Building A Sure Foundation For Christian Growth

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Comment by ALCEDES JONES on September 2, 2010 at 12:59pm

WELCOME BLOODBOUGHT MAY OUR HEAVENLY BLESS YOU THROUGH THIS GROUP AND WHEREVER HE MAY LEAD YOU
Today's Word with Joel and Victoria

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By His Grace

TODAY'S SCRIPTURE

"But whatever I am now, it is all because God poured out His special favor on me--and not without results. For I have worked harder than any of the other apostles; yet it was not I but God who was working through me by His grace"
(1 Corinthians 15:10, NLT)

TODAY'S WORD from Joel and Victoria

In this day and age, many people are filled with worry about their future. They live stressed out, wondering "What's going to happen if I get laid off?" "How am I going to handle it if my loved one doesn't make it?" Or, "My parents are getting older. How can I take care of them and my own family as well?" Here is the answer: God's grace is going to be there at every stage of your life to help you do whatever you need to do. God's grace is what saves us, but that's not all. His grace is His enabling power. His grace will give you the strength, wisdom and favor to accomplish what you could not normally accomplish on your own. His grace is sufficient for whatever you need in your future.

If you're in a difficult marriage, if you're raising a child that's hard, if you're facing a sickness, one thing you can count on is that the grace of God will be there. Receive His grace today, by faith, and let Him empower you to walk through that difficulty into a place of supernatural victory in Jesus' name!

A PRAYER FOR TODAY

Father in heaven, thank You for Your grace and mercy upon my life. Thank You for empowering me to rise above every obstacle I may face. Thank You for restoring my future and equipping me to move forward into the victory You have for me. In Jesus' Name. Amen.

Comment by Pastor Bob B on August 31, 2010 at 5:17am

Welcome Bloodbought357, check out the foundation stone discussions.

Comment by BloodBought357 on August 30, 2010 at 8:05pm

I am looking forward to being a part of this group

Comment by ALCEDES JONES on August 30, 2010 at 1:10pm

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Established in Love

TODAY'S SCRIPTURE

"May you be rooted deep in love and founded securely on love"
(Ephesians 3:17, AMP)

TODAY'S WORD from Joel and Victoria

Did you know there is tremendous power in love? In the same way that a tree will grow taller and stronger when its roots grow deep, you will be stronger and rise higher when you are rooted and established in love.

How do you establish yourself in love? It starts with a choice. When you say "yes" to love, you are saying "yes" to everything God is because God is love! Then, choose to operate in love according to 1 Corinthians 13. That means being patient and kind. It means not seeking your own way, not being jealous or boastful. When you choose love instead of choosing your own way, you are showing the world that God is first place in your life. You are establishing yourself in love. The more you choose to walk in love, the deeper and stronger your roots will grow.

Remember, love is the greatest thing, and it is all that will last in eternity. Choose to establish yourself in love and let it be firm within you. Let His love build security in you and empower you to live the life of blessing He has in store for you.

A PRAYER FOR TODAY

Heavenly Father, I choose to be established in Your love. Show me how to love others the way You love me. Thank You for setting me free and empowering me to live the good life You have prepared for me. In Jesus' Name. Amen

Comment by ALCEDES JONES on August 30, 2010 at 9:51am

Live a Life of Faith
Inspiration > Live a Life of Faith

How to Live a Life of Faith

Some people think faith means a skill of belief you must acquire before you can start calling upon God. That is not what faith means. Faith is simply the decision, each day, to act as if God’s promises are true and present in your life.

It is important to understand this quality of faith because faith is not a state of mind. It is a practice, a daily practice of calling upon God and trusting that he will respond—even when, sometimes, it seems he is far away.

How do you acquire this practice? By doing it. An easy way to start is simply to affirm your faith verbally. Say, “I believe. God is with me right now.” Even if you haven’t completely taken the words to heart, saying them will cause your mind gradually to follow along.

Then pray this prayer: “Dear Jesus, I place my life and the lives of my loved ones in the shelter of your loving arms. I’m going to trust you to care for us in every way today. You only want good for your children, so whatever happens, you’ll work today for our benefit.”

Once you have done this, approach each of the day’s tasks with the assumption that God is working beside you. The key is to hold on to this conviction even when events seem to be going against you. Remember St. Paul’s great promise: “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.”

And don’t be surprised if living by faith brings you victory more quickly than you had expected. When you arm yourself with faith, you tap a wellspring of intellectual and emotional strength. Before you know it, you’ll be overcoming any calamities you face.

Comment by ALCEDES JONES on August 30, 2010 at 6:09am

Activate God’s Promises
Inspiration > Bible > Activate God’s Promises

Activate God’s Promises

The Bible is filled with verses that promise you God’s help in times of trouble. But it’s up to you to activate these promises. Here’s how:

1. Don’t be afraid to ask. It’s what God wants you to do! “Call upon me in the day of trouble: I will deliver you” (Psalm 50:15). “If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be given you” (John 15:7). Like Jesus himself, pray (always!) for God’s will: “This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us” (1 John 5:14).


2. Do what God leads you to do. Prayer and faith must never be substitutes for action. The Savior who spent so much time praying also devoted himself to teaching and ministering to people’s needs. James 2:17 reminds us: “Faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead.”


