lift my hands to the Lord but feeling very self-conscious about it. I was sitting next to a friend in a worship service and she must have known from the outside the struggle I had going on in the inside. She whispered in my ear…. “it really won’t hurt to lift your hands, and it will probably bring you more freedom than you’ve ever known.” She was right. I went from being totally self-conscious about worshipping God to total freedom and a greater consciousness of God than ever before. Simply breaking through something in the natural realm, moved me into a greater depth of freedom than I had ever experienced before. Now I love the freedom I have to worship God with all my might – and with my mind, soul and strength.
Perhaps you are feeling bound in an area of your life…..sometimes just doing something in the natural breaks you through to greater freedom. For me it came by lifting my hands. Now I don’t even think about it. I worship God freely all the time. Perhaps there is a habit that has you bound. The devil has bondage mastered! He doesn’t want us to be free. It is hard to break free from bad habits, and it often seems like the enemy has such a tight hold that he doesn’t want to let go. When you realize the incredible price Jesus paid for your freedom, you may begin to look at bondage from a different view. It isn’t all just about will power (sometimes we need won’t power!). Freedom is about being completely dependent on God and knowing His will for you is to be totally free. Just like an alcoholic isn’t wise to own a bar, a smoker isn’t wise to plan to spend each evening with their smoking buddies when he is trying to break free from tobacco. It not only takes the spiritual element, it takes making wise choices as well. When you add God’s “SUPER” to your “natural”, it becomes supernatural! That’s what freedom is all about. God living BIG on the inside of you, and you making right choices. That’s living supernaturally! That’s true freedom!
Encoruaging Word for KIDz
Don’t you just love freebies? That’s when you get things you don’t have to work for just because. Whether it is candy at a parade, or free ice cream at on a special day, a birthday check or whatever, things that we get for free are wonderful.
Not only do we live in a free country, because we love God and have made a choice to serve Him, we have more free things than you can imagine. The biggest freebie is Heaven! Wow, we get to live with God forever when we die. Another freebie is that we can live above our problems and see God do great things for us because we pray. Another freebie is to have a conscious that is totally clean and clear because we choose to obey God’s Word. Another freebie is the ability to go to church each Sunday and learn more about the God we love so much. God is pretty amazing! He gives us so much!
Just like the freedoms for our nation, we know that really it does cost somebody something. We are thankful for the people who defend our nation and especially those who gave their lives for America . Our freedom in Christ cost Jesus His life. He did the ultimate sacrifice because He loves you so much. Pretty amazing…..all those benefits I listed above, plus many more…..His provision is abundant in every area of your life….. are all yours! It’s a freebie to you, but cost Jesus a bunch! You know how you can repay his love for you? His Word says that if you love Him, you obey Him. You can make the choice as a kid to choose friends wisely, to make good life choices, to make the Word of God your priority, and then the things of the world will never even have a pull on you. That’s the way to live in true freedom!
Sunday
Happy 4th of July! What a big party today is for all Americans! So much of our nation’s history is founded by godly men and women, longing for freedom to worship God. From the original voyages across the ocean looking for a new world, the explorers were on a mission, to tell the new world about God. When the puritans came from England, they wanted freedom of worship. Not only was the new world a land of opportunity, it was a place where God could be worshipped freely. America’s founders were Godly men and women. America was founded on godly principles. We have strayed from that foundation, but thankfully, we still live in a country where we can worship God freely. 2 Cor 3:17 says that where the spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. We use that verse in our churches all the time. We can apply that to our country too. Where and when we let the Spirit of God reign, we will experience freedom. Let’s not forget the foundations and our humble beginnings. Let us not forget those who gave their lives for our freedom. Let us not forget to thank God, for men and women of courage, who bravely fought for our freedoms. Thank God we are free!
Monday, June 21, 2010
Week of June 21
Intro
Jesus’ prayer was that God’s will be done on earth, just like heaven. He wanted a taste of heaven to be in evidence on the earth. Hi, this is Dorette Schaal with an encouraging Word for your day. God wants heaven to come where we live. That was the original design in the garden of Eden, but we all know what happened when sin entered the picture. Thankfully, Jesus came, to re-established the original, and to reverse the curse for us. This week, be encouraged knowing that God’s will can be done, on earth, as it is in heaven.
Word for the week: Matt 6:9-13 The Lord’s Prayer – if you haven’t already done so, why not memorize it this week.
Monday
Is heaven in your house? When we look at the Lord’s prayer, we can see that Jesus prayed that God’s will would be done on earth as it is in heaven. So are you experiencing heaven in your house? When we hear the word house, we normally think of the place where we live, or your physical address. Really there are three kinds of “houses”. My body is a house. My family is a house. My Church is a house.
I am a spirit, I have a soul/mind, I live in a body
We each have a house or apartment that we live in
We come together as the House of God in your church local fellowship.
How can we know if heaven is in each house? The best answer to that would be the evidence of Divine Order. That is where, as we follow God with all of our heart, the Spirit of God leads, the soul/mind is renewed, the body follows. Divine order really is lining our life up with the Word of God, and making the choice to be obedient. It is making sure that our walk matches our talk. Making sure our actions match the life of God that dwells on the inside of us. Since we are “in Christ” we need to operate in divine order, under authority, yet given authority, servants of God, yet sons and daughters of God. If we want heaven to be in us, in our homes, and in our churches, we have to recognize and operate in the divine order that God established. Is heaven in each of your houses? Let’s make it our goal!
Tuesday
The righteous will flourish like a palm tree, they will grow like a cedar of Lebanon; planted in the house of the Lord, they will flourish in the courts of our God. That scripture is found in Ps 92:12-14. One of the greatest goals in my life is to encourage people to flourish in life, and this scripture tells us how to do it. If we are planted in God’s house we will flourish…..hummm, flourish, that sounds a little bit like experiencing heaven on earth! Flourish means to thrive, to prosper and to be in peak condition. That is my desire for every one of you. What is very cool is that is God’s desire for you too! In III John verse 2, John penned these words inspired by the Holy Spirit….I pray that you may enjoy good health and that all will go well with you, even as your soul is prospering. Soul prosperity is having a mind that is renewed to God’s Word. It is making choices that lead to abundant life. God gives us the opportunity to taste heaven on earth – that is flourishing. We can flourish more and more as we grow deep roots in the church body where God has planted us. The positive consequences of putting our roots down in the House of God is that our whole life can flourish! We will have a good root system, become a strong tree, with great tasting, lasting fruit. It’s the kind of encouragement we all need to hear!
