My Morning Thought: Recent Episodes
Barbara Scorza
A daily motivational podcast. Just 5 minutes or so to get you thinking and going. It is the intent to issue a thought and pose a question so that you can be thinking about how the question fits into your life. Attempting to make the world a better place by the small steps of individuals daily. We will talk about life, love and the pursuit of Jesus.
What if everything we did, we did with God in mind? Not the person or entity that benefited from our efforts, but as unto God Himself. Would we do it with more passion? More enthusiasm? What impact would that have on those who are reaping the benefits?
What if we lived our life gleaning from our experiences and the experiences of others while sharing what we've learned? Maybe would could avoid some pitfall.
God is always working, we often miss it. Look and listen intently to see the good, even if it's just to save you from the worst.
When you are only looking at a moment, it's hard to tell the why.
God knows the whole story.
When the Holy Spirit lives inside you, you and your "plus one" are always the majority.
With the Holy Spirit living inside of you, your life has to be different. You can't continue to live in habitual sin.
It's easy to see what's not right. Sometimes you have to look a little harder to see what is right - although, it's always right there.
Today, I'm thankful - if only for one night.
God is still in control.
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Humility means we have to take a balcony seat. Get up to look down and within, not just at my needs, but the needs of others. It means I will "choose" to bring God glory, regardless of what it looks like in my life.
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Is there a moment in your life where everything changed? Did that moment lead you to or away from Christ? Choose Christ.
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Isn't it funny how we want God to answer all our requests with a "yes" and we say "no" or simply ignore His Will for us?
Gaither Music TV - Yes, Lord, Yes
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Taking our thoughts captive to obey Christ.
It all boils down to obeying Christ.
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Don't allow the lies of the world to keep you bound. Jesus died to set you free.
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You can control it. It's not something from the outside. It begins in your mind; how and what you think about something or someone. Allow the bond of love to form your thoughts.
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Don't listen to the lies of Satan. Trust God. Take one step towards Him and see. If you draw near to God, He will draw near to you.
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What do you hear? Do you hear only the lies of the world? Or do you hear the truth of God?
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Look back over your life and I'm sure you will be able to see how God has brought you and protected you. If you can't see how awesome God is, just in the painting of the sky, the holding back of the water at its shores, and the fact that He woke you up this morning, look deeper. Ask someone who can tell you how God brought them through.
Link to My God Is Awesome
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The hasty remark because of how you felt? Was it worth the fallout?
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If you know Jesus as your LORD and Savior, then your hope is built on spending eternity with Him. And better is one day in His house than 1,000 elsewhere.
So, know that you'll get through your hard days and it will be better and even on your best days, there is better.
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To be filled with the Holy Spirit and God's Word, lessens your appetite for the world, but to walk around hungry, many things look good. Even things that are bad for you.
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You can choose to trade the sorrow and anxiety for the joy and peace of the LORD.
Will you?
I'm Trading My Sorrows
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We all have choices, even when we can't see them. What will you choose? Will you choose selfish desires or living peaceably? Will you be open to reason?
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Longsuffering could be seen as the opposite to short-tempered. We show longsuffering by our restraint when stirred to anger. God shows His longsuffering by being patient with us and giving us time to repent.
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Jesus paid the price for my sin. I think of Simon who was compelled to carry Jesus' cross part of the way. If it were I, would I have felt compelled or counted it a pleasure?
How do you see your hardships?
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Why worry? God has you. He feeds the birds and clothes the grass of the field. Are you not of much more value? O ye of little faith.
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How do you handle correction? How do you give it? I think it is a sign of maturity. To receive the truth with a sense of understanding and present it to God for His revelation in your life.
Or do you, in response point out all the things they are doing wrong as well?
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If Jesus is the center of my life, then everything should revolved around Him. You should see Jesus in everything I say and do.
That's how I want to live because I want the world to see Jesus, not me. I want the world to love the LORD.
Link to Jesus at the Center by Israel Houghton
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Do you praise God from the time you rise in the morning to the time you retire at night? In the big and insignificant things?
Let's give God endless praise
Check out Endless Alleluia by Cory Asbury
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My Hypothesis: If I express gratitude every time I want or am anxious about something, I will want less.
I believe gratitude puts things in perspective and it's the antidote for anxiety.
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Who's first in your life? Where do you give your time? Is God your first choice or your last resort?
Funny Abbot and Costello skit.
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Not to the left or right, looking at what others have or what they are doing. Remember to look up to God and out towards the path he has laid for you.
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Trust God's Word. It is enough.
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A 3-legged race can only be won when someone leads and the other follows. So you must know the destination and be willing to lead and follow. You have to work as one.
The Holy Spirit and the carnal man move in different directions but are tied together. Allow the Spirit to lead. Work as one.
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God is a merciful God. He withholds the punishment we deserve for our sins. And sends His Son to stand in our place.
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Diamonds are formed under greater pressure and heat.
We too have our life pressures, but in those moments, we too can be made into a strong, valuable vessel for God.
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Do you stand on truth? It changes how you see the world.
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Sometimes you just have to be quiet and listen.
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Microwave Pizza. It's not bad, but there is better. Jesus came to give you life and life more abundantly.
Don't choose the microwave pizza.
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Do you trust God with all your heart? What about when times are hard? Do you still trust Him with all your heart?
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The Lord will return and judge all the world. Are you rejoicing or does that make you feel uneasy?
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He's not just there for the big things in your life. God has you, in every situation.
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Your words can change the atmosphere. Be there to listen and share from the Holy Spirit.
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It was never intended for you to do life alone.
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Do you have a Blind-spot Fearless Friend (BFF)? A friend that loves you enough that they are willing to risk it all to come to you with God's truth if they see your life not aligning with God's Word.
Are you a BFF?
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It's okay not to know, as long as you know where to go.
God has the answer and only the Holy Spirit can change hearts.
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One wrong thing can lead to the next, and next wrong thing. Don't believe you have gone to far from God. Repent and run to Him. He loves you. --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/barbara-scorza/message
Let us live to be conduits of Christ's love. Since we have been loved, let us love others.
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Be attentive, listen, and be obedient. God has something good for you.
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You are never unseen. You are never unknown. You are never unloved.
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What happens when your desires, lead to your beliefs and then lead to actions that don't align with God's will? Do you bend or do you expect God's Word to bend?
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How do you see yourself? How does that dictate how you live?
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How often, during the day or perhaps the hour, do you lean to your own understanding? You know when you feel like you have it and no need to invite God in?
Why not trust Him? He wants what is best for you.
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Be strong, loyal, and courageous with God's word.
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Jesus asked Bartimaeus, "What do you want me to do for you?"
What if we asked Jesus the same question?
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We can't, fully, do any of this thing called life alone. We can live apart from God, people do it every day, but to fully live, and live to your potential, we need God.
I Need Thee.
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What do you believe? You need to know. Not knowing leaves you open to whatever is the most powerful voice at the time.
Don't limit your beliefs to what you naturally understand. There is so much more.
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What would like look like if I sought God for all my decisions and waited for His answer and then was obedient?
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God has a plan. A perfect plan. Just trust Him.--- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/barbara-scorza/message
No matter what, earth has nothing that I desire, besides you.--- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/barbara-scorza/message
Know that your troubles are temporary when you put your trust in Christ.--- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/barbara-scorza/message
Do you see God for who He is or through the lens of your earthly father?
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God has the answers. Did you ask?
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God sent His Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins. Let us walk in that freedom.
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The world needs Jesus. Lord send me and send other laborers to your harvest.
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Do you love the Lord for who He is or only for what He can do for you?
If He never did anything else for you, but He has sent His Son to offer salvation, has He done enough?
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If Jesus asked you that question, what would your response be?
Would you really believe that He could do it?
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Jesus hung on a cross with a thief hanging on His right and one on His left. One thief didn't believe Jesus was who He said He was. He yelled for Him to get down and save himself and "us." The other saw the same thing with His natural eyes, but with his heart, he saw the king and asked Jesus to remember him when He came into His kingdom.
Who do you see?
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It's hard to believe that someone would be willing to die in your place. To pay your debt with their life. We see life through our hurt, pain, and the world's injustice.
But Jesus did! He died so you might believe.
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He could have come in majesty and great beauty, but He didn't. --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/barbara-scorza/message
You can trust God with all your troubles and challenges. Everything He has promised will come to pass.
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Ever had an "aha moment?" You know when you saw or heard something you didn't understand until something else happened and it all made sense?
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What if you meditated on God's word? Prayed it? Viewed the world through it? Lived your life according to it? Learned the nature of God? Lived the life He has for you?
What if you did that day and night?
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If you dwell in the shelter of the Most High you will abide in the shadow of the Almighty.
Sometimes it's hard to trust, but if you dwell you will abide.
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Our desires are good, but God's will is better, and where the two intersect; our spiritual worship, that is the best.
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Live not for self!
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Jesus gave a list of seven "woes" to the scribes and Pharisees.
He started out by telling the crowds and the disciples to do what they say and not what they do.
Lord, please align my life. I want what I believe to be what I say and what I say to be what I do.
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Never forget how special you are. God chose you. Will you choose Him?
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Know your value and your worth to God. Look around at how He cares for even the grass. He's got you!
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Be mindful, that the continued laxing of the norm can quickly create new norms.
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As a Christ-follower, you have what you need to overcome your challenges. And they are not for naught. If you are not a Christ-follower, by faith you can access what you need.
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You shall have no other gods before the LORD.
If something or someone is taking you away from God, you need to reevaluate.
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Will you present your bodies as living sacrifices? Willing to die to self to live for Christ?
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Knowing God changes everything!
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I can be blind to who I really am because I see who I want to see. But God knows me and I want Him to reveal to me myself so that whatever may stand in the way of me trusting Him more, can be removed.
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MyMorningThought #GodWantsMore
No matter where you are, God wants more for you. He loves you so much and meets you right where you are, but will not leave you there. He sees you at your best and that is more than you can ever see for yourself.
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Can you even comprehend that God, who created the heavens and the earth, wants to live with you?
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God has something to say about your life. Not that he’s trying to be controlling, but rather His love is steadfast and He wants good for you. Listen carefully. It’s for your good.
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Today is February 29, 2024, leap day. This extra day is because of the time it takes for the Earth to rotate around the sun. The sun is the center of our solar system. It keeps everything in its orbit.
Jesus is the center of it all. It even keeps the sun in its orbit. Let Him be the center of your life.
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It’s easy to miss what you are not looking for. So, keep a lookout, but not just for an incidental sighting. Seek with intentionality for a life-changing encounter.
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We often think that it’s not a big deal. What? Sin!
Getting angry is not a big deal. Lying is not a big deal. Sexual immorality is not a big thing. Pride or self-reliance is not a big thing. And many more, many more we see as not a big thing. But to God, sin is a matter of life and death.
Don’t forget to check out my latest podcast.
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Wait doesn’t feel like a common word to me. It seems everything has to be done right now, whether we have the means or even the know-how, we will jump right in.
What if we said “wait” more often? What if we asked God what we should do and how to do it? What if we took our time to know what we were to do, know how to do it, and we did it right the first time?
Don’t forget to check out my latest podcast.
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It’s my job to love you. It’s not my job to make you love me. Jesus died so you might live, but you have to choose Him. And His love draws you to live the life He created you to live, not the life you want. Because what He has for you is always better than what you want for yourself.
Don’t forget to check out my latest podcast.
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If goodness and mercy will follow you all your days on earth and then you go to heaven. What gives? It doesn’t get any better.
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Is it a fear of punishment? Or is it a reverence to the Almighty?
Call and leave me a message. I want to hear from you. (501) 291-3111Link to State Farm commercial
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Don’t miss God.
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Yes, knowing is good, but things happen when we do.
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What did you do yesterday on your way home? Simon of Cyrene was on his way in from the countryside and he was compelled to carry Jesus’ cross.
What a privilege.
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Don’t allow the traditions to prevent you from true worship.
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Yes, it’s about you, and yet it’s not about you, because it is always bigger than you.
Think of self from another's perspective with God’s will in mind.
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We can’t truly love apart from God. We have ideas, but we don’t really know what love is. But when we know that God loves us and we accept that love from Him then we can love others out of the overflow.
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What do you see when you look in the mirror?
What do others see when they look at you?
What does God see when He sees you?
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God has all you need. If you are lacking ask.
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Do you know God for who He is? Not just who we see Him as because of our experiences, but who He is.
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Fill your heart with Jesus and allow no room for things not of God.
Can You Retrain Your Brain
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Even on your best days, God still has more.
Don’t rely on your wisdom and knowledge. Lean into faith in God and allow Him to reveal His wisdom to you.
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Danger lurks, but you got this. The world is at odds with the kingdom of God. And yet for God so loved the world.
As Christ-followers, there are many dangers you will face in His name, but stay the course.
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Don’t live for tomorrow and lose sight of today, but also, don’t live for today with no thought of tomorrow.
Live a finite life with an infinite view.
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No matter what you find yourself going through. Whether you find joy and excitement in it or it is a hard place. Give thanks. God's steadfast love is better than life.
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Have you ever tried convincing someone of something you don’t believe? It’s a hard sell. You speak with doubt and therefore they doubt it’s worth it.
But what is it like sharing something you really believe in with someone? You can talk for hours and you speak with confidence.
You believe the payoff is worth the investment, even if it is a dangerous task.
You gotta believe it’s worth it.
Living for Jesus and sharing the gospel with all that you encounter, as you go, is a dangerous job, but the payoff is worth it.
10 Most Dangerous Jobs in America
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With God on your side, you got this. I don’t care what it looks like.
#MyMorningThought #Bargaining Chips #GodOnYourSide
With God on your side, you got this. I don’t care what it looks like.
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What does your heart long for? What do you look forward to doing? I pray that good tugs at your heart for a lack of hope yields the dread of despair.
Look upward. Move onward. Begin today inviting God inward.
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God is merciful.
I want to hear from you. (501) 291-3111
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To live without hope is to live recklessly - a life of destruction. But a life full of hope is a life full of focus - a well-lived life.
What do you choose?
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There are a lot of things to cause you great concern in this world, but be very sure that God loves you and He has you.
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For A Christ follower, wherever you find yourself on this side of heaven, it is not the end.
Take heart Jesus has overcome the world.
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Live so that others will see, not you, but the God in you.
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God created you. And He created a plan for your life. He created you for it and it for you.
Seek Him and He’ll show you the way. He’ll give you the will and the strength to do the good works He’s prepared for you.
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What has God promised you? What is He calling you to do? Know that what He promises will come to pass.
Not sure about His promise. Just to a Google search of God’s promises. You will be encouraged.
Promises of God
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There are times when things will just not go right. It may feel like everyone is against you, but what’s one thing you can be sure of? “God is for you.” And what’s one thing you can do? “Seek after Him.”
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Walking in the high of something marvelous or dreading the next moment because of a difficult time. It doesn't compare to the love of Christ and the “hope” that is before us.
Allow your heart to hunger for Him and fight to look past all the mist to see the light.
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Where in your life have you seen history repeating itself? Is it a habit you can’t shake? Is it generational? Is it in the lives of others? In the times? Remember, God is still gracious and merciful.
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What if we lived each moment like God was near? How would your daily routine change?
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Whether you are trying to hide or feel unnoticed, know that God sees you. He sees you in your good and bad times and He loves you always.
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Seeing a bigger picture broadens your perspective and allows for more grace and mercy. And if you’ve lived any, you’ve been given much.
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Every day is a day of thanksgiving, but today I celebrate my 59th birthday. God has given me more than I could have ever imagined. I am not rich, but I am loved by Him and by so many people. God has given me the opportunity to not just know these wonderful people but to love them as well.
2023 Podcast Wrap
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Reach out to someone. Maybe you can warm them with a meal, a hug, a coat, or just a word of encouragement. Heat in our bodies represents life. A dead body is cold. Give them Jesus. Give them life. Warm their hearts and allow Jesus to save their souls.
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What is God calling you to? What do you want? What’s stopping you?
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As I approach my birthday, I’ve been thinking about all God has brought me through. I sit in wonder that He would love me enough to allow me to look back and know how hard some of it was, that today, I am still here.
Whatever you are going through or have been through, allow it to draw you closer to God.
Admit what you have done wrong and ask forgiveness. Believe that Jesus died on the cross and rose again as a payment for your sins. Confess and choose to allow God to be in charge of your life. You will be built God tough.
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Do you share the same discretion with what you hear as with what you eat?--- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/barbara-scorza/message
Don't miss God. Just look around.--- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/barbara-scorza/message
God is in all things. Look deeper and see Him. Share is goodness. Be in awe of all things.--- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/barbara-scorza/message
Does your encouragement really encourage others?--- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/barbara-scorza/message
Jesus is our stability.--- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/barbara-scorza/message
There is time for everything.--- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/barbara-scorza/message
On this day, 14 years ago, my son died. That is unthinkable. And 14 years later, I still find myself waking up feeling like it is unthinkable. But I know my son knew Jesus as His Lord and Savior, so it’s until we meet again.
