forgiven

Commitment

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“If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you.”

John 15:7 NIV

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

You are my everything…so let my thoughts and actions match my words

Help me draw closer to You

Guide my decisions and inspire me with new dreams

I want to honor You with all that I am and all that I do

In Jesus name, Amen

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“You will keep in perfect peace
    those whose minds are steadfast,
    because they trust in you.”

Isaiah 26:3 NIV

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

Search Me

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“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 at a lake near Plymouth, Minnesota)

The New Has Come

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“I will give them an undivided heart and put a new spirit in them; I will remove from them their heart of stone and give them a heart of flesh.”

Ezekiel 11:19 NIV

God renews us…God restores us

He takes away the sin and darkness and makes us new again

All that we have done wrong and messed up, only He can make new again

Our hope is found in Christ alone

If you need a new beginning or change of direction begin by humbling yourself and surrendering your plans for God’s plan

He truly does make all things new

All Things New by Steven Curtis Chapman

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“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come:  The old has gone, the new is here!”

2 Corinthians 5:17 NIV

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

Freedom According To God’s Word

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“You, my brothers and sisters, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the flesh[a]; rather, serve one another humbly in love. 14 For the entire law is fulfilled in keeping this one command: “Love your neighbor as yourself.”[b] 15 If you bite and devour each other, watch out or you will be destroyed by each other.”

Galatians 5:13-15 NIV

“Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom.”

2 Corinthians 3:17 NIV

There Is Freedom by Josh Baldwin

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“Live as people who are free, not using your freedom as a cover-up for evil, but living as servants[a] of God.”

1 Peter 2:16 NIV

(This photo was taken while traveling through southern New Mexico)

The Name Of Jesus

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“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 2:9-11 NIV

Father God, You gave us Your Son, the Light of the world

Give us courage and strength to call out His name

Jesus, regardless of what we face, we want to experience a personal relationship with You

Thank You for everything You did and are continuing to do for us

We need You, we believe in You, we trust You and we ask for Your guidance in all things and at all times

  Thank You for Your everlasting love.  In Your Holy name we pray, Amen

I Speak Jesus (Unplugged) by Eagle Brook Music

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“For to us a child is born,
    to us a son is given,
    and the government will be on his shoulders.
And he will be called
    Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God,
    Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.”

Isaiah 9:6 NIV

(This photo was taken in Bighorn National Forest in Wyoming)

Commitment

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“If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you.”

John 15:7 NIV

Father God, we want to seek You with all our heart

You are in everything…so let our thoughts and actions match our words

Help us draw closer to You

Guide our decisions and inspire us with new dreams

We want to honor You with all that we are and all that we do

In Jesus name, Amen

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“You will keep in perfect peace
    those whose minds are steadfast,
    because they trust in you.”

Isaiah 26:3 NIV

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

Choose Joy Because We Are Forgiven

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“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

Forgiveness by Matthew West

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“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

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

Our Hope Is In God

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“Not only so, but we[c] also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; 4 perseverance, character; and character, hope. 5 And hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us.

6 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 5:3-8 NIV

God Is In This Story by Katy Nichole & Big Daddy Weave

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“Blessed is the one who perseveres under trial because, having stood the test, that person will receive the crown of life that the Lord has promised to those who love him.”

James 1:12 NIV

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

God Is Greater

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“The temple I am going to build will be great, because our God is greater than all other gods.”

2 Chronicles 2:5 NIV

“If our hearts condemn us, we know that God is greater than our hearts, and he knows everything.”

1 John 3:20 NIV

Put anything that comes to mind before this title and it will be a true statement…God is greater

No matter what you can think of, our God is greater

This means whatever is on your mind, whatever is pulling on you or keeping you distracted, whatever burden you are carrying…God is greater than that issue, that problem, that worry, that concern, that guilt or shame

It doesn’t matter if we are are talking about the past, the present or the future…

God is greater than all things and He is with you right now

Turn towards Him, talk with Him and trust in Him

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“You will keep in perfect peace
    all who trust in you,
    all whose thoughts are fixed on you!”

Isaiah 26:3 NIV

(This photo was taken at a lake in central Minnesota)

Sin Divides Us And Christ Unites Us

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“…for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, 24 and all are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus.”

Romans 3:23-24 NIV

“So I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. 17 For the flesh desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the flesh. They are in conflict with each other, so that you are not to do whatever[c] you want. 18 But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law.

19 The acts of the flesh are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; 20 idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions 21 and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God.

22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law. 24 Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. 25 Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit. 26 Let us not become conceited, provoking and envying each other.”

Galatians 5:16-26 NIV

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“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. 10 If we claim we have not sinned, we make him out to be a liar and his word is not in us.”

1 John 1:8-10 NIV

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