Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God, and whoever loves has been born of God and knows God. Anyone who does not love does not know God because God is Love. Can I be honest here? This verse is somewhat scary! If we don’t love others, we don’t know God. We won’t know who he is because he is love, and we don’t love others. I don’t know about you, but I want to know God. I choose to love others. Love is a choice and an action. God is the source of our love. The Holy Spirit gives us the power to love. He…
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Blessing Others
Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ. Ephesians 1:3 How well do you bless others? The Greek word for spiritual blessing is similar to eulogia. Its definition is praise, laudation, fine speech. Bless, or blessing, comes from the Greek word makarios. However, today we are going to focus on eulogia. Let’s start with God and how much he blesses us. God has used His powerful mouth to call us by name and speak blessings over us. His speaking is action. His speech is the energy released. …
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Letting Go Of Others
a time to search and a time to count as lost; a time to keep and a time to throw away; Ecclesiastes 3:6 Do you control others that are in your life? We need to let go of their lives and let God work in their lives. Who in your life right now that you love making unhealthy choices? Are you willing to let this person discover his or her need for God? If you can’t answer this question, that is ok. It is hard living in the balance of helping others and realizing that our helping others is actually hurting them. Let’s go…
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Letting Go
But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. Matthew 6:33 Do you recall a time of an “I want” moment? We all have them. It can be people, places, or things in our lives that will satisfy us. However, do these things really satisfy us? No, they don’t. If anything, they probably have more disappointment than satisfaction. Let’s go to Numbers 11: 1, 4-6. What were the Israelites complaining about? What did the Israelites wish that they had? What did they claim they had lost? They are pretty discouraged. They have…
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Investing In God’s Work
I thank my God in all my remembrance of you, always in every prayer of mine for you all making my prayer with joy because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now. Philippians 1:3-5 And you Philippians yourselves know that at the beginning of the gospel, when I left Macedonia, no church entered into a partnership with me in giving and receiving, except you only. Even in Thessalonica, you sent me help for my needs once and again. Not that I seek the gift, but I seek the fruit that increases to your credit. I have received full payment and more. I am well supplied, having received…
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We Have A Mission
But how can they call on Him they have not believed in? And how can they believe without hearing about Him? And how can they hear without a preacher? Romans 10:14 A mission. You and I are on a mission for or with God. How was the first time you heard the gospel message? Or at least it stood out to you? I know being raised in the church, I have listened to it through Sunday School, children’s church, and my parents. I remember that my attention to Jesus being my savior was listening to a record player of puppet singing songs about God and giving the salvation message at…
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Gifted to Serve One Another
We have different gifts, according to the grace given to each of us. If your gift is prophesying, then prophesy in accordance with your faith; Romans 12:6 Read 1 Peter 4:10-11: Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others, as faithful stewards of God’s grace in its various forms. If anyone speaks, they should do so as one who speaks the very words of God. If anyone serves, they should do so with the strength God provides, so that in all things God may be praised through Jesus Christ. To him be the glory and the power forever and ever. Amen. 1 Corinthians 12:4-11: There are different…
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Love One Another
No one has ever seen God; but if we love one another, God lives in us, and his love is made complete in us. 1 John 4:12. God is invisible in nature. We, as humans, like to see and touch who we are communicating with. It can be hard for some to go to God and converse with Him, to take the time and spend it with Him. As we build our relationship with God, we will love other believers; by his Spirit, and the communications of his love, and by his gracious…
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Embracing Relationships As A Jesus Follower
Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength. These commandments that I give you today are to be on your hearts. Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. Tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads. Write them on the doorframes of your houses and on your gates. Deuteronomy 6:5-9 Read the following passages: 2 Corinthians 11:3, ” But I am afraid that just as Eve was deceived by the serpent’s cunning, your minds may somehow be…
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Burdened
But I am afraid that just as Eve was deceived by the serpent’s cunning, your minds may somehow be led astray from your sincere and pure devotion to Christ. 2 Corinthians 11:3 How would you describe a person who follows Jesus? What should their life look like? What would you say their goal would be for their life? We all have opinions of what it means to follow Jesus Christ. We get things opinions from our families, friends, and church culture. Let’s take some time and learn from Jesus and His word on how to follow Him. How often do we as Christians make following Jesus about what we…