Believe In Our Redeemer

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For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. 18 Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because they have not believed in the name of God’s one and only Son.

John 3:17-18 NIV

We belong to Jesus

We are God’s people, He loves us

He is constantly seeking a connection with us

When we are lost He shines a light on the way out

Even though we are sinners and broken He sent His One and Only Son to save us and bring us back

It is up to each of us to decide what we believe

Do we turn towards Jesus instead of turning away

Do we choose to come back to Him who loved us first

May we be blessed with wisdom and courage to believe

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Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life, but whoever rejects the Son will not see life, for God’s wrath remains on them.

John 3:36 NIV

(This photo was taken in Rocky Mountain National Park in Colorado)

Trust In The Lord And Wait For Him

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“Trust in the Lord with all your heart
    and lean not on your own understanding;
6 in all your ways submit to him,
    and he will make your paths straight.”[a]

Proverbs 3:5-6 NIV

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“Yet the Lord longs to be gracious to you;
    therefore he will rise up to show you compassion.
For the Lord is a God of justice.
    Blessed are all who wait for him!”

Isaiah 30:18 NIV

(This photo was taken along the North Shore of Lake Superior)

Peace That Surpasses All Understanding

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“Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.”

John 14:27 NIV

“I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.”

John 16:33 NIV

As we reflect on our time and the stroms of life in a broken world

We need to remember there is peace available for all of us

It is a peace that surpasses all understanding

As our faith rises up and we become still

Peace will come over us

Jesus speaks peace

Peace Be Still by Hope Darst

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“Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. 7 And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.“

Philippians 4:6-7 NIV

(This photo was taken in Glacier National Park in Montana)

God’s Word…God’s Love

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“Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God.”

Colossians 3:16 ESV

The Word of God is a source of comfort…

It renews us…it purifies us…it teaches us…it guides us

If we plant the seeds of the Word in our hearts and minds

It will be available to remind of God’s love at all times

It can calm our fears…it can relieve our stress and it can provide unexplainable peace

Read God’s Word every day, build your faith on God’s love

Seek His wisdom for your life

Build My Life by Housefires feat. Pat Barrett

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“Your word is a lamp for my feet,
    a light on my path.”

Psalm 119:105 NIV

(This photo was taken at a park near Bayfield, Wisconsin)

God Loves You

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 “This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him.”

1 John 4:9 NIV

All of God’s Word points to this truth

God loves you

No matter what has happened…

No matter where you are…

No matter how you have sinned

When God looks at you He sees you through the blood Jesus shed for you

Turn towards God today and every day

Trust Him with all things

Because God loves you

“But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”

Romans 5:8 NIV

(This photo was taken at the top of a fire tower in central Minnesota)

Come Near…Trust God

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“Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. 8 Come near to God and he will come near to you. Wash your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded.“

James 4:7-8 NIV

Father God, I want to seek You with all my heart

Each day, help me draw closer to You

Guide me through each decision, and inspire me with new dreams

I trust You Lord and I want to honor You in all that I do

In Jesus name, Amen

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“Trust in the Lord with all your heart
    and lean not on your own understanding;
6 in all your ways submit to him,
    and he will make your paths straight.[a]“

Proverbs 3:5-6 NIV

(This photo was taken at a lake in northwestern Wisconsin)

Persistence…Perseverance

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“Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, 2 fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.”

Hebrews 12:1-2 NIV

“…being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.”

Philippians 1:6 NIV

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“Be on your guard; stand firm in the faith; be courageous; be strong. 14 Do everything in love.”

1 Corinthians 16:13-14 NIV

(This photo was taken in while traveling in northwestern Wisconsin)

Worry And Anxiety

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“Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothes? 26 Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? 27 Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life[e]?

28 “And why do you worry about clothes? See how the flowers of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. 29 Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. 30 If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you—you of little faith? 31 So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ 32 For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. 33 But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. 34 Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.”

Matthew 6:25-34 NIV

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“Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.”

1 Peter 5:7 NIV

(This photo was taken at a lake near Plymouth, Minnesota)

Humility

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“Blessed are the poor in spirit,
    for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.”

Matthew 5:3 NIV

One popular quote of the well-known professor and author C.S. Lewis states, “Humility is not thinking less of yourself, it’s thinking of yourself less.”

It is not about changing your perception of you, rather it is the intentional act of thinking about and considering the interests and needs of others

The life, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ was completed in order to reconcile us to God…

Jesus Christ had to humble Himself to become like one of us and lay down His life to save us

He did it because that is what we needed in order to be saved

You may be thinking, ‘that’s pretty extreme humility’ and it is the ultimate form of humility

Yet that is how much God loves you and me and wants to have a relationship with us

More of us need to turn towards the Lord and seek humility in our relationships with others

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“Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others.”

Philippians 2:3-4 NIV

(This photo was taken at a park near Winterset, Iowa)

Overcome Evil With Good

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“You, dear children, are from God and have overcome them, because the one who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world.”

1 John 4:4 NIV

The Bible tells us that we will have trouble in this world…

And it states clearly that we can persevere through trials and temptations

The Bible also gives us examples of others who lived and suffered and how they interacted with God and lived their lives with faith

At times it wasn’t pretty, they didn’t live lives that were sweet and easy all the time

Read about Abraham and Sarah, read about Joseph in Genesis

Look through the pages of David’s life in 1 Samuel

Take time to read about the life of Jesus in the New Testament

Yes, there are struggles, trials and there is suffering…

Remember living a life of faith and in God’s love doesn’t mean these will disappear

What it does mean is you will receive the courage and hope you need as God is with you to help you and guide you to get through the difficult times

Do not be overcome by darkness and evil, look to God…pray and you can find the way to overcome evil with good

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“Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.”

Romans 12:21 NIV

(This photo was taken in Mount Rainier National Park in Washington)