“May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.”
Romans 15:13 NIV
“I know that my Redeemer lives, and that in the end he will stand upon the earth.”
Job 19:25 NIV
(This photo was taken along Beartooth Pass in Wyoming)
“For the Lord is good and his love endures forever;
his faithfulness continues through all generations.”
Psalm 100:5 NIV
To be helpful…thoughtful…aware of the suffering of others…a desire to provide help and support…understanding the needs of another
One of the strongest elements of humility is compassion
Being aware that others are suffering and need assistance and then going and doing something that provides help and support
We all have different roles in our relationships with others, which means there are many different ways for us to provide help and support depending on who needs us and what has happened to them
When you know or get a sense inside you that you should do something for someone else but you are unsure what it is you should do, do not ignore that feeling, turn to the Lord and ask Him to help guide you to what the other person needs…then listen and watch for His reply
Be careful not to do something you believe they need from your perspective, rather be sensitive and aware of what they say they need
Compassion does not have to be something difficult and complex in order to be helpful…often times it is the simple and thoughtful things that make the biggest difference for others
May God’s grace and mercy flow through us and into our relationships
“The Lord is gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and rich in love. The Lord is good to all; he has compassion on all he has made.”
Psalm 145:8-9 NIV
(This photo was taken near the border between Minnesota and South Dakota)
“This is what the Lord says:
“Let not the wise boast of their wisdom
or the strong boast of their strength
or the rich boast of their riches,
24 but let the one who boasts boast about this:
that they have the understanding to know me,
that I am the Lord, who exercises kindness,
justice and righteousness on earth,
for in these I delight,”
declares the Lord.”
Jeremiah 9:23-24 NIV
Our mission…to Know Him
Our ministry…to Make Him Known.
“Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”
Matthew 28:19-20 NIV
(This photo was taken in Glacier National Park in Montana)
“Don’t be selfish; don’t try to impress others. Be humble, thinking of others as better than yourselves. 4 Don’t look out only for your own interests, but take an interest in others, too.
5 You must have the same attitude that Christ Jesus had.”
Philippians 2:3-5 NLT
A way of thinking…a point of view…outlook…perspective…belief
How would you define your attitude toward God?
What is His role? How much time during a typical week are we thinking about God?
The Bible has many of examples of different people and their attitude towards God, it describes their beliefs and actions
How would you define your attitude toward others?
The Bible has many of examples of different people and their attitude towards others, it describes their beliefs and actions
There is a lot for us to learn from those people
From Genesis to Revelation, we read about those who put God at the center of their lives and treated others with compassion and those who did not
The best example of an appropriate attitude towards God and others is that of Jesus Christ…He took time daily to walk with God, He treated everyone with kindness, compassion and kept the Father at the center of everything
This is what He seeks from us as well
Spend time with Jesus every day and pray about your attitude towards God and others
“He has showed 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 with your God.”
Micah 6:8 NIV
(This photo was taken on a walk in northwestern Wisconsin)
“For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— 9 not by works, so that no one can boast.”
Ephesians 2:8-9 NIV
“But he was pierced for our transgressions,
he was crushed for our iniquities;
the punishment that brought us peace was on him,
and by his wounds we are healed.”
Isaiah 53:5 NIV
It is because of God’s grace that the battle has already been won…we are forgiven…we are healed…we are saved by Grace
Nothing can separate us from Him who loves us
Praise Him for Amazing Grace
“But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me.”
2 Corinthians 12:9 NIV
(This photo was taken in Rocky Mountian National Park)
“Keep on loving one another as brothers and sisters. 2 Do not forget to show hospitality to strangers, for by so doing some people have shown hospitality to angels without knowing it.”
Hebrews 13:1-2 NIV
They are nearer than you think
Angels are fighting for us against the forces of darkness
They keep us safe and help guide us
They aren’t looking for us to honor them, they do their work so that we will honor God
When our time is up, they will usher us up to heaven
Give thanks to God for the angels in your life
“And Elisha prayed, “Open his eyes, Lord, so that he may see.” Then the Lord opened the servant’s eyes, and he looked and saw the hills full of horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha.”
2 Kings 6:17 NIV
“For he will command his angels concerning you
to guard you in all your ways;
12 they will lift you up in their hands,
so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.”
Psalm 91:11-12 NIV
(This photo was taken while on a walk in a park in central Minnesota)
“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)
“For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—”
Ephesians 2:8 NIV
“But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me.”
2 Corinthians 12:9 NIV
“But to each one of us grace has been given as Christ apportioned it.”
Ephesians 4:7 NIV
The Word of God tells us about God’s grace in many passages
It also reminds us that God’s grace is for all people
Give thanks to God for His mercy and grace…
“Let us then approach God’s throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.”
Hebrews 4:16 NIV
(This photo was taken on a lake in central Minnesota)
8 “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— 9 not by works, so that no one can boast. 10 For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.”
Ephesians 2:8-10 NIV
14 “The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.”
John 1:14 NIV
(This photo was taken in Mount Rainier National Park in Washington)
“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
God’s love is everything for us
There is nothing like it and there is nothing on earth that can separate us from it
Take time to worship and praise Him for His unfailing love
“Let the morning bring me word of your unfailing love,
for I have put my trust in you.
Show me the way I should go,
for to you I entrust my life.”
Psalm 143:8 NIV
(This photo was taken at the Nakalele Blow Hole on the island of Maui, Hawaii)
Take Your Faith With You 