bible verses

A Strong Foundation

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“Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. 25 The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock. 26 But everyone who hears these words of mine and does not put them into practice is like a foolish man who built his house on sand. 27 The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell with a great crash.”

Matthew 7:24-27 NIV

The best things are built by starting out with the development of a strong foundation.  A solid foundation helps to support missteps, mistakes and accidents along the way.  If we try to build something without developing the foundation the endeavor will eventually fail and end up as a pile of rubble.  The foundation of our faith is our relationship and daily interaction with Jesus Christ and the Word of God.  These are the elements that will help us build and grow our spiritual life and sustain us through the most difficult things the world will throw at us.  May the peace of the Lord be with you.  Amen.

Build My Life by Pat Barrett (ft. Cory Asbury)

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“I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete.  My command is this:  Love each other as I have loved you.”

John 15:11-12 NIV

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(This photo was taken in August of 2016 in Glacier National Park in Montana)

The Word Of God

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

Psalm 119:105 NIV

“You are my refuge and my shield;
    I have put my hope in your word.”

Psalm 119:114 NIV

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“For,

“All people are like grass,
    and all their glory is like the flowers of the field;
the grass withers and the flowers fall,
25     but the word of the Lord endures forever.”[a]

And this is the word that was preached to you.”

1 Peter 1:24-25 NIV

(This photo was taken in August of 2016 in Glacier National Park in Montana)

God’s Word

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God’s Word is the source of truth and our guide for living in this world.  There are so many ways it will help you and support you and it never changes.  People will come and go; people will try to twist it and use it for their benefit…stay close in your relationship with Jesus Christ and He will tell you the truth.  Pickup God’s Word every day and you will see the many ways God speaks to us…a few examples from my life below…there are so many more.  Pray with God’s Word.

When I am focused on worry and fear…

“The Lord is my light and my salvation—
    whom shall I fear?
The Lord is the stronghold of my life—
    of whom shall I be afraid?”

Psalm 27:1 NIV

When I have doubt or confusion…

“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

When I am led astray by temptations…

“Create in me a pure heart, O God,
    and renew a steadfast spirit within me.
11 Do not cast me from your presence
    or take your Holy Spirit from me.
12 Restore to me the joy of your salvation
    and grant me a willing spirit, to sustain me.”

Psalm 51:10-12 NIV

If you want to know where is God in all this, open up His Word, seek Him and you will find.  Peace be with you.

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“For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.”

John 3:16 NIV

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

Build My Life

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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 us 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, seek His wisdom for your life.  Amen.

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 in July of 2018 at a park near Bayfield, Wisconsin)

Be Faithful

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“For the Spirit God gave us does not make us timid, but gives us power, love and self-discipline.”

2 Timothy 1:7 NIV

Draw near to God…stay close to Him.  Do not allow the world with its values and temptations entice you to drift away from Jesus.  It is easy to start a new habit of connecting with God every day and it is also easy to let it slip away.  Try to attach your new habit to something you are already doing every day.  Start small and it will build naturally as you stick to it.  If you are a ‘I need coffee in the morning’ person…make it a point to spend your first cup reading or listening to scripture.  If you are a ‘I like to read at night person’ give a few minutes to a daily devotional book each night.  Maybe mid-day would work best for you…no matter when or what the important thing is to do it and trust that God will use that time to transform you.

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“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.”

Galatians 5:22-23 ESV

(This photo was taken in September of 2020 at a lake in northwestern Wisconsin)

Hope In God’s Word

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

Psalm 119:105 NIV

No matter what you are facing or up against…no matter what your circumstances in life, you can always find Hope in God’s Word.  The Bible is God speaking to us directly in the case of Jesus and through others as well.  Believe in Jesus and spend some time reading God’s Word every day.  You will not find hope in the things of this world…yet the Creator has provided His Word to lead us, guide us and to give us Hope. Amen.

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“You are my refuge and my shield;
    I have put my hope in your word.”

Psalm 119:114 NIV

(This photo was taken in September of 2022 at Big Sky Resort in Montana)

Build My Life

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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 come to us at times when we don’t have our bible with us.  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, seek His wisdom for your life.  Amen.

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 in July of 2018 at a park near Bayfield, Wisconsin)

A Strong Foundation

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“In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus:

6 Who, being in very nature[a] God,
    did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage;
7 rather, he made himself nothing
    by taking the very nature[b] of a servant,
    being made in human likeness.
8 And being found in appearance as a man,
    he humbled himself
    by becoming obedient to death—
        even death on a cross!

9 Therefore God exalted him to the highest place
    and gave him the name that is above every name,
10 that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow,
    in heaven and on earth and under the earth,
11 and every tongue acknowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord,
    to the glory of God the Father.”

Philippians 2:5-11 NIV

The best things are built by starting out with the development of a strong foundation.  A solid foundation helps to support missteps, mistakes and accidents along the way.  If we try to build something without developing the foundation the endeavor will eventually fail and end up as a pile of rubble.  The foundation of our faith is our relationship and daily interaction with Jesus Christ and the Word of God.  These are the elements that will help us build and grow our spiritual life and sustain us through the most difficult things the world will throw at us.  May the peace of the Lord be with you.  Amen.

Build My Life by Pat Barrett (ft. Cory Asbury)

DSC_0939 publish

“I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete.  My command is this:  Love each other as I have loved you.”

John 15:11-12 NIV

(This photo was taken in August of 2016 in Glacier National Park in Montana)

Keep God’s Word In Your Heart

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What are the verses of Scripture that speak to you?  Comfort you?  Remind you that God has got you?  This is part of the essence of Take Your Faith With You…store God’s Word in your heart so that no matter where you are or what is happening, you have the ability to call on God for strength, courage and comfort.  Here are some verese that have guided me on my journey…

“The Lord is my light and my salvation—
    whom shall I fear?
The Lord is the stronghold of my life—
    of whom shall I be afraid?”

Psalm 27:1 NIV

“I lift up my eyes to the mountains—
    where does my help come from?
2 My help comes from the Lord,
    the Maker of heaven and earth.”

Psalm 121:1-2 NIV

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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 in May of 2014 at a lake in central Minnesota)

A Personal Relationship With The Savior

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“Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.”

John 14:6

“If you declare with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. 10 For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you profess your faith and are saved. 11 As Scripture says, “Anyone who believes in him will never be put to shame.”[a]

Romans 10:9-11

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“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. 19 This is the verdict: Light has come into the world, but people loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil. 20 Everyone who does evil hates the light, and will not come into the light for fear that their deeds will be exposed. 21 But whoever lives by the truth comes into the light, so that it may be seen plainly that what they have done has been done in the sight of God.”

John 3:18-21

(This photo was taken in July of 2018 on Lake Superior near the Apostle Islands)