| Monday, February 01, 2010 |
| We are not perfect, but God is by Jon Walker |
| (This guest devotional is an excerpt from, Growing with Purpose, available from Saddleback Resources.)
As for God, his way is perfect; the word of the LORD is flawless. He is a shield for all who take refuge in him. 2 Samuel 22:31 (NIV) We are not perfect; God is perfect We are flawed; God is flawless. God takes his perfection, mixes it with the blood of Jesus Christ, and paints his perfection over our imperfection. God takes his flawlessness, couples it with his strength, and forges it to the flaws that weaken us. What does this mean? If you struggle with perfectionism, then ask God to help you deeply understand that he loves you unconditionally. You can not earn your way into his love because he freely gives it. You not only need not be perfect; there is no way you can be perfect. Praise God for Jesus. “This righteousness from God comes through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. There is no difference, for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus.” (Romans 3:22-24 NIV) If you are frustrated with your flaws, then be honest with God. Ask him to help you see how he works through your flaws and accept your flaws as God’s way of keeping you dependent upon him. “But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me.” (2 Corinthians 12:9 NIV) *** *** *** *** *** Jon Walker is the managing editor of the Daily Hope devotionals. This devotional is copyrighted 2010 by Jon Walker. Used by permission. |
Archive for the ‘Scripture Memory’ Category
We are not perfect, but God is
Posted: February 1, 2010 in Acceptance, Bible Study, Encourgement, Happiness, Inspiration, Job Opportunity, Money, Money Issue, Scripture Memory, UncategorizedTags: Bible Study, Encourgment, Job Opportunity, Memorization, Money Problems, Motivation, power
Financial Needs
Posted: January 29, 2010 in Bible Study, Encourgement, Happiness, Inspiration, Money, Money Issue, Scripture MemoryTags: Bible Study, Encourgment, Money Problems, Motivation, power
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Friday, January 29, 2010
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God’s Provision: Faithful Giving
by Rick Warren |
God promises to meet all your financial needs, if you (1) ask him for help; (2) learn to be content; and (3) practice giving in faith –There is a universal law called the principle of sowing and reaping. If I sow criticism, I’m going to reap criticism. If I sow generosity, it’s going to come back to me, and I’m going to reap generosity. Every farmer knows this. A farmer has four sacks of seed in his barn and he looks at his empty field. He doesn’t complain, “There’s no crop! I wish there was a crop!” He just goes out and starts planting seed. When you have a need, plant a seed. It seems illogical that when I have a need, I should give. That’s why it requires faith. God says, “My ways are not your ways.” Why did God set it up that way? Because God is a giver. He is the most generous giver in the universe, and God wants you to learn to be like him. He wants to build character in you. The Bible says, “Honor the Lord with your wealth and with the best part of everything you produce.” (Proverbs 3:9, NLT) This is the principle of tithing. It’s the principle that says every time I make $100 — the first $10 goes back to God. Tithing is an act of worship. We’re giving to God. We’re saying, “All of it came from you anyway.” God says, “Put me first in your life and watch what I do.” You may think you can’t afford to tithe, but the reality is, you can’t afford not to. Tomorrow we’ll look at maintaining integrity, another condition for answered prayer. |
Learn to Be Content
Posted: January 28, 2010 in Acceptance, Bible Study, Encourgement, Happiness, Inspiration, Money, Money Issue, Scripture Memory, UncategorizedTags: Bible Study, Encourgment, Memorization, Mind, Money Problems, Motivation, power
Thursday, January 28, 2010
God’s Provision: Contentment
by Rick Warren
But godliness with contentment is great gain. For we brought nothing into the world, and we can take nothing out of it. 1 Timothy 6:6-7 (NIV)
God promises to meet all your financial needs, if you (1) ask him for help and (2) learn to be content —
If you’ve ever seen a baby born, you know they don’t come into the world with a whole lot. They’re not holding onto cigars, cars and a stock portfolio. They don’t come into the world with anything but a little umbilical cord and that quickly gets cut.
And then, at your funeral, you don’t take anything with you. The Bible teaches that we should learn to be content.
What is contentment? Contentment means my happiness is not dependent upon circumstances. Most people get caught into “when” thinking: “When I get a certain job … When I can retire … When I get the house paid off … When I get the bills paid off … then I’ll be happy!”
God says, “No, once you get there, you’ll always want something else.” If you don’t learn contentment, you’ll never be happy. You’ll always want more.
“Yet true godliness with contentment is itself great wealth. After all, we brought nothing with us when we came into the world, and we can’t take anything with us when we leave it. So if we have enough food and clothing, let us be content.” (1 Timothy 6:6-8, NLT)
Tomorrow we’ll look at faithful giving, another condition for answered prayer.