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If you knew it was your last day on earth, what would you say? Who would you want to see? Most importantly, what would you see when you closed your eyes?
Jesus died for you. Have you asked Him into your life? As your Lord and Savior?
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Do you want something different? What are you planning to do differently?--- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/barbara-scorza/message
It’s December 31, 2023. As I sit and look back over the year and all that God has done for me, I am grateful. I literally feel like I am bursting at the seams because I know I don’t deserve it. I didn’t earn it and couldn’t pay it back. But God has been gracious. So, as I look ahead, I’m tired of saying I’m sorry. For what I did. What I didn’t do. For coming late, or not coming at all. For what I said and how I said it. For what I didn’t say when perhaps I should have.
I’m tired of saying I’m sorry, so I plan to live each moment with the consciousness of giving God glory. I’ll do better, not because of or for you, but because of my desire to give God glory.
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Learning from other’s experiences is a good thing. Reading and acquiring knowledge from others is also a good thing, but there are some things you have to know for yourself. You have to have personal knowledge of it. What others know is good, but what you know is better.
Knowing Jesus is a personal decision that begins by inviting Him into your life and continues by seeking to know Him better.
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I look around, and my heart aches. There is so much going wrong in the world. Some things are happening that are entirely out of our control, and then there are the things we choose to do.
I often feel like I am not doing enough and that I should not know anyone who does not know and live for Christ.
Admittedly, I often just want it all to STOP, but I know I really want all to be SAVED.
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Even if you go through hard times, let God get the glory. He has not left you. Use it to draw others close to Him.
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Sometimes we think, “I’m in too deep. There’s no hope.”
It’s easy to feel like I’ve gone too far this time. But that type of thinking causes us to go farther than we would ever imagine.
And the hardest time is the first time. Once we’ve moved past it and the unexpected is no longer unknown, we keep going farther and farther away. Deeper and deeper in.
But, I want you to know that you are never too deep for God to pull you out. You’re never too far for God to reroute your trip.
The reality is believing you are too deep or you’ve gone too far is the first step. It is acknowledging that you are a sinner and in need of a savior.
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Don’t work on one area of your life and leave others unattended. Satan only needs a foothold to invade. It can be in anger, envy, sexual immorality. It can be in your thoughts, the ones you share with no one else. Fill your life with Jesus and make no room for Satan.
Sin is like cancer; it enters the healthy cells, takes over and spreads.
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God wants you to come as you are, but loves you too much to leave you there.--- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/barbara-scorza/message
Jesus died for you. Live like it.
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What would it look like if we lived Philippians 2:3? Valuing others above ourselves? Doing nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Would it be “thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven”? What if you tried it?
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Who is your Lord? Is it your possessions? Another person? Yourself? Is it the Lord Jesus Christ?
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When I learned to type, the first thing I learned was the home row keys “left hand - asdf” “right hand - jkl;” Those four fingers on each hand had a home key which was their resting place. All the other keys were assigned a finger, but the finger went to it, but those eight fingers always came back to the home row.
I learned those keys, I practiced those keys, and then I was able to do it without thinking.
Let’s do that with God’s Word. Let’s learn it, practice it and live it.
When lies come our way, we can reject them because God’s truth is our way of life. I don’t have to wonder if I should lie or cheat or steal or seek after my own selfish desires.
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Saying “if” can be both a negative and a positive. We can say things like, “If I had only…” And feel regretful for things we hadn’t done. And the flip side of that we can lean into, I can have all this “If I do…”
Let’s choose the latter.
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It all starts and ends with ‘who.” Who? God! Know who He is.
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Worshiping God for who He is!
Let us adore Him.
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MyMorningThought #ItIsOkay #GrabAPlate
Have you ever been so stressed, you couldn’t even eat? You had no appetite. Maybe you just laid around or perhaps cried most of the time.
Do you believe God’s promises? Trust Him. It’ll be okay. Go ahead. Grab yourself a plate.
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A better life for you involves a better life for all. Pray for all people. God wants all to be saved.
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Exert your energy on things that have eternal value. Do it today because tomorrow is not promised.
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Have you ever fallen? Did you stay there? Even if you hurt yourself and needed help, you didn’t stay there.
Let that be your same rule when you fall into sin. Sin is all around us and sometimes the schemes will draw us in. We’ll even try to justify why it must be right, or at least okay.
Wherever you find yourself, bound back. If you are in a good place, bounce higher.
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If someone saw you and didn't know you, would they know by your actions that you were a Christ follower?
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God is in the details. Don’t miss what He’s doing. It also means you can’t just do whatever you want. He’s right there with you.
I’d love to hear a story where you saw God in the details. We all have them. And make sure you keep your heart open to see them.
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God justly judges. I can trust that because I can trust Him.
No matter what the world throws at you, trust God. Do your part and let Him do His.
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I want to present as welcoming and approachable but not compromising. I love you, yes. You see, I love you too much to not let you know how much you are loved by Jesus. I love you too much not to let you know that God wants to be in a relationship with you. I love you too much not to let you know that all you have to do is know that you are a sinner and need a Savior. Believe that Jesus died so you might live. Repent and ask Jesus into your life as your Lord and Savior.
So, I want to be approachable and have the voice to tell you how much you are loved.
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There is much work to be done and to talk about it all day does not get it done.
Look around. What needs to be done? What will you do? Who will you bring with you?
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Everything you do, “in this very moment,” do unto God. Life is but a limited time, here on earth. Make it count, always pointing others to Christ.
STEP Ministries
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A gracious word goes a long way. Have you tried it? Have you been in a hard place, and a kind, encouraging word was like water to your soul?
Today, let’s seek to encourage someone.
Here’s a tangible way to encourage.
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We can sit back and say how awful the world is getting, or we can do something. Let’s get up and do something.
God chose to leave us here; let’s live in His power and change the world.
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Link to Wake Up Everybody100 Families
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Just as we want to be loved unconditionally and sacrificially, we should love that way. It doesn’t mean living in unrepentant sin, just asking God to forgive daily, for the same thing. We should repent and turn away.
Love God with your all, accept His love for you and love others well.
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Jacob, even by name, was a deceiver and liar. But that was not a disqualifier for being used by God in a mighty way.
If you are going to wrestle with anyone, let it be with God for a blessing, owning who you are and allowing God to grow you into who He desires for you to be.
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EGRs. You know, those people that require extra grace. The constant complainers. The ones that only see the negative side of things. You get what I’m saying.
Now, if you don’t have any EGRs in your life, it’s possible that you might be someone else's EGR person.
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God commands us to love. Not a recommendation but a command. He also says we should love as we are loved.
How much are you loved? Wait. Before you answer, I need you to recall that Jesus died for you.
So, how are you doing in the hospitality area? I’m going to admit I know I struggle there. God is working on me.
Be more considerate during the holiday season. People seem to need it more this time of year.
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There are hard things in the world. We will endure hard times. Sometimes, there will be a “thing” that will always be with you. We may pray and ask God to take it away, and He may not. It may be an emotional battle or a physical one. It may be a financial battle or something altogether different. It doesn’t mean He is not a caring God, but rather, He might be saying, take heart, I see great things in you. You can carry this because my grace (unmerited favor) is all you need. I will be with you, and others will see you and want to be with me. We are changing lives here.
Jesus says, It is in your weakness I am strong, and My power gets to work through you. You learn a greater dependence on Me, and others may be drawn to Me because of what they see in you.
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Did you learn something from it? That hard thing? That thing you can’t imagine what its purpose is? Maybe it is the strength you need five years from now. Perhaps you need to share it with someone else.
For those who love Jesus, God can and will use it for good.
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If you are a grieving parent, please consider attending a While We’re Waiting Retreat. Click here for more information.
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Thinking about relationships. We often enter new relationships and try to do things that make the other person happy. It may be something I would never do if you didn’t ask me. Maybe sitting at a deer camp or deep sea diving. But if I say “yes” to them, I want to say yes because I love God and you. Not because I want to make you happy.
If I do it because I want to make you happy, there will come a time when I won’t want to do it because it doesn’t make me happy. And my happiness over yours about doing something I really don’t like, my happiness just might win. But if I do it because of love. Then it doesn’t matter if I enjoy it.
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Feeling insignificant can be an easy task, especially in the world of social media. Everyone shows off their best face and seems to be doing great things. Okay, not everyone. Some people show all the wrong side of life.
As we approach the end of a year, we might think about “what have I done over the past year.” I want to say whether it was some things that caused your name to be in lights or you walked in the shadows and no one knew your name.
Whether you feel you did great things or not, know that you matter and seek to be intentional.
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The prayer that God hears is not just routine words at a routine time. Now, it can be, but the condition of the heart matters.
You can be confident in asking anything according to His will. We can also be confident that our petitions are a stench to Him when we approach Him with an insincere heart.
We need not go with a perfect heart but a sincere heart.
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Be prepared. We don’t know the day or the time when God is going to call us home. The reality is we could always be living a moment away from our last moment on earth. So, be prepared.
Be thankful for today. Be hopeful for forever, but be prepared for the moment.
What are you doing to be prepared?
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Normal, by definition, is “conforming to a standard; usual, typical, or expected.”
It is what you grow up with or what you see all around you. It’s what you accept and/or do because you see no reason to question it. Normal is how you fit in with your family or perhaps your friend group. Normal is a learned behavior or belief.
And just because it’s normal doesn’t mean it is best or even right.
Maybe you grew up in a house where it was normal not to eat vegetables, so you didn’t eat vegetables. Or perhaps they pronounced a word that you later learned was an incorrect pronunciation and struggled for a while with the correct pronunciation. Maybe it was the way girls were treated or the way boys were treated. Maybe it was the way love was expressed, perhaps in an unhealthy way, and you still struggle with what love really looks like
Maybe it’s time to evaluate your normal. It may be normal, but that doesn’t make it best or right. God’s way is the best way.
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MyMorningThought #YouChoose #Choose #If #ButIf
You have a choice. We were given the choice of free will in the very beginning. Choosing pride over perfect love allowed sin to enter. But then Jesus came not to take away our choice but to give us a choice to take away our sin. But it begins with humility, acknowledging our need for a savior and our willingness to live in His perfect love.
There are promises that come along with our obedience, and there are promises (consequences) that come along with our disobedience.
But you get to choose which promises you want to see fulfilled. Those full of love and blessings or those full of love and curses.
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MyMorningThought #CanNotBeUnheard #Anger #BeCareful
There is human anger and righteous anger. Human anger seems to stem from fear, selfishness and a need for control. Righteous anger stems from a sinful injustice, with a desire to make whole, to redeem.
Human anger tends to cloud our judgment, and we respond instead of act. Righteous anger controls our actions before we respond by leaning into the Holy Spirit.
Human anger is a foothold for Satan to enter and deceive. Righteous anger is an extension of a hand-up, an invitation to accept Christ as the Lord of your life.
In your anger, do not sin.
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MyMorningThought #DoNotGiveUp #DoGood #DoNotGetWeary
Sometimes, it seems like doing the right thing doesn’t matter. It can feel like the only ones who get ahead in life or those who are not trying to do the right thing.
I want to encourage you. Don’t give up. Doing good matters in this life and the next. So don’t get weary.
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MyMorningThought #MayYouHave #SpiritOfWisdom #SpiritOfRevelation #KnowHimBetter
Praying that you may have a Spirit of wisdom and revelation so you may know Him better.
What a powerful prayer. Paul is not praying for riches, health, or freedom from persecution but that you may have the Spirit of wisdom and revelation. So you may know Him better.
Wisdom is knowledge married to experiences that will yield good judgment decisions. Revelation is the knowledge of something you didn’t know before. Now, leaning into the Spirit of God illuminates your experiences and brings to mind what you know so that it brings you closer to God, which allows you to know Him in a better, deeper sense. And all of this may not change situations, but it changes you and your perspective on situations.
Will You pray over yourself and others today that you may have a Spirit of wisdom and revelation so that you will know Him better?
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In Mark 4, Jesus teaches a crowd, and He uses a parable about a farmer planting seeds. He tells us that the farmer planted seeds, but as he was planting, seeds were being shared all over. He then goes on to explain how the seeds grew on the different terrain.
Then, He begins to explain what is meant by the parable. He lets them know that the farmer is the one who shares the gospel, and the gospel is the seeds He speaks of in the parable.
Is your heart good soil? Is the Word growing? Are you ready to share your crop?
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There is always a struggle because we are sinful beings living in a world of sinful influences. But when we accept Christ as Lord and Savior, the struggle is choosing to surrender your will to His. So, there is always a struggle, but what if there isn’t?
If there is no struggle, is it because we’ve gotten it right? Or have we succumbed to the influences of the world?
What say you?
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Jesus chose us. He was obedient unto death so we might live.
Choose Him. There will come a time when the time for choosing will be over.
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We live what we believe. It doesn’t matter if it’s true; if we believe it, it’s how we live.
If I sat in my home and believed walking out of my door would cause me imminent danger, I would probably not go outside.
Also, if I am trying to do something and I don’t believe I can, I probably would not be able to do it because I would not even be able to begin the process.
That same thing holds true for what I believe about God. If I believe He can only do what I am capable of or what my mind can conceive, I probably won’t trust Him for the big things. And not trusting Him for big things means I will live within the limits of myself. A guy from church, Josh Land, said, “Say yes to more than you are comfortable with.” He was talking about foster care and God giving us what we need to do what He has called us to.
Don’t limit God to only what you can understand. He’s bigger than our box. Limiting God shackles our feet.
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God sent His Son to pay a very high price. He sent Him to die in our place. He sent His Son to die so that we might live. If He was not willing to withhold His one and only Son, do you see His love for you? His desire for all to be saved.
In the church I grew up in, after the sermon, the pastor would invite anyone who wanted to be saved to “walk down the aisle.”
This morning, I thought that it all begins with “a”knowledging that we are sinners and we need a savior. Then we must “i”nvite Jesus into our hearts. Upon the invitation, the Holy Spirit comes to live within us, and we must “s”urrender our will to His. In doing so, we “l”ive like the Holy Spirit is in control, which allows us to be an “e”xample to others. They not only hear what we say with our mouths, but also see how we live; they also see Christ living within us.
Have you walked down the “AISLE?” It’s not too late. I’ll walk with you.
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Have you ever heard someone say something about what another person is doing judgmentally, and you know for a fact that they are guilty of the same thing? Has that ever been you?
Is it easy to see the faults of others and miss our own? Yes, it is. You see, before we do something wrong, we’ve already justified in our minds why it’s right, or at least okay, in your case, to do. Therefore, we don’t really see it as wrong. Now, that’s often not the case for others. Not only do we see it as wrong, we often judge them for doing it.
Go ahead, stop. Take a minute and explore what I’m really saying.
Now, there is a difference between judging and acknowledging wrong or sin.
When we judge, it is to look down on others; when we acknowledge sin, it is to lift others up.
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Things are hard. I get it. I know. There are health issues. Financial woes. Emotional turmoil. Power struggles. Violent, incomprehensible crimes. Need I go on?
They can feel totally overwhelming, but we must have a mindset that this is all temporary. I’m not saying it doesn’t matter, but I am saying one day, this will all be over and we will get to live forever in our forever home.
Where is your forever home?
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I know you have said it at one time or another, “It’s too hard.” Okay, perhaps I should say what I’ve done rather than what I “know” you’ve done. I’ve said it’s too hard before. I often hear it said about things to come. For instance, someone is watching what someone else is going through and saying, “I couldn’t do that.”
If you’ve ever used that phrase, I want you to think about what was going on. Were you enduring something that you felt would break you? Or were you thinking about what was yet to come?
This scripture is often used to say what powerful thing you can do with Christ. Paul was actually talking about enduring great hardship and persecution with Christ.
Life can be hard, but I want you to know you can do it.
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When we only look from our perspective, through our lens, we often don’t get the whole picture. Be open for more.
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MyMorningThought #Faith
We live by faith every day without even thinking about it. We sit in chairs with the confidence that it will hold our weight. We leave in cars expecting them to get us where we are going and back. We don’t know who personally made the chairs or the vehicles (most of the time), but we have confidence in them.
Why is it so difficult to trust God? Why is it so hard to trust his promises? Because we can’t see or feel Him. But we see and feel His works every day. It’s the very air that we breathe, the magnificence of our bodies, the very ability to choose Him is love.
Abraham had faith. I have faith. Do you have faith? If you are doubting, seek Him, try Him for yourself.
