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I Know A Ghost: Part II

John 14:16  “And I will ask the Father and He will give you another advocate to help you and be with you forever-the Spirit of Truth.” 

Many of us struggle with understanding who the Holy Spirit is.  We may know that He is the third person of the Trinity but how often do we pray to the Holy Spirit?  That is ok, even the disciples didn’t understand the Holy Spirit when they learned about Him from Jesus!  God gave us the Holy Spirit to help us walk closely with Christ in all arenas of life.  Here are three ways the Holy Spirit helps us: 

Tags:  Holy Spirit, John, I know a ghost

(Holy) Ghost Stories

John 14:15-17 “If you love me, keep my commands. And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another advocate to help you and be with you forever ---  the Spirit of truth. The world cannot accept him, because it neither sees him nor knows him. But you know him, for he lives with you and will be in you.

Tags:  Holy Spirt, Holy Ghost, John

How to Grow Spiritually During an Election Cycle

John 13:34  “A new command I give you:  Love one Another as I have loved you, so you must love one another.”

You may have noticed that an election is coming this fall!  The national conventions are a couple of weeks away and you can feel the tension rising.  We should remember that God wants to use all events to help grow us - even elections!  As we enter into this season here are some things to keep in mind: 

Tags:  Grow Spiritually, Election, John

Is It Normal: To Be This Angry?

Ephesians 4:26 "In your anger do not sin."

Have you noticed that people seem angry right now? I read about an individual who visited a drive through at McDonald's this week and noticed that the cook forgot the ketchup on their cheeseburger. This person then got so angry that they went into the restaurant and punched an employee in the face. Wow, talk about anger issues! This is not surprising because we are all living under a huge amount of stress. One psychologist said, " We're living in a big anger incubator."

Tags:  Psalm, David, Anger, Ephesians, Is It Normal

Empathy

Romans 12:15 “Rejoice with those who rejoice, mourn with those who morn.” 
Are you empathetic? I have to confess that empathy is not my top gift. Sadly, I am too often focused on my personal goals and ambitions to notice the pain of others. Luckily, God gave me a wife that is gifted in empathy. It comes natural for her. She has even taught me to be more empathic. She will often open my eyes by asking me to imagine being in a difficult situation. “How would you feel?” “What would you do?” she will ask. Then she says that is how _________ feels. Putting y
Tags:  Empathy, Romans

Keeping Our Friendships & Resolving Conflict

Matthew 18:15 “If your brother or sister sins, go and point our their fault, just between the two of you. If they listen to you, you havewon them over.” 

Have you ever made a trade or purchase you wish you could take back? Maybe you thought that car would make you feel amazing but after the second payment your thought: “Why did I buy this?” Or maybe the FFL trade made sense but after one week you thought: “Why did I give up my best running back?” 

Tags:  Friendships, Conflict, Matthew, Romans

Asking For A Friend: How to Make A Friend

1 Samuel 18:1-3 “After David had finished talking with Saul, Jonathan became one in spirit with David, and he loved him as himself. From that day Saul kept David with him and did not let him return home to his family. And Jonathan made a covenant with David because he loved him as himself.”
Last week we looked at the importance of friendship. Research shows that people with good friends tend to have better health, are more fulfilled, and live longer. So how does one gain a friend? In 1 Samuel 18 we see a number of great principles on building a great fr
Tags:  Asking For A Friend, 1 Samuel, David, Saul, Jonathan, Philippians

Needing A Friend

Genesis 2:18 “It is not good for man to be alone.”
When I was junior in High School I transferred to a new school. I remember the feeling of walking into a new school not knowing anyone! I remember thinking: “I need a friend!” Maybe you can relate, a new city, new college, a new neighborhood or new job. At all of these transitions it is painfully apparent that we need a friend.
Today, loneliness is an epidemic. 1 in 5 millennials say that they have zero friends! Loneliness is the number one fear of
Tags:  Needing A Friend, Genesis, David, 1 Samuel

The Art of Rest

Mark 6:31 “Then, because so many people were coming and going that they did not even have a chance to eat, he said to them, “Come with me by yourselves to a quiet place and get some rest.” 
Sometimes the pace of life can get out of control! Have you every asked yourself, “What am I doing?” or “”Why am I constantly in a rush?” This weekend as we celebrate Labor Day it is important to remember that we were created for rest. Many of us have bought into the myth that, “I’ll rest when the work gets done.” The problem is that the work ne
Tags:  Rest, Mark, Labor Day

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