“The Lord’s light penetrates the human spirit,[a]
exposing every hidden motive.”
Proverbs 20:27 NLT
“Search me, God, and know my heart;
test me and know my anxious thoughts.
24 See if there is any offensive way in me,
and lead me in the way everlasting.”
Psalm 139:23-24 NIV
(This photo was taken in Yellowstone National Park in Wyoming)
“May your unfailing love be my comfort,
according to your promise to your servant.”
Psalm 119:76 NIV
Our God is the God of all comfort
There is nothing and no one in the world that can comfort us the way God can
Turn towards God and you will find comfort and peace
And you will be fully equipped to share that comfort with others
“Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, 4 who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves receive from God.”
2 Corinthians 1:3-4 NIV
(This photo was taken at a lake in central Minnesota)
“Then he said to them all: “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me. 24 For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me will save it.”
Luke 9:23-24 NIV
Father God, I surrender my life to You
You can have it all. All my doubts, all my fears, all my worries…every insecurity, every selfish desire and past mistake…I give it all to You
Every area of my life that does not honor You…take it
Take it all and use me, change me, transform me, love me and love others through me
Take all that I am, and use it for Your glory
In Jesus name, Amen
“I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.”
Galatians 2:20 NIV
(This photo was taken at a lake near Plymouth, Minnesota)
“Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God. 8 Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love. 9 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 4:7-9 NIV
There is nothing on earth in your life that is more powerful than the love of God…nothing
There is no situation, life circumstances, no relationship or struggle that can separate us from God’s love
“No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. 38 For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons,[b] neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, 39 neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.”
Romans 8:37-39 NIV
(This photo was taken at a lake near Plymouth, Minnesota)
“If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. 9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.”
1 John 1:8-9 NIV
“Have mercy on me, O God,
according to your unfailing love;
according to your great compassion
blot out my transgressions.
2 Wash away all my iniquity
and cleanse me from my sin.”
Psalm 51:1-2 NIV
“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
(This photo was taken in Mount Rainier National Park in Washington)
“Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. 13 Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. 14 And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity.”
Colossians 3:12-14 NIV
This is something we need to give as much as we need to receive it
Forgiveness is more than God’s grace given to us through Jesus Christ…we need to be able to give forgiveness to others and to ourselves as well
If we choose to hold on to the pain, the bitterness and the anger it will eat away at our very life and end up affecting our relationships with everyone
To forgive is not to say someone gets a free pass for hurting you…it is the act of letting go of the things that are continuing to hurt you in your daily life
Christ will help you through this…come to Cross and give thanks to Jesus for His forgiveness of your sins and ask Him to help you find your way to give forgiveness
“Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice. 32 Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.”
Ephesians 4:31-32 NIV
(This photo was taken at a lake in central Minnesota)
“Then he said to them all: “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me. 24 For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me will save it.”
Luke 9:23-24 NIV
Father God, my life is Yours
Please take every part of it
Every area of my life that does not honor You…take it
Every insecurity, every fear, every selfish desire and past mistake…I give it all to You
Please put those things to death so that I can experience Your abundant life
In Jesus name, Amen
“I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.”
Galatians 2:20 NIV
(This photo was taken at a lake near Plymouth, Minnesota)
“You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly. 7 Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous person, though for a good person someone might possibly dare to die. 8 But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.“
Romans 5:6-8 NIV
God loves us unconditionally
We do not earn His love; we do not deserve it
There are not certain things you must do or be to receive God’s love
He offers it to us through His Son and by His mercy and grace
Our job is to receive His love by seeking Him, spending time with Him and being in relationship with Him
We are to know Him
And we are to make Him known to others
There is no greater gift you will ever receive in this life than God’s love
Turn away from sinful thoughts and ways and live in God’s unconditional love
“Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God. 8 Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love. 9 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. 10 This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins. 11 Dear friends, since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. 12 No one has ever seen God; but if we love one another, God lives in us and his love is made complete in us.“
1 John 4:7-12 NIV
(This photo was taken along the North Shore of Lake Superior)
“Where can I go from your Spirit?
Where can I flee from your presence?
8 If I go up to the heavens, you are there;
if I make my bed in the depths, you are there.
9 If I rise on the wings of the dawn,
if I settle on the far side of the sea,
10 even there your hand will guide me,
your right hand will hold me fast.
11 If I say, “Surely the darkness will hide me
and the light become night around me,”
12 even the darkness will not be dark to you;
the night will shine like the day,
for darkness is as light to you.“
Psalm 139:7-12 NIV
God Is In This Story by Katy Nichole & Big Daddy Weave
“So do not fear, for I am with you;
do not be dismayed, for I am your God.
I will strengthen you and help you;
I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.“
Isaiah 41:10 NIV
(This photo was taken at a lake in northwestern Wisconsin)
“Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.”
James 4:7 NIV
“Then he called the crowd to him along with his disciples and said: “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me. 35 For whoever wants to save their life[b] will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me and for the gospel will save it. 36 What good is it for someone to gain the whole world, yet forfeit their soul?“
Mark 8:34-36 NIV
(This photo was taken at a lake near Plymouth, Minnesota)
Take Your Faith With You 