Friday, May 31, 2013
Tuesday, May 28, 2013
Thursday, May 23, 2013
Consider This..
“If not to God, you will surrender to the opinions or expectations of others, to money, to resentment, to fear, or to your own pride, lusts, or ego. You were designed to worship God and if you fail to worship Him, you will create other things (idols) to give your life to. You are free to choose, what you surrender to but you are not free from the consequence of that choice.”
Ask God for a Repeat Performance
"King Jehoshaphat went and stood before them and prayed aloud." (2 Chronicles 20:5b-6a NLT)
There is no problem that is too big or too small for you to pray about. Chronicles 20:5-6 says, “King Jehoshaphat went and stood before them and prayed aloud.” That's a good thing to do!
It's important when the odds are stacked against you to pray a certain way that is different from the way you normally pray. Jehoshaphat gives us a model of the three things you need to pray when you feel overwhelmed.
- Remind yourself who God is. "O Lord God of our ancestors, you rule in heaven over all the nations of the world. You are powerful and mighty, and no one can oppose you" (2 Chronicles 20:6). Before you talk to God about the problem and focus on it, remind yourself that God is bigger than the problem you are facing. King Jehoshaphat realizes that three enemy nations are coming at him, yet he stops and says, "You're bigger than all the nations, God. You are bigger than anything I will ever face."
- Remind yourself of what he has done in the past. Think of the times when God has helped you and the miracles he's already done in your life. “When your people Israel moved into this land, you drove out the people who were living here and gave the land to the descendants of Israel, your friend, to be theirs forever” (2 Chronicles 20:6). Jehoshaphat recalled all the ways God had worked in Israel's past.
- Ask God for help now. How about a repeat performance, Lord? Do it again! In verse 9, Jehoshaphat mentions three kinds of situations: war, epidemic, and famine. He says, “None of this is too hard for you. You've helped us in the past, so do it again!”
His prayer is built around three questions: Are you not? Did you not? Will you not?
“Are you not God?” Yes, you are in charge, and you're big enough to handle it.
“Did you not help us in the past?” Yes, you did help us in the past.
“Will you not do it again?” Yes, you will do it again!
That's the way you need to pray when you're overwhelmed. No matter what the situation is, remind yourself first who God is, what he's done, and then ask him to do it again. Once you've done that, you're ready to talk about your problem.
Talk It Over
- How will remembering that God is bigger than your problems change your perspective on the difficult situation you're facing?
- What is the difference in praying in expectation? How do the three questions about God help you pray expectantly?
Wednesday, May 22, 2013
Your Faith Is Being Tested
by Rick Warren
"These trials will show that your faith is genuine. It is being tested as fire tests and purifies gold." (1 Peter 1:7a NLT)
The Bible repeatedly says that God has promised to meet your needs: “And my God will meet all your needs according to the riches of his glory in Christ Jesus"(Philippians 4:19 NIV).
But the Bible also tells us that with every promise there is a condition. One of the conditions for this promise is that you have to trust him. The more you trust God, the more God is able to meet needs in your life.
So, how can you learn to trust God more so he can meet all of your needs? How can you learn to have greater faith?
You don’t get faith by sitting in a Bible study group or just talking about it. Faith is like a muscle; it develops by being used. The more you use your faith, the more it gets stretched. And the more it gets stretched, the more God is able to bless your life.
We call the circumstances that God creates to stretch our faith "trials": "These trials will show that your faith is genuine. It is being tested as fire tests and purifies gold" (1 Peter 1:7a NLT).
The Pressure Test
The pressure test asks the question, “How will you handle stress?" Will you depend on yourself, or will you depend on God? Psalm 50:15 says, “Call on me in the day of trouble; I will deliver you, and you will honor me" (NIV). Do you turn to God when you're in trouble and not to other things?
The People Test
God often uses people in your life to test and stretch and develop your faith. This test asks the question, “How will you handle disappointment?” Life is often disappointing. Careers, marriages, and even plans don’t turn out the way we planned them. But the most disappointing thing in life is people. Why? We get disappointed by people because we expect them to meet a need that only God himself can meet. This is a test!
Your problem is not the people in your life. Your problem is your response to the people in your life. People are not the problem, and they’re not the answer to the problem, either. The answer is God. When you expect other people to be your savior, you’re setting yourself up for disappointment.
Jeremiah 17:7 says, “Blessed are those who trust in the Lord and have made the Lord their hope and confidence” (NLT). What happens if you trust in the Lord? Look at God’s promise in Isaiah 49:23: “Those who hope in me will not be disappointed” (NIV).
Talk It Over
Which of these tests is God using in your life right now to stretch your faith?
How will you choose to respond to the stress and people in your life that are testing your faith?
Pray First and Pray More!!
