Free to Run with Grace

We put no stumbling block in anyone's path, so that our ministry will not be discredited. - 2 Corinthians 6:3

A thought made in the post “Build Each Other Up” is that there is no need to flaunt our knowledge to the detriment of someone else. Instead build up others. Be interested in finding their strengths and thinking of ways for them to receive the power God wants them to have.

Jesus came to earth and made the complex simple. Our growing faith can never be taken away or depleted. The Gospel message has a beautiful and refreshing simplicity about it that sets us free and never lets us down.  The complexities in life are made more user friendly so we can find greater efficiency in our daily walk.

Take inspiration from the song Control by Tenth Avenue North. God has the power to lift the weight that holds us down so we are free to run with grace.

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Love From Above

Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth. - Colossians 3:2

The post “Undivided Devotion” was about Paul’s warnings to the Corinthian church about being separated from full devotion to God.  Marriage can cause this to happen because the things of this world become much more important when we are trying to pay the bills, raise children, do chores around the house, or put time into other concerns of life.

At the same time though, marriage and family relationships can give us opportunities to make an impact on our world in amazing ways. But it takes putting our attention on God and His presence. By putting Him first, the rest of our challenges in life work out.

Our Creator has unlimited resources and can handle our yesterdays and our tomorrows so we can simply concentrate on today. When we worship, we are giving God the one thing He can’t give us; our time.

During worship, we are expressing how valuable He is in our life. So give Him four minutes of your time today. Take in the information given in the song Fix My Eyes by King & Country. Keep your eyes on the ONE who can make all things possible. Be focused today on the main thing … what matters most and realize how you’ve been blessed with the gift of love from above.

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The Great Gift of Grace

For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith - and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God. - Ephesians 2:8

The post “Wisdom’s Call“ highlights the difference between wisdom and folly. One way leads to much despair and the other way leads us to God’s blessings.

Many may say that God’s Word is outdated and not useful in today’s world but it’s a lie. Insight is gained from reading the Bible and God’s plan for us is revealed. By accepting what Jesus did for us on the Cross, we receive the greatest gift of all and we can step out in faith.

Like the song Holy Spirit – Francesca Battistelli gives attention to, by accepting Christ as Savior we also welcome the guidance of the Holy Spirit to fill every aspect of our life. We accept the great reward of God’s presence and guidance.

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Wise Choice

All I want is to know Christ and the power that raised Him to life. - Philippians 3:10

The post “Desire the Ways of Wisdom” tells us to accept wisdom’s call because wisdom helps to meet our challenges in life. The wisest choice is to accept Jesus because this choice is more valuable than silver and brings knowledge worth more than gold.

In this life, knowing Christ brings victory. No other choice can match up so accept the ONE who is much more valuable than the ace picture in the World Series, the great quarterback on the final drive of the game, or the great basketball player that brings victory on the last shot of the game. 

We have a lot of challenges in this world but fortunately, we have the ONE who brings the advantage. Our Savior was there in the beginning and He will be there in the end as the song 10, 000 Reasons by Matt Redman points out. In between the beginning and the end, there are so many reasons to worship His Holy name.

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One Body to Make the Ministry Work

So in Christ we who are many form one body, and each member belongs to all the others. - Romans 12:5

In the post “Communication for the Lord’s Work”, brought out is the idea of each member of the church being connected and the importance of having those behind the scenes making a ministry work.

There is no better time to put this idea to work with the latest technology that allows us to study God’s Word and share thoughts. We can worship from any place or anytime with songs like this one: How Great is Our God by Chris Tomlin.

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Called According to His Purpose

All things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose. - Romans 8:28

As pointed out in the post “Fertile Ground for a Great Harvest”, Paul put a lot into his relationship with the Roman Christians. He knew that by teaching them, God’s purpose for him of spreading the Word would take root and the harvest would be plentiful because Rome was the center of communication throughout the world during this time.

Let us also see this purpose of Paul as our great purpose because the only things in life that last forever are the Word of God and our relationships with His people. Therefore, let us do things daily that last forever by getting to knowing God’s Word and creating a stream of compassion that flows from one Christian heart to another.

The song Who Am I by Casting Crowns points out that our forever home is with God. We are just here on earth for a short time. Our life on this earth will fade away into the sunset but our relationship with God and other Christians will last forever.

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Responding to the Facts of the Gospel

Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see. - Hebrews 11:1

Shared in the post “The Servant of Christ Jesus”, Paul gave the church at Rome some facts of the Gospel; that it was promised from the beginning, that Christ died for our sins on the Cross, and that all who believe in Christ as the Son of God receive eternal life.

There's a special feeling you get when you've been a part of helping bring the message to others. This day with God, let us obediently respond to the facts of the Gospel and fulfill our call as a witness. Here is a song to inspire as we go about our day: My Story by Big Daddy Weave. 

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Committed to Following Christ

If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be given you. This is to my Father's glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples. - John 15:7-8

As posted in “Order and Patience” about the tent of meeting, the cloud of the Lord was over the tabernacle by day and a fire was in the cloud by night. When the cloud lifted, they knew to set out on their travels so it was like the Holy Spirit guiding the Israelites.

