What offends you? How easily do you get offended? Did you know that taking offense is a choice? Even when someone hurts you, you have the power to control your response. Even when you feel like you have the RIGHT to be offended, you can choose to lay down that right, and instead, rise above the offense. Make the choice. Refuse to be offended. You will actually be happier ...
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Always take the high ground. What does that mean? Does that mean to let someone walk all over you? No. It means, always do the right thing whether the other person does or not. If they insult you, you treat them with kindness. If they're unloving to you, you be loving to them. If they are resentful to you, you be forgiving to them. If they're mean to you, you be nice to t...
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No matter what situation you are in, it may be out of your control but it's not out of God's control. When you face a dead-end you don't focus on what you can't do, you focus on what God can do. 17 "Abraham believed in God who gives life to the dead and who creates something out of nothing." There are two things God does that you can't do -- God can give life to t...
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What is the point of life? What was God's purpose in creating the world? Why did He create you and me? Ephesians 1:4-5 says that you were made to be loved by God. You were created as an object of God's love. God made you just to love you. Ephesians 1:4-5 Even before he made the world, God loved us and chose us in Christ to be holy and without fault in his eyes. God decide...
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A cord of three strands is not quickly broken. A bundle of sticks is hard to break. There are some advantages to going it alone. But there are also dangers in trying to make it through life all by ourselves. Sometimes when we are trying to make it on our own, it's easy to get broken. It's our choice and if we want, we can decide to go it alone. Or we can decide to "bundle"...
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Whenever we go through tough times, we are tempted to ask, "Why? Why? Why me? Why is this happening? Why are we going through this?" Even, "Why is God allowing this?" or "If God wants me to be happy, why is his happening?" Lots of people think God's number one purpose is for us to be happy. I am sorry if I am the first person to tell you, but it's not. People say things l...
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Where is God when bad things happen? Why does he allow evil on this Earth? In a world of free choices, God's will is rarely done! In heaven, God's will is done perfectly. That's why there is no sorrow, pain or evil there. But this is earth, a fallen, imperfect place. We must choose to do God's will every day. It isn't automatic. That is why Jesus told us to pray, "Thy will...
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How do you handle stress in your life? Did you know that God's plans for your life do not include worry or stress? If God loved you enough to die for your sins, don't you think he loves you enough to help you with your finances? Don't you think he loves you enough to help you with your health? With your relationships? With career decisions? With closing a deal? With makin...
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Do you feel like you can be totally honest with God? How do you complain to God? The Bible talks about a kind of prayer called a lament. Most people don't know how to lament. A lament is a passionate complaint to God. God doesn't want you just to praise him. God wants you to lament to him. It's actually an act of worship when you complain to God. It's an act of rebellion...
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A lot of people misunderstand the meaning of contentment. Many think contentment means I have no ambition. No. Contentment is not laziness. Contentment is not apathy. Contentment is not complacency. Contentment is not fatalism whatever will be, will be. Contentment is not lacking ambition. Here's what contentment is: It's enjoying what I have right now rather than waiti...
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Have you ever asked yourself, "in this situation, what would Jesus do? What would Jesus do at the office? What would Jesus do as I'm driving down the interstate and someone cuts me off? How would Jesus act in my marriage? How would Jesus handle this problem?" Philippians 2:5 "You must have the same attitude that Christ Jesus had." But, what does it mean to have the same ...
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Everybody has their own story of unfairness. Whether you were passed up for that job promotion that you really deserved or you were treated unfairly growing up. Life is unfair. So, what does God want us to do when you face the inevitable injustices of life? Because they are going to come. He wants us to do three things: HOW SHOULD I RESPOND TO UNFAIRNESS? 1. ACCEPT IT ...
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Have you ever had a feeling that something was so right, and then when you did it, it ended up being so wrong? Or it became a total fiasco and a failure? If you really want God's blessing on your life, you have to depend on God's wisdom, not your own. Proverbs 14:12 There is a path before each person that seems right, but it ends in death. Notice the word "seems." There'...
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We can find the words grace and mercy used all throughout scripture. Do they mean the same thing? And if not, what is the difference? Mercy is getting a little less punishment or retribution than what you deserve. You were caught by that cop going 30 miles an hour over the limit. Justice says you've got to pay your $300, but the judge is in a good mood that day and he s...
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Today's blog is centered around the second miracle that the Bible records of Jesus. Let me give you a little background. Four of the twelve disciples of Jesus were fishermen. Peter and Andrew were brothers and James and John were brothers. These four guys had a fishing business in northern Israel. At this point, Peter, James, John and Andrew are not disciples of Jesus y...
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What makes the difference between emptiness and overflowing? In my last blog we dove into the Bible story where Jesus made the fishermen's nets overflow with fish. If you missed this blog, READ IT HERE before continuing. So, how do we receive the blessing of an overflowing, abundant life? The first thing we need to do that Peter and Andrew and James and John did is: 1....
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