You ever have one of those days where it seems EVERYTHING is going wrong and you are wondering if God is aware and why is this happening to you right now? Then we begin to question God and ask Him "Why??" We have to understand that He knows the begining and the end and that our perspective is limiited. He sees the bigger picture while we look at what stands before us. That is when we should always pray first.
With every high, there is a low. After every victory, there is a letdown. And with every blessing, there comes a testing. You may not be in a battle right now, but you're going to be in one tomorrow or the next day or the day after that. You should expect blessing in your life, but you also need to expect battles in your life. You're going to have difficult times.
But you should never let an impossible situation intimidate you. Let it motivate you to pray more and turn to God first.
But you should never let an impossible situation intimidate you. Let it motivate you to pray more and turn to God first.
Monday, May 13, 2013
Avoiding the Rearview Mirror
by Rick Warren
“Put your heart right, Job. Reach out to God .... Then face the world again, firm and courageous. Then all your troubles will fade from your memory, like floods that are past and remembered no more.” (Job 11:13, 15-16 GNT)
You can learn a lot by looking at your past. You’ve heard the saying, “Those who cannot remember the past are doomed to repeat it.” That’s true — but it’s only part of the story. You can’t heal the most pervasive, costly wounds in your life by focusing only on your past. To defeat those giants, you’ll have to look ahead.
Too often we try to find healing by looking in our rearview mirrors. When we do that, we’re more likely to crash than heal.
In Job 11, God tells us clearly how to get rid of painful memories and move on with our lives. He says, “Put your heart right, Job. Reach out to God .... Then face the world again, firm and courageous. Then all your troubles will fade from your memory, like floods that are past and remembered no more” (Job 11:13, 15-16 GNT).
First, put your heart right. You do what’s right — no matter what the other person does. It’s always right to forgive those who’ve hurt you.
Second, reach out to God. Invite Jesus into every room in the house of your heart. Often, we’ve invited him into the front room (accepted Jesus as our Savior) — but not the bedroom, kitchen, or garage.
Third, face the world again. Don’t hide in a shell or withdraw so you don’t get hurt again. Move forward. Learn to live again.
Your past is not your future. It doesn’t matter what you’ve done, who you’ve done it with, or how long you’ve done it. Throughout Scripture, God forgives murderers, adulterers, and slackers, and he uses them to do his work in the world.
You, too, have a great future ahead of you. Put your heart right, reach out to God, and face the world again.
And then let God do something incredible through you.
Talk It Over
Why is it so easy to look at our past when trying to overcome pain?
Who do you need to forgive in order to “put your heart right”?
As you reach out to God for healing, into what rooms do you still need to invite Jesus?
In what ways do you “hide in a shell” as you deal with hurt in your life?
Thursday, May 9, 2013
Thinking about My Purpose
POINT TO PONDER: It’s not about me.
VERSE TO REMEMBER: “Everything got started in him and finds its
purpose in him.” COLOSSIANS 1:16B MSG
QUESTION TO CONSIDER: In spite of all the advertising around me,
how can I remind myself that life is really about living for God,
not myself?
Wednesday, May 8, 2013
Focused on the Goal
Philippians 3:12-14 I’m not saying that I have this all together, that I have it made. But I am well on my way, reaching out for Christ, who has so wondrously reached out for me. Friends, don’t get me wrong: By no means do I count myself an expert in all of this, but I’ve got my eye on the goal, where God is beckoning us onward—to Jesus. I’m off and running, and I’m not turning back.
There are days when we feel we have it all together and some days that seem overwhelming and out of control. Every day that we are blessed with, we need to focus on what is ahead and not what happen yesterday or in the past.
Everything we been through has made us who we are no matter if it was all good or bad. Don't allow the enemy to remind you of who you use to be but you need to remind him who you are in Christ today. This walk is not easy and we need to take one day at time. Rejoice in the blessed day that God provided and ask Him to guide you thru it. Every day is precious and should be treated as if there is no tomorrow.
You not going to always get it right...or dot all your I's or cross all your T's. When you feel overwhelmed, remember the scripture which says, "The Lord will perfect that which concerns me." If you do what you can, God will take care of the rest.
There are days when we feel we have it all together and some days that seem overwhelming and out of control. Every day that we are blessed with, we need to focus on what is ahead and not what happen yesterday or in the past.
Everything we been through has made us who we are no matter if it was all good or bad. Don't allow the enemy to remind you of who you use to be but you need to remind him who you are in Christ today. This walk is not easy and we need to take one day at time. Rejoice in the blessed day that God provided and ask Him to guide you thru it. Every day is precious and should be treated as if there is no tomorrow.
You not going to always get it right...or dot all your I's or cross all your T's. When you feel overwhelmed, remember the scripture which says, "The Lord will perfect that which concerns me." If you do what you can, God will take care of the rest.
