Tag: personal

I Dare You

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Monday

“He has given us a new life because we are united with Christ Jesus. He saved us so that now we can do good things in our lives. Those are good things that he has already prepared for us to do“.

Ephesians 2:10 (EASY Version)

Instead of assuming your life is already set in motion, what if you ask God to show you how to live His agenda instead?

Instead of looking for the reasons why things did or didn’t happen yesterday, you asked God what is possible with Him today?

God’s agenda for your life is dripping in love and mercy. You are redeemed to live a new life in Christ. This new life comes with new things to do and new people to love. Things that He has already prepared for you to do and people He has already put in your path.

Living God’s agenda in your life doesn’t mean that nothing gets done, it means that your to-do list doesn’t determine your impact, your trust in God does.  If you dare to take God at His Word and trust that He has already prepared it for you, new life in Christ becomes a reality instead of just a good idea.

Surrender your to-do list and ask God to lead you to the “good things he has already prepared” for you do today.

I dare you.

 

The Peace of His Presence

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Monday

“Now may the Lord of peace himself give you peace at all times and in every way. The Lord be with all of you.”      

2 Thessalonians 3:16 NIV

Is worry ruling your life?

There are a lot of things to worry about right now.

Some of them are things you worry about all the time.

Some of them are things that are brand new.

Either way, you can collect worry like it’s your job or you can build a tower of God’s peace around your soul.

You have peace with God through Jesus Christ and because of that, you can receive peace from God in and for every situation.

Out of all the decisions you have to make today, the most important one will be if you choose to hold on to God’s peace or your worry.

May His presence calm your heart and fill you with His peace today.

Us vs. Them

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Thursday

There is no such thing as “us” and “them”.

There is just us.

Jesus answered them, “It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick.”
‭‭Luke‬ ‭5:31‬ ‭NIV‬‬

One who has been touched by grace will no longer look on those who stray as “those evil people” or “those poor people who need our help”.  Nor must we search for signs of “love-worthiness”.  Grace teaches us that God loves because of who God is, not because of who we are.

– Phillip Yancey

We are all in need of the grace and mercy of God…everyday.

Give some to yourself today and give some to someone else too…I guarantee they need it.

Keep Us

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Wednesday
“Keep us forgiven with you and forgiving others.” Matthew 6:12 MSG
Keep us:
Right with God, right with others.
Taking stock, taking responsibility.
Receiving grace, giving grace.
Living forgiven, living forgiving.
Everyday.
Jesus said to pray like this so that you could live like this.
Forgiveness sets you free to live the adventure that God has for you.
Don’t miss it by being so focused on the past.
Even if the past was five minutes ago.
What do you need to forgive today?
What do you need to ask for forgiveness from?

It’s Your Time to Shine

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Monday

Why are you here?

Not to collect more things.

Not to become an expert.

Not to be happy all the time.

Not to look good all the time.

Not to feel good all the time.

“Go out into the world uncorrupted, a breath of fresh air in this squalid and polluted society. Provide people with a glimpse of good living and of the living God.”

‭‭Philippians‬ ‭2:14 ‭MSG‬‬

You are here to be a light.

A witness.

A glimpse of God living through you.

A glimpse of grace-living.

A breath of fresh love-laced air in the sin-stained world.

That is why you are here.

Don’t get so caught up in yourself or in the present circumstances that you miss your God-empowered purpose for today: SHINE.

My prayer for you is that you are so filled with the Light of Christ that it spills out of you in every way possible, to every person you meet, in every moment of darkness or discouragement or overwhelming circumstance, in spite of the current crisis, through the present obstacle. May the Light of His Love be uncontainable and contagious through you today.

Live Whole

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Monday

The world gives us great lessons on how to fake it until you make it, how to function in dysfunction and how to “live well” while being utterly broken inside.

Jesus offers life lessons in how to “live whole” through a daily relationship with Him.  As you let Him love you through His grace, He begins to heal what is broken and restore what has been lost or stolen. 

In this personal, one-on-one relationship, Jesus works from the inside out to restore your mind, heal your heart, fill your soul, and ignite your spirit to God’s original design.

He wants to teach you how to live.