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Have you ever received some really wonderful news? What did you feel? Was it eating you up inside? Did you just want to run and tell someone? Perhaps you wanted to tell everyone.
Do you feel you have a responsibility to be the bearer of God’s truth? What does that feel like? How are you sharing the good news?
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Looking at the actions tells a lot about the person. So, if their actions are coming from the core of who they are or what they believe, do we just seek to change the actions or do we seek to go deeper?
If I plant an apple tree and want oranges, the only way to get it is to go the the root. I must dig up that apple tree and plant some orange seeds.
Behavior modification needs to begin on the inside, at the root.
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It is important to know, but we must also believe and then we can live it out.
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Can you be a humble helper? One who works for Christ, seeking to give God the glory and not yourself?
Remember your why. Intentions matter. Be a humble helper.
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Have you ever done something, "just in case?" Perhaps you left the house, and it was cloudy. It wasn't raining, but you grabbed a rain jacket, just in case.
Maybe you were going, someplace and were not sure what to bring. So, you brought several things for different scenarios, just in case.
What about going to visit others and feeling a little unsure about how things would turn out, so you brought your attitude, just in case?
What if we chose to pray for others and ourselves, just in case?
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The world in which we live is broken. It leads us to believe that life is all about us. The reality is, it’s not about us and it never was. We were created for God’s glory. We were created to live our lives bringing glory to God so that others will want to know Him.
This life is but a vapor. Live your life on this side for eternal life on the other. Where will you spend eternity? Heaven? Hell? You get to choose. Jesus has already made a way.
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Today, my friend, Darlene Mitchell, would have turned 58, but God called her home last December. Death always reminds me of how precious life is.
I buried my son on January 3, 2010, at the age of 30. So, it has helped me to remember every day how short and precious life is.
If you woke up this morning, God has you here for a purpose. Our days on earth are brief and numbered.
Live each day to honor God and to make an impact in the world around you.
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How many of you remember Touched By An Angel? Did you watch it? Do you have a favorite episode?
Monica was the angel sent to Earth to work with those who were lost, depressed, and in really hard places. They were at a crossroads, and God wanted them to know they were not forgotten.
Let your deeds point others towards Christ. Allow those in your path to feel they have been touched by an angel.
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When troubles come, because they will, consider it joy. Joy is not being happy in the midst of hard circumstances. Rather we should consider the hard circumstances as an opportunity for joy. Joy is Spirit-let, not self-induced or circumstance-contingent. Joy is an inner confidence that all is well.
To count it as joy is to have a future perspective in the midst of our present hardship.
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God created us with a plan and a purpose for each of us. Our purposes are not the same. Success or greatness can’t be measured by comparison, but rather by obedience.
What does God see in you? See yourself as God sees you.
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Often, we feel an urgency for things, but it is not the right time. Sometimes, we try to force things that don’t work because it is not the right time.
We can trust God’s timing. It’s always the perfect time.
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Truth does not come from the world. Truth does not come from your own experience. You see, the world and we ourselves can be a little inconsistent. What we believe today may be much different from yesterday’s belief or even tomorrow’s. We have to base our truth on firm foundations, on the word of Jesus.
What you say, do, think, and share has a basis. Let it be based on truth, the word of Jesus.
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God wants all of you.
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We can get caught up in sin and what’s wrong actually feels like what’s right. When what we do has to be done under the cloak of darkness, it may be an indication that it’s not what we should be doing.
God loves us so much that He exposes our wrong to show us mercy and grace.
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Once the Holy Spirit comes to reside in your life and you surrender your will to His, you can’t see things the same as before.
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Stop and assess your life. Know what God has done. Go tell someone.
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We don’t always get it right. Sometimes, we get it terribly wrong, but God loves us unconditionally. It’s not too late to repent and follow Him.
Today is the day! Choose to serve the Lord with all your heart. Having an attitude of gratitude helps.
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Truth is not contingent upon us believing it. Truth is truth. Truth is to be based on facts, not feelings.
I hear the expression, "That's their truth." It may be their belief, but it belongs to the event, not the person.
Truth has to be foundational, not experiential. So, know the facts, not the feelings. Do your own research if you were not an eyewitness.
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Most of us have come to know Matthew 6:9-13 as the Lord’s Prayer. We often recite it, but I wonder how often we meditate on what we are saying and do we really mean it.
“Your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.” I am saying, Lord, please align my will with yours. Allow me to see you as “good,” and give me the strength to be obedient unto your Word until you come back again.
Always seeking you and seeking opportunities to allow others to see you.
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So often, we see life as a game where we either win or lose. That causes us to see others as an opponent and not an ally.
I don't have to live my life at the expense of yours. It is actually to my advantage to live a life that seeks to encourage and uplift those around me.
What if everyone loved as Christ loved? It would be Thy kingdom come on earth as it is in heaven. What if we lived like we were all different parts of one body?
Life is not a game of comparison but rather a journey of companionship.
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I have talked about Jesus Glasses; seeing people as Jesus does - worth dying for.
I have talked about Lens of Hope; seeing life and people from a perspective of the good available and that is to come.
Today, let’s look at Sober Judgment Shades; toning the shine of our own lives so that we can see God shine and live according to His will.
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King of Queens clip
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We can talk about it all day. You know, that thing… but when it is actually time to put into play; when the rubber hits the road. You know, doing that very thing we’ve talked about, that thing we’ve practiced for. That’s when we know that we really meant it, we really understand it, we are willing to really live it.
The disciples knew Jesus. They knew His power, and yet they were afraid they were going to die when Jesus was right there with them.
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The C.A.L.L.
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We can search the world over, but Jesus is what we need.His love endures forever. Don’t forget to check out my latest podcast. Call and leave me a message. I want to hear from you. (501) 291-3111--- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/barbara-scorza/message
We are all uniquely created, and we each have our own experiences. Those experiences bring to the table things I may never experience. Therefore, my perspectives are broadened by your differences. And although we are different, we are yet one in Christ.
When we see the differences in others bring value to us, we are united in love and not divided by fear.
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MyMorningThought #HoldOnToTruth #HoldOn #Truth
The world has much to say, but only God’s word is true. You have to have an anchor; let it be God’s word. In His truth, you can’t go wrong.
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You may be going through some hard things at this very moment. It may feel like these hard times will never end. I am not trying to minimize the difficulties, but I do want to encourage you to see them through a lens of hope.
Trust in God forever, knowing He is good and in control, changes the perspective. It may not change the circumstance, but the perspective is different.
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If you’ve listened to my podcast in recent days, you know I recently attended my 40th-year class reunion. And it was a great reminder that having life is not the same as living. We have life, and I know I can get busy. So busy that I’m not living. Because the busyness can cause me to exert so much into what I am doing and what needs to be done that I begin to operate out of my own strength, I put God on the back burner. Hours may pass, and I’ve only thought about what I am doing.
If Jesus is at the center of everything I am doing, my work is in vain.
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As a believer in Christ, you have everything you need. You have the Holy Spirit living inside of you. The same Spirit that raised Jesus from the dead. He’ll be your counselor, your comforter, your strength to do what God has called you to do.
Surrender your will to His and live in the power.
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Each day comes with its own set of troubles. So, it is not that we shouldn’t make wise plans, but don’t allow fear and anxiety about tomorrow rob you of the opportunities God places before you today.
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God is a good God. He hears and answers our prayers. Try Him. Ask. Seek, Know.Don’t forget to check out my latest podcast. Call and leave me a message. I want to hear from you. (501) 291-3111--- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/barbara-scorza/message
We are better together. It was never intended for us to live this life alone. Make sure your circle makes you a better person.As I begin transitioning from my "Class Reunion High" as it was referred to, I want all to know I am better because of the time spent with classmates this weekend. Reminiscing, hearing good things and listening to hard things has made me better and I am grateful for the opportunity to pray for them all.You are not alone. Just reach out if you think you are. I want to be there, but God is…Don’t forget to check out my latest podcast. Call and leave me a message. I want to hear from you. (501) 291-3111--- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/barbara-scorza/message
We can pull something up on the internet and stand on it without hesitation. People will share their beliefs with great authority and very little facts, and we will have their back, even to our demise.But when it comes to God’s word, we don't read and only believe it if it aligns with our already established beliefs.As for me, I will serve the Lord.Don’t forget to check out my latest podcast. Call and leave me a message. I want to hear from you. (501) 291-3111--- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/barbara-scorza/message
Forever loved. Sort of hard to grasp. You know we have conditional love and we put major stipulations on it.God loves you. He loved your first. And there is nothing you can do to stop him from loving you. Don’t forget to check out my latest podcast. Call and leave me a message. I want to hear from you. (501) 291-3111--- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/barbara-scorza/message
The struggles of this world can leave you exhausted. Sin is all around. We are not even immune from it, but we have strength in the Holy Spirit to yield not to temptation. But in and of ourselves, it's not possible. It is not possible for others either, so offer them Jesus.Jesus offers life with Him eternally. But He also offers rest for your weary soul now. He offers peace in the midst of… Don't give in to just being exhausted, seek Jesus. He will give you rest.Don’t forget to check out my latest podcast. Call and leave me a message. I want to hear from you. (501) 291-3111--- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/barbara-scorza/message
We should do the right thing because it is the right thing to do. That's in all things. From very small, what may appear as insignificant to big, life-changing things.What does that look like in your life? Don’t forget to check out my latest podcast. Call and leave me a message. I want to hear from you. (501) 291-3111--- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/barbara-scorza/message
What makes a good day? For you? Is it when everything goes your way? Is it when no one upsets you? Is it having a financial gain? Is it when there is no pain in your body?
How do you define a good day? What does it look like for you at the end of your day? Do you assess your day to determine if it was a good day?
What if we determined that having a good day was sharing the gift of salvation with someone? Offering the gift of eternal life to someone is a good day. Them accepting it, is a very good day.
Knowing that you will be with Jesus in heaven is a good day. When that day comes, it is a very good day. This statement is not from a morbid perspective and a desire to rush things up, but doing all that is set before me while here on earth, but eagerly looking forward to the day when there will be no need to cry.
God looked at what He had done and said it was a very good day.
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You are loved. Don’t let anyone or any negative feeling lead you to believe otherwise. Live like you are loved. We treat loved ones special. Don’t sell yourself short.Let others know they are loved. If you know what it feels like to be loved, give that feeling to others. If you know what it feels like to “not” be loved, don’t let anyone else walk around feeling that way.You are loved. Live like it and let others know they are loved.Don’t forget to check out my latest podcast. Call and leave me a message. I want to hear from you. (501) 291-3111--- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/barbara-scorza/message
Do you ever wake up sometimes and think, “Woe is me?” What about those days when things may not be going just great, but you see someone else having a great day, and you wonder why them and not you? What about the times when you are doing what you should be doing but want everyone to know all you have done?
All those scenarios can lead to feeling like God owes you something. It’s not about what He will do; it’s about what He has already done.
Jesus died for your sins, and by accepting Him as Lord and Savior of your life, you get to live with Him eternally. That’s enough.
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Love. We get it wrong on so many levels, and so many suffer because of it. Look around. How are you doing? Now, I’m not just talking about loving those who are easy to love. How are you doing with loving the ones who are difficult to love? You know the EGRs; Extra Grace Required. We don’t even do a great job at loving ourselves. You know it’s true. Think of how we treat our bodies. Is that love?
When we start with what we have and know as love, it’s easy for things to get cloudy. We have to know that our love comes from God and His love has to be our example.
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We are going to go through some things. Some will be great and wonderful. While others will take you to some dark places. Here is what I want you to remember. Let nothing you go through be a waste. In everything, glean something. Take that information and go. Just keep moving forward. Even if it is just a little move, move. Then grasp; hold on to what you know. Know that God is good, and He is in control. When you really believe that, you don’t have to know the end; you only need to know the next step.
Be willing to share what you know. Someone will need just what you have.
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What if today, the next 86,400 seconds were livestreamed? How much of what you did or said would you not want to put your name to it? Would you want to blur your face? Disguise your voice? Would it all bring glory to God?
Would you say, “proudly done by?”
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Does the end dictate the path or does the path dictate the end?
The choices we make dictate the paths we travel. And when we make choices without the end in mind, the roads will dictate the end. But when we consider the end we desire as we are making the choices, then the end dictates the path.
In a wise, righteous life, the end dictates the path, but in a foolishly wasted lif0,e the path dictates the end.
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#MyMorningThought #86400 #SecondsInADay #Work #Day
If you were given $86,400 today and told you must spend it today. What would you do? How would you spend it? Would you spend it all in one place? Buy many different things? Buy what you want? Buy what you need? Share it with others? Would you try to save some from another day? Would you carefully consider your purchases or spend on a whim?
Well, you have been given 86,400 seconds each day. How are you using it?
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To be intentional about something means you have a purpose in mind. When you work to fulfill your purpose, you move with intentionality and focus.
All scripture is about intentionality. God created the heavens and the earth intentionally. Jesus fed the multitude intentionally. Jesus met the woman at the well intentionally. Jesus came to intentionally die for our sins.
You have a purpose. Be intentional in fulfilling it.
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Have you ever spent intentional time with God and walked away with a word from Him? And then found out you really needed that because it prepared you for what was to some?
Listen for what is yet to come.
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It was never intended for us to do life alone. God is a triune God; Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. When God created man, He intended for us to always do life with Him and with one another. So remember, you need others and others need you.Don’t forget to check out my latest podcast. Call and leave me a message. I want to hear from you. (501) 291-3111--- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/barbara-scorza/message
If an 8 oz glass having only 4 oz of water, can be seen as half empty or half full, it doesn’t change its contents. Choose how you see it. It will determine how you feel.
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Let love be your motivation. Do everything in love. When that is the focus, the worldly concerns get out of focus; they are not our main thing.
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When you are squeezed, what comes out? What’s in is what comes out. What’s in you? What do people see when you are squeezed? When you are pushed?
Do people see Christ in you when squeezed?
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We live in a broken world. Sin has caused all of creation to groan. So, as a Christ follower, we are not immune to troubles, but we must live like we know that God will deliver us. Live for the nonbelievers to see the power of God.
Instead of “why me?” “Why not me?”
Don’t forget to check out my latest podcast. Call and leave me a message. I want to hear from you. (501) 291-3111https://x.com/ABC/status/1704423657810923612?s=20
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Have you ever written something in the palm of your hand so you wouldn’t forget it? Perhaps a number or something you wanted to make sure you did?
Did you engrave it there? Surely not. You probably wrote with a pen, and at the end of the day, you washed it off.
God has engraved you on the palms of His hands. Never to wash off and never to forget.
Think about it.
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God has a plan for you. I think the key is to posture yourself to listen, and then be obedient. When He calls you to something, He is able to accomplish the mission. You may not have everything you need at the onset, but He’ll use what you have and it will be enough.
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While We’re Waiting
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Share your story, but offer the gift of salvation. --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/barbara-scorza/message
To live is to grow. To grow is to move beyond what you already know; what's comfortable.--- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/barbara-scorza/message
In Jesus' time, the religious leaders added all these rules to God’s word. The Jewish listeners were trying to follow the rules to be approved by God. Jesus wants us to know that salvation is a free gift. He wants us to know that we can give up the impossible task of trying to be acceptable. God loves them and accepts them, just as they are, through the blood of Jesus. But because of His great love, he doesn’t want them to stay as they are. He wants them to find rest for their souls and grow daily.
Rest for your soul yields rest in the body.
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Don’t forget to check out my latest podcast. Call and leave me a message. I want to hear from you. (501) 291-3111
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What you have is not just for you. I believe we should be seeking ways to give. Share the gospel. Share your knowledge. Share your wealth. If you can make others better, it makes for a better world.
Think about it. Try it out.
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What if you knew that the last time you left your house or your job, it would be the very last time you were there? What if you knew the last conversation you had with your friend, child, co-worker, parent… would be the last conversation you would have with them? What if, at this very moment, God called you home?
If you knew it, would you say something different? Would you do something different?
What if you lived in the moment, as if it were your last, and you would be in the presence of God in that very moment?
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If you purchased a product and you are not sure how to work it, it is good to read the directions. If you are still unsure, you might ask someone, perhaps someone who has used the product before. But wouldn’t the best source be the person who created the product? They know why they made it and what to do to use it. It is quite possible that they may have insight you never even thought about.
In the beginning, God… He knows and wants to reveal it to you.
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Have you ever had a friend that you never wanted to talk to? Never wanted to know about them? Probably not. If that were the case, you probably wouldn’t call him/her a friend.
What do you consider God to you? Do you want to get to know Him? What are you doing daily?
Link to Survey
Call and leave me a message. I want to hear from you. (501) 291-3111
Sometimes, if everything is achievable within our own means, we may begin to believe we don’t need God. Sometimes, God strips things and people away so that we can know, without a doubt, where our strength lies.