Today, this power known as the Holy Spirit is given to all that have committed to following Christ. Take inspiration from the song Lead Me to the Cross - Hillsong as you set out on your journey today.

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Cheerful Giver

Each one must give as he has decided in his heart, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. - 2 Corinthians 9:7

As pointed out in the post “Moved by the Spirit to Give”, you can satisfy that craving deep down inside by being a cheerful giver; feeding your soul by giving your skills, your time, and your resources. So enthusiastically give from your heart for the needs of others and the Spirit of the Lord.

The song When Love Sees You by Mac Powell is about stories of giving. In the Bible, we learn about the blind beggar that is blessed by the healing power of Christ, the widow that gave all she had as an offering, and Mary who washed the feet of Jesus.

These are just a few of the inspiring stories found in the Bible. This day with God, share your story of giving or receiving and be inspired by the ultimate gift which is Christ who died on the Cross for you and me.

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Indescribable and Uncontainable

Jesus replied, ‘What is impossible with men is possible with God. - Luke 18:27

The main point for me as brought out in the post, “Seeing and Believing” is that we should be ready to meet God for direction each day just like Moses did when he went up on Mount Sinai for we serve an amazing all powerful God who is indescribable and uncontainable.

Our prayers will be heard as we are connected by accepting our Savior. One small step changes everything and our first step of accepting Jesus gives us a tremendous resource in the Holy Spirit.

The Holy Spirit will guide us to an amazing journey as we step ahead fearlessly. Amazing things will happen because the presence of the Holy Spirit in our life will lift us to new heights.

Each day can be amazing because with the Lord, you can passionately believe in what you are doing, let nothing hold you up in your work and have faith that one day at a time the impossible will become possible. Watch the video Indescribable by Chris Tomlin to inspire you this day with God.

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Reflecting His Creative Activity

For in six days the Lord made the heavens and the earth, the sea, and all that is in them, but he rested on the seventh day. Therefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and made it holy. - Exodus 20:11

In the post “Filled With His Spirit”, God provided workers who could reflect His creative activity in order to build and furnish the tent of meeting; a place for His people to meet with Him.

Worship time is so important because it is a time to meet with God and be filled with His Spirit. It also is a day of rest so we can physically be prepared for the challenges faced in the week ahead.

Several years ago, I began to think a lot about how God could use me in a ministry at our church. One area that caught my attention was using my technology background to help with the tech team during our worship service.

I also wanted to use technology in getting God’s Word out with this on-line Bible study guide. We live in a very busy world with busy schedules so my hope was to use this tool to help with daily Bible reading and study.

As you listen to this video: In Me by Casting Crowns take some time to identify your strengths and how you can reflect God’s creative activity to a world in need. 

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Hunting for Spiritual Food

I have brought you glory on earth by completing the work you gave me to do. – John 17:4

In the post “Detailed Instructions”, are thoughts about the specific instructions for the offerings made in order to consecrate priests. Today, we identify with Christ as our sin offering and the ultimate sacrifice for our sins. Since Christ came and died on the Cross, we have a direct relationship with God.

By accepting Christ into our life; taking note of His teachings and by reading God’s Word, we get specific instructions in how to live.  Reading God’s word is much like hunting or fishing because we have to be patient, quite, and focused as we search for our daily spiritual food.

My grandfather loved to hunt. He had dogs that he trained for the purpose of finding raccoons. They would smell the trail and follow. Usually this led to a big tree where the raccoon would climb to the very top. Along the way, the dog would bark until you could then hear a different bark. It was a very excited bark in the same location and there was bark after bark after bark. When the hunter heard this bark, he knew the dog had the raccoon cornered.

Like these trained dogs of my grandfather, we trail what we are passionate about for our Master. As a person of faith, we find great truths that provide spiritual food and share these truths with others. Here is a truth to share today in a song: Stop the World by Matthew West. This day with God, remember that He is listening and is pleased when we have done our job for Him.

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My Strength and My Song

The LORD is my strength and my song; He has become my salvation. – Psalm 118:14

In the post “Use Your God Given Talent”, mentioned were the skilled people that made the priestly garments. God has given each of us talents and abilities to serve others. The challenge for us is to discover our specific talent or ability and be thankful.

Sometimes when an athlete makes a good play like a touchdown or hits a homerun, they point to the sky; humbly pointing out that it was power from up above that made it happen.

In whatever we do today, let us also do amazing things by using abilities and skills from God to serve others. It may be to inspire others just like a great athlete or singer. It may be in our job or in how we serve others. Here is an inspiring video as we step ahead: There is Power by Lincoln Brewster.

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Prevail with Detail

My son, pay attention to my wisdom; lend your ear to my understanding, that you may preserve discretion, and your lips may keep knowledge. - Proverbs 5:1-2

There was great detail given as to how the tabernacle would be furnished as pointed out in the post “Specific Details”. The need to attend to great detail is also needed in life because sometimes the margin for error is so minuet. One little thing can get us off track.

