Jesus

Faith

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Trust…belief…confidence.  Faith is not about the quantity of it that you have…it is more focused on do you have it or not?  We sometimes think, ‘if I just had more faith’ or ‘if I just prayed the right way,’ things would have gone the way I wanted them to…as if we are somehow in control of the outcomes in life.  God, our Creator and Father of all, gave us the gift of free will to choose how we will live and what we will believe…He loves us and wants a personal relationship with each one of us.  The facts of faith are in the bible and the birth, life, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ are events that happened here on earth…so as you think about your life, your relationships and your circumstances ask yourself…’what do I believe?’  As for me, my response is the words of the Apostles Creed.  May the peace of the Lord be with you.  Amen.

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“Jesus replied, “Truly I tell you, if you have faith and do not doubt, not only can you do what was done to the fig tree, but also you can say to this mountain, ‘Go, throw yourself into the sea,’ and it will be done.  If you believe, you will receive whatever you ask for in prayer.”

Matthew 21:21-22

(This photo was taken in July of 2019 at a lake near Plymouth, Minnesota)

Believe In Your Heart

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Are we fully committed to putting Christ first in life?  Our actions will always speak louder than our words.  We know we can never be good enough on our own, yet we seem to keep trying to go our own way.  Thank you, God, for your mercy and your grace…because of His great love for us we can return to Him and confess our sins because we believe in our hearts that Jesus Christ is the Son of God who was crucified, died and has risen.  I know I struggle often when I reflect on my own actions…the things I have done and the things I have left undone.  It is at these moments that I imagine with my mind’s eye, kneeling at the foot of the Cross, laying down my sins and thanking Jesus Christ for His sacrifice.  God is with you and me, He loves us and only He can see us through the event in our lives.  Amen.

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“If you declare with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.  For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you profess your faith and are saved.”

Romans 10:9-10

(This photo was taken in June of 2013 in Rocky Mountain National Park in Colorado)

Humility

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One popular quote of the well-known professor and author C.S. Lewis states, “Humility is not thinking less of yourself, it’s thinking of yourself less.”  It is not about changing your perception of you, rather it is the intentional act of thinking about and considering the interests and needs of others.  The life, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ was completed in order to reconcile us to God…Jesus Christ had to humble Himself to become like one of us and lay down His life to save us.  You may be thinking, ‘that’s pretty extreme humility’ and it is, yet that is how much God loves you and wants to have a relationship with you.  Turn towards the Lord and seek humility in your daily life.  Amen.

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“Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others.”

Philippians 2:3-4

(This photo was taken in October of 2018 at a park near Winterset, Iowa)

The Power Of Love

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When you have fear, choose to overcome it with love.  When you are struggling, choose to keep going with love.  When you don’t know what to do, serve others with acts of love.  You may ask, ‘how do I do that?’  Start by reading 1 Corinthians 13…it explains fully what love looks like.  Jesus Christ is our greatest example of God’s love for us, if we believe that He is the Son of God and we confess our sins, we will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit and that will help us do our best to show the love of Christ to others.  May the peace, love and joy of the Lord be with you.  Amen.

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“Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins.  Offer hospitality to one another without grumbling.  Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others, as faithful stewards of God’s grace in its various forms.”

1 Peter 4:8-10

(This photo was taken in August of 2016 at a park near Dillon, Colorado)

Doubt

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Everyone has doubt.  We all experience moments when we question…’where is God in all of this?’ or ‘Why is this happening?’  This has happened to people throughout history.  Even the disciples, who lived during the life of Jesus on earth had doubts.  Having doubt and questions is natural and it is a starting point to explore and learn, so what do you do to find answers to your questions and your doubts?  God wants us to have questions and to ask Him…having doubt and questions is ok…what you do with those doubts and questions is key to your faith journey.  Amen.

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“Lord, if it’s you,” Peter replied, “tell me to come to you on the water.”  “Come,” he said.  Then Peter got down out of the boat, walked on the water and came toward Jesus.  But when he saw the wind, he was afraid and, beginning to sink, cried out, “Lord, save me!”  Immediately Jesus reached out his hand and caught him. “You of little faith,” he said, “why did you doubt?”

Matthew 14:28-31

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

Seek God’s Will

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When we pray the Lord’s prayer, which is written in the Gospel of Matthew 6:9-13, verse 10 states…“your kingdom come, your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.”  Take a moment to think about that…we are asking for the will of God to be done on earth every time we pray this prayer.  So, after we speak the words, what’s next?  God’s will is done by people willing to seek Him and His will rather than their own wants and desires.  But then we think, ‘then I won’t get what I think is right for me.’  The thing is what we do receive is so much more than we ever imagined possible on our own with our own plan.  We need to learn to trust in the Lord and seek His will.  Amen.

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“For this reason, since the day we heard about you, we have not stopped praying for you. We continually ask God to fill you with the knowledge of his will through all the wisdom and understanding that the Spirit gives, so that you may live a life worthy of the Lord and please him in every way: bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God…”

Colossians 1:9-10

(This photo was taken in July of 2016 in Yellowstone National Park in Wyoming)

Our Source For Light

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When we admit we are broken and sinful and turn to Jesus Christ as our Savior and Lord we will begin to learn about the Light of the world.  The world is filled with darkness and sin.  The thoughts, words and actions of worldly values is centered on the self and a selfish attitude.  A life centered on Christ can be a Light in the world when we are willing to surrender our plans for God’s plan.  The one true source of Light is God through His Son, Jesus Christ.  Trust in Him and you will have joy and peace.  Amen.

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“For God, who said, “Let light shine out of darkness,” made his light shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of God’s glory displayed in the face of Christ.”

2 Corinthians 4:6

(This photo was taken in July of 2018 on Lake Superior near the Apostle Islands)

 

He Lives In You

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The Spirit of God resides in the heart of every believer.  You may ask, how do I know?  We know it not because we can see the Holy Spirit but rather, we can see what the Holy Spirit can do.  He comforts us during difficult times, He gives us courage and guides us when we don’t know what to do next and He gives us peace at the most unexpected times.  Trust in the Lord and listen for the Holy Spirit.  Amen.

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“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

(This photo was taken in July of 2018 on Lake Superior near the Apostle Islands)

Amazing Love

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Nothing compares to God’s love.  His love overcomes all things.  We are saved by the sacrifice Jesus Christ made at the cross.  God is love and His love is never-ending.  Amen.

You Are My King (Amazing Love) by The Newsboys

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“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.  This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins.”

1 John 4:9-10

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

He Is Worthy

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Hello and welcome to another day to worship and sing praise to God.  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…Amen.

Is He Worthy? by Chris Tomlin

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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

(This photo was taken in July of 2019 at a lake near Plymouth, Minnesota)