Where are you not making room for God?
Don’t forget to check out my latest podcast. Call and leave me a message. I want to hear from you. (501) 291-3111
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What do you do when you realize that what you’ve been doing isn’t working? Maybe it depends on if you like the results you are getting, but if not, it is time to make a change. You have to do something different.
Are you willing to make a change?
Call and leave me a message. I want to hear from you. (501) 291-3111
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I don’t know about you, but it can feel like evil and hardships are closing in on me. Everywhere you turn. It can be in your own life or in the lives of those you love. It can be the loss of a job, the hardships of coworkers, an illness, a wayward child, mental fatigue, and 1,000s of other things.
Don’t give up. Your good work does not go unnoticed, and it will be rewarded.
Call and leave me a message. I want to hear from you. (501) 291-3111
Why wait? Why do we wait until we are in distress to call on the One who can make everything right? Allow Jesus to be your first choice, not your last resort.
Be confident though, that if you seek Him, you will find Him.
Call and leave me a message. I want to hear from you. (501) 291-3111
There is a struggle all around us. We live in a hostile world. When we are living for the world, although there is a struggle around us, it feels natural; we are intimately a part of the struggle. But when we accept Christ as Lord and Savior of our lives, we now struggle to not be of the world. In this struggle, our carnal nature battles with the Spirit of God that has come to reside within us.
As long as we see the struggle for what it is and continue the fight, that means we are ceasing to live for ourselves and striving to live for Christ. But when we cease to fight, we start to rely on our own strength, and it’s at that point, we’ve lost the battle.
Your strength is in your battle because your reliance is on Christ.
Call and leave me a message. I want to hear from you. (501) 291-3111
You have a choice. God even gave us a choice in loving Him. Will you choose wisely? Consider, even your silence or lack of action is a choice. Sometimes that’s the right choice, but make sure you choose it and it does just happen because you would not make a choice.
Call and leave me a message. I want to hear from you. (501) 291-3111
It’s easy to allow the “last thing,” the “last feeling,” to dictate all future feelings and erase all past feelings.
Write down God’s faithfulness so that when your heart is downcast, you can remember your reason for hope.
Hardships are like commercial breaks in the big scheme of life. Take your “90-second” commercial break and get back to your regularly scheduled program.
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It is not enough to have a map to your destination. You must also trust the accuracy of the map. And then you must use the map. You must follow the directions that are given in the map.
That’s what it’s like with God’s word. It is not enough to know it. You must trust it and then live it.
Don’t forget to check out my latest podcast. Call and leave me a message. I want to hear from you. (501) 291-3111
When something exciting happens in your life, who do you want to share the experience with? What about sharing a funny joke? When someone cuts you off in traffic? A disappointing or stressful event?
Normally, we want to share that with a friend. Is Jesus your first thought? Is Jesus your friend? Do you treat Him like a friend?
Don’t forget to check out my latest podcast. Call and leave me a message. I want to hear from you. (501) 291-3111
I’ve made it home from vacation and as I reflect over my time away, a few things come to the surface of my thoughts. One thing is did I reflect Christ in everything I did? For me the question is did I share Christ with others? You see, I am an introvert and can do a great job at being alone. But one of the nights I ate dinner in the restaurant and not at the buffet. You are assigned dinner tables, so you will sit with the same people, providing they come, each night. I had the privilege of sitting right next to a sweet couple from, I believe it was South Carolina. I do know it was a Carolina city.
I don’t know how we got to talking about Jesus, but we did, both nights. The gentleman said a couple of things that stood out to me. He asked if it was difficult to live Jesus. And he also said he needed the Holy Spirit to help him live for Jesus. And the answer to both of those questions is “yes.” Yes, we need the Holy Spirit to live Jesus and submitting to the Holy Spirit is a struggle daily, because the flesh opposes the Spirit.
As you might be able to tell, these statements led to fruitful conversations. I have been praying for him since the first night I met him and this morning he was also on my mind. So, let’s pray that God would reveal Himself to him in a powerful way and that he would surrender his will to God’s will.
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I have been on vacation. I am now headed home, but was reminded that this world is not my forever home. As long as I am here, I will live to bring God glory. I will live like heaven is my home. That's where I will store up my treasures. Don’t forget to check out my latest podcast. Call and leave me a message. I want to hear from you. (501) 291-3111https://www.youtube.com/@Bjscorza
The day after a traumatic experience, a catastrophic event, an unbelievable moment…The day after may be a day of shock, unbelief, or confusion. A day that is sort of a pause. A day when you are trying to get your feet back under you. A day when you try to process what happened and figure out your next steps.Remember, a plan has already been laid in place. Rest in the pause. There is work happening in the pause.Call and leave me a message. I want to hear from you. (501) 291-3111https://www.youtube.com/@Bjscorza
On this day, 18 years ago, I let go. Losing everything in Hurricane Katrina broke me, and I learned what I had to hold onto; Jesus.Call and leave me a message. I want to hear from you. (501) 291-3111https://www.youtube.com/@Bjscorza
Living to listen is the goal. When God calls, we must answer and be obedient. Sometimes we are faced with scary odds, from a human perspective. But with God on our side, the odds are actually in our favor.
Call and leave me a message. I want to hear from you. (501) 291-3111
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Live like it. Don't live like there is no tomorrow, but live like you will never have another day like today.
Make sweet memories. Love and be loved well. Don't live like the unwise, but rather as one moving according to God’s plan.
Call and leave me a message. I want to hear from you. (501) 291-3111
You never know, so just listen and move at his command. He already has a plan.
Don’t forget to check out my latest podcast. Call and leave me a message. I want to hear from you. (501) 291-3111
Humility yields grace. To be humble is to fear the Lord and understand your limitations, which removes any pride. And when we walk in humility, we are in a position to give grace. We recognize God gives grace; unmerited favor, and we should too.
Call and leave me a message. I want to hear from you. (501) 291-3111
It is impossible to have a real encounter with Jesus and not be changed. Asking Jesus into your life means you no longer walk in darkness. It means you live out the truth.
Call and leave me a message, and tell me about your changed life. (501) 291-3111
Relationships matter and therefore require work. Be willing to put in the work. Jesus gave the ultimate example. He laid down His life.
Is there something you’ve been thinking about doing? Has God placed something on your heart? Okay, when are you going to get going?
Call and leave me a message, and let me know what God is calling you to. (501) 291-3111
Today, my son would be celebrating his 43rd birthday. Although he is not physically here with me, he lives in my heart and in our many precious moments.
I encourage you to love deeply and make sweet memories out of every precious moment.
Know Jesus as your Lord and Savior, and death is only “until we meet again.”
Call and leave me a message, and share a precious memory you made with a loved one. (501) 291-3111
We don’t know the day or the hour when God will call us home. Let’s live each moment as wise and not as unwise. Let’s make each moment count.
Call and leave me a message, letting me know how you are making every moment count. (501) 291-3111
I believe whether you are an introvert or extrovert, you need some time to “steal away.” You need some time for God to restore your soul.
But, as an introvert, I am not myself when I pour out and pour out and don’t stop to be poured into. And for me, I am filled in the quiet spaces, in the times when I can sit and hear God speak to me. When I can feel Him dance over me, I am filled. Complimentary words about me from others are sweet, but they do not fill me. Now, when I hear you giving God praise for something He has allowed me to be a part of, my heart is elated.
So today, for 2 hours, I will be off the grid. I will not answer a cell phone nor a text. I will not answer my door nor return a homing pigeon. For 2 hours, I will allow the Lord to restore my soul. I will allow the Lord to bring me to myself.
Don’t forget to check out my latest podcast. Call and leave me a message, letting me know what it looks like when your soul is being refreshed. (501) 291-3111
Do you ever feel overwhelmed by God’s love? Do you ever feel like you are so undeserving and yet He lavishes us with His love?
What do you do about it? Do you just stand amazed and grateful? Or do you love Him with all your heart?
And what does that mean; to love the Lord with all your heart? Do you share Him with others? Do you spend intentional time in His word? In prayer to Him? Serving others? Giving? Do you forgive as He forgave? Do you endure pain well? Do you love others unconditionally? Are you obedient in all things or just the ones that are easy for you? Do you daily die to self; surrender your will to His?
Being grateful is the ability to show thankfulness in all things; good and bad.
Call and let me know what does it look like to be grateful always. (501) 291-3111
Living In Fellowship Together (L.I.F.T.)
Trust begins with a decision. It is reinforced with experience that is accomplished via application.
Do you trust God?
What does that look like in your life? Do I feel like I have the world’s savior? Yes, there are things God will choose to do through me, but I must be sure I’m not choosing myself.
Call and let me know what does it look like in your life, for you to trust God. (501) 291-3111
Stop right now and set a timer for 60 minutes. Now during the next 60 minutes, how many times did you complain? We are to do everything with complaining.
How's it going? Call and let me know how you make time for Jesus. (501) 291-3111
The reality is we make time for whatever we deem important to us. Is Jesus important to you? Do you make time for Him? What does that look like? What difference does it make in your life?
If you are not currently making time for Jesus. Give it a try. For the next seven days, intentionally make time for Him in prayer and devotion to His word. Let me know what that was like. Now I mean really seek to spend time with Him. You know what it would be like if you were spending time with a friend you haven’t seen in a while.
Call and let me know how you make room for Jesus. (501) 291-3111
It is attributed to Patrick Henry as he spoke of the rights of the colonies in March 1775, “Give me liberty or give me death.” It became the battle cry of the revolution. They were willing to die rather than be under the thumb of the king. They believed not being free was not living, so if they were not going to live, they’d rather die. So, they would choose liberty over death, even if they had to die to get liberty.
I know there are a lot of connotations to my statement, considering the state of the colonies in 1775, but I just want to focus on the fact that freedom was the desire and they would rather die than not be free.
So, with a biblical lens, God has given us freedom and we still choose death. You see the wages of sin is death, and we choose sin over the freedom that has been given to us. For the gift of God is eternal life.
Don’t forget to check out my latest podcast. Call and let me know what you choose. (501) 291-3111
Life can be hard. There are a lot of things we will see and experience that we won’t understand. There will be things that will happen in our lives that should never have happened. We may be called to do some things we don’t believe we can do. We will experience what feels like a “fail.” But don’t let what happens in a moment rob you of an everlasting lifetime. Allow your struggles and trials to make you strong. Remember, strong muscles are created by the continual breaking down and building up.
Call and tell me how you are holding up. (501) 291-3111
We all can choose to conduct ourselves a certain way when we are in public. And that works just fine when there is nothing pressing against us. But what happens when we are squeezed? What comes out? Can God trust you when squeezed? Will you still display Christ?
Is Christ deep inside or just skin deep? Is the Holy Spirit at home inside of you or does He still need to behave as a visitor?
Don’t forget to check out my latest podcast. Call me and tell me what happens when you are squeezed. (501) 291-3111
Do you believe that your relationship with Christ is worth it? By any means necessary? What other things or people in your life hold a higher position than Christ? Are you willing to let go of it or them? Are you willing to allow God to be first place in your life? In all aspects of your life?
Are you willing to allow Him to come in and take first place? By any means necessary?
Pray the dangerous prayer, “by any means necessary.” Let me know what that is. Where are you looking for a revolution in your life? Call me and tell me about it. (501) 291-3111
Many times it’s easier to see the shortcomings in others, while we can totally miss our own. The reason is, we don’t set out to do wrong with the wrong thought in mind. You see, even if we set out to do that which is not right, we’ve already rationalized it in our minds. Now the definition of rationalization is “the act of attempting to explain or justify (one's own or another's behavior or attitude) with logical, plausible reasons, even if these are not true or appropriate.”
Let’s ask God to reveal our shortcomings because an offense against others is really an offense against God.
Pray and ask God to reveal yourself to you and call me and let me know what you have seen. (501) 291-3111
What would your answer be if God came to you and asked what you would have Him give you?
Money? Long life? Revenge on your enemies? Status?
When God came to Solomon, first, he recognized that where he was right now, king, was all because of God. He understood his shortcomings in that position, just a child. He understood the importance of his job, king of God’s people. So he asked for wisdom to administer justice.
What would you ask for?
Call me and let me know what you would ask God for. (501) 291-3111
I want you to take a minute and think about conversations with friends. Do you have a person in your life that you are hesitant to answer their call? You know they are going to ask you for something. They never just call to talk. They always call because they need something. Or maybe you hesitate because you don’t have the time. You know they are going to talk forever and you won’t even get a word in.
Now, what I am hesitant to say is, if you don’t know anyone like that, I want you to take a longer minute and make sure that somebody is not you.
What do your conversations with God look like? Do you just go on a rampage telling Him everything you need? Do you talk continually for, say, three or four minutes and then say, “Amen.”
Do you feel heard when people call you and just talk but never listen?
God has a word for you, always. Do you stop to listen? Sometimes you have to be quiet because it is in a gentle breeze.
Don’t forget to check out my latest podcast. And call me and let me know what listening to God looks like to you. (501) 291-3111
Have you ever done something special for someone? I mean really went out of your way because you wanted them to know how much you loved them and they didn’t appreciate it all. Were you sad? Broken-hearted?
God sent His Son into the world to offer salvation, and many choose not to accept the free gift that was given at such a great price, and it breaks my heart. I know God’s heart is broken.
Head knowledge is not enough. You have to believe. It all starts there. So, what do you really believe?
Call me and let me know how you move from head knowledge to heart living. (501) 291-3111
It is not your business to force Christ, but it is your business to share Christ. You for God’s plan to reach the world.
Don’t forget to check out my latest podcast. And call me and let me know what practical ways you are sharing Christ. (501) 291-3111
Sometimes the world takes its best shot at you. While there are times when you can be your own worst enemy, but you must know the truth and live it. And the truth is, with God on your side you’ve got nothing to worry about.
Do you have “friends” that you don’t know and have no interest in knowing? Are you a friend of God? Do you want to know Him?
Do you spend intentional time with Him? Call me and tell me about it. (501) 291-3111.
One warning should be enough, but it rarely is. Thank God for continued warnings.
What have you been warned about that you continue to do? Call me and tell me about it. (501) 291-3111.
Love borne from fear is not love. It is just fear.
Jesus said if you love me, you will obey me. So we are obedient because we love the Lord, not because we fear Him.
How’s love going? Call me and tell me about it. (501) 291-3111.
Are you willing to risk it all for your convictions? Are your convictions biblically based or just based on a feeling? Remember, feelings changed. Anchor your beliefs in God’s truth, which is unchanging.
What are you passionate about? What do you have a conviction about that you are willing to risk it all? Call me and tell me about it. (501) 291-3111.
MyMorningThought #ThePlan #TrustGodsPlan
Sometimes life doesn’t go as we plan, but we can always trust God’s plan.
- Know the plan (His plan for us)
- Trust the plan (Even when it doesn’t look as you planned)
- Fulfill the plan (God’s plan)
Call me and tell me how you fight your battles. (501) 291-3111.
MyMorningThought #BeKind #Forgive #YouWereForgiven
See people as Jesus sees them. He sees us as loved. He wants us to live fully. He gave His life so that we might live.
Call me and tell me how you fight your battles. (501) 291-3111.
MyMorningThought #Wait #WhenYouCantHearGod
Sometimes you can’t hear God. Maybe you are distracted by the loudness of the world. Maybe unrepented sin is interfering. Maybe God is silent, not because He is not listening, but because the lesson is in the waiting.
Do your part to position yourself to hear and just wait.
Call me and tell me how you fight your battles. (501) 291-3111.
Not even babies have to be taught to be selfish. Because of the sinful nature that lives inside of us, as Christ’s followers, we do have to be taught to fight with power rather than might. We must know that our fight has to be one, not intended to merely change an action but rather to break a stronghold and change a heart.
How do you fight your battles?
Call me and tell me how you fight your battles. (501) 291-3111.
People are slaves to whatever has mastered them.
What has mastered you? Is it love of money? Food? Sex? Anger?
Jesus died to free you from sin. Live in freedom.
Call me and tell me what you think. (501) 291-3111.
Don’t forget to check out my latest podcast.
There are opportunities to be the hands and feet of Christ right in front of us every day, and we miss them. Many reasons that cause us to miss the opportunity, but there is a way to ensure we don’t. Live in a posture of surrender. Allowing the Holy Spirit to take the lead. He’ll direct you and prompt you when you need to be “doing.”
Let’s be motivated by love and not miss the need.
Call me and tell me what you think. (501) 291-3111.
MyMorningThought #DoTheRightThing
What does doing the right thing because it is the right thing to do mean? Well, I think we have to base it on something concrete, not our feelings that change daily. It must be based on God’s truth.