How to love fully and be loved fully.

How to live trusting and trusted.

How to live nurtured and nourished.

How to lead yourself and how to lead others.

“The God-setting-things-right that we read about has become Jesus-setting-things-right for us. And not only for us, but for everyone who believes in him. For there is no difference between us and them in this. Since we’ve compiled this long and sorry record as sinners (both us and them) and proved that we are utterly incapable of living the glorious lives God wills for us, God did it for us. Out of sheer generosity he put us in right standing with himself. A pure gift. He got us out of the mess we’re in and restored us to where he always wanted us to be. And he did it by means of Jesus Christ.”

Romans‬ ‭3‬:‭21-24‬ MSG

It takes time and perseverance.

God provides the time, we provide the perseverance.

Jesus will not give up on you.

Don’t give up yourself.

Let go of your fear and lean into His grace.

Go After It

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Thursday copy

The important thing about goals is having the right goals.

“I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.”

Philippians‬ ‭3‬:‭14‬ NIV

Don’t waste your life going after goals to make yourself more comfortable.

Go after Jesus– His love, His agenda and His goals for your life (which has more to do with who you are than what you look like and giving more than getting more).

Life following Jesus is not comfortable or easy – it is unique, unexpected and adventurous.

At the end of your life, you may or may not have human praise and awards but if you choose the goal of letting God transform you with His love, you will have rich relationships, miraculous moments and the most important thing you can have with you as you step into eternity – Jesus.

He is the prize.

Go after Jesus and make your relationship with Him the main goal of your life.

The rest of your goals will fall in line.

May you clearly hear His voice, boldly follow His guidance and passionately pursue His heart in all things today. 

Strength For Today

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“Give us today our daily bread.”
‭‭Matthew‬ ‭6:11‬ ‭NIV‬‬

Lord, give me what I need for today.

Not what I needed yesterday.

Not what I will need for tomorrow.

What I need today.

Today’s strength.

Today’s sustenance.

Today’s vision.

Today’s peace that passes understanding.

It might look different than I expect it to but it will do the job nonetheless.

You are amazing like that.

Thank you, Lord, for today’s provision, for today’s daily bread.

In Jesus Name, Amen.

No Verbal Distancing Needed

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“Likewise, the tongue is a small part of the body, but it makes great boasts. Consider what a great forest is set on fire by a small spark.”

James 3:5 NIV

Words are powerful.

The words you say to yourself and the words you say to others.

We are all practicing “social distancing” in order to slow the spread of Covid-19 but right now we need to use our words to encourage and uplift people more than ever before.

Now is not the time for “verbal distancing”. In fact, your words have more power than ever before.

Your words can spark hope and inspire people or they can light a fire of fear and paranoia. Choose life. Choose hope. Choose care. Choose encouragement.

God has given you the great privilege of being the spark that lights the fire in the hearts of the people you are connecting to. 

Whether it is a fire to warm and nourish others or one that burns and destroys them is up to you.

Use your words to light a fire of faith in someone’s heart.

Encourage, uplift, pray for and love those around you today.

What you say matters and impacts people’s lives.

Choose wisely.

Stay Salty

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“You are the salt of the earth.”
Matthew‬ ‭5‬:‭13‬ NIV

When Jesus said that you are the salt of the earth, He is saying that you are valuable and meant to enhance this world with the flavor of His grace. In His day, salt was used as valuable currency, as well as a precious food preservative and additive that enhances the flavor of food.

My friend, wherever God has placed you, whoever He has surrounded you with, whatever job He has given you to do, Jesus has you there for a purpose and it is not as complicated as you think it is.

You are there to add value. That alone is a gift that so many people are craving- simply the recognition that they are valued and they are valuable to God– so valuable that Jesus paid the ultimate price to love them.

You are there to be a precious preservative to the world you live in and in the work you do. Preserve respect, show dignity and honor those around you.

You are there to enhance the essence of who God has created them to be. When you celebrate what God has put in them, you liberate them to see it as well.

May God shake you up and pour you out for someone who desperately needs to know that they are precious and valuable to God. May you bring honor with you and enhance every relationship you engage in today. 

Stay salty.