Truth

Sow The Seeds Of Faith

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Whatever we choose to be, how we choose to behave, the attitude that we choose as our approach to things…this is what will come back to us in our lives.  If we choose to be angry, full of fear, jealousy, envy and go around constantly judging others…that is exactly what we will get back.  Yet if we choose to live differently, if we choose to follow the Fruits of the Spirit as written in Galatians 5:22-23…we will receive those fruits back to us.  So the question is what do you want to sow today?  I pray we seek goodness and to live by the Fruits of the Spirit in our daily walk.  Amen.

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“The one who sows to please the sinful nature, from that nature will reap destruction; the one who sows to please the Spirit, from the Spirit will reap eternal life.”

Galatians 6:8

(This photo was taken in July of 2016 while traveling through North Dakota)

Live A Life Filled With Love

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Offer hospitality…speak encouraging words…serve the needs of others…offer prayers and praise to God.  A life of love is not an ‘it’s all about me life’ rather it is a life with God at the center.  How can we show the love of Christ in our life today?  It is easy to get caught up in the world’s definition of something worth doing, you know…’go big or go home’…we can make a difference in the world just by fulfilling the needs of just one person…to them it may be the biggest or best thing that is done for them today.  Don’t judge your value or your life by the world’s standards…God created you…He knows you, He loves you and He is with you.  I pray we seek and know the love of God in our hearts and minds and we have the courage to share it with others.  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 one should use whatever gift he has received to serve others, faithfully administering God’s grace in its various forms.”

1 Peter 4:8-10

(This photo was taken in April of 2016 on a lake in central Minnesota)

A New Day

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Each morning brings a new day.  New opportunity, new interactions, a new hope, new joy.  The place we have the most impact in our life is Today.  The present moments…we cannot change yesterday or worry endlessly about tomorrow, it is Today that we can make a difference in our thoughts, our actions and with our words.  What does God ask of us today?  Do your best…be the best version of yourself God created you to be, that’s what you can do.  If you are unsure about it, pray to God that He will guide you and show you the way to go.  There is a phrase that keeps coming back to me ever since my Dad passed away, it is simply this…Do you best and let God take care of the rest!  I pray we seek God’s will for our lives and offer ourselves to Him and His mercy and grace.  Amen.

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“The Lord is my rock, my fortress and my deliverer; my God is my rock, in whom I take refuge.  He is my shield and horn of my salvation, my stronghold.”

Psalm 18:2

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

We Believe

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Today is a day of worship and praise.  The faith journey is often a struggle and feeling alone…we are not alone and we can never forget the foundation of our faith, Jesus Christ.  We must persevere, be strong, have courage and believe.  I offer praise and worship this Sunday through song.  This one by The Newsboys, here are the lyrics and a link to We Believe

We Believe by The Newsboys

In this time of desperation
When all we know is doubt and fear
There is only one foundation
We believe, we believe
In this broken generation
When all is dark, You help us see
There is only one salvation
We believe, we believe

We believe in God the Father
We believe in Jesus Christ
We believe in the Holy Spirit
And He’s given us new life
We believe in the crucifixion
We believe that He conquered death
We believe in the resurrection
And He’s comin’ back again, we believe

So, let our faith be more than anthems
Greater than the songs we sing
And in our weakness and temptations
We believe, we believe!

We believe in God the Father!
We believe in Jesus Christ!
We believe in the Holy Spirit!
And He’s given us new life!
We believe in the crucifixion!
We believe that He conquered death!
We believe in the resurrection!
And He’s comin’ back again!

Let the lost be found and the dead be raised!
In the here and now, let love invade!
Let the church live loud, our God we’ll say
We believe, we believe!
And the gates of hell will not prevail!
For the power of God, has torn the veil!
Now we know Your love will never fail!
We believe, we believe!

We believe in God the Father
We believe in Jesus Christ
We believe in the Holy Spirit
And He’s given us new life!
We believe in the crucifixion!
We believe that He conquered death!
We believe in the resurrection!
And He’s comin’ back,
He’s comin’ back again!
He’s comin’ back again!
We believe!
We believe

 

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“Then Jesus declared, “I am the bread of life.  He who comes to me will never go hungry, and he who believes in me will never be thirsty.”

John 6:35

(This photo was taken in August of 2016 at Sapphire Point near Dillon, Colorado)

God’s Presence

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Where do you see God?  When the road ahead looks dark and hopeless, seek Him…when you are unsure or afraid, seek His will…when you are frustrated and angry, trust in His way.  God is with you, no matter what, God created you and He loves you, just the way you are…He is the way to shine a light in the darkness.  Turn towards the Lord and live.  I pray we look for the ways God is with us in our everyday life.  Amen.

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“The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us.  We have seen his glory, the glory of the One and Only, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.”