Wednesday
Plants will only be as successful as the soil in which they are planted. Good soil is important! If we want to flourish in life, we need to be planted with good soil, in a good, Bible believing Christian church. When we are planted we have the potential to have a good root system, to become a strong tree, and to produce tasty, lasting fruit. The best encouragement I could give you for your life would be to get planted! This little lesson in farming really is a life principle that can alter your destiny. No more stony, thorny ground, let’s get on track for God’s best for the soil of our lives. (There is more on that tomorrow) The church is like a greenhouse. It should be a place where there is maximum exposure to light, and where growth is accelerated because of the good seeds that are planted in good soil. We become well-maintained soil, full of rich nutrients, free of rocks and weeds in the greenhouse of the church. It is good to examine your own soil. How well maintained is it? After we examine the soil, we need to make sure the soil is where the seed is being spread. If you aren’t in church hearing the Word, the seed will be sown on some other ground, and they’ll get the benefit, or it will fall on the wayside and be devoured. Are you fortifying yourself, and stirring yourself up to get rid of anything that will hinder the Word from growing in your life? Are you hungering and thirsting for God? Are you staying watered with the Word, and fully exposed to the Son so that you give your life the absolute best opportunity to grow stronger? You have that opportunity….let’s make the most of it!
Thursday
To flourish as a Christian you need nutrients that feed the three dimensions of you; spirit, soul and body. (I Thess 5:23) We need soul food! (III John 2) Mark 4:3-9 is a great lesson in farming! We call it the parable of the sower, but really it is the parable of the soils. What kind of soil are you? Here are the four that are listed in Mark 4.
1. Ground with no soil, the seed is sown on the wayside – the seed never got to the soil, because there was no soil present! Fellowship with believers in your local church is vital, and hearing is the Word is how we grow in faith ….Don’t let the seed be devoured by fowl of air!
2. Stony Ground – The seed was received with joy, but when the seedling came up it died, because of no depth of earth and no root system.
3. Thorny Ground – The seed was choked out yielding no fruit because of the pressure of the cares and a life with too many distractions.
4. Good ground – Who we should be! Productive, exponentially repro-ducing, and abundant! Manifold return which brought forth fruit, 30, 60,100 fold.
To get the Word to produce in our lives, we have to be good ground. Good ground will receive the seed and produce fruit with amazing rates of return. So can we flourish on the earth? Yes! The food we need for our soil is the Word, the best soul food ever!
Friday
I love talking about the House of God. I have loved church all of my life. When the church door swings open, I swing on in! I would be there all the time if I could! I think I love church so much, because it has all of the elements I think you would find in heaven. It is a place of beauty and order. Being a music lover, I love worship with instruments, with voices in choir, or praise and worship teams, all kinds of music that I’m sure is evident around the throne of God in heaven. I love the reverence you feel in church, because people are getting fed the Word of God which is able to save their souls, it is like a feeding trough for faith. I love people being saved, filled with the Holy Spirit, sharing their faith, growing in God, and making disciples. I love seeing people become fruitful as they learn about taking dominion of the earth, operating under submission to the Father and exercising the authority that Jesus told us to operate in. I love church being a place of encouragement for the body, where people finding solutions and answers to life issues, and learn to have a prosperous soul. I especially love church when joy is abundant, jealousy is non existent, and where people feel like they’ve experienced heaven on earth. Just like a plant that will only flourish when it is planted, so it is with our spiritual life. We grow and flourish in life, when we are planted! I hope you love to put down roots, and are growing lasting fruit, in your life. For me, and I hope for you too, that is what I call heaven on earth!
Saturday
Eword for Kidz
Sometimes it is encouraging to look back and remember what it felt like to be a preschooler. They have life pretty well figured out. From the eyes of a preschooler, life is pretty simple! Here are some things they know from the perspective of a 4 year old:
God is Good (I Peter 2:3), the devil is bad (evil).
God gives life, the devil comes to take life.(John 10:10)
Just because stuff happens doesn’t mean it is God’s will. (We can’t blame God
For things He doesn’t do)
God doesn’t hurt people, he helps them!
God can take the bad the devil tried to do, and makes it good. (The devil looses at his own game and is the biggest loser of them all. Na, na, na, na, na, na!)
Sounds simple to me! In Matt 6:9-13 The Lord’s Prayer, Jesus makes it very clear that he wants the earth to experience a little bit of heaven…. Your kingdom come, your will be done on earth as it is in heaven. If you haven’t memorized it, why not do it this week? Say it with me if you know it.
Our Father, who art in heaven, holy is Your name
Your kingdom come, Your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven
give us this day our daily bread, and forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors, lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil
for Yours is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory forever, amen.
Let’s remember to keep things simple. Don’t complicate things….adults do enough of that for everyone!!!! As a kid, you can be a doer of the Word, and a believer who believes the Word. You can be a kid who wants everyone to go to heaven, and for them to enjoy a taste of it on the earth. As complex as life can be, let’s try to make life simple. Seal everything with one of those slobbery preschool kisses! KISS…..that’s an acronym for Keep It Simple Sweetie! And let’s enjoy life with a little glimmer of heaven right here on this earth.
Sunday
In Matthew 6:9-13, what is commonly known as The Lord’s Prayer, Jesus taught us how to pray:
Our Father, which art in heaven, hallowed be Your name
Your kingdom come, Your will be done, on earth as it is In heaven
give us this day our daily bread, and forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors, lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil
for Yours is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory forever, amen.
It sounds like Jesus’ model prayer gives place for the original design to be re-established on the earth. “Your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.” A thought hit me one time that really is astounding….for the believer, earth is as close to hell as we will ever be, but for the unbeliever, earth is as close to heaven as they will ever be. Wow! So for the believer, earth can be really good, plus we have heaven to look forward to, so the best is yet to come. For the unbeliever, without the peace of God in their life, earth can be ok or pretty bad, and there is nothing good past their final breath. For them, this life is as good as it gets. It puts things into perspective, doesn’t it?
