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SNEAK PEEK: How God Makes Men by Patrick Morley

September 16, 2013

Click here to download chapter one of How God Makes Men.

About How God Makes Men

Let’s face it, —men today are under severe attack. The battle line against biblical manhood is clearly drawn and fiercely contested. More than ever, men who want to follow Christ are asking:

•Why is it so hard to live an authentic Christian life?
•Who will show me how to thrive as a father, a husband, and on the job?
•What should I do when I’m being tested to the breaking point?

God Shares Your Heartbreak

September 16, 2013

“It’s hard for some people to imagine that the God of the universe, the God who is all knowing and all powerful, has emotions and feels sad, hurt, and rejected—but he does.

When we look at the Old Testament story, we see a God who created human beings in his likeness, including having emotions. He created Adam and Eve and blessed them with everything they needed or wanted. He gave them a beautiful environment to live in, a companion to enjoy life with, and a purpose to take care of his creation. Yet Adam’s and Eve’s hearts weren’t completely content…

God loved Adam and Eve and felt hurt and disappointed when they chose to believe the serpent, and not trust him. That was the start of God’s heartbreak over the human race…Don’t feel afraid of being honest with God [ … ]

SNEAK PEEK: Praying for Your Husband from Head to Toe by Sharon Jaynes

September 13, 2013

Gideon O’Riley has been given another chance at a life with Lonnie. But will the fight for her heart risk it all over again? – See more at: https://waterbrookmultnomah.com/catalog.php?work=219085#sthash.2GHMxE02.dpuf

Read the first chapter of Praying for Your Husband from Head to Toe.

Powerful, effective prayer for your husband is easier than you think.

As a wife, you have been given the privilege of serving as a mighty prayer warrior for your husband. Yet sometimes, even when poised with the best of [ … ]

Why Are You Here?

September 13, 2013

“Why are you here? You were created for God and to glorify God (Isaiah 43:7), because it pleased Him to do so (Ephesians 1:5). The concept of glory can be difficult to wrap our human minds around. Simply put, God’s glory is how He makes His presence known. You, my friend, are a platform from which God displays His magnificence and makes His presence easy to see.

Knowing you were created by God and for God confirms that you have great value and great purpose, regardless of how you feel about yourself, regardless of how you came into this world, regardless of what others have said about you in the past. Every human life is sacred, no matter how it began.”

Excerpted from Knowing God by Name by Sharon Jaynes, Gwen Smith, and Mary Southerland

Daily Reflection: How can [ … ]

The Parenting of Our Father

September 12, 2013

“Jesus said there is great rejoicing in heaven when a person chooses to repent and turn to God (Luke 15:7). He compared God to a person who throws a party when a lost sheep is rescued (Luke 15:3–6), a lost coin is found (Luke 15:8–10), and a lost son is restored (Luke 15:11–32). God knows how to celebrate success, and our heavenly Father also knows the value of critiquing bad behavior. Both ways of relating are necessary.”

Excerpted from Raising Boys by Design by Dr. Gregory L. Jantz and Michael Gurian

Daily Reflection: How can you rejoice with and also gently critique your loved ones?

God’s Favorites

September 11, 2013

“Do you think God has favorites? Certainly God makes His love available to all, and Jesus came to earth so that “whosoever” might call on His name and be saved.

But Jabez, whose prayer earned him a “more honorable” award from God, might have made the case that God does have favorites. His experience taught him that equal access to God’s favor does not add up to equal reward. What happened to some of the others named along with him in Chronicles? Idbash, Hazelelponi, and Anub, for example. What honors and awards did they get from God?
Simply put, God favors those who ask. He holds back nothing from those who want and earnestly long for what He wants.”

Excerpted from The Prayer of Jabez by Bruce Wilkinson

Daily Reflection: What earnest prayer are you holding in because [ … ]

God Has a Reason

September 10, 2013

“The last biblical famine had occurred during Joseph’s time, and God had put that one in motion too: “He called down famine on the land and destroyed all their supplies of food.”

That sovereignty thing in action? Right. God really is in charge, and he really does know what he’s doing. The famine in Egypt made a way forward for Joseph “till the word of the Lord proved him true.”17 And that same famine, terrible as it was, brought Joseph’s brothers to his door for a God-ordained reunion.

Whenever heartache, loss, disappointment, stress, or any of the other stuff we hate comes our way, it helps to remember that hard times are purposeful, meant to refine and redirect us. They’re not arbitrary or random, and they’re definitely not cruel. If I’m going to suffer, at least let it be for [ … ]

Our Breathtaking God

September 9, 2013

“If you are a guide on a sightseeing trip and you know the people are longing to enjoy beauty and you come upon some breathtaking ravine, then you should show it to them and urge them to enjoy it. Well, the human race does in fact crave the experience of awe and wonder. And there is no reality more breathtaking than God.”

Excerpted from Desiring God by John Piper

Daily Reflection: How can you show someone the breathtaking wonder of God today?

Allowing God to Shape Us

September 6, 2013

“When we first come to Christ, our spiritual life has little shape or form. We submit ourselves to Jesus Christ as our Savior and ask God to begin shaping us into what He wants us to be. “We are the clay, you are the potter; we are all the work of your hand”
(Isaiah 64:8; see also Jeremiah 18:4-6).

As a piece of clay, we can allow ourselves to be molded and become a product of the Potter who cares for us, but we cannot express our love back to Him. We can’t experience any deep sense of intimacy if we remain in this level of relationship. Why? Because a lump of clay’s value is based on how it can be used. When we comply and feel God using us, we feel good about ourselves. When we mess [ … ]