3. Remember: You cannot harvest unless you first plant seeds. The Message translates Galatians 6:7-8 to read: “Don’t be mislead. No one makes a fool of God. The person who plants foolishness, ignoring the needs of other—ignoring God!—harvests a crop of weeds…But the one who plants in response to God, letting God’s Spirit do the growth work in him, harvests a crop of real life, eternal life.” What seeds of goodness can you plant today?


4. Speak God’s promises and blessings into life. Human words have immense power. “The tongue has the power of life and death” (Proverbs 18:21). Our words can bless or destroy. Claim God’s promises as your own (even inserting your name!) and speak them aloud. Here are a few to get you started:
• “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me” (Philippians 4:13).
• “God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus” (Philippians 4:19).
• It is God who “forgives all your sin and heals all your diseases” (Psalm 103:3).

Comment by James John O. on August 19, 2010 at 7:46am

Endure hardship with us like a good soldier of Christ Jesus. No one serving as a soldier gets involved in civilian affairs—he wants to please his commanding officer. Similarly, if anyone competes as an athlete, he does not receive the victor's crown unless he competes according to the rules. The hardworking farmer should be the first to receive a share of the crops. Therefore I endure everything for the sake of the elect, that they too may obtain the salvation that is in Christ Jesus, with eternal glory. Here is a trustworthy saying:
If we died with him,
we will also live with him;
if we endure,
we will also reign with him.
If we disown him,
he will also disown us;
if we are faithless,
he will remain faithful,
for he cannot disown himself. 2 Timothy 2

Comment by ALCEDES JONES on August 18, 2010 at 5:11pm

Make Happiness a Habit
Inspiration > Bible > Make Happiness a Habit

Make Happiness a Habit

Abraham Lincoln said, “Most people are just about as happy as they make up their minds to be.” How much happiness do you want in your life? And how badly do you want it?

If you want to make happiness a habit, remember:

Real happiness is not smiling 24/7 and feeling elated about everything that comes your way. Ecclesiastes 3:4 tells us there is “a time to weep and a time to laugh.” We are commanded to rejoice with those who rejoice and to weep with those who weep (Romans 12:15). But God gives us the assurance that, regardless of what happens, we are surrounded by his love. It is that knowledge which produces in us a deep happiness and serenity.

Happiness does not depend on the things around you. Most people believe that if they had more money, or a new car, or house, or job, or something else, their joy would be complete. You have only to look at the “stars” of our society to see how untrue that assumption is. Many famous people, who own practically everything one could wish for, often seem the most unhappy. Proverbs wisely observes, “Better is a little with the fear of the Lord, than great treasure with trouble” (15:16).

Worry wastes energy and diminishes happiness. Nothing cuts through joy as quickly as negative thinking. Expect good things to happen. Look for ways to use your God-given talents. Speak positive words, and you will draw happiness to you! The Message translates Matthew 6:34 to read: “Give your entire attention to what God is doing right now, and don't get worked up about what may or may not happen tomorrow. God will help you deal with whatever hard things come up when the time comes.”

Comment by ALCEDES JONES on August 18, 2010 at 9:14am

Grace for Today

TODAY'S SCRIPTURE

"Give us this day our daily bread…"
(Matthew 6:11, NKJ).

TODAY'S WORD from Joel and Victoria

God has grace in store for you every single day. Grace is His supernatural empowerment, His unmerited favor on your life. All throughout scripture, we see God giving daily grace, empowerment and provision to His people. For example, when the people of Israel were in the wilderness headed toward the Promised Land, God gave them manna each morning to eat. It would just appear on the ground. But, He specifically instructed them to gather up only enough for one day's supply. In fact, if they got more than that, it wouldn't last. It would spoil. They were learning to trust God's grace every single day.

In the same way, God doesn't give us grace for a year at a time or even a month at a time. No, every 24 hours God has a fresh, new supply of grace, favor, wisdom and forgiveness. How are you going to make it through the seasons of your life? One day at a time. Look for His grace today. Look for His provision today. Look for His hand of favor and blessing today because He promises to supply everything you need for today.

A PRAYER FOR TODAY

Father God, thank You for Your grace and favor on my life today. I know that You have a fresh supply of everything that I need—physically, spiritually and emotionally—today. Help me to trust You more as I seek Your face. In Jesus' Name. Amen.

Comment by ALCEDES JONES on August 18, 2010 at 8:28am

Today's Word with Joel and Victoria


One Blessing after Another

TODAY'S SCRIPTURE

"From the fullness of His grace we have all received one blessing after another"
(John 1:16, NIV).

TODAY'S WORD from Joel and Victoria

God wants to pour out His blessing and favor upon you each and every day. It says in the Psalms that He daily loads us with benefits! So many people miss out on all that God has for them because they are weighted down by guilt and condemnation. But notice what today's verse tells us about where His blessings come from—the fullness of His grace.

God's grace is His unmerited favor. That means we can't earn it. We can't work for it, and we can't change His mind about it. He pours out His blessing on us not because of what we do, but because of who He is. His blessings are based on His goodness, not ours.

Today, receive His grace. Receive His forgiveness. Let go of guilt and condemnation. Open your heart and mind to what God wants to do in your life and get ready because He is pouring out His goodness upon you with one blessing after another!

A PRAYER FOR TODAY

Heavenly Father, I choose to receive Your grace today which is Your supernatural empowerment. I release guilt and condemnation and receive Your love and forgiveness. Search my heart, O God. Renew me and cleanse me by Your Word. In Jesus' Name. Amen.

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