What does it look like in your life? What does it look like at work? Are you doing your job while at work or doing your own thing? How do you treat the people you come in contact with? What about when customer service is not great? What about when someone cuts you off in the car? What about when you disagree with something said in a meeting?
It all matters.
Call me and tell me what you think. (501) 291-3111.
Don’t forget to check out my latest podcast.
Comparison can be a slippery slope. A slippery slope, by definition, is "an idea or course of action which will lead to something unacceptable, wrong, or disastrous."
Not everything is a slippery slope, but some things can really be. Comparisons can be a slippery slope. Comparing yourself to others limits your ability to be who you were called to be because you are chasing someone else's dream.
Comparison can cause discontentment, envy, jealousy, and even depression. While the fruit of those feelings can lead to even greater sin. In Genesis 4, we see the first murder in the Bible, where a man kills his brother because of jealousy.
Be who God has called you to be and rejoice with who God has called others to be.
Sometimes things are so difficult, you can't imagine moving forward.
I want to encourage you to humble yourself to hear from God, cry out to Him, be obedient to His Word, and be encouraged.
It's not about you. The world would say otherwise. The world would lead you to believe it is all about you. You were actually created for God's glory.
In James 4, he tells us that the conflict we encounter with others begins within ourselves; it's about our own selfish desires.
What do you think? How often do you make it about you? Now, I don't want that to be just a topical thought. Really think about it. And even if you don't admit it to anyone but yourself, land on an honest answer.
Call me and tell me what you think. (501) 291-3111.
I believe the core of my existence is to glorify God. I also believe that when I live for Christ, keeping Him at the center of my life, everything around me gets better. Now, circumstances may not change, but my attitude and perspective do. And I believe that living for God has to be motivated by love, not fear or even respect, but by love.
Check out my anniversary special edition with my son, Kenderick Scorza.
Call me and tell me what you think. (501) 291-3111.
It's been 6-months since I published my first episode. And today I am celebrating 6 months.
Here is My Morning Thought Special Edition, with Kenderick Scorza, as I give you an opportunity to know me better.
Don't forget to check out my daily podcasts.
Call me and tell me what you think. (501) 291-3111.
Kenderick was kidding, but I know he would really love to hear from you. His email address is kenderickscorza@gmail.com and his CashApp is $KenderickScorza and Venmo is @K_Scz. He did just have a birthday, okay, a month ago.
Look him up on Facebook and on Instagram
There are many troubles in this world, but take heart, Jesus has overcome the world.
Therefore, you can have peace. You can have perfect peace. Just keep your mind on Him. Trust Him. And the troubles of the world will not overcome you.
Call me and tell me what you think. (501) 291-3111.
Don’t forget to check out my latest podcast.
Rahab had heard of God. She didn’t serve Him, but she heard of His might and feared Him. Now, although she didn’t serve Him, she believed in her heart He was real and lived like she believed it.
Do you believe? Do you live like you believe? Do others know you believe by what they see in you or do you have to tell them?
Call me and tell me what you think. (501) 291-3111.
Suppose someone offered you a great exchange. Let’s say, they asked if you had $1 and when you pulled out the $1, they offered to give you $5 in exchange for the $1. There are no strings attached. You give them $1, and they give you $5. You get to go on and spend your money as you choose.
Would you take the deal? I am sure you would. I don’t see any reason for not taking it. Even if you had all the money you needed, now, you had $4 you could give away.
After the exchange, would you feel like you’ve lost something? Would you feel like you’ve been cheated? Robbed? Probably not. You would probably feel pretty good about the exchange.
The kingdom of heaven is like that exchange. There is nothing you can give up on this earth that is greater than what you gain through salvation.
Is it worth everything? Are you holding onto anything that hinders your walk with Christ? Call me and tell me what you think. (501) 291-3111.
Jesus is the source of life. Remember, we were dead in our transgressions, and because Jesus paid the price, we can now live.
But life comes from the source, and living is found in remaining connected to the source.
Take a beautiful rose. Have you ever received a rose, perhaps in a vase, as a gift for you? It was beautiful, I am sure, but it was dead. It was dead because it had been cut or removed from the source of its life. The rose bush from which it was cut provided it with the nutrients it needed to live, to grow, and to thrive.
Jesus is our source of life, and when we disconnect ourselves from Him, we cease to live.
How are you staying connected? Call me and tell me what you think. (501) 291-3111.
We live in this world by design. Just as Jesus came to this world so that the world might be saved, He sanctified us. I mean, as Christ’s followers, we are apart from the world. But we are to bring light into the world so that the world will come to know Christ, and they too shall live.
So, we are in the world, but not of the world. We should look different from the world. We have to have ridiculous love. That’s what Jesus had, that He was willing to lay down His life for us.
Love is not tolerance. Love is truth, grace, and mercy. And to love God means to obey Him, not out of fear or even reference, but out of love.
How are you doing with love? How do you define love?
Call me and tell me what you think. (501) 291-3111. I want to hear your God story.
Here is the link to the Snap Judgement episode.
MyMorningThought #GodIsInIt #LetMeSee
Sometimes when we are in the midst of “our thing” we can see beyond the moment. It can be hard to see God in it with us, but He will not leave you nor forsake you. So He is in it with you.
Sometimes you have to take a step back. Sometimes you have to just trust and wait to get a little farther down the line. But do your best to see Him in it with you.
Call me and tell me what you think. (501) 291-3111. I want to hear your God story.
God is there to protect us, even when we need protection from ourselves.
Call me and tell me what you think. (501) 291-3111
The world seeks to entice you. It tells you things should be your way. It leads you to believe it is all about you.
But when we are not conformed by the world and are transformed by the renewing of our minds, we seek to align our will with His will.
Call me and tell me what you think. (501) 291-3111
Have you ever been lost? Like didn’t know where you were going, although you knew where you needed to be. How did it feel? Then what was that feeling you got when you knew you were back on track? What about when you actually reach your destination?
What if every day felt that way because you knew your steps were directed by God? What if you surrendered so that He could direct your steps?
When we say “Yes,” to Jesus, we invite Him into our lives as our Lord and Savior. And as Romans 8:1 says, Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.
And although we have said “yes,” we “yet” wait to fully be in his presence. Yes, we “yet” wait, and there will be hardships in the waiting, but we “yet” wait with eager anticipation that what He has promised will be. Therefore as Romans 8:18 says, I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us.
So, between the “yes” and the “yet” we live for Him. There may be times when things will be so hard that we don’t even know how to pray. God knows that though. Romans 8:26, In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us through wordless groans.
What are you doing between the Yes and the Yet?
How do we get to know people? We do it by spending time with them. We get to learn their likes and dislikes. And if we are a good friend, we try not to do the things that they don't like.
How do we get to know God? We do it by spending time with Him. One of those ways is in His Word. We read His word because it nourishes our bodies, it gives us life, and it directs us in how to live for Him - which is ultimately best for us.
So I read His Word and hide it in my heart so that I might now sin against Him.
Today in America, we celebrate America’s independence day from Britain’s rule. But.. I want to encourage you to think about and share your independence day. The day you invited Christ into your life, and He freed you from the bondage of sin. Share our story with someone, and if they don’t know Jesus, give them the opportunity to invite Christ into their lives.
I read a question the other day that stopped me in my tracks. It said, “Do I like the direction my thoughts are taking me?”
Then a couple of days later, I was having a conversation with a friend, and we were talking about how we limit ourselves by thinking we don’t deserve it.
I believe if you feel you don’t deserve something, from a positive perspective, you never strive to achieve it. You know, that thing that you like but feel like it’s out of your league.
Stop limiting yourself by changing your thoughts.
How often do you say what you do not mean? Now, I’m talking about those times when you say or respond to something in a way that just seems like the right thing to say, even if you know you don’t mean it. But you know, when you haven’t given it enough thought to even know if you meant it or not. Sometimes those things are little and insignificant, but other times, we say or promise big things that we do mean.
What if the Lord would deal with us ever so severely for each of those untruths we told?
How about choosing to tell the truth?
Have you ever broken a habit? Perhaps you were a smoker, and you no longer smoke. Maybe it was drinking. Perhaps it was being late for every event. And now you have been set free from that habit. Perhaps now, instead of smoking, you twirl a pencil between your fingers. Maybe you always have a bottle of water now instead of an alcoholic beverage. Perhaps you always arrive at the event 20 minutes before it begins. It's sort of like the old habits are dead, and you now live by a new set of habits.
What used to be is no more.
Is the valley a low place that keeps you from reaching the heights of the mountains that surround you? Or is the valley the lush area that has a river running through it and allows the mountains to protect from the winds and storms?
Because I allow the past to be my guidepost does mean I am allowing it to be my dictator. Are we not called to remember?
What do you think?
Stop for a minute and think about where you are right now in life. Do you first think about what you have or what you lack? Are you content when you have plenty, or do you still want more? Are you content when you are lacking? Or have you learned that there is contentment in either case?
How can you find contentment in either plenty or lack? Paul tells us the secret is to rely on Christ.
It is attainable. There are so many hard things happening all around us. Sometimes, there are very hard things happening within us. Those hard things can cause stress and depression and give a sense of hopelessness. But… you can have joy and peace and a hope that overflows. Tap into it through the power of the Holy Spirit.
What do you feel? Where’s the passion? To live apathetically is cheating yourself and others out of life. To be apathetic means showing or feeling no interest, enthusiasm, or concern. Can you see that’s not really living? Jesus died so you might live.
Live to the fullest, totally for Him.
To fear the Lord is not a dread but rather a reverence. To deeply love and respect Him. It is to want to do His will, not because you are afraid of what He will do, instead you never want to disappoint Him.
When we fear the Lord, our perspective about everything changes, whether we have plenty or we are in want. We see things differently, whether in sickness or in health.
But only His people, those who have said “Yes” to His call to salvation, can make any sense of this.
How often do we complain about what we have or don’t have? About what we must or must not do? About why someone else has and we don’t? I think you get the picture. The feeling of discontent rises in our hearts.
What if I examined my every action to ensure I was doing it for God’s glory? Would doing it for God’s glory allow me to have a grumbling spirit?
What if I stopped disguising my grumbling by stating with things like, “I’m just saying,” “just stating the facts,” and “I’m not complaining.” I have to remember it’s not the words but the condition of the heart.
Perhaps instead, in all things, I find something to be thankful for, I thank God for trusting me with it, and I encourage myself and/or others.
Have you heard the expression, “Show me your friends, and I’ll show you your future?” What about, “Birds of a feather flock together?”
Do you think it is possible to take on the characteristics of those you spend much time with? I mean your friends, and spending extended time together.
Proverbs warn us about being friends with those who can’t control their temper, not because they are afraid you may be hurt, but rather because you may become like them.
Let me see your friends.
MyMorningThought #INeedYou #Thirsty #Longing
Have you ever been thirsty? I mean really thirsty. The thirst where only water will do.
You know dehydration does crazy things to your body. Lack of water makes you tired and sluggish. It will make you talk out of your head. You know, you can actually die from dehydration. The lack of water causes organ failure.
Our soul without Jesus is spiritual dehydration.
Don’t forget to check out my latest episode of My Morning Thought wherever you get your podcasts.
Do we really live like we believe God has all that we need? Well, perhaps the first question should be do we believe it?
There is evil happening in the world all around us. People are living only with “self” in mind. They are scratching, clawing and stepping on others to get what they want. They rob, steal and lie.
If only we believed that God has us. I guess we would be in heaven, right? But we want’ God’s will to be done on earth as it is in heaven.
Lord, give me the strength and the opportunity to show others you are all they need.
Don’t forget to check out my latest episode of My Morning Thought wherever you get your podcasts.
What do you want more of? Is it time? Money? A bigger home? A more expensive car? More sleep? Or more of Jesus?
What does wanting more of Jesus mean to you? What does it look like in your life? What are the things you are doing if you are seeking to have more of Jesus? Do you think it is beneficial in your life to have more of Jesus?
What if we started with prayer, reading His word, and spending intentional time in communion with him?
Do you think it would change your life?
What do you want more of?
To be overwhelmed by God’s love. One definition of “overwhelmed” is bury or drown beneath a huge mass.
Have you ever felt overwhelmed by God’s love? Have you ever felt the weight of God’s love? It feels so great; it leaves you breathless?
Stop and think about it for a minute. He is God. He created the heavens and the earth. He placed the stars in the sky. He created the sun and the moon. Everything you see is a reflection of His majesty. And He made you. And gave you dominion over His creation. And then trusted you to draw man unto Him. He partnered with you.
Let that sink in for a minute.
I have felt a sense of conviction to do more and yet I ponder what “more” should look like. So in my uncertainty, I find myself being disobedient to God.
Lord, please forgive me. Help me to know where to go. You want all to be saved and I have an assignment to go and make disciples. And yet, there are people right around me that I don’t share You with.
It is time to...
Lord, give me Your eyes to see as You see
and Your ears to hear the needs.
Give me Your hands to touch the lame
and Your voice to proclaim Your name.
Let me not wonder where I should go,
but rather be ever in tune with You, so I will know.
It is time to...
This video does not have a political or social agenda in mind. It is just intended For Your Information only. It is intended to briefly share what Juneteen is and why it is celebrated.
Here is a link to the reading of the Emancipation Proclamation. Also, here is a link to The Human Hope Podcast Bonus Episode about Juneteenth. Finally, here is a link to an article by Henry Louis Gates, Jr. Until I listened to The Human Hope podcast, I hadn't thought that me sharing a little about Juneteenth might be received wrong.
I sure hope it isn't seen as anything that is intended to divide.
Love is an action word. It is all about what I do. If I never said I love you, you should still know I do by my actions. In 1 Corinthians 12:4-8a I see what love is. 4 Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. 5 It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. 6 Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. 7 It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. 8 Love never fails.
I also see love as empathetic, as seen in Romans 12:15. I believe it is calling for empathy because it says “with” and not “for.” Romans 12:15 Rejoice with those who rejoice; mourn with those who mourn.
How I distinguish sympathy and empathy is that sympathy allows me to feel what another feels, even though I may not understand or have ever experienced anything like it. Whereas empathy puts me in their shoes. I not only feel what they feel, but I, more than likely, have had a similar experience which gives me the ability to not only feel but to also understand.
God revealed, saved and proclaimed. Check out Genesis 12:1-2 and see the promise. Then in Genesis 15, what God had promised hadn’t come to pass, so Abram wanted a point of clarification and God did clarify. Genesis 15:4 God cleared it up and went on to tell him what to expect, so he would not doubt.
So, we see in Isaiah 43:12 God tells His people to recognize His mighty works and tell somebody.
I encourage you to recognize God’s mighty works and tell somebody.
What happens when you give praise to the Lord? Just being thankful causes you to focus more on what’s right and not get consumed with what’s not. And that gives God space to work because you are getting out of the way.
Then when you give thanks to the Lord, you are filled with joy and love. That causes you to want to tell someone else about God’s goodness. You want people to know, not just what He has done, but what He can and will do.
Let’s be thankful today and make Him known.
We make exchanges all day long. We purchase items in stores where we exchange money for an item. We exchange knowledge in classrooms and through conversations. We exchange resources within relationships. There is an exchange of power in business and government. Sometimes we feel like we’ve made an equal exchange when what we receive is worth what we’ve given.
But there was a great exchange when Jesus gave His life for ours. And when we believe He died for us and invite Him into our lives as our Lord and Savior, God sees His righteousness instead of our sins; we are redeemed.
Your life is valuable. It was bought with a precious life. Let’s live it for Christ and invite others in.
When you know someone and love them, you do things that will make them happy. You know what makes them happy because you know them.
When we know Jesus, we do things to bring Him glory. We obey His commands. That’s how we show our love.
Why do you do what you do? Is it because of what you will get in return? Is it because of how others will see you after it’s done? If either of those are your reasons, you’ve gotten it all wrong.
I struggle with saying, “I’m human,” from the perspective of saying I can’t do any better. I don’t know if you’ve said it before or not, but when I am doing something that I just shouldn’t be doing, and yet I continue to do it. And then I say, “I’m human,” as if that’s my excuse to keep on doing wrong.
Most of the time, that comes into play in my life when I am making poor food choices, but that surely is not the only time. Perhaps it’s when I have a bad attitude about something, and everyone knows, even when I think I am hiding it.
Today, I don’t want to remind myself that I am human, but instead, I want to remind myself that I have the Holy Spirit living inside of me.
The world has hijacked the word, love. We say it all the time, about just about anything and to everyone. I love ice cream. I love that movie. I love you. I love the Lord.
Often the words “I love you” are said, and there is nothing to back it up. No action at all.
