Memory Verse Challenge: Week 17

Sometimes we find it hard to "do good" or to do the right thing.  It can be easier to sit back and do nothing (to become couch potato Christians).  Doing good can also wear us out mentally, physically and even emotionally.

This week's verse encourages us to continue on with doing good and reminds us that the reward is great.  Sometimes the reward is immediate like a giant smile and a warm hug.  Other times we won't see much of an earthly reward but our reward in heaven far outweighs anything we could get on earth.  Keep your eye on the prize.

See more about the Memory Verse Challenge here.
See the complete list of Challenge verses here.

Sunday Blogvotional: Go Forth In Courage & Faith

Have you ever felt the nudge of the Holy Spirit to do something?  Have you ever felt that what you were being asked to do was completely and utterly out of your comfort zone and your capabilities?

Chances are you have.  God has a tendency to use people who aren't quite comfortable or particularly skilled in certain areas to accomplish something great.  It's through our inabilities that His glory is made known.  But even when we understand that He will be glorified, it doesn't necessarily make it easier for us to go forward with the task - to take that step in faith.

The task may be hard and the full scope of the task may be unclear.  But remember this: God will always give us the strength and the ability to do what He's asking us to do.  He will never ask us to do something and then sit back and watch us muddle through in vain on our own.  He doesn't play games with us.  That role is left to the "great deceiver".  God is purposeful, has a plan, and when He calls us to do something - He will see us through it to the end. 

I can do everything through Him who gives me strength.  Philippians 4:13

Encouragement for the week:  Ask God for a task today (someone to share your faith with, someone to minister to, someone to forgive, or maybe a struggle or fear to let go of, etc).  Show Him you are willing and see Him give you the strength to do it.

Memory Verse Challenge: Week 16

This week's verse reminds us that we see obstacles so differently than God sees them.  We are human and in our world things must follow certain patterns and laws of nature.  But God is not bound by any of those rules or laws.  In fact, they are bound to Him.  They wouldn't exist if it weren't for Him.

No problem or obstacle is too great or complicated for God to overcome.  In truth, I think He likes it when we encounter the "impossible".  What better way for Him to show His glory than surprising us with an "impossibility".

See more about the Memory Verse Challenge here.
See the complete list of Challenge verses here.

Sunday Blogvotional: Jesus Stands The Test of Time

“Therefore in the present case I (Gamaliel) advise you: Leave these men (the apostles) alone! Let them go! For if their purpose or activity (preaching Christianity) is of human origin, it will fail. But if it is from God, you will not be able to stop these men; you will only find yourselves fighting against God.”  Acts 5: 38,39

Some 2,000 years later after Jesus’ ministry, sacrifice, and resurrection the gospel is still being preached. Rest assured, there is a God and His son Jesus came to earth to die for our sins. If it were not so, we would not even know who Jesus was. The message of Christianity would have faded out long ago.

The passage above is very logical and very supportive. Jesus has stood the test of time. That's because Jesus was present long before our earth was even created. He is Creator, Savior, Everything! He will be alive and well and reigning over His kingdom long after this world passes.

Jesus is someone to believe in and hold onto. If we believe in Jesus - that He is who He says He is, that He died for our sins and that He conquered death and rose again - we too can be alive and well and live with Him long after this world passes away. 

Encouragement for the week:  Truth is truth and His story endures.  It's our responsibility to share it with others.  Trust in the story of Jesus and share it with one person this week.  It is after all "the greatest story ever told".

Memory Verse Challenge: Week 15

Good Monday morning to you - I hope and pray you will have a blessed week.

This week's verse is from Psalm and it reminds us that God is close to us in our troubles and in our pain.  He is not some distant being removed from us by space and feeling.  He hurts when we hurt and He will pull us through our pain and deliver us.  Remember - in week 8 we learned that God is the Father of compassion.

See more about the Memory Verse Challenge here.
See the complete list of Challenge verses here.

Sunday Blogvotional: United We Stand

I appeal to you, brothers, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you agree with one another so that there may be no divisions among you and that you may be perfectly united in mind and thought. 1 Corinthians 1:10

Have you ever tried to fight a battle by yourself?  What about a spiritual battle?  It's real easy for the devil and his minions to knock you down when you're standing alone.  But what if you were standing arm in arm with fellow believers (fellow warriors)?  Wouldn't the devil have a much harder time knocking you down? Wouldn't the fight be less about you – less like a personal attack and more about an attack against God? 

When we as Christians are bent on being separating ourselves from other Christians simply because we see a few things differently, we weaken our team (Team Christians) as well as our fighting power.  The more we recognize our fight is not against each other but against the evil one, we’ll align ourselves together.  And when we’re linked together, arm in arm, we can make a more powerful stand against our real enemies (the principalities of darkness). 

Ask yourself what team you would rather be on?   Do you want to get caught up in arguments that separate your from other believers or do you want to be on a strong, unified team?  United we stand - alone we fall.

Encouragement for the week:  Encourage yourself and others to stop fighting each other and start fighting the devil.  Don’t get caught up in the drama of “this church against that church” or divisions within your own church.  The devil is surely in those.  Fight back with love, patience, humility and unity.  The devil won't know what hit him!

Memory Verse Challenge: Week 14

I took it easy on you last week with a short verse.  This week's is longer because it's not one you can really cut in half.  Good news is that you've probably said parts of it many times so memorizing it should be a piece of cake:-)

This verse reminds us that we are not defeated nor will we ever be defeated.  Additionally - God's love is not fleeting.  He will never give up on us.  The devil would like us to believe that when we sin heaven is no longer an option for us or that God hates us.  The truth is right here in God's word - nothing can separate us from the love of God.

Planting these truths in our hearts and minds is what this memory verse challenge is all about.  I hope you are finding it useful.

See more about the Memory Verse Challenge here.
See the complete list of Challenge verses here.

Sunday Blogvotional: Weakened By The Storm

Imagine you're a fruit tree in the forest of humanity.  In general you're strong, healthy and produce a lot of delicious fruit.  Yet there are times when you barely survive the storms that come your way.  The harsh weather and hurricane winds take their toll on you.  Some of your branches get damaged and weakened.  And like in life when our weaknesses tend to steal our focus and our energy - your weakened branches are stealing nutrients from your healthy parts.  They're fighting for survival while slowly killing you and your spirit. 

Sounds depressing if that's all there was to the story.  But we have a Creator that's bigger than the storms and a Father who is faithful to nurture us.  God understands that we'll never be as fruitful as we can be until we get rid of our "baggage" - our weak branches.  And God is gracious.  He gets rid of our unhealthy branches and prunes what's left.  It's painful but a little pain is necessary to make us stronger in the end.

He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes so that it will be even more fruitful.
John 15:2

Encouragement for the week:  A pruned tree is not only made stronger by the pruner but also gets its shape from Him as well.  Don't fight God when you sense Him pruning you.  Instead - thank Him for using the opportunity to shape you into something beautiful and strong. 

Memory Verse Challenge: Week 13

(Sorry for the delay in getting this week's verse out.  I've been having some computer issues.)

This week's verse is one you probably already know well.  It offers great encouragement and it's a good verse to have in your memory banks to remind you of your significance to God.

 See more about the Memory Verse Challenge here.
See the complete list of Challenge verses here.