– Scripture:

             Life on God’s Term’s

So don’t you see that we don’t owe this old do-it-yourself life one red cent. There’s nothing in it for us, nothing at all. The best thing to do is give it a decent burial and get on with your new life. God’s Spirit beckons. There are things to do and places to go!

                        Romans 8:12-14 MSG

– Reflection:

We are ruled by the flesh, our nature basically tells us to live and do whatever we feel rather than what the word and the Holy Spirit says. We’re letting the flesh win the war within if we give in to temptations, laziness, and compromise. The better option is to walk and live in accordance with the Spirit. That means that we do the right things when it’s hard, bite your tongue when someone’s rude, stay faithful in your relationships when someone is trying to pull you away. 

Where do we go from here?

The next time you’re tempted to be jealous, to find fault, to say something critical, or to let a friend cause you to compromise yourself, tell your flesh, “ I’m not going there.” Don’t allow the flesh push you around. You have to take charge of your life. Don’t keep giving in to the same things that you know are holding you back from life in the Spirit.

Our Prayer for Today

Father, thank You that one of the fruits of Your Spirit working within us is the power of self-control. Thank You that we don’t have to be a slave to feelings that have tried to control us for years. We believe that as we say no to the pushes of the flesh, we will reach our highest potential. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

– Scripture:

               Giving Not Getting

Jesus went on: “Does anyone bring a lamp home and put it under a bucket or beneath the bed? Don’t you put it up on a table or on the mantel? We’re not keeping secrets, we’re telling them; we’re not hiding things, we’re bringing them out into the open.

                             Mark 4:21-22 MSG

– Reflection:

Reading the red words of the Bible, which are Jesus’ words that were to have been spoken. It reminds me of something my wife tells me when I tell her something. She says that when I say something to her that I am really excited about it is supposedly for a person who is from Shelby, NC, like I am, because we understand our own. Jesus’ parables are for Christians; we understand them perfectly well. He is speaking very clearly to us. What he is saying why would you hide all the teaching and gifts that have been given to you; you wouldn’t. So why, with all GOD has created you to be, would you not want to step into your full potential? Use your gifts and the heart of GOD to reach anyone who needs it. Ensure that all you are and have been created to be will not go to waste.

Where do we go from here?

This is a tough one right here especially if you are usually a person that keeps to themselves and is not normally out in the open. I am like this as well, I can write these words, but there are times when I, too, can’t accept the blessing that I have been given to share with the world. We have to, though, just as Christ did all those years ago. It is important that we allow the people close to us to know we are going to do our part for the Kingdom. Shine like the morning sun to allow everyone that needs you to know exactly where you are.

Our Prayer for Today

Father, it is You who have given us these great gifts, and You are the one who helps us to give them away because that is what You created us for to share ourselves with one another when in need. Share your testimony with a person that may need to hear, that they are not the only ones that have gone through what they are currently going through. Allow a person in need ahead of you in the line at the gas station to know that help is always near. Tomorrow if you wake us up again we will do the same in honor of your son Jesus. Amen.

– Scripture:

                 Are You Listening, Really Listening?

He went back to teaching by the sea. A crowd built up to such a great size that he had to get into an offshore boat, using the boat as a pulpit as the people pushed to the water’s edge. He taught by using stories, many stories. Listen. What do you make of this? A farmer planted seed. As he scattered the seed, some of it fell on the road and birds ate it. Some fell in the gravel; it sprouted quickly but didn’t put down roots, so when the sun came up it withered just as quickly. Some fell in the weeds; as it came up, it was strangled among the weeds and nothing came of it. Some fell on good earth and came up with a flourish, producing a harvest exceeding his wildest dreams. Are you listening to this? Really listening? When they were off by themselves, those who were close to him, along with the Twelve, asked about the stories. He told them, “You’ve been given insight into God’s kingdom you know how it works. But to those who can’t see it yet, everything comes in stories, creating readiness, nudging them toward a welcome awakening. These are people Whose eyes are open but don’t see a thing, Whose ears are open but don’t understand a word, Who avoid making an about-face and getting forgiven.” He continued, “Do you see how this story works? All my stories work this way. The farmer plants the Word. Some people are like the seed that falls on the hardened soil of the road. No sooner do they hear the Word than Satan snatches away what has been planted in them. And some are like the seed that lands in the gravel. When they first hear the Word, they respond with great enthusiasm. But there is such shallow soil of character that when the emotions wear off and some difficulty arrives, there is nothing to show for it. The seed cast in the weeds represents the ones who hear the kingdom news but are overwhelmed with worries about all the things they have to do and all the things they want to get. The stress strangles what they heard, and nothing comes of it. But the seed planted in the good earth represents those who hear the Word, embrace it, and produce a harvest beyond their wildest dreams.

                                   Mark 4:1-20 MSG

Key Verse – Are you listening to this? Really listening?

– Reflection:

Thinking about the people by the sea listening to Jesus as he talked about seeds and how they scatter in the wind during planting. Where some fall into the weeds, some fall into rocky areas, and then there is that seed that finds the best conditions possible and takes root. When I was younger, this passage went right over my head. All I heard was Jesus planting seed. Now that Christ is in me, I now know that those seeds were his words, speaking of the Kingdom, and the ground that the seeds are falling into is our hearts. Some hearts today are hard like the concrete, and asphalt we drive and walk on daily, and some are toxic, and some messy like a field of weeds where only weeds grow, then there is the field that has been tilled and prepared to receive the seed. It’s huge for me to know now that all this time he was talking aboout how we each receive him, and how our hearts look to him and the father.

Where do we go from here?

If you are listening, really listening, then you would know that if you have any other heart than the one best suited for hearing his word, then you have some work to do. Even though we, as Christians, are the fertile ground Jesus was speaking of, we have work to do as well. When you accepted him as your Lord and Savior, he placed work that needed to be within you as well. Now, we need to listen to what our hearts are saying and get the work done to make this world a better place than when we came into it. We need to be that light for those near us struggling and barely getting by. It costs nothing to be nice, and kind words are free.

Our Prayer for Today

Father, it is our blessing that we are awakened this morning to do the work that you have given us. We all have different paths that lead to the same place; may we all do them with dignity and the strength that was given to us by you. Thank you, Father, for being what we need each and every day. Amen.

– Scripture:

            It Pays To Take Life Seriously

Gracious speech is like clover honey good taste to the soul, quick energy for the body.

                       Proverbs 16:24 MSG

– Reflection:

When you say something kind to a friend, give a compliment to a coworker, tell your spouse that you love them, or encourage a neighbor, it can seem like a simple thing, no big deal. But those words have incredible power. Today’s Scripture says you can make someone healthier by speaking kind words. Just a simple compliment such as, “You did great on that presentation,” nourishes their soul. When you tell your spouse, “I love you. I’m happy you came into my life,” that’s not only going to make your relationship stronger, but it’s making your spouse more secure and confident. When you call a friend who’s down and say, “I’m thinking about you. I care about you. You mean the world to me,” that’s not just encouraging them; it’s bringing healing to their body.

Where do we go from here?

Don’t miss opportunities to bring nourishment to others. The people around you need what you have. The kind words and compliments given can be what pushes them into their destiny and makes them healthier and stronger. That’s how they will become all they were created to be.

Our Prayer for Today

Father, thank You for giving us the power of words to lift others up. Throughout the day, help us speak kind words, offer compliments, provide encouragement, and lift those around us. We believe that as we lift up others, You will lift us up as well. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.