Truth

Walking With God

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“Your word is a lamp for my feet,
    a light on my path.”

Psalm 119:105 NIV

Faith is a journey

It begins with belief, confession and prayer

It grows as we read the Scriptures, as we spend time in devotions, as we engage in our communities and serve others

It transforms us with a new attitude centered on God and His will for us

Trust in God, spend time on your relationship with Jesus Christ and pray about everything, every day

God is with you, He is for you

It is up to you to seek Him and choose to walk 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

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

The Greatest Story Ever Told…

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“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was with God in the beginning. 3 Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. 4 In him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind. 5 The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome[a] it.”

John 1:1-5 NIV

“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

From Genesis to Revelation the over-arching theme of the Bible is God’s love through Jesus

This love does not guarantee that life will be easy and always pleasant…yet it is a love that never changes

This love comes to us directly in the birth, life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ

You are part of this story…God chose you

Open your heart and mind to Jesus, invite Him into every part of your life

As you learn this story, help tell others about it

It is the greatest story ever told

End Of The Beginning by David Phelps

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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. 17 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

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

God’s Presence

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“You make known to me the path of life;
    you will fill me with joy in your presence,
    with eternal pleasures at your right hand.”

Psalm 16:11 NIV

Father God, You are the foundation upon which we build our lives

You are our source of protection and strength

We know that you fight for us, You protect us, and You are leading us through difficult times

Because of Your presence, we are never alone or abandoned

Thank you Lord!  Thank you for watching over us and for being our source of strength

Thank you for guiding us closer to You and never leaving us

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“For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. 12 Then you will call on me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. 13 You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.”

Jeremiah 29:11-13 NIV

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

The Goodness Of God

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“The Lord is good to all;
    he has compassion on all he has made.”

Psalm 145:9 NIV

“The Lord is good,
    a refuge in times of trouble.
He cares for those who trust in him,”

Nahum 1:7 NIV

“Taste and see that the Lord is good;
    blessed is the one who takes refuge in him.”

Psalm 34:8 NIV

Goodness Of God by Jenn Johnson

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“Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good;
    his love endures forever.”

Psalm 107:1 NIV

(This photo was taken at sunrise along the North Shore of Lake Superior)

Forgiveness

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“Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing.”

Luke 23:34 NIV

Jesus Christ was treated as poorly as any human ever has been treated by others in history to the point of death…

Yet as He hung on the Cross in which He was crucified on for our sins, He spoke the words above…He prayed for forgiveness for those killing Him

If we do not find the way to forgive others it is us who will be destroyed…not those who have wronged us…

Forgiveness by Matthew West

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“Do not judge, and you will not be judged. Do not condemn, and you will not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven. 38 Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.”

Luke 6:37-38 NIV

(This photo was taken while traveling in South Dakota)

Hope Perspective

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“Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead…”

1 Peter 1:3 NIV

The hope we receive from Christ is a hope that knows and believes that Christ lives and that God is for us and working for our good, even when, especially when the visible evidence is against it

The hope from God’s Word tells us to not give up or surrender to sin and doubt, rather know that God is with us and we can trust in Him

Not for the things we believe we should have but for the things God knows that we need

May we all place our trust in the God of hope in our daily lives

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“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

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

He Won’t Fail

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“For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.”

Ephesians 2:10 NIV

Firm Foundation (He Won’t) by Cody Carnes

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“The Lord is my rock, my fortress and my deliverer;
    my God is my rock, in whom I take refuge,
    my shield[b] and the horn[c] of my salvation, my stronghold.“

Psalm 18:2 NIV

(This photo was taken at Bear Lake in Rocky Mountain National Park)

God’s Faithfulness

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“Know therefore that the Lord your God is God; he is the faithful God, keeping his covenant of love to a thousand generations of those who love him and keep his commandments.”

Deuteronomy 7:9 NIV

Father God, You make all things beautiful in their proper timing

Nothing is too hard for You to accomplish

You are faithful to keep Your promises

So often, we forget this and grow discouraged when our situations don’t seem to change

In those moments, it’s easy to forget that You are not done working

Through Your Holy Spirit, please change the way we think and behave

When we start to grow weary, help us remember that You are near and You are faithful

In Jesus name, Amen

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“Because of the Lord’s great love we are not consumed,
    for his compassions never fail.
23 They are new every morning;
    great is your faithfulness.”

Lamentations 3:22-23 NIV

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

Wisdom

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“But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong. 28 God chose the lowly things of this world and the despised things—and the things that are not—to nullify the things that are, 29 so that no one may boast before him.”

1 Corinthians 1:27-29 NIV

We have so much to learn…it is easy to think that we have lived our lives long enough to know what is right for us

We have experiences to draw on and we rely on feelings and emotions

Yet God knew all of these things before we were even born

He is our Creator and He loves us so much that He sacrificed His Son to save us…He knows what is best for us

For example, how many people would believe that Saul of Tarsus could become the Apostle Paul…the greatest enemy of Christians would become one of the greatest disciples?

You can read about it in Acts 9…this is the wisdom of God and it is far greater than any human wisdom

  Trust in the Lord and seek His will for you and your life

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“For the foolishness of God is wiser than human wisdom, and the weakness of God is stronger than human strength.”

1 Corinthians 1:25 NIV

(This photo was taken in White Sands National Park in New Mexico)

Freedom In Christ

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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

Many have been sacrificed for freedom to exist in the United States

The most important sacrifice of life for the freedom of others came from Jesus Christ

He came down from heaven, set an example for us on how to live and then died on the Cross so that we can be reconciled with God

Let’s not take for granted what others have done for our freedom to exist…especially the sacrifice of Jesus Christ and His saving Grace

May we be filled with joy and peace and serve others with love because of Him who died to save us

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To the Jews who had believed him, Jesus said, “If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples. 32 Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”

John 8:31-32 NIV

(This photo was taken at The Northern Wisconsin Veterans Memorial Cementary)