The commandment of love Jesus gave was all-inclusive. We are commanded to love with all our heart, soul, and mind. That includes the very source of life and emotions, of experiences and actions, and our thoughts. And to love like that towards the Lord, which shouldn’t be hard because of His great love for us, but also towards those He loves, our brothers and sisters and those that are yet to become family.
How are you doing?
If I always worked out of my strength, first of all, I would be very limited in what I could do. Secondly, would I really be doing everything for God’s glory? To do for the glory of God is to allow God to be seen as God. And how do people see Christ in me if I am always leaving to my own strength, will, and might?
Instead, I’ll recognize my weakness as a strength because it is through my weaknesses that God can be strong.
We exert so much energy fighting one another that our defenses are down when our enemy, the devil, approaches. Then we are not alert. We don’t see him coming, and we are deceived. We are misguided. We are divided and subsequently fall.
Obedience to God’s will every time is the right choice. It is more important to spend the time on the front end, communing with God, to know His will. When we surrender to the Holy Spirit and know what is being asked of you, you won’t be swayed by our feelings. It is important to remember we deal with very limited information, so when God asks you to do something, even if it is not how you would have done it, you can trust it is the best thing.
Every time I lose sight of my “why,” it puts me in a bad place. I can find myself sad and depressed, prideful and arrogant, or indifferent. I want to always remember it is not about me or anyone around me. It is all about Jesus. There is freedom in that knowledge.
Jesus gave His life so we might live with Him eternally. He is coming back again for His bride; His church.
Now, when we look around, sometimes it's hard to imagine why He has not come. But we find that He is not slow to come in terms of how we think, but He is patient and doesn't want anyone to perish.
How do you spend your time? Is it on things that have earthly value? I’m not just talking about seeking to amass wealth. Your heart will lead the crusade, so where does it take you?
Each of us is uniquely different by design. So, let’s appreciate the differences. When we are living for God’s glory, there is beauty in our differences. Those differences bring a sense of fullness to us.
So, don’t be afraid to take your place and offer a seat to someone who might not think they belong.
What if we really glorify the Lord? You know, magnify Him? That is to make Him the focal point of all things. You know we make him bigger than our problems. Making the Lord increase in size instead of our troubles, our limitations, and our reliance on ourselves.
It is through that magnification, that glorification, that we can exalt the Lord. You know, lift Him up. And then you’ll notice a funny thing, when we exalt the Lord, we get to see others differently because we begin to operate out of Jesus’s overflow. The overflow of His love and great compassion. That causes us to see others differently. Then we can be “for others” without the fear of diminishing who we are.
Anna has only three verses, which contain four sentences, but yet, we get a front room seat to her life. Could four sentences sum up your life? What would your four sentences say? Does it say what you would want to be written for all to see for generations to come?
What if we lived, not necessarily simple, but with focus and purpose, every day?
Would your life be different? Would others' lives be different because of your deduction to purpose?
Yet. A simple three-letter word meaning “still.” We can also look at it as meaning “in spite of - without being affected by the particular factor mentioned.”
So, no matter the circumstances, I will live in hope. Hope is not a wish or a dream, but rather a confident expectation that what God said would be, will be.
How do you best learn? How do you teach others?
There are different ways in which we teach and not one way will fit all circumstances, but I think in all teaching, there needs to be a practical application.
Here is one way Jesus taught in John 13. He showed them first and then He told them what and why. Finally, He sent them to do what they had learned.
"Our" denotes my connection, not just to the Father but also to my sisters and brothers.
Remember, God wants only what is best for you. Also, His ways are not your ways and His thoughts are not your thoughts. He knows what was, what is, and what is to come. Trust and not doubt. Follow the plan He lays out for you. Lean not to your own understanding, even when it doesn't make sense.
It is easy to think our strength lies in our abilities or in the alliances we form, but when we seek to do our will or rely on alliances with people outside of God’s Spirit, we have gotten it all wrong.
Our real strength lies in an unlikely source; repentance, rest, quietness and trust.
God has a plan and a purpose for you. What’s for you is for you. No one can take what’s for you, but it is important to get out of your own way to get it. Stop doubting yourself, and also stop being prideful. Seek God. He wants to tell you about it, teach you how to get it and support you along the way.
Go get it.
Have you ever had some news you just couldn’t keep to yourself? You just had to tell somebody. Maybe a test you passed or a job offer. Perhaps it was someone you saw.
Well, I want to challenge you today to write down seven things you are thankful for each hour over eight hours and then tell someone. You can even tell someone each hour.
Please share it on My Morning Thought’s Facebook Page
Sometimes things get “real” hard. It may feel like the waters are at our neck and steadily coming. Sometimes we find ourselves there because of our choices. Sometimes it is by no fault of our own.
What you must know is God sees you. God knows. Even if it is our fault, don’t lose hope. If it is by no fault of our own, take hope that God trusts you to glorify Him and bring others unto Him because of your testimony in the storm.
Remember, God’s timing is not ours. Trust God’s timing.
When you move at God’s command, you can be sure He’s going to bring you through. So, we listen and be obedient. He will position us right where we are to be for our good and for Him to receive the glory.
Exodus 14:14 The LORD will fight for you; you need only to be still.
Being still doesn’t necessarily mean doing nothing. It means not doing your will, but surrendering to His will. It means showing up and being willing to be obedient.
To love sincerely means that what you see, my actions for and towards you, are what I’m really feeling inside. It means I will always think and seek good in and for you and always want you to be your best.
How many sincere relationships do you have?
Sometimes our problems feel so great. It feels like there is no way out.
It may be the things you are facing that seem hard, or it may just be you feel like you are not enough.
Maybe statistically, the odds are not in your favor.
Hang on, your strength comes from the Lord, which means how it looks doesn’t matter because you know how it ends.
There is a song titled “Changed” and a line in the song says, “A wonderful change has come over me.”
What makes for a changed life? Is it when I make a difference in the things I do? I say not because there are things I want to be different or things I want to do differently, and yet I find myself doing the same things I’ve always done.
What makes for a changed life? It is a willingness to surrender and allow the Holy Spirit to do the work.
The change I want? Do I want it enough to let go of my will? Do I want it enough to exchange my will for His will?
Changed by Tramaine Hawkins.
What if every interaction was your last time, with that person, in that place, performing that task? Would you do things differently? Would the things I spend most of my energy on get the same attention?
What if I exerted most of my energy on things that had eternal value rather than temporary importance?
Do you ever feel amazed or perhaps overwhelmed by God’s love for you? Can you just, for a minute, think of how He loves you? He was not willing to withhold anything to redeem you. And He does it always, even when you are unaware.
Woke up this morning with this song ringing in my head. Amazed by Phillips Craig & Dean.
May is mental health awareness month. It has caused me to think about all the people whole are living with constant pain that many others don’t understand because it’s not a broken bone or a cough.
Know that God knows and He cares. Cry out to Him. Give your grief to God.
Communication is a three-step process. It is what we say, what others hear and what we actually walk away with. Often we come to the table only ready to hear and not ready to listen. What I mean is we come ready to let the other person say what they need to say, but I’m only listening so I can use it to prove my point. Because I've come with the sole intent of making sure you understand what I’m saying. That’s like coming to the table as a lawyer.
I think the better approach is to come to the table as a juror. The juror has the responsibility of listening to both attorneys and sifting through the information to hear the truth.
How do you present?
We all have defining moments in our lives. Something that happens that, as a result of that moment, we are forever changed. For some, it’s like a line drawn in the sand or like the difference between day and night. You know, what you used to do, you do no more.
Those defining moments cause you to live differently. And others will see it. And we are always remembering why we do what we do. So when others ask “why,” we can tell them our Jesus story.
God is… Whatever you need, God is. And He has made some promises. The question is, do you believe?
God has your back!
We can have up to 70,000 thoughts a day and most of them are negative. Our negative thoughts can be a protective mechanism; to keep us safe. But too many negative thoughts without the counter of intentional positive thoughts can cause us to have anxiety and depression.
Although we have automatic negative thoughts, we can choose to counter those thoughts with intentional positive thoughts.
Let’s turn our complaints into praise.
There is nothing you can do or have done that causes God not to love you. He loves you unconditionally. There is also no place you can go or be that He doesn’t want to pull you out.
Sometimes we can take one wrong step that leads to step after step in the wrong direction, but God wants to lift you up. You are never too deep.
God wants to reach down and pull you up.
Celebrate Life.
Each day is a gift from God. No, each minute. So many wake up each morning and don’t make it through the day. So, celebrate the life God has given to you. Live it for His glory. He has “good works” for you to do.
There is power in obedience.
It is better to have the Lord on your side and the world against you than to have the world on your side and the Lord against you. There may be power in numbers, but God is always the majority.
Obedience to God yields power.
You are mine. Just take that in and soak it up, from a very healthy perspective, to know you are loved brings happiness and joy. Knowing that you were chosen gives you a sense of security.
I heard someone say to another, “You are my responsibility now.” What beautiful words. I’ve repeated them in my head several times.
I have been divorced for 27 years. For 27 years now, I’ve not had the covering of a man. I’ve had to be the load bearer. But… there is so much joy in knowing that I am not alone. That I need not fear because I am His.
Think about one of the happiest times in your life. Where were you? What were you doing? Who were you with?
Now, hold that thought for a minute.
Are you smiling? You probably are. As you think on fond minutes, your heart gets happy.
Now, what I want you to know is that it doesn’t compare to one day in God’s courts. Tell somebody about Jesus. Let them see Him in you, so they too can be drawn to Him.
Better is one day!
You don’t always know the impact you are having on someone. You may not be trying to do anything but being yourself and something you might say or do could negatively or positively impact someone else’s life.
One Sunday I mentioned to Patch Hicks that I was starting a podcast for my birthday and he gave me some encouraging words and said he would listen. His words, although few and just in passing, were enough to cause me to work hard to make it happen and I wanted him to know that I had done it. Now, I don’t know if he listens or not, but I just want to say “thank you” because of his words, I was spurred me on.
So, I want to remind you to be mindful of your words. They can make a difference in the lives of others. Let’s live to impact for the “better” because it is also possible to impact for the “worse.”
Check out Patch’s podcast Feelin Film
Why is it so hard to cast our cares on Christ? He actually tells us to do so. He cares for us and has all the answers and yet we struggle day-to-day trying to do it on our own.
Why not do what He says? Now we have to give our cares to Him, not with our own identified expectations of what He will do. We have to trust Him to do what’s best for us.
Have you ever seen something that was unbelievable? You know those things that make you, “I can’t believe it.” Or someone did you something and you just couldn’t wait to tell someone. Or perhaps you have encouraging friends or a spouse in your life and when something good happens to you and can't wait to tell them. Because you wished they had been there with you, when you see or talk with them, you begin to reenact the entire event. Yes, even making all the gestures on the phone where they couldn’t see you at all.
Why do we do that? Because we are social beings, created for community.
What if we saw the good news of salvation in the very light and couldn’t wait to tell somebody.
God has something greater for you. Something greater than your circumstances. And although you might be in a hard place right now. And even if it feels like you have been there forever, God is still working.
Don’t lose hope and don’t be discouraged. Keep your focus keenly on Christ. If you can always see where you are going, what’s happening at the moment can feel less intense because you know you have not stopped, perhaps only slowed down.
And knowing that God, who is the Alpha and Omega, has good plans for you should be a mighty source of strength.
I heard a guy who was dying from cancer say, “Although it appears that cancer is winning. The day that cancer crosses the finish line is the day I win. Oh to be in the presence of the Lord.”
How often do you think, “I wouldn’t have done it that way.”
Now, how often have you thought God should have done things differently? You know, "that something" that you are going through that you feel perhaps you shouldn't be going through? Or maybe you should have accomplished or received “that something” by now.
I want to encourage you to trust Him. There is more to it than meets the eye.
We are born into this world and we begin to make it our home. We work hard and amass wealth. We try to live a comfortable life.
Don’t get me wrong. I believe we are to grow where we are planted, but as a Christ follower, we are to remember that this world is not our home. We have a home that is prepared for us by Jesus Himself.
Live like you want to go home.
God loves you with an everlasting love. There is nothing you have done or can do that will make Him love you any less.
Embrace and accept His love for you and then love others out of the overflow. Draw them with kindness.
We don’t always think of what it means to be chosen. I think we just take being “chosen” for granted. But take a minute to think about what it means.
To be chosen means that favor has been given to you. It means you have been singled out. Yes, chosen can have a positive and a negative connotation to it. We can be chosen and singled out for all the wrong reasons, but I want us to consider that we are chosen by God.
Stop, for a moment, I really want that to sink in, “God chose you.” How does that change your life?
Sometimes we can keep our eyes on the prize, but we have the wrong prize in our sight. The prize has to be the reason Christ took hold of us. We have to keep a heaven bound focus. Now, that doesn’t mean we don’t do the things that are required of us in this life, it just means that that’s always the outer shell. The inner shell; the center, the main reason, has to be Jesus. We must live to bring Him glory and to point others to Him; to make disciples.
Trusting God means trusting Him, even when I would have done something differently. I have to trust that His way is better than my way. Now, that should be easy to do right? God’s working with infinite wisdom and I only have the past and the present to go on. But still, I often think with, my limited knowledge, I know better than God. And even with my limited knowledge, I’m generally trying to make sure it works out best for me. God, on the other hand, is working things out for good for “all” those who love Him.
Have you ever…, it’s okay to be honest, you don’t have to tell me, but at least be honest with yourself. Have you ever been angry with God because you felt He should have done it your way?
God is a God of grace and compassion for you, and for others.
We can look at rules and think they are there to punish us. That may be the case in some places. Rules may be made for punishment or for exclusion, but that’s not the case for God. His rules are there to protect us and by keeping them, we are rewarded.
So perhaps, our perspective on God’s rules should be, “I get great joy when following the rules, because I know they are for my protection. I know God loves me and I love Him.
Sometimes in the moment, we just see the moment. We can’t see that what lies ahead has a greater purpose than the moment. We can’t see that we need the moment to fulfill the greater purpose. We can’t see that we might have been "sent ahead" for what is greater to come.
Things will come at us sideways sometimes. And we can easily reach into our own bag of resources; our flesh, to handle it. But I want to encourage you to seek God with your everything, as if you are in a desert and there is no water to be seen.
Sometimes things feel so hard, you feel like you can’t go on. It is important to know that you have a God that will uphold you with His righteous right (strong) hand. And then there are other times when you can make it, but you just need a little help. You don’t need to be carried, but you may need to be led or you may just need to know you have someone to lean on. In those moments, God takes your right hand.
Totally surrendering to God means giving up your will for His. It means being the clay in the hands of a potter. It means you don’t get to determine what the potter will make with the clay, but rather you trust that you will be made for a purpose that only you can fulfill.
God HAS made you for a purpose that only you can fulfill. Trust His molding, and even when He puts you in the kiln, the burn will not destroy you, but rather “set” you; to give you the best chance at being all that you can be.
We live in a broken world. Things can be very difficult. But you have a refuge, a loving God that is your stronghold. So don’t give up. Find your words. Search God’s words for His truths and when the world is screaming lies at you - face them down with truth.
“You can do it.”
“The world is better because of you.”
“You are loved.”
You get it, right? And God gets you.
I don’t want to allow how I feel to dictate how I present. My feelings, whether they are physical or emotional, whether they are about something or someone, will change. Sometimes they can change from moment-to-moment. So I must rely on more than feelings. I must rely on the firm foundation of Christ. For God never changes.
We are experiencing or seeing hard things all day long. Sometimes it is the things in our lives or in the lives of those we love. Other times, it is just looking at the world. I want to encourage you to keep your eyes on the things unseen and not the things seen.
Communication is the exchange of information. When I communicate with others, to communicate effectively, it is a three-step process; what I say, what they hear, and what we walk away with.
It is possible to say one thing and they walk away with a very different meaning, therefore, the third step is very important for effective communication.
But when I consider communicating with God, I think it is a two-step process, what I say and what I walk away with.
God doesn’t have to be on the same page as me. I need to be on the same page as Him. Actually I don’t want Him to be on my page. I don’t have enough information to make sure I’m even on the right page.
Spend some time with Him.
Busyness can be a distraction to hearing God’s word. We can worry about the next thing and leave God in the background. Don’t allow the noise of life to drown out the voice of God.
We don't know what the very next minute holds. We often live like we have forever, when we should live like tomorrow is not promised. I want to live with a sense of urgency, expecting God to show up in the midst.
You have a power within you working. If you are a Christian, it is either you or the Holy Spirit. I say either of you because I believe we can take the lead and give the Holy Spirit time off. Now, please understand, that is not what we should be doing, but we do it. I think that's why God instructs us to submit in Proverbs 3:5 Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; 6 in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight.So, I want to encourage you to not lean on "that's just who I am." God has more for you. Submit and we are told in Ephesians 3:20 that there is greater.