What does heaven manifested on earth it look like? When I think of what heaven is like, I think of wonderful communion with the Father, a place of rest and peace, joy that is too amazing to explain, worship around the throne all the time, and beautiful ways of communicating our love for God all around, with absolutely no need for anything else. Wow, if heaven is even half of that, it will be abundantly above all we could ever ask or think. So what should heaven on earth look like? Probably a lot of the same things! There would be: Divine relationships, Supernatural peace, Joy overflowing, Glorious Worship Open and loving communication, Every need supplied.
Amazing, those are all things that we have access here on the earth if we are connected to God! We get a relationship with God that tops all earthy relationships. We even get divine connections to other believers who encourage us, and help us grow in our walk with the Lord. We have the peace that passes all understanding…no need for worry or fear. We choose not to worry, because God’s hand is on us, and besides, Jesus told us not to worry, so why go against his will for us? Joy bubbles up from inside of our spirit that is filled up and overflowing with the Spirit of God. We get to praise God will all that we are, with our voices, with instruments, with dancing, and even shouts of victory. We get to communicate from the heart of a servant, demonstrating love through our words and actions. We get to experience the abundant life that Jesus came to give because our God supplies all of our needs. That sounds like heaven on earth! Of course life on earth will have challenges, but you already know that! There will be things that we can’t control or fully comprehend, but when we put it all in perspective, earth for the believer can be a little taste of heaven, and makes us even more hungry for our eternal home. Let’s let the world know what heaven will be like…by giving them a taste of what we have experienced. Taste and see that GOD is good… on earth as He is in heaven!
Jesus’ prayer was that God’s will be done on earth, just like heaven. He wanted a taste of heaven to be in evidence on the earth. Hi, this is Dorette Schaal with an encouraging Word for your day. God wants heaven to come where we live. That was the original design in the garden of Eden, but we all know what happened when sin entered the picture. Thankfully, Jesus came, to re-established the original, and to reverse the curse for us. This week, be encouraged knowing that God’s will can be done, on earth, as it is in heaven.
Word for the week: Matt 6:9-13 The Lord’s Prayer – if you haven’t already done so, why not memorize it this week.
Monday
Is heaven in your house? When we look at the Lord’s prayer, we can see that Jesus prayed that God’s will would be done on earth as it is in heaven. So are you experiencing heaven in your house? When we hear the word house, we normally think of the place where we live, or your physical address. Really there are three kinds of “houses”. My body is a house. My family is a house. My Church is a house.
I am a spirit, I have a soul/mind, I live in a body
We each have a house or apartment that we live in
We come together as the House of God in your church local fellowship.
How can we know if heaven is in each house? The best answer to that would be the evidence of Divine Order. That is where, as we follow God with all of our heart, the Spirit of God leads, the soul/mind is renewed, the body follows. Divine order really is lining our life up with the Word of God, and making the choice to be obedient. It is making sure that our walk matches our talk. Making sure our actions match the life of God that dwells on the inside of us. Since we are “in Christ” we need to operate in divine order, under authority, yet given authority, servants of God, yet sons and daughters of God. If we want heaven to be in us, in our homes, and in our churches, we have to recognize and operate in the divine order that God established. Is heaven in each of your houses? Let’s make it our goal!
Tuesday
The righteous will flourish like a palm tree, they will grow like a cedar of Lebanon; planted in the house of the Lord, they will flourish in the courts of our God. That scripture is found in Ps 92:12-14. One of the greatest goals in my life is to encourage people to flourish in life, and this scripture tells us how to do it. If we are planted in God’s house we will flourish…..hummm, flourish, that sounds a little bit like experiencing heaven on earth! Flourish means to thrive, to prosper and to be in peak condition. That is my desire for every one of you. What is very cool is that is God’s desire for you too! In III John verse 2, John penned these words inspired by the Holy Spirit….I pray that you may enjoy good health and that all will go well with you, even as your soul is prospering. Soul prosperity is having a mind that is renewed to God’s Word. It is making choices that lead to abundant life. God gives us the opportunity to taste heaven on earth – that is flourishing. We can flourish more and more as we grow deep roots in the church body where God has planted us. The positive consequences of putting our roots down in the House of God is that our whole life can flourish! We will have a good root system, become a strong tree, with great tasting, lasting fruit. It’s the kind of encouragement we all need to hear!
Wednesday
Plants will only be as successful as the soil in which they are planted. Good soil is important! If we want to flourish in life, we need to be planted with good soil, in a good, Bible believing Christian church. When we are planted we have the potential to have a good root system, to become a strong tree, and to produce tasty, lasting fruit. The best encouragement I could give you for your life would be to get planted! This little lesson in farming really is a life principle that can alter your destiny. No more stony, thorny ground, let’s get on track for God’s best for the soil of our lives. (There is more on that tomorrow) The church is like a greenhouse. It should be a place where there is maximum exposure to light, and where growth is accelerated because of the good seeds that are planted in good soil. We become well-maintained soil, full of rich nutrients, free of rocks and weeds in the greenhouse of the church. It is good to examine your own soil. How well maintained is it? After we examine the soil, we need to make sure the soil is where the seed is being spread. If you aren’t in church hearing the Word, the seed will be sown on some other ground, and they’ll get the benefit, or it will fall on the wayside and be devoured. Are you fortifying yourself, and stirring yourself up to get rid of anything that will hinder the Word from growing in your life? Are you hungering and thirsting for God? Are you staying watered with the Word, and fully exposed to the Son so that you give your life the absolute best opportunity to grow stronger? You have that opportunity….let’s make the most of it!
Thursday
To flourish as a Christian you need nutrients that feed the three dimensions of you; spirit, soul and body. (I Thess 5:23) We need soul food! (III John 2) Mark 4:3-9 is a great lesson in farming! We call it the parable of the sower, but really it is the parable of the soils. What kind of soil are you? Here are the four that are listed in Mark 4.
1. Ground with no soil, the seed is sown on the wayside – the seed never got to the soil, because there was no soil present! Fellowship with believers in your local church is vital, and hearing is the Word is how we grow in faith ….Don’t let the seed be devoured by fowl of air!
2. Stony Ground – The seed was received with joy, but when the seedling came up it died, because of no depth of earth and no root system.
3. Thorny Ground – The seed was choked out yielding no fruit because of the pressure of the cares and a life with too many distractions.
4. Good ground – Who we should be! Productive, exponentially repro-ducing, and abundant! Manifold return which brought forth fruit, 30, 60,100 fold.
