Faith

Work In Progress

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Each day we live means God is still working on us.  He knows the number of our days and He is with us for each and every one of them.  It is up to us to seek Him…to acknowledge Him and His Presence…we have the task of learning, growing and sharing as we go…it doesn’t have to be perfect and it never will be.  God tells us we are His work in progress and if we live our lives trusting and believing and spending time with Him good things will come.  Amen.

God’s Not Done With You by Tauren Wells

“In all my prayers for all of you, I always pray with joy 5 because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now, 6 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 1:4-6

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“For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.”

Ephesians 2:10

(This photo was taken in August of 2016 at Sapphire Point near Dillon, Colorado)

 

Faithfulness

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Loyalty…dedication…devotion…commitment…dependability…truth.  God is faithful in all He has promised.  The struggles and the difficulties have been brought on by our chasing after sin and sinful desires.  Even though we wander off…God the Father, our Creator and Jesus Christ His Son our Savior, with the Holy Spirit are faithful to loving us and saving us…if we are willing to confess our sins and trust in God.  Amen.

“If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.”

1 John 1:9

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“Because of the Lord’s great love we are not consumed,
    for his compassions never fail.
23 They are new every morning;
    great is your faithfulness.
24 I say to myself, “The Lord is my portion;
    therefore I will wait for him.”

25 The Lord is good to those whose hope is in him,
    to the one who seeks him;
26 it is good to wait quietly
    for the salvation of the Lord.”

Lamentations 3:22-26

(This photo was taken in June of 2018 at a lake near Plymouth, Minnesota)

The Price Of Salvation

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Today is the third day since Resurrection Sunday and we must caution against taking our salvation for granted.  For most people by now they are focused solely on the tasks of work or daily tasks at home and the glory of Christ sacrifice for us is in the rear-view mirror.  The faith journey and spiritual growth is about so much more than checking in on Sunday and checking out the rest of the week.  Seek your relationship with Jesus Christ every day, spend time with Him and in God’s Word.  May the peace of the Lord be with you.  Amen.

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

Romans 5:8

(This photo was taken in April of 2020 at a lake near Plymouth, Minnesota)

A Solid Foundation

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When we stand on the foundation of faith and a personal relationship with God, we can trust that where we stand is firm ground and even though all around us is uncertainty, fear and anxiety we are held by God’s love and we will be guided through the troubling times if we stay close to Jesus and God’s word.  The only solid foundation we will find in this life is with God.  May His peace be with you.  Amen.

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“As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Now remain in my love. 10 If you keep my commands, you will remain in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commands and remain in his love. 11 I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete. 12 My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you.”

John 15:9-12

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

Gratitude

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It is needed now more than ever…the world focuses all it’s time on what is lost or has been taken away.  Gratitude is an attitude, a choice.  When you look at life you choose how you are going to view circumstances and that view depends on your beliefs.  If your beliefs are based on the false truths the world teaches you are sure to be disappointed and have a negative view of life…if you build your beliefs on the foundation of a relationship with Jesus Christ you can seek the wisdom that comes from God and that can provide a peace that surpasses all understanding.  Amen.

“Rejoice always, 17 pray continually, 18 give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.”

1 Thessalonians 5:16-18

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“Do not get drunk on wine, which leads to debauchery. Instead, be filled with the Spirit, 19 speaking to one another with psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit. Sing and make music from your heart to the Lord, 20 always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.”

Ephesians 5:18-20

(This photo was taken in June of 2016 in a neighborhood near Plymouth, Minnesota)

Add To Your Faith

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The faith journey is an on-going learning and growing process.  It is about our relationship with Jesus Christ and how it impacts life.  It is not a to do list of check the box things and move on to the next…it is interwoven into our daily life.  We can choose to acknowledge it or not.  If we want to know peace that surpasses all understanding…we should choose to explore faith and see what God has planned for our journey.  Amen.

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“For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; 6 and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness; 7 and to godliness, mutual affection; and to mutual affection, love. 8 For if you possess these qualities in increasing measure, they will keep you from being ineffective and unproductive in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.”

2 Peter 1:5-8

(This photo was taken in July of 2016 along Beartooth Pass in Montana)

Walk In The Light

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Our faith is about more than what we believe…it is also about how we put what we believe into actions.  A faith journey is best lived inside-out…start with you…what do you believe…what is your relationship with Jesus Christ…your sin…your confession…this isn’t a check the box in the process type of thing, it is a daily surrender of self-centered desires.  As we build our faith on the foundation of coming to the Cross, we can take the things we learn and put them into practice in our daily lives and interactions…this is a journey that requires commitment, it requires a willingness to sacrifice and it provides peace and joy that is beyond our imagination.  May peace be with you.  Amen.

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“If we claim to have fellowship with him and yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not live out the truth. 7 But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all[a] sin.”

1 John 1:6-7

(This photo was taken in August of 2016 in Arches National Park in Utah)

Stay Connected

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Both to God and to others.  Yes, the world has changed and things are very different than they were a few weeks ago…most if not all of it was outside of your control…still today how you choose to respond is completely up to you.  You can connect to/stay connected to God by reading His Word and praying or you can reject the opportunity to explore your faith and build your relationship with Jesus Christ…you can choose to find simple or creative ways to connect to family and friends or you can focus your time on what was lost with the changes you can’t control.  Yes, we are all different and we all deal with change in different ways…and God gives us free will to choose our response…so how will you choose to respond?  Choose God (verse above the photo), choose life (verse below the photo).  Amen.

“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

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“Though one may be overpowered,
    two can defend themselves.
A cord of three strands is not quickly broken.”

Ecclesiastes 4:12

(This photo was taken in July of 2016 in Theodore Roosevelt National Park in North Dakota)

Wisdom From Heaven

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I pray we all seek the wisdom of God.  His message in the bible…the example His Son Jesus Christ set for us…the guidance His Holy Spirit provides us as that small voice in our minds.  The current times show how hurtful it is when we are selfish.  Because we are human, we all are convicted of selfish behavior at one time or another and when unity is what the world needs the selfishness of human behavior is magnified.  There are many people who are doing good things in the world right now to help others and I pray we hear more about those stories and we seek to live that way.  Lord, forgive us when we are selfish and teach us how to care for others just as you have cared for us.  Amen.

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“But the wisdom that comes from heaven is first of all pure; then peace-loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial and sincere. 18 Peacemakers who sow in peace reap a harvest of righteousness.”

James 3:17-18

(This photo was taken in August of 2016 while traveling through the state of Washington)