Ephesians 3: 20 Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us,
God is looking out for you and making provisions always. He also loves you with a love that defies logic. That's two things I gleaned from 2 Kings 6:1-7. Remember the story about the floating ax head?
Go back and read it, but you'll see that the prophets were going to the Jordan River to cut trees to build a new meeting place. Elisha gave them permission to go, but he was not going until a prophet specifically asked him and he agreed. This was God looking out. God knew what was going to happen there and Elisha needed to be in place to step in.
Now, the love that defies logic. The prophet lost his iron ax head in the river. First, it wasn't his. He had borrowed it. This was a costly accident. God cared for him and he was able to retrieve it from the river. How did he find it, you ask? Well, Elisha cut a stick and threw it in the water, where the ax head had been lost and the ax head floated to the top. "A love that defies logic."
You are loved.
Seek means to attempt to find. Matthew 7:7 says that if we seek we will find. So, if we attempt to find God, we will. He is all around us. He is in everything. He’s in our ups and downs, our joys and pains. We just can get so caught up in ourselves that we miss him in the everyday things, which is why the effort must be exerted; seek.
What do your conversations sound like? How many conversations do you have a day where God is not a part of it?
How would life be different for you? Different for those who enter into your presence if whenever God opened your lips that you would declare His praise?
Try it today.
What are those things that God has spoken to you? What are those things that you know to be true? It may not have come to pass yet, but God said it would. Then you just need to trust and wait for it. And in the waiting, remember your timing is not God’s timing. Actually time as we know it was created for us. God inhabits eternity.
One thing you can be sure of, He's coming back again.
How many times have you said, "I'll start tomorrow?" It could be a diet, an exercise routine, or mending a relationship. Are those things you putting off things you know you need to do? What about those things that God's calling you to do and you are still putting them off.
What if instead of saying, "I'll start tomorrow, you started today. Perhaps in the very moment.
We all have scars. When we look at them, we can tell you where we were, what we were doing and perhaps what the day was like. They hold a very vivid memory in the recesses of our minds. Some of them are noticeable by all. Some of them can be easily hidden. But some of them are on the inside and we continue to live in a limited capacity because of them.
What are the scars in your life that are limiting your ability to fully live?
Lupus fatigue is real in my life and some days are hard. Trying to work with what's on the outside is not enough. I have to start on the inside. I engage my heart and the Holy Spirit and then things start to change. The Holy Spirit is the power inside of me. The same power that raised Jesus from the dead.
Matthew 28:6 He is not here; he has risen, just as he said. Come and see the place where he lay.
Do you believe Jesus is alive? Do you live like you believe?
Be filled with joy and go and tell someone.
There is a day between crucifixion and resurrection; Saturday. And I think how we approach that day depends on what we believe. If we believe that Jesus is dead and that's the end of the story, then Saturday is a continuation of our mourning. It is a day of sadness that leads us straight to despair. We sit in a hopeless place without any sight of hope.
But...
If we believe that Jesus will rise again, then our tears of grief, as we watched the brutal death, become tears of heartbreak that move us to move and let the world know that it is not over. That death is not the end of the story, but rather the beginning. Our hearts break for those who don't believe.
What are you doing? While we wait.
How can today, being the day that Jesus died a brutal death on the cross, be considered a good day. It is a good day because Jesus loved me so much that He chose to die in my place. He took my place.
Yes, Jesus endured much and I don't want to ever forget that. I always want to know the value of my life. And I want to live it like what Jesus did on the cross for me, was worth it. I never want Him to say, "I gave my life for you and this is how you choose to live it?" No, I want Him to say, "Well done good and faithful servant."
Don't forget to visit my website www.mymorningthought.com.
Also, read about Good Friday. Check out this blog post, What Happened on Good Friday? A Timeline of Jesus's Last Day
Feet washing. It's a dirty job, but someone has to do it. Actually, if you are a Christ follower, you were told to do it. It is an act of humility and service. It speaks of love and concern.
Jesus did it and set an example for us to follow.
Where does your humility shine? Who are you serving?
Don't allow busyness to distract you from doing what God has called you to do. Even good work can be a distraction.
Why not, a couple of times today, set a timer? Spend one hour just going about your normal activities and see how many times Jesus is at the forefront. Then spend the next few hours making sure you stop and pause a couple of times to invite Him into your day.
My definition of sacrifice is to let go of that which is mine for the sake of others. When I think about love, I think about what someone knows of me because of what I do, not because of what I say.
We are told to love the Lord with all our heart, soul and mind. I believe there is intention to that order. Our hearts are what gives life. The heart pumps blood, carrying oxygen, to all parts of the body and if the heart ceases to do that, areas of our body, deprived of oxygen, begins to die. So we respond emotionally first. Which is why when in a stressful situation we need to 1) stop, 2) breath, 3) assess, 4) reflect, and 5) choose.
Then we are told to love with all our soul. This is our inner being. It's not about what we do, outwardly, but what we feel and do inwardly. It's what people can't see, but by our actions they know. And then with our mind. Our mind seeks to bring rationale to the situation. In some cases, that is needed because we do things that just "don't make no sense." But when it comes to loving the Lord, our mind just has to follow because some things won't make sense.
Tell me what you think? Do people know you love them by your actions or do you have to tell them?
Allow your love for Christ and your acceptance of His love for you to give you the overflow needed to love others.
What if we loved as Jesus loved, everyday? I know our world would be a better world.
Since the tornadoes came through on Friday, I've been sad and yet hopeful. Seeing people come together with only the intent of serving and loving others makes me happy. I want to be a part of it.
Let me know how you are serving, as a way of life. Drop me a line.
There is a hurting world out there. There are many people far from Christ. If Jesus has made a difference in your life, why not share Him with others? I am done waiting to do. I am surrendering my life and going, doing, and saying what He would have me to do and say, as I go.
I invite you to come with me, but I am willing to go alone.
visit me at www.mymorningthought.com and let me know what you are doing. Maybe there are places we can go together.
If you are in or around the North Little Rock area, our church is serving a meal today from 12:00 pm - 2:00 pm for victims of the recent tornadoes that came through our area. Visit us at Fellowship North.
A tornado came through our area yesterday. Please keep our community in prayer. If you can help, let me know, but if you need help, let me know.
Send your comments, concerns and/or prayer requests to www.mymorningthought.com or you can email me at barbara@mymorningthought.com.
Although we endure hardships, we remember, In God We Trust. Let all things point to Christ.
As Christ followers, we live a fixed-life. We know how the story ends. Now we don't know all the twists and turns along the journey, but we know the end. And because we know the end, the twists and turns along the way are just that; turns along the way. So, we can enjoy the straightaways and endure the turns knowing where the destination is.
If you don't know Jesus for yourself, reach out. I don't have all the answers, but I do know someone who does.
On Monday, March 27, 2023, a mass shooting occurred at The Covenant School, a private Presbyterian parochial school in the Green Hills neighborhood of Nashville. Six people—three children, each 9 years old, and three staff members, the school's head, a custodian and a substitute teacher, —were killed.
This is a tragedy for all. And now I'm asking God, what more can I do.
I don't know the answer yet, but I believe it begins with me not being, constantly, in my Christian bubble. I have to not just look at the fruit, but also look at the root and be in places where there are those who need to know Jesus.
Please pray with me for the families of the victims and pray that God will show me what more I can do.
It is usually not about us, but we sure have a way of making it that way.
Let's look at the bigger picture. Move beyond us and what all is God trying to do.
Visit my website and share your thoughts. Also find some behind the scene footage.
Sometimes you don't have the whole picture and just because you would do it differently doesn't mean it's wrong.
Have you ever met someone and in that moment just knew they were a jewel and you were very grateful to have met them? Well, I did on yesterday (3/26/23). Meeting Ms. Barbara left an impression on me. Just thinking about our interaction makes me smile.
What do people walk away with after being in your presence? Are they happy they got to spend time with you? Were they grateful your encounter ended?
Let's live and have a happy heart. Others will know it and it will make them happy.
Proverbs 15:13 A happy heart makes the face cheerful, but heartache crushes the spirit. Let's find the joy and live in it.
Visit my website and drop me a note. Also, check out this video and meet Ms. Barbara. And if you are in or around the New Orleans area, drop in and see Ms. Barbara at Today's Ketch Seafood.
Your journey has been uniquely created for you. It will not look exactly like anyone else's journey. So, seek God and be obedient. God's got you.
Do you trust Jesus? Trust Him to "go" and do, even when you don't know the reason for which you are doing it? Is it easier to trust ourselves? We have it under control, right?Are there places where you need to or want to trust Him more?
Think back over the last, say, seven days of your life. Is there anyone you thought of and said you should call and didn't? What about how someone experienced you? What if your last interaction with them was actually your last interaction with them?
We don't know the day of the time. Let's live each day on purpose and as if it will be the last. Let those you love, know it. Make a memory that will last. Share Christ so there is never a "goodbye" only "until we meet again."
Check out my website. Leave me a note. There's also some behind the scenes videos. There might even be one where my dog is ignoring me.
Have you ever heard God's voice? I mean you clearly knew it was God speaking to you? If you have, what was your response? If you haven't I want to encourage you to spend some time in prayer, in His Word, with other believers and in some quietness. Learn His voice.
Maybe you are like Samuel who heard God's voice but didn't know it was God calling you. You want to know His voice, so when He calls, you can respond with, "Speak Lord, your servant is listening."
I also mentioned the Legacy Torch Symposium in this episode. If you or someone you know is caring for an elderly loved one, you might be interested. This is a weekly session with community resources. The events are free and open to the public. If you are interested, here is a link to more information. If you have specific questions, you can always contact me. My email address is barbara@mymorningthought.com. Or reach out via the contact page on the website.
Random acts of kindness. How do you feel when you perform them? You have performed a random act of kindness, right?
How do you feel when you are the recipient of a random act of kindness? Does it make you want to pay it forward? At the very least, it has to make you feel good, right?
I did just a little research (very little I might add) on the science behind random acts of kindness and I went to a published paper on the very definition of random acts of kindness. I also know that God uses us to show His compassion to others. It has the potential to change the world. Allow God to use you. Go make a difference.
Link to the publication by Passmore and Oades if you are interested.
Also, remember I told you there was a video talking about the science behind kindness. Here is it if you would like to check it out.
Now, don't forget to tell me about it. What did you do? How did it make you feel? Do you know how it affected the person to whom you performed the kindness. Drop me a note.
Go and make an impact in your world.
I believe God is always speaking, we're just not always listening. Many times we are looking for the big things to see and hear Him when He is right there in the small, quiet, everyday things. Sometimes He speaks after a whisper.
Don't be afraid of the silence. Spend some time listening for God.
Tell me what you hear. You can always drop me a line or even a prayer request at www.mymorningthought.com
Why you do what you do needs to be deeper than you. Trace your why to Christ. When you do what you do for Christ, it changes your perspective.
Spend some time thinking about your way. Trace is to its core. Is it Christ?
God does not want you to live your life in shame, but rather to reclaim the life offered you trough the death of His Son.
What ever you've done, Jesus died for that sin. Don't live your life in shame. Shame makes you hide and you are called to be salt and light. You can't do that from a hiding place.
John 8:36 So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.
You sins were purchased at a high price. Don't squander the gift.
There are seasons in your life that are finished. What was, was... Now is the time to live expectantly for what is to come as you are fully present in what is.
Sometimes that's easier said than done. Yesterday I found myself reaching back for what was. I was really missing my kids. And coming home to an empty house was extremely difficult.
But, if you know me, those moments are like commercial breaks. And during my commercial breaks, I sit in a high chair. I don't sit on the floor. It's too hard to get off the floor so I often sit there too long. But rather, I sit in a high chair. I can sit long enough to glean what I'm supposed to get and then easily get up and get moving.
And for a Christ follower, it is finished is merely the ushering in of a new thing. When Jesus said it was finished, He had paid the price, but it was not the end of life, but rather the beginning of life for us.
What is finished in your life? How are you living expectantly for what is to come?
Share your thoughts with me. I would love to pray for and with you. visit the website, www.mymorningthought.com or send me an email at barbara@mymorningthought. com
When was the last time you searched for something you didn't believe existed? Do you think the people who search for Big Foot or the Loch Ness Monster don't believe they exist? Even if you seek to disprove, there has to be a part of you that believes, otherwise there was be no reason to disprove. Sure you can say you want to disprove because you don't want others to be duped. But who really exerts major time and energy into disproving that which they have absolutely no belief in. They would generally feel it's not worth their time. Perhaps you choose to disprove because you don't think it makes sense and you are bothered that a part of you believes.
What I'm asking you today is to search for God. If you don't know Him, search for Him. Really search. Spend some time reading His Word. Spend some time listening and expecting to hear His voice. Now, if you do know Him, spend some time seeking to know Him better and asking God to give you opportunities to share Him with others.
Drop me a line and let me know what you are thinking. Visit my website www.mymorningthought.com.
Be ready. You never know how a moment can change your life.
Simon was on his way in from the country and the Roman soldiers were leading Jesus out. In the very moment; the intersection of Simon's and Jesus's paths crossing, there was a forever change. It tells us that Simon was not given a choice of carrying the cross, but in reality he did have a choice. He could have chosen to carry the cross or perhaps be killed for choosing not to. There was no prep. He probably didn't dress for "carrying a cross." But nevertheless, that's exactly where he found himself.
I'm not sure what Simon thought about it in the midst of it all, but I can imagine on the backside of it he saw the privilege he was afforded to have an active role in his life story. Jesus was choosing to die on the cross so he could live and Simon got to carry the cross part of the way.
How are you choosing to carry your cross?
Remember Wednesdays from 9:00 am - 4:00 pm you can come and visit the Stations of the Cross at Fellowship North. Also, from 6:30 pm - 7:00 pm there is reflection time and from 7:00 pm - 7:30 pm there is prayer time.
Here is a link to Station 5 and Station 6
Empathy by definition is the ability to understand and share the feelings of another.
I believe empathy is not looking upon a situation, but rather stepping into it. Lives change when it is personal
God is doing a thing in me this morning. I've already had to make two apologies already.
Where do you need to step into a situation and not just look up it. Remember, lives change when it's personal
What's your first response when life comes at you sideways? Is it Jesus? Or is He your last resort? Do you exert every once of energy before you invite Him in?
Have you ever thought that He already knows the answer you are searching for and He wants to be in it with you?
So, rather than take many unnecessary steps, instead:
- Stop
- Take a deep breath
- Invite Him in
- Listen
Visit my website and let me know what's your first response. And if it's not Jesus, let's talk about how we can make a change.
www.mymorningthought.com
Are you living a life of impact? Where? Is it impact in your strength? If so, you can do much greater things in the impact of the Holy Spirit.
Remember, impact can be in a small circle. When you are living for Christ, in the Spirit - there is great impact, even in the life of one!
If you want to know more, drop me a line.
Sometimes God is calling you to greater things. And sometimes that means you have to be willing to leave it all behind.
What do you think? Is there someplace that God is calling you to, where what lies ahead is greater than what's behind? Even greater than where you are right now? Don't be afraid to go where God leads.
Tell me your thoughts. Visit my website.
Go do great things.
To an athlete, that phrase, "leave it on the field" might be common, but it wasn't for me. Leave it on the field, as David Bazzel explained, means to give it your best. When it is over, you have nothing left. He used these words to encourage my son, Kenderick Scorza, as he participated in the Nickelodeon's Let's Just Play Go Healthy Challenge. But here I am 16 years later hearing those words. Jesus left it on the field; the cross, for us. He gave His all for us. He died so that we could have the choice to be in relationship, forever, with Him and the Father.
Jesus chose us. Choose Him and then choose others. Build intentional relationships and share the gospel with them. It is "redeeming power."
Check out my website. Don't forget to leave me a comment or send a prayer request.
What does it look like for you to be obedient to God? "At Once!" Do we really know His voice so that when He speaks you know to listen and be obedient? What does it look like for you to spend time with the Father, so that you know His voice?
Where do you spend time? It is a rhythm? Do you have a routine? Is your answer, I just talk to Him all day? Is there intentional, uninterrupted time, so that you are not just talking, but listening?
Take a minute and look back over your day. Pick a day. Any day. Think about the many interactions you had that day. What if you know when you left that conversation or that room it would be the last time you saw those people alive? Would you have done anything differently? Would you have said something differently? What would you want their last experience of you to be?
I think about that. That was the thoughts I had when it was actually the last time I saw my son alive. I wondered if we knew, what would we have said or done differently.
And also, I think about honoring God in every moment; keeping watch, because I don't know when my time will come.
I've asked a lot of questions. I want to hear from you. Here is the link to my website - let's talk.