To get the Word to produce in our lives, we have to be good ground. Good ground will receive the seed and produce fruit with amazing rates of return. So can we flourish on the earth? Yes! The food we need for our soil is the Word, the best soul food ever!
Friday
I love talking about the House of God. I have loved church all of my life. When the church door swings open, I swing on in! I would be there all the time if I could! I think I love church so much, because it has all of the elements I think you would find in heaven. It is a place of beauty and order. Being a music lover, I love worship with instruments, with voices in choir, or praise and worship teams, all kinds of music that I’m sure is evident around the throne of God in heaven. I love the reverence you feel in church, because people are getting fed the Word of God which is able to save their souls, it is like a feeding trough for faith. I love people being saved, filled with the Holy Spirit, sharing their faith, growing in God, and making disciples. I love seeing people become fruitful as they learn about taking dominion of the earth, operating under submission to the Father and exercising the authority that Jesus told us to operate in. I love church being a place of encouragement for the body, where people finding solutions and answers to life issues, and learn to have a prosperous soul. I especially love church when joy is abundant, jealousy is non existent, and where people feel like they’ve experienced heaven on earth. Just like a plant that will only flourish when it is planted, so it is with our spiritual life. We grow and flourish in life, when we are planted! I hope you love to put down roots, and are growing lasting fruit, in your life. For me, and I hope for you too, that is what I call heaven on earth!
Saturday
Eword for Kidz
Sometimes it is encouraging to look back and remember what it felt like to be a preschooler. They have life pretty well figured out. From the eyes of a preschooler, life is pretty simple! Here are some things they know from the perspective of a 4 year old:
God is Good (I Peter 2:3), the devil is bad (evil).
God gives life, the devil comes to take life.(John 10:10)
Just because stuff happens doesn’t mean it is God’s will. (We can’t blame God
For things He doesn’t do)
God doesn’t hurt people, he helps them!
God can take the bad the devil tried to do, and makes it good. (The devil looses at his own game and is the biggest loser of them all. Na, na, na, na, na, na!)
Sounds simple to me! In Matt 6:9-13 The Lord’s Prayer, Jesus makes it very clear that he wants the earth to experience a little bit of heaven…. Your kingdom come, your will be done on earth as it is in heaven. If you haven’t memorized it, why not do it this week? Say it with me if you know it.
Our Father, who art in heaven, holy is Your name
Your kingdom come, Your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven
give us this day our daily bread, and forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors, lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil
for Yours is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory forever, amen.
Let’s remember to keep things simple. Don’t complicate things….adults do enough of that for everyone!!!! As a kid, you can be a doer of the Word, and a believer who believes the Word. You can be a kid who wants everyone to go to heaven, and for them to enjoy a taste of it on the earth. As complex as life can be, let’s try to make life simple. Seal everything with one of those slobbery preschool kisses! KISS…..that’s an acronym for Keep It Simple Sweetie! And let’s enjoy life with a little glimmer of heaven right here on this earth.
Sunday
In Matthew 6:9-13, what is commonly known as The Lord’s Prayer, Jesus taught us how to pray:
Our Father, which art in heaven, hallowed be Your name
Your kingdom come, Your will be done, on earth as it is In heaven
give us this day our daily bread, and forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors, lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil
for Yours is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory forever, amen.
It sounds like Jesus’ model prayer gives place for the original design to be re-established on the earth. “Your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.” A thought hit me one time that really is astounding….for the believer, earth is as close to hell as we will ever be, but for the unbeliever, earth is as close to heaven as they will ever be. Wow! So for the believer, earth can be really good, plus we have heaven to look forward to, so the best is yet to come. For the unbeliever, without the peace of God in their life, earth can be ok or pretty bad, and there is nothing good past their final breath. For them, this life is as good as it gets. It puts things into perspective, doesn’t it?
What does heaven manifested on earth it look like? When I think of what heaven is like, I think of wonderful communion with the Father, a place of rest and peace, joy that is too amazing to explain, worship around the throne all the time, and beautiful ways of communicating our love for God all around, with absolutely no need for anything else. Wow, if heaven is even half of that, it will be abundantly above all we could ever ask or think. So what should heaven on earth look like? Probably a lot of the same things! There would be: Divine relationships, Supernatural peace, Joy overflowing, Glorious Worship Open and loving communication, Every need supplied.
Amazing, those are all things that we have access here on the earth if we are connected to God! We get a relationship with God that tops all earthy relationships. We even get divine connections to other believers who encourage us, and help us grow in our walk with the Lord. We have the peace that passes all understanding…no need for worry or fear. We choose not to worry, because God’s hand is on us, and besides, Jesus told us not to worry, so why go against his will for us? Joy bubbles up from inside of our spirit that is filled up and overflowing with the Spirit of God. We get to praise God will all that we are, with our voices, with instruments, with dancing, and even shouts of victory. We get to communicate from the heart of a servant, demonstrating love through our words and actions. We get to experience the abundant life that Jesus came to give because our God supplies all of our needs. That sounds like heaven on earth! Of course life on earth will have challenges, but you already know that! There will be things that we can’t control or fully comprehend, but when we put it all in perspective, earth for the believer can be a little taste of heaven, and makes us even more hungry for our eternal home. Let’s let the world know what heaven will be like…by giving them a taste of what we have experienced. Taste and see that GOD is good… on earth as He is in heaven!
Tuesday, June 15, 2010
Week of June 14th
Intro
Hi this is Dorette Schaal with an encouraging word for your day. This week we’ll be talking about identity. Who in Christ are you? As believers we are known to walk way beneath our privilege, but when we know who we are in Christ, we will never let that happen again. Be encouraged to be who God created you to be, starting now! Here is your encouraging word for today!
Monday
Who are you? Jesus asked that question to Peter…who do you say that I am? Well let me ask you the same question. Do you know who you are? Not just who are your parents, or what is your position, or occupation, but who are you really? Paul prayed that we would know who we are in Christ. What you believe about who you are is really a major factor in your life. God’s image of who we are is what we should go for! This what God says about you…. You are His child, once you receive Jesus as your Lord and Savior, you are a new person in Christ. The old is gone, and you are a new creation! God has raised you us to live in newness of life. You are made to be the righteousness of God in Christ Jesus. He says you are blessed with everything that Heaven has to offer. Not only blessed with spiritual blessing, but also with everything that pertains to life and godliness. He says that your needs are met, and that you can do all things through Christ who strengthens you. You can overcome any problem or situation or circumstance, because you are more than a conqueror. Wow! Those are great things to believe, and they are what God says about you! Those are encouraging words for you today!
