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Daily Devotional – A Day of Gratefulness

November 28, 2013

“Certain dates evoke emotion in each of us. A personal favorite is the fourth Thursday of November, a day of gratefulness. Family members come from all over the Midwest to indulge in the gluttony. They bring dozens of dishes, including pies, cakes, casseroles, and turkey. We laugh and play games until the inevitable comatose nap at 2:30…

God gave us gifts and opportunities to produce so we can leverage our productivity in celebration and gratefulness to Him.
By God’s grace and power, I want to make a profit. I want to save. I want to give to others as He has given to me. I want to invest in others like He invested in me. When we begin to understand these things, our embittered hearts begin to soften.”

Excerpted from Godonomics by Chad Hovind

Daily Reflection: This Thanksgiving, [ … ]

Grow Your Gratitude

November 27, 2013

“If you want to grow your faith, grow your gratitude. To grow your gratitude, take time to count your blessings.
When you take time to stop and look around you—to look at the people who invest in you and those from the past who helped build your character and your life—you remember things that you can never take credit for. They were given to you, like Grandma’s prayers that accompanied you on your salvation journey, like the providence of God that led you to meet your spouse, like the miracle birth of your child, circumstances that allowed you to go to college, the friend of a friend who paved the path for your first job. Once you start counting blessings—many of them ones you have never before acknowledged—you will be overwhelmed. Once you start the list, you’ll find it’s [ … ]

He Knows You Personally

November 26, 2013

“Psalm 139:13–16:

You made all the delicate, inner parts of my body
and knit me together in my mother’s womb.
Thank you for making me so wonderfully complex!
Your workmanship is marvelous—how well I know it.
You watched me as I was being formed in utter seclusion,
as I was woven together in the dark of the womb.
You saw me before I was born.
Every day of my life was recorded in your book.
Every moment was laid out
before a single day had passed…

It’s one thing to believe that God loves you as one among many. It’s another thing altogether to trust that God knows what you’re going through, that He cares, and that He has the power and desire to watch over you personally.”

Excerpted from Man [ … ]

A Prayer to the Giver of Good Gifts

November 25, 2013

“Father, I confess that I often fail to recognize the truth that every good gift comes from Your hand. I pray Your Holy Spirit would give me a fresh awareness and a thankful heart for the very life You freely give me each day and for the gift of eternal life You so freely offer. Help me to see Your hand in the smallest details of my world and teach me to celebrate life each and every day. Thank You for Your faithfulness to me and for Your unfailing love that sustains every step I take. I want to live a life that truly celebrates You! In Jesus’s name, amen.”

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

Daily Reflection: How can you show your thankfulness for God’s gifts this week?

The Gift of an Apology

November 22, 2013

What are you running from, Miss Campbell? Gordon knew he had no business posing such a question. Not when he was on the run himself.
Then stop running. Gordon looked down at the toes of his boots. Could he do so? Stop fleeing from his past and simply face it? Confess who he was and what he’d done?

Be strong and of a good courage. A gentler voice this time, stirring deep inside him.

Gordon could ignore his conscience, but he could not disregard the Almighty. He lifted his head. You’ll help me, Lord? Show me what to do, tell me what to say? Gordon was not afraid of words; they were his livelihood. But an apology for so great an error would not be easily spoken.

***

It’s hard to say, “I was wrong” or “I’m sorry.” Yet [ … ]

From Good Intentions to Actions

November 21, 2013

My life was full of good intentions—those things we write down in journals and share with friends or family, the important ideas that make us feel good about ourselves, the things we know we’re “supposed” to do as followers of Christ. But for too many of us, our good intentions never become good actions. Without action, good intentions don’t move us forward, draw us closer to God, or make a difference in the world. Good intentions are cans of paint that could have become amazing works of art—but never did.

Excerpted from Ten Days Without by Daniel Ryan Day

Daily Reflection: What are some of the fears or distractions that are keeping you from doing those good intentions you find yourself talking about?

Don’t Give Up

November 20, 2013

Don’t give up. Believe the gospel. God is sovereignly orchestrating your life. Nothing done to you by human decision can ever be done apart from God’s will. Whatever others have meant for evil, He will use it for good.

Always remember this: Joseph carried his pain for over two decades until God revealed the liberating truth that nothing can happen to us by human decision apart from His knowledge and father-like concern. That’s what the Bible says. Not even one sparrow can fall to the ground apart from His will.

What have you been carrying around, and for how long? Whatever it is, God wants you to know that He is making you into part of His larger plan to redeem this world and bring glory to His name. That’s who you are.

Trust Him and wait for Him, and [ … ]

The Goodness of the Lord

November 19, 2013

I believe that I shall see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living. –Psalm 27:13

Psalm 27:13 starts out "I believe…" That is the basis for faith. Faith is one of those things that defies description. To one who doesn’t believe, it seems irrational, maybe even foolish. But those who possess it know it’s the foundation of our lives. When faced with trials, I often find myself longing for Heaven, where no sadness or suffering can touch me or the ones I love. But even so, I believe God is HERE with me NOW and I will see Him work good in the most painful situation. That is faith. And it’s a beautiful thing.

Original Devotional by Kim Vogel Sawyer, Author of What Once Was Lost

Daily Reflection: How do you find strength through [ … ]

Longing for a Mary Heart

November 18, 2013

“Having a Mary Heart in a Martha World. The thought intrigues you. Deep inside of you there is a hunger, a calling, to know and love God. To truly know Jesus Christ and the fellowship of the Spirit. You’re not after more head knowledge—it’s heart-to-heart intimacy you long for.
Yet a part of you hangs back. Exhausted, you wonder how to find the strength or time. Nurturing your spiritual life seems like one more duty—one more thing to add to a life that is spilling over with responsibilities…

‘He’s up there somewhere,’ you say, swaying slightly as you peer upward, uncertain how to begin or if you even want to attempt the long, dizzy climb. But to do nothing means you will miss what your heart already knows: There is more to this Christian walk than you’ve experienced. And [ … ]

Memories Make Who You Are

November 15, 2013

I am more than my name, more than my occupation, more than my degrees, more than my dreams, more than my family. I am who I was. It’s my footprints, where I’ve been and what I’ve done, that reveal my soulprint. It’s my unique combination of memories that makes me who I am spiritually, emotionally, relationally, and motivationally. It’s also that unique combination of memories that enables me to worship God in a way that no one else can. Why? Because when we sing the classic hymn “Great Is Thy Faithfulness,” it’s more than generic praise for a static character
trait. God’s faithfulness is as unique as every moment of your life. Every memory is a testament to His dynamic faithfulness that is simultaneously the same and different for anyone and everyone else. So when our congregation sings that [ … ]