In this episode, I also talked about Journey of the Cross - We've visited 4 stations so far, below is the link to each. If you enjoy and I don't remember to put the next ones up, drop me a note and remind me. Also, if you are local, North Little Rock area, you can come by on Wednesdays between the hours of 9:00 am and 4:00 pm, during the Lenten season and spend some time viewing, reflecting, confessing, thanking and praying. We are at Fellowship North
Journey of the Cross Station 1
Journey of the Cross Station 2
Journey of the Cross Station 3
Journey of the Cross Station 4
What does worry look like in your life? Can you see that worry is a robber of joy? Does it really add value to your life? Can you add one hour to your life by your worries? The answer is "no." That's actually what scripture says.
So, don't worry. Give it over to God.
Tell me what worry looks like in your life. What are you worrying about? I want to pray with you about it. Visit www.mymorningthought.com and share your thoughts on the contact page.
Why do you live in weakness when you have power living inside of you? Power to overcome! The same power that raised Christ from the dead lives inside the believer. We can change the world in that power.
Where in your life do you need to live in that power?
Visit my website and tell me. I want to pray with you.
Do you believe the Lord is your portion? All that you need? Then what does it look like to wait on Him? Whatever you are going through, wait on Him!
The word "seek" to me means to look intently. It's different from just "looking." Seeking to me means going on a mission for something that I need.
We are to seek God. When we do, scripture says, we will find Him. We should always seek Him.
Do you seek God? Do you go on a mission to find Him? Do you know you need Him?
Let me know your thoughts. Leave me a comment at www.mymorningthought.com
Calling someone a friend is a high honor. Family, God chooses, but you get to choose your friends. Jesus chose us as friends. He laid down His life for us, and all He asks is obedience. And all that He commands of us is good for us. Are you a friend of God? Do you love Him?
If you had to choose one word to lean into over the next 7 days, what would that word be? Why? How do you see it playing out in your life?
My word would be surrender. That was the word I choose at my last staff meeting, a couple of days ago. Then this morning, it was my first thought as I was having a few physical difficulties this morning. See how God knew I would need to surrender this morning.
I have Lupus and some days are harder than others, but when my mom was sick, God helped me to realize that everyday was a good day, it's just some are better than others.
We make choices all day long, but many of them are just passive choices. No real thought put into it, or you do it because everyone else is doing it. That's a choice, but it's not one that gives you the strength and the courage to make that choice over and over again. Or it doesn't give you what you need when living that choice is hard.
Sometimes we hold off on making a choice because we believe it will limit or opportunities, but what if we didn't see it as limiting our opportunities, but rather see it as broadening our possibilities.
Where are you not living your fullest? Is it because you haven't made a choice? Today I choose... Choose today...
What do you value? What do you say you value, with your words? What do you say you value with your actions? Are they saying the same thing?
I think people who know you should know what you value by your actions; by the way you live. I'm hoping if you don't know what I value, it's because you don't know me.
If you know me, let me know if my actions match my words when it comes to what I value. Leave me a message at www.mymorningthought.com
Is it you? Or is it someone you know. Having to say "I'm sorry" over and over again, for the same thing? That would mean you keep doing the same thing over and over again. If that's the case, are you really sorry? Perhaps you are or know some of those people that feel like they should just be given grace.
What if an apology is not enough? Instead of an apology, what if we repent. You know, the acknowledgement that I've done something wrong and I want to do right, so I am making an about face. I am turning around and moving in a different direction.
Let's say it and mean it and show that we mean it by what we do.
Check out my website, www.mymorningthought.com
I want to hear your story. visit my website, www.mymorningthought.com, and go the contact page. Share your story with me. Or perhaps you have prayer request. I want to pray with and for you.
Sharing your story can be hard, as a Christ follower. You see, before Christ, things were messy. Often we don't want people to see our mess. We just want them to see who we are becoming. Well, I want to say to you that you don't want them to see you still living in your mess, but it's powerful to share your mess. When we share who we were, our encounter with Jesus, and who we are becoming, that's powerful and it's by the blood of the Lamb and the word of our testimony that we overcome evil.
When we live well today, it makes our tomorrow easier to face. You know what I mean. When we've made poor choices that have caused us to dig ourselves into a hole and it takes days and even months to get out. Or when we've done or said something that causes us to have to apologize. And apologies are not always the easiest to give.
Let's choose to live well today. To live in a way that gives God glory. Then our tomorrows will be easier to face.
Don't forget to check out my new website. You get to learn a little more about me and I'll even post some Behind The Scenes videos.
Do you drive forward looking in your rear view mirror? No, you may glace in it, but you look ahead.
What about life? Do you try to move forward, constantly looking back? Well, just as that would not be a good decision if you were driving, it's not a good decision as you are living. It is important to glace back. You need to know, but you can't live looking back; reaching back for what was. In doing that, you will miss what is. There is also with great certainty that you'll cause havoc because you'll not see what going on until you've already hit it.
Glace back, but look ahead.
What are those things you know and yet do something different? I mean you know the right thing to do and yet you don't do it?
Thinking about that, it reminds me of knowing I shouldn't worry and yet it can sometimes be my first response.
Let's do better!
Have you ever thought that your thinking could actually be holding you back? That what you think you want may not give you all you were created to have?
Sometimes we believe that living for Christ means you can't have fun. What about, "I can't be myself and live for Christ." But, I want you to know that living for Christ doesn't keep you from being who you are, but rather propels you to be who you are called to be.
Sacrifice - destruction or surrender of something for the sake of something else.
Is it really a sacrifice if you give up something you don't really miss?
Jesus sacrificed His life.
Today is Ash Wednesday. Do you celebrate Lent? Do you give up anything during the Lenten season? Is it just a ritual for you? What if this season was experiential and catalytic? What if you really spent time experiencing Jesus. Experience what it was like to be tempted in the wilderness. Experience what it was like to take the journey to the cross. To be sentence to death for the sake of others. To actually have the ability to walk away or perhaps never come, but...
Forgiveness or the lack there of is not good for you. Things we hold onto and don't forgive hold onto us and prevents us from fully moving forward.
But it's hard. You remember what they did. How it made you feel. How can you ever forget that? Forgiveness is not really forgetting, but it is letting go. It allows our past to be our guide and not our dictator.
Forgiveness is about and for you, not the one to whom it is given.
Where are you holding a grudge? Where is unforgiveness in your life. Forgive and set yourself free.
What happens when you don't like what you see in the mirror? There are many reasons for not liking what you see, but here are three things I want to suggest you do, if you happen to not like what you see.
- Don't rely on what you think or feel
- Trust what God sees
- Surrender to the Holy Spirit to bring about change
And remember, the only change may be that you see yourself differently.
What happens when you rely (depend on with full trust or confidence) on your own strength? You might do big things, but what happens when you rely (depend on with full trust or confidence) on the Holy Spirit that lives within you? You can definitely do BIG things.
Then why is it we don't always allow the Holy Spirit to take the lead? Why do we settle for less when God has so much more for us?
If you are in or around the Little Rock, AR area, I would like to invite you to the Legacy Torch Symposium. That's what I'm praying big about. I'm trusting the Holy Spirit to do more than I can even imagine. Come and be a part of it.
Legacy Torch Symposium Flyer
Want to attend? The event is free, but we need to know you are coming. Here's a link to acquire a ticket.
Defining moments are when external experiences cause an internal response that forever changes us. Now, we've all had defining moments. Some of them are big, traumatic experiences, but some appear to be small in nature, but nevertheless it causes us to be forever different.
Now, it's important to note, I'm not talking about those moments that cause a change, but it only lasts for a while; short or long while. I'm talking about those moments were you are never the same.
Can you think of a defining moment in your life?
God created our bodies to rest. We need rest! God even gave us an example in the very beginning. He modeled rest, not because He needed it, but because we need it.
How are you doing with following that example?
It's important to note that because this is an issue for me, I have to remember, it will not be everyone's story. So, if this is not your story, share with me what you are doing that ensures you get enough rest. If you are not getting enough rest, what can you do to change that?
How will you know God's voice? Have you ever asked that question? What was the response? Was it, "You'll just know."
Was that helpful? Maybe, but there also the possibility that it was not helpful at all.
I want to say, that 'you'll just know' is a true statement, but you also have to put some time in to get to know it.
Spend some time in His word. Spend some time in silence, expectantly listening. Being not just quiet, but also being still. Yielding to self and listening to the Holy Spirit.
Try it today. Spend some time expectantly listening, being both quiet and still.
We all have them. Sometimes we are not even aware of what they are, but we have them. We have insecurities. You know those places in our lives where we want to shine. Those places that when we see others with that ability we automatically feel like we are not enough.
What if, instead of overcompensating; going way out to prove yourself, you allowed God to be strong instead of you. Then you can cease to rely on your strength and rather rest in His.
Today is a day for lovers. Regardless of your relationship status, you are loved. With a love that surpasses knowledge. Do you know that love? Want to know that love?
Ask me how to know that love.
Sin keeps us in bondage. Who wants to live in bondage? Live afraid? Live ashamed? Live limited.
Don't do it! Live in freedom. Repent of your sins and the Son is just and will set you free.
Live in that freedom. Your story may actually set someone else free.
I don't know about you, but there have been times in my life when I've been very busy for Jesus. So busy that I don't have any time to spend with Him. In some of those moments, it really felt sinful.
Jesus does not need us to do for Him, He wants us to do for Him because of our love for Him, which is a direct result of His love for us. So yes, we do because we love, but we love so that we are doing out of the overflow of His love and power.
Our busyness for Christ can cause us to work out of our own strengths and abilities. Let's nurture the relationship that will lead to the work. Instead of during the work that actually hinders the relationship.
What if you say a need and filled it? No questions asked. No expectations upon completion. You just saw a need and filled it. Do you think the person on the receiving end would be blessed? What about you? It's a blessing to serve. And what about those who see and are inspired by your deed?
Why not try it. Take a look around and ask the Holy Spirit to show you a need that you can fill and then fill it.
Surrender? How does that word speak to you? Is it a word of weakness or strength. Think of places in your life where you had to surrender. What did it look like? I want to challenge you to think of surrender as a word of strength and not weakness. Don't see it as giving up, but rather as letting go. When you surrender to God, you let go and allow Him to lead the way.
Death has a way of reminding you that life is short, but that thought usually only lasts for a couple of days and then we find ourselves right back into the thick of things. You know, we are just thinking about the next thing on our plate. After my hospital visit back in October 2021, finishing well is always at the forefront of my thoughts. So it's not that I have an unhealthy obsession of death, but rather I have a healthy understanding of life.
Do something uncomfortable today. Tell someone about Jesus. Not the soft conversations, step beyond what's comfortable for you.
Did you know that the way you see yourself plays a role in what you are willing to accept from others? It also affects what you believe others see in you.
Remember those you love. Remember how you talk to people. We don't often think about this, but each time we leave the presence of someone, that could be the last time you see them alive. Be intentional and be okay with your last words.
Are you the person that has to drive everywhere because you need to be in control? Do you exert that same control when it comes to trusting God? Do you have to sit in the front seat? Drivers seat? Can you sit in the back seat?
Where are you sitting? Why are you sitting there? If you are riding in the back seat, is it because you trust the driver or because you are afraid of the consequences?
What if the things I needed to do were the very things I wanted to do. You know how you do what you want, reworking your entire schedule to do them. But the things that you need to do, you often find excuses as to why you can't work them into your schedule.
I don't know what that looks like in your life, but one of my struggles could be exercise.
What if... Just what if those things were the same thing. Do you think your life would be different?
Wisdom is more than the knowledge of something. It is having the knowledge of something as well as the experience of that same or similar something. Wisdom is when both the knowledge and experience are tapped into so that you can make a good decision.
Are you making wise decisions? Are you using both knowledge and experience as you think through things before rendering a decision.
I am convinced, if I see myself differently from how God sees, I need to stop and ask God to allow me to see what He sees. I want to be what He wants me to be, not what I want. His way is always better than mine.
God has called us to make disciples. He's called us to a new life. How are you doing with that? If He called you home today, would you be ready? Would He find you doing what He called you today? Would you need to ask for additional time. Hezekiah asked for additional time, but I want to be ready when it's my time.
I understand this is not my home, so I want to be ready when He calls me home, but I also want to be doing exactly what He has called me to at all times.
readywhenhecomes #faithful #moretime #satan #battle
Today, I had a lot of things running through my head, but I was able to land on comparison vs consideration. When we compare, we rob ourselves of our joy, but when we consider, we open the door for hope. Choose hope always.
We will make mistakes. We will fall down, but falling down does not have to be a failure. We can actually allow falling down to be an opportunity to make God famous, when we get back up. We should live our lives so that our "falls" can become our testimony. Instead of being a Letter of Shame, they should be our Badge of Honor.
In what ways have you fallen? In what ways have you allow it to grow you?
failure #testimony #growth #makegodfamous #fall #sin #withpurpose #purpose
What you believe is dictated by what you are told and is also displayed in how you live. So, who is speaking into your life? Who's helping you create the narrative of your life? What would those who see your life say about it? Would their idea of how you are living be the same as what you would say about your life?
The package might be new, but what's inside is still the same. Lies, sex, murder, corruption, evil, etc. has not changed. But God has given us what we need to say "no" to the worldly passions. Are you willing to use the tools you've been given? Are you ready to take back what the world is trying to take from you?
Knowing your value and worth changes the way you live. Do you know how much you are worth? For God so loved... He didn't have to do it that way, but it helps us to comprehend. Although we can't fully, it gives us a starting point.
Jesus met a Samaritan woman at the well. He engaged in conversation with her. He saw her for who she really was. Not how she saw herself, but how He saw her. He told her who she was; He told her the truth, but also made sure she knew she was seen and loved by Him. It changed her life.
Where are the places where you are known and still loved? Do you feel freedom in those spaces? Jesus sees you and knows you and still loves you. Live in that freedom.
What is your story? What do people hear when they hear your story? Does your life, at a glance, tell your story? We all have a story to tell and that story has the ability to emotionally draw people, but only our Jesus story has saving power. That is telling the world who Jesus is and then sharing what He has done in our lives.
Share your Jesus story.
Have you ever been in love? I mean really in love? You know that kind of love that makes you do really foolish things, in hindsight. Yes, only in hindsight because in the moment it feels like the right thing to do. Have you considered that you have done some foolish things in the name of love for people on earth or even things we seek after, but do we behave the same way when it comes to loving Jesus? Remember, God held nothing back and Jesus gave it all. Let's give our all to Him.
What does it take to love one another as Christ loved us? I hear stories of people in the military who are willing to risk their lives for their fellow brothers and sisters. And then I hear stories of Christians; bothers and sisters in Christ who aren't even willing to lay down their opinions about one another. Do we need a Bootcamp for Christians?
Today's thought was provoked by a podcast I listened to "A Bit of Optimism" by Simon Sinek. The episode Vulnerability with Brigadier General Michael "Johnny Bravo" Drowley was first aired on April 20, 2021.
Remember the Connect The Dot pages? Just a page of random dots until you connect them correctly, following the number pattern. Well, we can look at events in our lives and in the lives of others as just random events. We can totally disconnect our events from the events of others, but when we connect the dots, we can see how our events can actually parallel the events of others and that can cause us to give more grace. Perhaps lifting others up instead of putting them down.
Was that description random enough? Does it feel like one of those Connect The Dot pages?
With whom do you spend most of your time? Do you spend your time with people who are just like you? Those who already know Christ? Are you finding yourself complaining about how sick the world has gotten? Perhaps we need to be spending our time with those who don't know Christ. With the sick?
Do you ever have thoughts that are untrue? Unfounded? Maybe not well-intended? Would you have the same thoughts if you imagined yourself having those very thoughts in the presence of Jesus? Well, guess what, you do have them in the very presence of Jesus. He knows your thoughts. Does that change anything?
There is a difference between wanting something and really expecting to receive it. There is also a difference between waiting "hopefully" and waiting "expectantly." Do you present your requests to God and wait expectantly?
What does it feel like when you are thirsty. When nothing but water will do. You may drink a soda or tea, but the thirst never goes away. That's what it should feel like to thirst for Christ.
Is your ask different if you know someone has the ability to do what you are asking verses if you are unsure they can? What if you believed God could do all things but you were still willing to trust Him to do what He knows is best? Today, bring your prayers to God knowing He can and trusting His will.
There are promises in God's word. One of those promises is He'll never forsake you. Psalm 9:10 tells us our role and God's promise. Do you believe?
If Jesus is not your first thought, you need to go back to sleep and start again. Do you seek God first? Do you believe God has all you need? No, I mean really believe it. Not just know it in your head or be able to recite it. I mean do you really know it and therefore live it. Matthew 6:33 has the answer for all we need.