Tuesday
Perhaps you are looking at who you are in the natural right now, and thinking this is not who I want to be. One thing that is so awesome about serving God is not only can we have a dramatic change of direction through salvation, our life continually can grow and change. We don’t have to continually do the same things over and over, we can make improvements. The biggest factor in changing is in choosing to renew our mind. To change the way we think. If we would take every thought captive as the Bible tells us to do, we would realize that we have some faulty thinking going on! To change that, we need to renew our mind, and begin to think and believe like what the Word of God tells us to do. To renew our mind means we take what we believe and make it line up with the Word. Past experiences, or what someone else has told you, can shape who we are. To change to be who God wants us to be, we must make our beliefs and thoughts conform with the word of God. Say this with me…. I am renewing my mind, and am putting on the new man, which is created in righteousness and true holiness. I am putting off the old man, and becoming who God has made me to be. I will take off the old me and put on the new me! I keep the Word of God in my mouth and in my heart, so my way is prosperous, and I have good success! I hope that encourages you today!
Wednesday
Once you decided to change and grow in your Christian walk, you can just about guarantee there will be obstacles put in your path. The daily discipline of just doing the right thing all the time can seem overwhelming, but empowered by the Holy Spirit, you can do all things through Christ who is strengthening you. His power is released in you to live the life, and walk the walk as well as talking the talk. The daily disciplines of the Christian walk…. Study, prayer, meditating, worship, and living a fasted life, are what get you through obstacles and over into progress and success. It is the person who begins saving as soon as they start earning a wage that will have a large sum in the bank at retirement. The later you start the harder it is to catch up. That same principle applies with just about anything. Why not start today to live a disciplined life…. Because that is who you are! Say this with me…. I am a disciplined person. I am not conformed to this world, but am being transformed into the image of Christ. I seek God first, and seek those things which are above. I set my mind on things above. I give myself continually to the ministry of the Word and to prayer. I study to show myself approved unto God, I’m a workman with no shame in my life. My life is changing because I believe what God’s Word says about me.
Thursday
One of the biggest areas of battle takes place in the physical body. Whether it is controlling our appetites, or making choices to eat food that leads to health, a war goes on in side of many people many times a day. It is very clear that God want us to prosper and be in health, even as our soul prospers. Soul prosperity happens with the renewing of our mind. When we line up our lives with the Word, and our soul is prospering, a natural outflow is that we are healthy and have success. We do live in a fallen world, where the devil roams about as a roaring lion, seeking who he may devour. We know the devil is the one who come to kill, to steal and to destroy. It is Jesus who came to give us abundant life. We serve a great big God! He has given us power to live above the enemy’s tactics, and He has conquerored death, hell and the grave, and then handed the victory to us….making us more than conquerors! Thank God for Jesus! So what does God say about our bodies? That’s exactly what we should be saying too! Why not say this with me… My body is the temple of the Holy Spirit. I am blessed with the blessing of Abraham. I prosper and live in health, even as my soul prospers. My body is healthy and whole. I am receiving the healing that I need to be able to walk in health and the divine life that God has for me. I am disciplined in my body, and guard my mouth from anything that would defile God’s temple. The stripes that Jesus took on his back have brought healing to me. The same spirit that raised Jesus from the dead, quickens and makes whole my mortal body. I will live long and prosper on this earth! I hope that encouraged you!
Friday
One huge factor that helps us determine who we are is our past. Sometimes we hold on to the past through bitterness and unforgiveness and bind ourselves to what has happened to us in the past. It is vital to recognize where we have wounds so they can be healed and released. It is something that only you can do. Prayer from others certainly helps, but forgiveness is a choice that you must make. To get to any root of bitterness, and remove the poison that it produces in your life, the root needs to be exposed, and then forgiveness can come. God say who we are is someone who is free in Christ. That means there is no bondage to the past or anything that holds you back if you make the choice to forgive. Forgiveness is a choice, but for the believer, it isn’t an option. We must forgive. Freely we have received forgiveness, freely we should grant forgiveness. I realize that there are those who have deep wounds, but there is nothing too deep for God to reach if we will release it. One stone, or one scoop full at a time, let’s give forgiveness and then live free in God. Say this with me…..He who the Son sets free is free indeed. I am free to live life to the fullest, and to enjoy this wonderful abundant life that Jesus came to give to me. I forgive much because Christ has forgiven much in my life. I am free from the law of sin and death. I freely receive all that God has for me. Be encouraged today that you are who God says you are, and you can be all that God says you can be. Your identity is in Him!
Saturday - Eword for Kids
Do you know that God has something to say about you? He has a plan for your life, and has called you his very own child. Your identity isn’t just as your mom and dad’s son or daughter, or somebody’s grandchild, you are identified as a Christian. The word Christian mean Christ-like. You are also a disciple, which means disciplined one! There are lots of other things God has to say about you too. Why not say what God says. Don’t believe the lies of the devil, that you’re not smart enough, not athletic enough, not tall enough, or rich enough to do what God has for you. Believe what the Bible says! It says this…. You are God’s own son or daughter, once you became a Christian. The words of others are not as powerful as the words of God. His Word is what matters in your life. You are above and not beneath, the head and not the tail, blessed going in and coming out, and most definitely able to do all things through Christ who strengthens you. You are going to fulfill your destiny, and live the dream that God has for you. Your life is full of blessing in every way. I hope that encouraged you….you can be and do and have all that God has for you!
Sunday
Happy Father’s Day. To all you fabulous dads, we want to say have a blessed day….in every way. One great benefit you dads have when looking for a model of Fatherhood is God himself. One scripture that I love that talks about dads is in Luke 11:11-13, where it says that a normal earthy dad loves giving good things to his children, and would never give a stone if the child asked for bread or a serpent if the child asked for fish. Even earthy dads want the best for their kids….how much more does our Father in heaven wasn’t to give good gift to those who ask Him.
