Rejoice Always

1 Thessalonians 5:16-18  “Rejoice always, pray continually,  give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.”

 

Have you ever been overwhelmed with joy?  Last year I attended the Ohio State-Penn State football game in “Happy Valley.”  It was a perfect day, the people were great, and the game was amazing!  It came down to the final play and in the end the team I was cheering for (Ohio State) prevailed.  I remember running out of the stadium that night with the overwhelming feeling of joy! 

 

Tags:  Rejoice, Thessalonians

Financial Freedom

Financial Freedom

 

1 Timothy 6:6-7 “But godliness with contentment is great gain. For we brought nothing into the world, and we can take nothing out of it.”

 

Tags:  Freedom, Financial Freedom, 1 Timothy

Hang Ups

John 8:36 “So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.”
Have you ever watched someone who is hung up on something? Last month I was moderating a faith-based peer advisory group when the business owner who was hosting shared how he was struggling to find a solution for an issue he had been wrestling with for years. This hang up was more than frustrating it was threatening his business and future. After sharing the issue a group of trusted advisors began to ask questions and suggest possible solutions when then it happened… They stumbled upo
Tags:  Hang Ups, John, Freedom

Habits

Romans 7:19 “For I do not do the good I want to do, but the evil I do not want to do-this I keep on doing.”
The other day I received a notice that was troubling. I glanced down on my phone to see a report that I used my phone for over 3 hours that day. I know that some of that time was for work but when I looked deeper into the report it revealed that much of the time was used to browse newsfeeds, social media, and a certain golf game that has become a little addiction.
Tags:  Habits, Romans, Paul, Addictive

Hurts

Luke 6:28 “bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you.”
A couple of weeks ago I was moving quickly through my house and not really paying attention to where I was going. As I passed the end of my coffee table I miss judged the distance needed to clear the corner and caught the pinky toe of my right foot on the leg of the table. Ouch! If you have ever done this then you know this really hurts! What happened next was a yell, a cry, a message to the table about how it was at fault, and finally acceptance that I caused the pain.
Tags:  Hurts, Luke, Freedom

Sabotaging Faith

Psalm 90:8 “You have set our iniquities before you, our secret sins in the light of your presence.” 
On July 30 th 1916 a fire started in a munitions depot in the New York City harbor. Over 50 tons of TNT exploded and the damage was extreme. Windows were shattered throughout Brooklyn and Manhattan. The Statue of Liberty was damaged and tragically 10 people lost their lives trying to contain the fire. Later it was determined that the fire was not an accident but rather and act of sabotage by a German spy named Franz Von Rintelen
Tags:  Sabotaging Faith, Psalm, 1 John, Hebrews, Exodus, Faith

Beating Fear

Luke 8:24-25 “The disciples went and woke him, saying, ‘Master, Master, we’re going to drown!’ He got up and rebuked the wind and the raging waters; the storm subsided, and all was calm. ‘Where is your faith?’ he asked his disciples.” 
My wife hates horror films (To be honest I don’t like them either). However, every time a horror film trailer happens to come on Television she cannot turn away. She actually locks in and will repeatedly tell me how frightening and horrible the movie looks! “I would never watch that!” She often says after giving it 60 sec
Tags:  Beating Fear, fear, Luke

Overcoming Doubt

Matthew 28:17 “When they saw him, they worshiped him; but some doubted.”
 
Doubt is a part of life. When making a major decision, entering into a new relationship, or selecting a meal between to great looking menu items: sometimes doubt can be overwhelming. When it comes to our relationship with God doubt is common. Many outstanding Christian leaders doubted, including Martin Luther, C.S.
Tags:  Overcoming Doubt, Matthew, Doubt

Risk It!

1 Samuel 17:36  “Your servant has killed both the lion and the bear; this uncircumcised Philistine will be like one of them, because he has defied the armies of the living God.”

Over the past few weeks we have been looking at the process in which God grows our faith. 

Step one is to “Hear it.”  When we hear the voice of God through scripture, an inner prompt, or the trusted advise of another we know what should do. 

Tags:  Risk It, Heart It See It Risk It, 1 Samuel, David

See It!

Hebrews 11:1  “Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see.”

I usually do it every time I step onto a tee box.  After taking a couple of practice swings, I look down the fairway and visualize the ball soaring through the sky as it heads to the perfect spot to land.  This vision gives me a guide in my mind to aim for and confidence sometimes to hit a shot that is far above my skill level! 

Tags:  See It, Here It See It Risk It, Hebrews, Faith, Golf, Genesis, Abraham, Philippians