attitude

Everyone Who Believes In Him

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“Then Peter began to speak: ‘I now realize how true it is that God does not show favoritism but accepts men from every nation who fear him and do what is right.  You know the message God sent to the people of Israel, telling the good news of peace through Jesus Christ, who is Lord of all.  You know what happened throughout Judea, beginning in Galilee after the baptism that John preached – how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and power, and how he went around doing good and healing all who were under the power of the devil, because God was with him.

We are witnesses of everything he did in the country of the Jews and in Jerusalem.  They killed him by hanging him on a tree, but God raised him from the dead on the third day and caused him to be seen.  He was not seen by all the people, but by witnesses whom God had already chosen – by us who ate and drank with him after he rose from the dead.  He commanded us to preach to the people and to testify that he is the one whom God appointed as judge of the living and the dead.  All the prophets testify about him that everyone who believes in him receives forgiveness of sins through his name’.”

Acts 10:34-43

(This photo was taken in April of 2016 on a lake in central Minnesota)

Be In Prayer

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Jesus said while speaking to his disciples…

“So I say to you:  Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you.  For everyone who asks receives; he who seeks finds; and to him who knocks, the door will be opened.”

Luke 11:9-10

(This photo was taken in October of 2014 while driving the north shore of Maui)

Show Love

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“Dear friends, if our hearts do not condemn us, we have confidence before God and receive from him anything we ask, because we obey his commands and do what pleases him.  And this is his command:  to believe in the name of his Son, Jesus Christ, and to love one another as he commanded us.  Those who obey his commands live in him, and he in them.  And this is how we know that he lives in us:  We know it by the Spirit he gave us.”

1 John 3:21-24

(This photo was taken in October of 2014 at sunrise on Maui)

 

A Small and Powerful Muscle

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“With the tongue we praise our Lord and Father, and with it we curse men, who have been made in God’s likeness.  Out of the same mouth come praise and cursing.  My brothers, this should not be.  Can both fresh water and salt water flow from the same spring?  My brothers, can a fig tree bear olives, or a grapevine bear figs?  Neither can a salt spring produce fresh water.”

James 3:9-12

(This photo was taken in April of 2016 at a lake place in central Minnesota)

Friends and Faith

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“Brothers, if someone is caught in a sin, you who are spiritual should restore him gently.  But watch yourself, or you also may be tempted.  Carry each other’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ.  If anyone thinks his is something when he is nothing, he deceives himself.  Each one should test his own actions.  Then he can take pride in himself, without comparing himself to somebody else, for each one should carry his own load.

Anyone who receives instruction in the word must share all good things with his instructor.  Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked.  A man reaps what he sows.  The one who sows to please the sinful nature, from that nature will reap destruction; the one who sows to please the Spirit, from the Spirit will reap eternal life.  Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.  Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, especially to those who belong to the family of believers.”

Galatians 6:1-10

(This photo was taken in July of 2014 by my friend Matt while our families were spending time together at a lake place in central Minnesota)

Our Foundation

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“The Lord is my rock, my fortress and my deliverer; my God is my rock, in whom I take refuge.  He is my shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold.”

Psalm 18:2

(This photo was taken while on a mission trip during the summer of 2015 near Red Rocks Amphitheater in Colorado.)

We All Have A Choice

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We can choose either side of every issue that comes before us in the world…we can use words to tear down others or we can choose to stay focused on the Son.  You have a choice…it comes down to your Attitude…

Attitude

by Charles Swindoll

“The longer I live, the more I realize the impact of attitude on life.  Attitude, to me, is more important than facts.  It is more important than the past, than education, than money, than circumstances, than failures, than successes, than what other people think or say or do.  It is more important than appearance, giftedness, or skill.  It will make or break a company … a church … a home.  The remarkable thing is we have a choice every day regarding the attitude we will embrace for that day.  We cannot change the inevitable.  The only thing we can do is play on the one string we have, and that is our attitude … I am convinced that life is 10% what happens to me, and 90% how I react to it. And so it is with you … we are in charge of our Attitudes.”

Peace be with you.

More than feelings…

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Your faith is based on more than just feelings…it is about connecting with the living God.  When we pursue faith based on feelings often times the good feelings go away after something changes for us; so typically we will quit or stop pursuing it because it doesn’t feel good anymore.

When you seek to connect and engage with the presence of God in your life and you continue to grow your faith in that way…you won’t stop when things don’t feel good in life.  In fact you will find yourself seeking your relationship with God in more ways and at more times than you ever have before.  I have found that growth in faith is strongest when I pursue something that makes me a little uncomfortable or is slightly outside of my comfort zone.  It takes courage and a willingness to open yourself up and trust that God who is right by your side will be with you no matter what happens.

“Be on your guard; stand firm in the faith; be people of courage; be strong.  Do everything in love.”

                                                                                                1 Corinthians 16:13-14

I have also learned that to grow in faith it is important to connect with community.  Your community could be a few people that you gather with for a meal on a regular basis or it could be large gathering at worship service.   Maybe your community is in your neighborhood…the important thing is to find your communities of people that can help provide an environment that nurtures faith and walks the journey of faith in life with you.  Jesus said…

“For where two or three come together in my name, there am I with them.”

                                                                                                Matthew 18:20

Your feelings are an important part of who you are, they are just not the only thing involved in developing your faith and relationship with God.  As I have said before we were never promised that life would be easy or free from pain.  Pain and suffering is present in the world because of sin and sin is present because we were promised free will.  In the end your faith and life come back to that…free will.  We have a God that loves us and wants to have a relationship with us…we just have to choose to pursue that relationship on a daily basis…using more than just our feelings.

May God’s peace be with you.