Working with computer systems, one wrong code entry or data tag can throw things off and it’s hard to find what the issue is. With so many updates and changes that take place within a computer system, it’s easy to bring a system down and many times hard to find the solution to get it going again.

The good thing about Christianity is that God’s principles never change. A daily devotional time internalizes His guiding principles so they become an instrument which pushes us to focus on Him in every activity throughout our day.

The Tabernacle as mentioned in the post “Specific Details” would be the dwelling place of God. Because of Christ, our bodies are the dwelling place or Temple of God and as in the song Christ In Me by Jeremy Camp, Christ in us lights up the Temple.

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Called According To His Purpose

We know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose.

The post “Respond with Commitment” discusses how Moses was called according to His purpose to receive instructions called the Ten Commandments from God. During that time, only Moses could have a close relationship to God but because of the death and resurrection of Christ, we have the opportunity to also get instructions from God through reading His Word. We can read the Bible for the purpose of writing down lessons learned and sharing these lessons with future generations.

The song Every Good Thing by The Afters points out that our relationships are so important. Of most importance is our relationship with God. Then our time with family members and our friends should also be top priority. Let us remember that life is designed for eternity so let us put our time into good causes and into relationships that return eternal dividends.

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Accept One Another Just as Christ Accepted You

Accept one another, then, just as Christ accepted you, in order to bring praise to God. - Romans 15:7

We all have different strengths and weaknesses but God has made us all for a purpose so let us celebrate our diversity and understand each other.  According to Guinness World Records, the tallest man living is 8 ft. 3 inches. The shortest man living is 2 feet tall. A startling comparison is that if humans varied as much in height as dogs do, the smallest person would be 2 feet tall and the tallest person would stand 31 feet tall!

One thought from the post “Understanding Each Other” was that one group assumed another built an altar to rebel against God but after talking, they understood it was built to worship Him. Many times, we may not know the whole story but then are given the full picture. We then understand and can accept the actions of others. 

As pointed out in the song Losing by Tenth Avenue North, we may feel like the one losing unless we appreciate God’s grace and accept one another just as Christ has accepted you.   

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Never Shaken

For the king trusts in the Lord;

            through the unfailing love of the Most High

            he will not be shaken. – Psalm 21:7

Sharing in the post “Trusting the Lord”, David desired success in overcoming his enemies and in prayer he asks God for help. He thanks God for listening and granting his spiritual request and asks for eternal blessings.

When we follow God’s plan for us, we are assured of gaining victories in various situations throughout life. There will be challenges but as in this video: We Won’t Be Shaken – Building 429.  As we gain victories, our response will be to give God the glory as we gain momentum each day.

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Greatest Reward

Behold, I am coming soon! My reward is with me, and I will give to everyone according to what he has done. - Revelation 22:12

The greatest reward in life is Jesus in our heart. The post “Internalizing His Principles” describes how to obtain this great reward that allows us to fellowship with God throughout our day.

This day, believe that God has a great plan for you and He will set things up so everything will fall into place. It all starts with receiving a plan from Him through faithful, consistent, and powerful prayer. Here is a video poem to start you toward an amazing day: This Day with God.

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The Unifier and Provider

In the post, “Dissipation of a Nation”, the people turned to idol worship instead of giving credit to God for all they had been given. Written about were some lessons we can take from this passage which can be applied today within nations or used by individuals. Many throughout the world seem to think governments can best provide for needs even though governments have a way of setting up roadblocks to productivity by setting up regulations that are impossible to meet or enforce.

In the nation in which I live, every state is different but united. Within the United States, some states choose to do things one way and others choose to do things another way. Texas has just a few natural lakes. Years ago, some smart people noticed that there were many rivers in Texas but the water just ran into the Gulf of Mexico. During the hot summers, the state would get low on water so they thought of the idea of building damns along the rivers to make lakes that stores the water.

The point is that it’s important to plan using the lessons taught by history. Some states never learned from history; never built lakes to store rain water, and as a result, have to either do without or barrow water from other states at a high price.

The Bible has many lessons taught by history that the United States adopted to form The U. S. Constitution as a guide to run the nation. Unfortunately, many have decided that it should no longer be “One Nation Under God” so they’ve instructed to ditch the advantage that history brings; going instead to the lead of a few unqualified bureaucrats as the best way to the future.  

God’s Plan for Us is the best way. It’s been proven over and over again. This day can be amazing because our growing faith can never be taken away or depleted. The gospel message has a beautiful and refreshing simplicity about it that sets us free and never let us down. Be inspired by the song The Way by Jeremy Camp.

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Grace Wins Every Time

Many people, organizations, and nations have great potential but one issue can get them off track. In the post “Step Ahead with Confidence”, written were some thoughts from the study of Hosea 10 and how Israel got off track with negative reactions to certain challenges. It is the same with us in our life today as we react to issues. What we have to do is keep working to stay on track.

With good habits, we can step ahead and maximize the potential God has given us. The Bible gives us great advice and we can have confidence because victory is assured through Jesus Christ. We can let the past go and know the future is bright because grace wins every time. Take inspiration from today’s video: Grace Wins – Matthew West.

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