Three habits to help you grow spiritually
Posted: January 25, 2010 in Acceptance, Bible Study, Encourgement, Happiness, Inspiration, Money Issue, Scripture Memory, UncategorizedTags: Bible Study, Memorization, Mind, Money Problems, Motivation, power
Sunday, January 24, 2010
Three habits to help you grow spiritually
by Rick Warren
But as for me, I will sing about your power. Each morning I will sing with joy about your unfailing love. For you have been my refuge, a place of safety when I am in distress. Psalm 59:16 (NLT)
We all want our relationships to be characterized by the persistence and self-sacrifice. But we can never do that on our own. The kind of love we long to show others is only found in a growing relationship with God. Without God’s power in our lives, our love will run out.
You don’t build that kind of relationship with God – one that will help you love others when you want to give up – by accident. You do it through habits. Here are three habits that’ll help you grow in your relationship with God.
1. A daily quiet time — Let God talk to you through the Bible and through prayer.. Nothing will help your life more. The Bible says in 2 Corinthians 4:16, “This is the reason we never lose heart. Our body does suffer wear and tear but every day the inward man receives fresh strength.” (Phillips) Outwardly our body suffers wear and tear. But spiritually we can be renewed every day by spending time alone with God. It’s not hard. Read through a chapter of the Bible, mediate on it, and talk with God about what’s going on in your life.
2. Small group — The Bible says in Hebrews 10:25, “Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another…” (NIV) You need to spend time with other believers. I hope you have a church family. Be a part of whatever mechanism they have to connect you within a small group – whether that’s a Sunday School or off-campus small groups. You need the prayer support and encouragement of other believers. A Christian without a small group is an orphan.
3. Worship through song — Psalms 59:16 says, “I will sing about your strength, my God, and I will celebrate because of your love.” (NLT) Singing builds you up. The singing time at your church isn’t just the warm-up act. It’s just as important as the message. Don’t miss it this weekend. Also, put some worship music on your I-pod® this week – and don’t be afraid to sing along. It’ll recharge your soul and give you the God-given strength to love others.
It’s All In Your Mind
Posted: January 23, 2010 in Acceptance, Bible Study, Encourgement, Happiness, Inspiration, Money, Money Issue, Scripture Memory, UncategorizedTags: Bible Study, Memorization, Mind, Money Problems, Motivation, power
It’s All In Your Mind
Dr. Creflo A. Dollar
Your mind holds tremendous creative ability. That’s why God gave you an imagination–so that you could create mental pictures, add faith to them and see those pictures manifest in your life.
Once you have an image in your mind of something you want to do or become, nothing can stop that image from coming to pass. Whatever you meditate on will become the blueprint for your reality. Too often, though, Christians suffer from “stinking thinking.” They give the devil control of their minds by meditating on thoughts that do not line up with the Word of God. Then they reap the results of the curse because their carnal mindset produces the fruit of the flesh described in Galatians 5:19-21.
To keep the devil from gaining a foothold in your life, you must develop a sound mind that is completely controlled and directed by the Holy Spirit. In other words, you must renew your mind with the Word of God. Romans 12:2 says, “And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.” When you become born again, your spirit instantly changes; you are recreated in Christ Jesus (2 Corinthians 5:17).
Yet your mind is not recreated. You must conform your thinking continually and on purpose; it is not an overnight, one-time event. Renewing your mind to God’s Word every day is vital. By reading the Scriptures and meditating on them thoroughly, your thinking will be transformed to line up with the mind of Christ. And when you have the mind of Christ, you can do anything!
When you set your mind on the Word of God, you’ll also experience soul prosperity and peace (3 John 2). The Bible says that the issues of life flow out of the heart (Proverbs 4:23). The word heart in this scripture actually refers to your soul–your mind, your will and your emotions. If you can control your mind, you can control your destiny. But it will take a quality decision on your part to dedicate your life to changing the way you think.
First Thessalonians 5:23 says, “And the very God of peace sanctify you wholly; and I pray God your whole spirit and soul and body be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.” It is God’s will that your mind, will and emotions be whole, with nothing missing or broken. As a Believer, you can receive a sound mind (2 Timothy 1:7). It is then up to you to enforce and maintain soundness of mind by keeping your thoughts and imaginations in line with God and His Word (Isaiah 26:3).
When your mind is focused and directed by the Word, you will position yourself for success. You’ll have wisdom, discernment, insight and the ability to accomplish anything. A renewed, Word-controlled mind guarantees abundance and prosperity in every area of your life. Don’t let another day go by without a daily dose of meditation. Set your mind on the Word of God and let it become the focal point of your life and purpose!
Dr. Creflo A. Dollar is the senior pastor of World Changers Church International, 25,000 member church in College Park, Georgia. He is committed to changing the world one person at a time, and his award-winning “Changing Your World” television broadcast reaches nearly one billion homes worldwide. Visit http://www.CrefloDollarMinistries.org to learn more. Click here to browse and purchase Books, CDs, and DVDs by Dr. Creflo A. Dollar!
Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your Soul and with all your strength and with all your mind and love your neighbor as yourself.
Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own, you were bought at a price. Their fore honor God with your body.
Keep your lives free from the love of moneyand be content with what you have, because God has said never will I leave you, never will I forsake you.
Under Gods command 