One of God’s greatest and most notable attributes is giving. He loved, so he gave. He gives more, and even if He is rejected or disobeyed, but he still loves and he still gives. The heart of a godly father is a giver. It is time to get rid of any poverty mentality that might be attached to your life from the past. You aren’t a victim, you’re victorious. You are not beneath, you are above! You are not the tail, you are the head! That’s what God says about you! You are blessed going in and going out!
That same verse in Luke ends with this thought. That if we ask God for the Holy Spirit, God will give us what we ask for. When we think about fathering in our own natural ability, or fathering empowered by the Holy Spirit, it appears that the wise thing would be to use the extra power available to do the best job possible.
So dads, as you celebrate your day, I encourage you to be full of the Holy Spirit. Be filled and keep being refilled. Joined up with the Holy Spirit, you can do and be and have much more than you could ever have on your own. That applies to strength, wisdom, energy, enthusiasm, joy, ability and skills. Even patience!! Your natural talents, gifts, and callings will increase because you are filled up with power from on high.
Dads, why not repeat this after me. My life is in Christ. I am empowered by the Holy Spirit to be a father that resembles God the Father. I am teaching, and training my kids in the way they should go. My kids can follow me as I follow Christ. I am blessed to be a blessing, to my family, in my workplace and to the body of Christ. That’s encouraging, and my encouragement for you amazing dads today!
Hi this is Dorette Schaal with an encouraging word for your day. This week we’ll be talking about identity. Who in Christ are you? As believers we are known to walk way beneath our privilege, but when we know who we are in Christ, we will never let that happen again. Be encouraged to be who God created you to be, starting now! Here is your encouraging word for today!
Monday
Who are you? Jesus asked that question to Peter…who do you say that I am? Well let me ask you the same question. Do you know who you are? Not just who are your parents, or what is your position, or occupation, but who are you really? Paul prayed that we would know who we are in Christ. What you believe about who you are is really a major factor in your life. God’s image of who we are is what we should go for! This what God says about you…. You are His child, once you receive Jesus as your Lord and Savior, you are a new person in Christ. The old is gone, and you are a new creation! God has raised you us to live in newness of life. You are made to be the righteousness of God in Christ Jesus. He says you are blessed with everything that Heaven has to offer. Not only blessed with spiritual blessing, but also with everything that pertains to life and godliness. He says that your needs are met, and that you can do all things through Christ who strengthens you. You can overcome any problem or situation or circumstance, because you are more than a conqueror. Wow! Those are great things to believe, and they are what God says about you! Those are encouraging words for you today!
Tuesday
Perhaps you are looking at who you are in the natural right now, and thinking this is not who I want to be. One thing that is so awesome about serving God is not only can we have a dramatic change of direction through salvation, our life continually can grow and change. We don’t have to continually do the same things over and over, we can make improvements. The biggest factor in changing is in choosing to renew our mind. To change the way we think. If we would take every thought captive as the Bible tells us to do, we would realize that we have some faulty thinking going on! To change that, we need to renew our mind, and begin to think and believe like what the Word of God tells us to do. To renew our mind means we take what we believe and make it line up with the Word. Past experiences, or what someone else has told you, can shape who we are. To change to be who God wants us to be, we must make our beliefs and thoughts conform with the word of God. Say this with me…. I am renewing my mind, and am putting on the new man, which is created in righteousness and true holiness. I am putting off the old man, and becoming who God has made me to be. I will take off the old me and put on the new me! I keep the Word of God in my mouth and in my heart, so my way is prosperous, and I have good success! I hope that encourages you today!
Wednesday
Once you decided to change and grow in your Christian walk, you can just about guarantee there will be obstacles put in your path. The daily discipline of just doing the right thing all the time can seem overwhelming, but empowered by the Holy Spirit, you can do all things through Christ who is strengthening you. His power is released in you to live the life, and walk the walk as well as talking the talk. The daily disciplines of the Christian walk…. Study, prayer, meditating, worship, and living a fasted life, are what get you through obstacles and over into progress and success. It is the person who begins saving as soon as they start earning a wage that will have a large sum in the bank at retirement. The later you start the harder it is to catch up. That same principle applies with just about anything. Why not start today to live a disciplined life…. Because that is who you are! Say this with me…. I am a disciplined person. I am not conformed to this world, but am being transformed into the image of Christ. I seek God first, and seek those things which are above. I set my mind on things above. I give myself continually to the ministry of the Word and to prayer. I study to show myself approved unto God, I’m a workman with no shame in my life. My life is changing because I believe what God’s Word says about me.
Thursday
One of the biggest areas of battle takes place in the physical body. Whether it is controlling our appetites, or making choices to eat food that leads to health, a war goes on in side of many people many times a day. It is very clear that God want us to prosper and be in health, even as our soul prospers. Soul prosperity happens with the renewing of our mind. When we line up our lives with the Word, and our soul is prospering, a natural outflow is that we are healthy and have success. We do live in a fallen world, where the devil roams about as a roaring lion, seeking who he may devour. We know the devil is the one who come to kill, to steal and to destroy. It is Jesus who came to give us abundant life. We serve a great big God! He has given us power to live above the enemy’s tactics, and He has conquerored death, hell and the grave, and then handed the victory to us….making us more than conquerors! Thank God for Jesus! So what does God say about our bodies? That’s exactly what we should be saying too! Why not say this with me… My body is the temple of the Holy Spirit. I am blessed with the blessing of Abraham. I prosper and live in health, even as my soul prospers. My body is healthy and whole. I am receiving the healing that I need to be able to walk in health and the divine life that God has for me. I am disciplined in my body, and guard my mouth from anything that would defile God’s temple. The stripes that Jesus took on his back have brought healing to me. The same spirit that raised Jesus from the dead, quickens and makes whole my mortal body. I will live long and prosper on this earth! I hope that encouraged you!
Friday
One huge factor that helps us determine who we are is our past. Sometimes we hold on to the past through bitterness and unforgiveness and bind ourselves to what has happened to us in the past. It is vital to recognize where we have wounds so they can be healed and released. It is something that only you can do. Prayer from others certainly helps, but forgiveness is a choice that you must make. To get to any root of bitterness, and remove the poison that it produces in your life, the root needs to be exposed, and then forgiveness can come. God say who we are is someone who is free in Christ. That means there is no bondage to the past or anything that holds you back if you make the choice to forgive. Forgiveness is a choice, but for the believer, it isn’t an option. We must forgive. Freely we have received forgiveness, freely we should grant forgiveness. I realize that there are those who have deep wounds, but there is nothing too deep for God to reach if we will release it. One stone, or one scoop full at a time, let’s give forgiveness and then live free in God. Say this with me…..He who the Son sets free is free indeed. I am free to live life to the fullest, and to enjoy this wonderful abundant life that Jesus came to give to me. I forgive much because Christ has forgiven much in my life. I am free from the law of sin and death. I freely receive all that God has for me. Be encouraged today that you are who God says you are, and you can be all that God says you can be. Your identity is in Him!
