God’s love

Consider Him…

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“Consider him who endured such opposition from sinners, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.”

Hebrews 12:3 NIV

When you are tired and run down or discouraged and defeated, consider Him…

When you are frustrated or angry with others, consider Him…

When you feel like there is no hope, consider Him…

Consider Him who endured death on a cross between two thieves, for us…

Consider Him who was spit on and had a crown of thorns pushed onto His head, for us…

Consider Him who had His beard plucked out and gave His back to the whip, for us…

And consider Him who gave His blood and His life for us

He did it because He loves you and He wants good things for you

Turn your attention towards Him and give Him thanks, then you will find peace

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“Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! 5 Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. 6 Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. 7 And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”

Philippians 4:4-7 NIV

(This photo was taken near Colorado Springs, Colorado)

God’s Consistent Character

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“Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows.”

James 1:17 NIV

“I the Lord do not change. So you, the descendants of Jacob, are not destroyed.”

Malachi 3:6 NIV

Father God, thank You for promising to bring us peace

In every situation, help us to keep our minds on You and Your promises

Because we know You do not change, we don’t have to be anxious about anything

Help us stay focused on Your consistent character

In Jesus name, Amen

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“Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.”

Hebrews 13:8 NIV

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

A Prayer Of Declaration

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“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

Lord Jesus, we believe You are alive

We believe You are ever-present and working in the world

We believe no matter what circumstances we face, You are good

We believe You weep, mourn, and rejoice with us

We believe You are our God and our Redeemer

We believe You are making all things new

We believe You are making each one of us a new creation

So come what may, Jesus, we place our faith, our hope and our trust in You

In your Name we pray, Amen

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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 on the shore of Lake Superior near Ashland, Wisconsin)

I Will Praise You In The Storm

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“Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters,[a] whenever you face trials of many kinds, 3 because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. 4 Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything. 5 If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you.”

James 1:2-5 NIV

“Even though I walk
    through the darkest valley,[a]
I will fear no evil,
    for you are with me;
your rod and your staff,
    they comfort me.”

Psalm 23:4 NIV

When the darkness seems overwhelming

What can we do?

Take refuge in the Lord and pray

He is our Rock

He is with us in this storm

Praise You In This Storm by Casting Crowns

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“But now, this is what the Lord says—
    he who created you, Jacob,
    he who formed you, Israel:
“Do not fear, for I have redeemed you;
    I have summoned you by name; you are mine.
2 When you pass through the waters,
    I will be with you;
and when you pass through the rivers,
    they will not sweep over you.
When you walk through the fire,
    you will not be burned;
    the flames will not set you ablaze.
3 For I am the Lord your God,
    the Holy One of Israel, your Savior;…”

Isaiah 43:1-3 NIV

(This photo was taken in Yellowstone National Park in Wyoming)

Hope…Nothing Is Impossible For God

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“I am the Lord, the God of all mankind. Is anything too hard for me?”

Jeremiah 32:27 NIV

Hope…What drives it?  Why do we have it?

It comes from belief…it comes from trusting God

Even when no one believes there is any hope…hope persists

Think about the day Jesus was crucified…nobody, not even the disciples had hope

Jesus, their teacher, the one who performed miracles had died…yet with God anything is possible

Jesus is risen!  He is risen indeed, Alleluia!

The stories of hope with God in the Bible go on and on…

Sarah who was barren has a son…

Moses and the Red Sea…

Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego survive the fiery furnace…

Daniel in the lion’s den…

Mary the virgin gives birth to Jesus and on and on it goes

Don’t give up hope…trust in God!

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“For nothing will be impossible with God.”

Luke 1:37 NIV

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

Walking In The Light With God

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“He has shown you, O mortal, what is good.
    And what does the Lord require of you?
To act justly and to love mercy
    and to walk humbly[a] with your God.”

Micah 6:8 NIV

We are all broken and in need of a Savior

Jesus Christ is that Savior

Let us have the courage to humble ourselves and admit who we are…broken, sinful

To come to the Cross, confess our sins and give thanks to Jesus for His sacrifice for us

Then we can take the steps to walk in the Light with God

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“This is the message we have heard from him and declare to you: God is light; in him there is no darkness at all. 6 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.

8 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 1:5-10 NIV

(This photo was taken at a park near Bayfield, Wisconsin)

He Is Worthy

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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.  For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.”

John 3:16-17 NIV

As we travel on the journey of faith, we will encounter questions and doubts along the way

That is natural and it is ok

We need to remember that the one simple truth of faith is that Jesus Christ sacrificed Himself to save us and reconcile us to God because He loves us

His love for us will conquer every battle in our lives

He is worthy of our thanks and praise

Thank you God, for your Son Jesus Christ!

Is He Worthy? by Chris Tomlin

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“In a loud voice they were saying:

“Worthy is the Lamb, who was slain,
    to receive power and wealth and wisdom and strength
    and honor and glory and praise!”

Revelation 5:12 NIV

(This photo was taken in Yellowstone National Park in Wyoming)

Greater Is He

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“You, dear children, are from God and have overcome them, because the one who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world.”

1 John 4:4 NIV

Make it a priority in your life to spend time with Jesus Christ your Savior and Lord

He has conquered all things

Nothing you are facing or will face in your life is greater then Him

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“He must become greater; I must become less.”

John 3:30 NIV

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

Trust…Commit…Be Still

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“Trust in the Lord and do good;
    dwell in the land and enjoy safe pasture.
4 Take delight in the Lord,
    and he will give you the desires of your heart.”

Psalm 37:3-4 NIV

“Commit your way to the Lord;
    trust in him and he will do this:
6 He will make your righteous reward shine like the dawn,
    your vindication like the noonday sun.”

Psalm 37:5-6 NIV

No matter what the situation or circumstances you are facing

Good, bad, unknown

Put your trust in the One who knows you, loves you and is walking with you through every moment

Commit it all to Him and He will guide you on your path

Be still and wait for Him

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“Be still before the Lord
    and wait patiently for him;
do not fret when people succeed in their ways,
    when they carry out their wicked schemes.“

Psalm 37:7 NIV

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

Remain In Him

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“Remain in me, as I also remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me.”

John 15:4 NIV

If we choose to do things our own way and wander off from the Word

Ignoring the things Jesus has taught us

Our faith and our spiritual life will wither and die

Remain In Him and His Words

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“I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing. 6 If you do not remain in me, you are like a branch that is thrown away and withers; such branches are picked up, thrown into the fire and burned. 7 If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. 8 This is to my Father’s glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples.”

John 15:5-8 NIV

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