John 1:14

(This photo was taken in October of 2014 on the north shore of the island of Maui)

Trust

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Something that is earned…easily eroded by poor behavior…to be a person of your word…to keep your promises.  Trust is an essential element in good relationships, in relationships that have a chance to grow.  It makes us vulnerable and when we get burned it takes that much longer for us to trust again.  God is the only one who has never broken a promise, He is the only one who is by our side every single day, He is the one who sent His only Son to die in order to save us…yet so many of us want to keep Him in a box with a glass door that says “In case of an emergency break glass.”  In order to trust God we need to be willing to be more open to Him, to be more vulnerable in our relationship with Him and to believe that He is working for good things in our life.  I pray we all can take steps toward trusting God more in our life everyday.  Amen.

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“I will say of the Lord, “He is my refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust.”

Psalm 91:2

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

Fellowship

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Friendship…companionship…togetherness…mutual support…shared interests.  A coming together and spending time together, that is what I think of when I think about fellowship.  It is encouraging to come together and be able to openly discuss issues and topics while setting aside judgement and comparisons.  In order for fellowship to be effective there is an element of forgiveness that must be present, because we are human, we will make mistakes and we will need to ask for forgiveness.  The other key element that is necessary for fellowship to work is time.  We need to devote time to fellowship and friendship.  This is also true for our relationship with God.  He has forgiven us of our sins and He is wanting us to spend time with Him.  Reflect on your life and the people in it…with whom do you need to devote more time and where is a lack of forgiveness present?  I pray that we turn towards God and ask Him to help us to see where fellowship is needed in our lives.  Amen.

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“For where two or three come together in my name, there I am with them.”

Matthew 18:20

(This photo was taken in July of 2014 by one of my best friends at a lake place in central Minnesota)

Seek God’s Will

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We all have been given a conscience and we all have the ability to choose how we will respond to events and activity in our lives and the world.  Every day, every interaction with others is an opportunity to choose the way you will go.  We can’t get caught up in ‘the problems are too big’ or ‘they won’t listen to me’ or ‘I don’t have anything to offer others’…these are the words of darkness and evil trying to keep you from God’s will.  It may be only one moment in a day, one brief interaction or act of kindness but if you can do something to help or serve just one other person today, you have made a difference the world.  The world is broken and the problems, the suffering and the pursuit of selfishness and evil has people angry and fearful, for the human race overcoming all this alone is impossible but nothing is impossible for God.  I pray that we all will seek Him and His will for our lives.  Amen.

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“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

(This photo was taken in July of 2016 at the north entrance to Yellowstone National Park)

To Be Different

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Around this time last year a new album came out and a new song by Micah Tyler…the title of the song is “Different.”  This song has resonated with me ever since the first time I heard it.  It is the truth about living a life of Faith and having Jesus Christ at the center of everything you do.  I am continuously amazed at how God uses the gift of music to communicate with us and I am so grateful for others willing to use their gifts to share Christ through writing and performing music.  Below are the lyrics and a link to a video…I pray that we are all able to see how we can be different for Christ. Amen.

Different – by Micah Tyler

I don’t wanna hear anymore, teach me to listen
I don’t wanna see anymore, give me a vision
That you could move this heart, to be set apart
I don’t need to recognize, the man in the mirror
And I don’t wanna trade Your plan, for something familiar
I can’t waste a day, I can’t stay the same

I wanna be different
I wanna be changed
‘Til all of me is gone
And all that remains
Is a fire so bright
The whole world can see
That there’s something different
So come and be different
In me

And I dont wanna spend my life, stuck in a pattern
And I don’t wanna gain this world but lose what matters
And so I’m giving up, everything because

I wanna be different
I wanna be changed
‘Til all of me is gone
And all that remains
Is a fire so bright
The whole world can see
That there’s something different
So come and be different; oh-oh

I know, that I am far, from perfect
But through You, the cross still says, I’m worth it
So take this beating in my heart and
Come and finish what You started
When they see me, let them see You
‘Cause I just wanna be different, ye-ey

I wanna be different
I wanna be changed
‘Til all of me is gone
And all that remains
Oh is a fire so bright
The whole world can see
That there’s something different
So come and be different
I just wanna be different
So could You be different
In me

Songwriters: Micah Tyler Begnaud / Kyle Lee

Different lyrics © Music Services, Inc

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“For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.”
Ephesians 2:10
(This photo was taken in March of 2018 near Carlsbad Caverns in southern New Mexico)

Humility

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Where is the focus of our life?  What is the center of our existence?  When others say kind things about us or something we have done, while this is encouraging, do we remember the One who made it possible for us?  We all are so easily distracted and this can be how we are led away from God and His plan for us.  The Book of Proverbs is filled with great reminders and statements about holy living.  These were spoken by Solomon who had been blessed with incredible wisdom from God…even He succumbed to distractions in his life on earth.  Nobody is immune and that is why daily interaction and communication with Jesus Christ is essential to finding humility and staying humble.  May God’s mercy and grace wash over us each day.  Amen

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“When pride comes, then comes disgrace, but with humility comes wisdom.”

Proverbs 11:2

(This photo was taken in June of 2016 at a lake near Plymouth, Minnesota)