Saturday - Eword for Kids
Do you know that God has something to say about you? He has a plan for your life, and has called you his very own child. Your identity isn’t just as your mom and dad’s son or daughter, or somebody’s grandchild, you are identified as a Christian. The word Christian mean Christ-like. You are also a disciple, which means disciplined one! There are lots of other things God has to say about you too. Why not say what God says. Don’t believe the lies of the devil, that you’re not smart enough, not athletic enough, not tall enough, or rich enough to do what God has for you. Believe what the Bible says! It says this…. You are God’s own son or daughter, once you became a Christian. The words of others are not as powerful as the words of God. His Word is what matters in your life. You are above and not beneath, the head and not the tail, blessed going in and coming out, and most definitely able to do all things through Christ who strengthens you. You are going to fulfill your destiny, and live the dream that God has for you. Your life is full of blessing in every way. I hope that encouraged you….you can be and do and have all that God has for you!
Sunday
Happy Father’s Day. To all you fabulous dads, we want to say have a blessed day….in every way. One great benefit you dads have when looking for a model of Fatherhood is God himself. One scripture that I love that talks about dads is in Luke 11:11-13, where it says that a normal earthy dad loves giving good things to his children, and would never give a stone if the child asked for bread or a serpent if the child asked for fish. Even earthy dads want the best for their kids….how much more does our Father in heaven wasn’t to give good gift to those who ask Him.
One of God’s greatest and most notable attributes is giving. He loved, so he gave. He gives more, and even if He is rejected or disobeyed, but he still loves and he still gives. The heart of a godly father is a giver. It is time to get rid of any poverty mentality that might be attached to your life from the past. You aren’t a victim, you’re victorious. You are not beneath, you are above! You are not the tail, you are the head! That’s what God says about you! You are blessed going in and going out!
That same verse in Luke ends with this thought. That if we ask God for the Holy Spirit, God will give us what we ask for. When we think about fathering in our own natural ability, or fathering empowered by the Holy Spirit, it appears that the wise thing would be to use the extra power available to do the best job possible.
So dads, as you celebrate your day, I encourage you to be full of the Holy Spirit. Be filled and keep being refilled. Joined up with the Holy Spirit, you can do and be and have much more than you could ever have on your own. That applies to strength, wisdom, energy, enthusiasm, joy, ability and skills. Even patience!! Your natural talents, gifts, and callings will increase because you are filled up with power from on high.
Dads, why not repeat this after me. My life is in Christ. I am empowered by the Holy Spirit to be a father that resembles God the Father. I am teaching, and training my kids in the way they should go. My kids can follow me as I follow Christ. I am blessed to be a blessing, to my family, in my workplace and to the body of Christ. That’s encouraging, and my encouragement for you amazing dads today!
Tuesday, June 1, 2010
Week of May 31, 2010
Intro for the week:
Hebrews 4:2 says that the Word profits us when it is mixed with faith. The reason the Word hits us so close to home is because we have claimed many promises, and the key for us now - to keep moving forward, expanding, and increasing, is for us to mix faith with the promises. God will do for us what we believe Him for! Here is your encouraging Word for this week.
Monday
It is important for us to keep our faith active and alive. When God’s Word speaks specifically to us, we need to put action to our faith. Here are some things that I am believing for our church and community. They are things that together we can believe God for in your sphere of influence and in mine. Let’s pray for:
- People to be saved every week – altars in Bible believing Christian churches filled with people who are hungering and thirsting for the fullness of God. (That’s what its all about!)
- People to grow in the Word of God, and be obedient to walk the walk – becoming true disciples.
- People available in abundance to do the work of the ministry. – Connected and plugged in – being doers of the Word and the specific assignment God has for them.
- An abundance of finances to press ahead and do more, build more, expand more, and reach more – for the Kingdom of God!
James says that faith without works is dead! Not just broken, or dying, but dead! Let’s have alive faith! If we have faith, there should be evidence! We should see some breath on the mirror to prove it is alive! There should be some movement, some kind of action! Let’s make sure there is enough evidence in our lives to prove that faith is living and active. God’s Word doesn’t go out and produce nothing, and so it is with faith. Faith with corresponding action produces results! Be encouraged today, to change your world by activating your faith.
Tuesday
One verse that keeps coming up in my heart is one most of us don’t like to think about. It is in James 4:17 and it says, he who knows what is right to do and doesn’t do it, to him it is sin. I’m not feeling very encouraged after reading that verse. I know there are things that I know I should be doing that I don’t do. I hope you’re agreeing with me, I don’t want to be alone in this!!!! What is important for us to discover and put into operation in our life is to know the difference between conviction and condemnation. The Holy Spirit will convict us of sin, and we will know it in our “knower” – our spirit- the real us on the inside. But the devil is the accuser of the brethren (and sisters!) and he will bring condemnation to make us feel bad on the inside. The difference is, with the Holy Spirit’s conviction there is hope. With the enemies condemnation there is hopelessness. The Bible says in Romans 8:1 that there is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, because the law of the Spirit of life has set me free from the law of sin and death. So instead of letting condemnation try to intrude in our life, why not choose to obey if the Holy Spirit convicts us? If we know what is right to do, why don’t we just do it? Obedience really is best!
Wednesday
This is your moment. Right now God wants you! Are you sure he wants me – you may ask. YES! It is you He wants. Your age, social status, body shape, personality, all the things that make you uniquely you – that is what God wants! He doesn’t do copies, and he made you an original. What is different about this moment from any other? It is the moment that you have right now, and now can be the best moment of your life! Why not choose to make it amazing? Think about these things – they should bring up a specific scripture reference.
Live for God now! (Eph 5:15,16)
Don’t get stuck in yesterday. (Phil 3:13)
Don’t be waiting for your big break in the future (Phil 4:6)
Choose to be joyful and happy now! Live fully alive today (Phil 4:4)
Now is your time:
To seek God’s face (Matt 6:33)
To become more intimate with God (Phil 3:10)
And then - help someone else with what you learn! That comes right out of one of my favorite scriptures in II Cor 1:3,4 where it says that what God has done for you, in you and through you, you can use to help someone else. How awesome is that! God’s comfort in your life is a seed sown in you to comfort someone else! He has begun something great in you. He wants to see it come to completion as it says in Phil 1:6. So live today – full on for God and expect great things!
Thursday
This is the time for overflow, unexpected blessing and abundance of favor. Those are encouraging words! I love overflow, blessing and favor! If we look at the full counsel of the Word of God, we can see that Jesus came to bring not just life, but life in abundance……that sounds like overflow. Even in Psalms 23, it says our cup runneth over….that sounds like abundance. If we looked at the Beatitudes in Matt 5, Jesus gave 9 ways that we will be known as blessed….if we are #1) humble, #2 contrite, #3) meek, #4) hungering and thirsting for righteousness, #5) merciful, #6) pure in heart, #7) a peacemaker, #8) persecuted and #9) insulted. It sounded pretty good until we got to 8 and 9…..but it should be no surprise that the world’s system doesn’t like to see God’s people blessed. They get a bit jealous, and testy, and will persecute you and insult you. But if that happens - know that you are blessed! One of the blessing of being blessed and favored is everyone is not going to like you. That is a good thing to learn early on! God’s favor is on you, because you’re part of His family. We’re favored because of Jesus, and that favor spill over, not only in the family of God, but in the world as well. You will get the best parking spots, the shortest lines, and people will be helpful wherever you go. That happens to me a lot! God goes before me and you…expect His blessing. So are you ready for some more overflow, blessing and favor in your life? Why not start expecting it…..you’re God’s favorite!
Friday
Yesterday we talked about all the things we get with being a part of the family of God….God’s blessing, abundant life, and favor. Today we’re going to talk about what we get to give since we are part of God’s family. Don’t get scared, this won’t be painful at all. We have the same spirit on the inside of us who is the biggest giver of all, so none of us should have any issue with giving….it should be as natural to us as breathing. If it all belongs to Him anyway, giving some of it away shouldn’t hurt at all! I want to encourage you to develop a giving spirit. We want to look like and act like our Father, so one thing we can start doing is giving more! The tithe that we give to our local church demonstrates obedience. We move a decimal over, and tada…we have one tenth. That’s easy math. It is the size of “the offering”, not “the tithe” that demonstrates our generosity. The tithe is set, but offering is optional. We can give a spoonful and get a spoonful back, or give a dump truck load, and get a dump truck load back….it’s our choice. One thing that is important is that we lead with your seed. We lead our families with them watching what we do…..if we want generous children, we demonstrate generosity in front of them. The Bible tells us to cast your bread on the water – it will come back with every wave. If you’ve tried that with bread, you may have gotten soggy bread back! That’s not what it means! What it means is that if we give of what we have, it will come back to us, over and over again. Give and it shall be given unto you! I’m believing for more seed to sow this year. Each year I want to give more than the last. Wouldn’t you like to give more this year than you ever have before? I want to encourage you to increase - so God can increase back to you!
Saturday
Eword for Kidz
If you are anything like I was as a kid, you probably can’t wait to drive. When ever I could, I would just go sit in the drivers seat of any car and pretend to drive, until the day at 15 years and 9 months old, I got my learners permit. Boy was I happy! My brother who is older and wiser (3 years to be exact) was determined I wouldn’t drive like a girl. He taught me all the important things to know, and to this day, he is a great driver, and so am I!!!! I really do like to drive….one of my uncles who lives in Switzerland calls me Doretti Andretti, after the famous race car driver. Okay, enough about me. Cars and driving can give us a great lesson for life. If we want to go anywhere in a car, you have to have a driver’s license. Let’s pretend that is salvation. Salvation is like the key that starts your car. You can turn the car on and just sit there in park and go nowhere. But that is no fun. You can put it in reverse, but you have to go slowly, and very cautiously. You can leave it in neutral and just rev the engine, but you are not going anywhere. To go somewhere we have to take off the parking brake put it in Drive. When you are first learning, you go very slowly, taking it very easy and being very cautious. There are times in life, when we have to do that. We don’t want to jump the gun, and get into a mess, or a wreck in life. We should always watch for road signs and places where danger might be lurking. There are times when the road is wide open and you can go all the way up to the speed limit. But when the road gets twisty and turny (a newly invented word!), you had better slow down. What does that mean for us? Life is like a ride in the car, we have to get in the car, turn it on, and then get in drive if we want to go anywhere. For the Christian, if we want to do anything for God, we need to quit sitting around, and start moving. God has great things for you in your life, and I know you’ll be a great car driver someday. I also believe that you will fulfill your purpose and destiny in life, because you’ll know how to drive wisely- putting your pedal to the metal…..Just kidding! Really, please don’t do that, just make sure your rear is in gear!
Sunday
None of us are batting 1,000 at our faith walk, but that certainly shouldn’t make us discouraged. It should encourage us to believe for more. We can all improve in the area of believing! All God wants is for somebody (you and me) to believe something (His Word)! We all know that we need to base our faith on scripture. It is important to have a solid foundation, and there is nothing more solid than the Bible! But believing alone isn’t even enough. To make our faith produce, we must believe it in our heart, and then speak it with our mouth! Faith speaks! If it is not speaking, it is not faith! Just like cars drive, planes fly, and shovels dig, faith speaks. It is the corresponding action that goes along with faith.
Just like the car needs a key to start, to activate our faith, we need to get our engine going and shift into gear to move ahead in God. In other words, get our rear in gear! Let’s get out of park, out of reverse and neutral, and start moving toward God’s will for our lives. It isn’t that we need an army tank to move ahead, we just need to get moving in our vehicle. (In other words, we don’t need more or bigger, more impressive faith. We just need to use the faith we have!) Just put your car in drive! We need to be disciplined and be reminded to keep moving forward by putting our words in line with our faith, and believe God for great things!!! Let’s not go backward, or roll backward. Stay out of neutral and never sit around wasting gas on idle -especially at these gas prices! God is into progress….let’s get moving….!
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