Monday, May 6, 2013
Women's Release Is Back ON!!!!
Good afternoon lovely!!! I am super excited to announce Women's Release is back on!!! Moving forward Women's Release will be every 2nd and 4th Thursday at 8pm I will update the blog http://womensrelease.blogspot.com/?m=1 if there are any changes to that schedule! We will be meeting at the Broad Creek Community Center!!! God blessed us with a facility!!!! 1343 Herbert Collins Way Norfolk, VA 23504 Hope to see you this Thursday May 9 ! Be blessed!
Friday, May 3, 2013
Satan is Real
by Rick Warren
“For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.” (Ephesians 6:12 NIV)
You have an enemy — and it’s not who you think it is. It isn’t the person you’re competing against at work. It isn’t the difficult neighbor. It isn’t your ex-spouse. It isn’t the group in your community who are taking unbiblical positions against you.
Your enemy isn’t flesh and blood at all.
“For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms” (Ephesians 6:12 NIV).
Your battle is with Satan.
One of the reasons we so often walk around in discouragement and defeat is because we don’t really understand who we’re battling. We don’t understand who our real enemy is. We blame the economy, a political party, a segment of people, or the person we can’t stand down the street.
We blame everyone but the one whom the Bible calls a thief and a liar who is out to destroy anyone who loves and follows Jesus.
To find victory in your life over what’s dragging you down, you’ve got to start by attacking the right enemy.
When you do, keep these truths in mind as you battle against your true enemy, Satan.
You’re no match for Satan. It’s like trying to shoot a rubber band at a battleship. Outside of Jesus, you have no hope of defeating Satan’s influence over your life.
Everyone gets used by Satan. Satan will put thoughts in the minds of Christians and non-Christians alike. At times we can all be a pawn of Satan. Protect yourself with the armor of God (see Ephesians 6:10-17).
Not everything that is spiritual is good. There’s spiritual light and spiritual darkness. Don’t fall for the lie that all roads to God are equal. Jesus said, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me” (John 14:6 NIV).
Satan doesn’t fight fair. Satan can’t slug you, so instead he puts discouraging and depressing ideas into your mind. You’ve got to catch him in the act, let him know you know where the idea comes from, and ask Jesus for help.
Satan is real. He’s the enemy who has been disrupting your life. But there’s good news: He doesn’t have a chance against Jesus.
Talk It Over
- Who have you considered your enemy? What are the thoughts that have been in your head lately that you know are from Satan?
- What are you going to do to counterattack those thoughts and to guard your mind?
)
“For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.” (Ephesians 6:12 NIV)
You have an enemy — and it’s not who you think it is. It isn’t the person you’re competing against at work. It isn’t the difficult neighbor. It isn’t your ex-spouse. It isn’t the group in your community who are taking unbiblical positions against you.
Your enemy isn’t flesh and blood at all.
“For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms” (Ephesians 6:12 NIV).
Your battle is with Satan.
One of the reasons we so often walk around in discouragement and defeat is because we don’t really understand who we’re battling. We don’t understand who our real enemy is. We blame the economy, a political party, a segment of people, or the person we can’t stand down the street.
We blame everyone but the one whom the Bible calls a thief and a liar who is out to destroy anyone who loves and follows Jesus.
To find victory in your life over what’s dragging you down, you’ve got to start by attacking the right enemy.
When you do, keep these truths in mind as you battle against your true enemy, Satan.
You’re no match for Satan. It’s like trying to shoot a rubber band at a battleship. Outside of Jesus, you have no hope of defeating Satan’s influence over your life.
Everyone gets used by Satan. Satan will put thoughts in the minds of Christians and non-Christians alike. At times we can all be a pawn of Satan. Protect yourself with the armor of God (see Ephesians 6:10-17).
Not everything that is spiritual is good. There’s spiritual light and spiritual darkness. Don’t fall for the lie that all roads to God are equal. Jesus said, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me” (John 14:6 NIV).
Satan doesn’t fight fair. Satan can’t slug you, so instead he puts discouraging and depressing ideas into your mind. You’ve got to catch him in the act, let him know you know where the idea comes from, and ask Jesus for help.
Satan is real. He’s the enemy who has been disrupting your life. But there’s good news: He doesn’t have a chance against Jesus.
Talk It Over
- Who have you considered your enemy? What are the thoughts that have been in your head lately that you know are from Satan?
- What are you going to do to counterattack those thoughts and to guard your mind?
)
Thursday, May 2, 2013
The Battle You Were Born to Win
by Rick Warren
“The one who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world.” (1 John 4:4b NIV)
You were born into a battle. You didn’t ask for it. But before you were born and long after you die, a cosmic battle is taking place all throughout the universe. You can’t escape the battle between God and Satan, good and evil — even if you don’t know it exists.
Yet it’s important to know God and Satan are not equal enemies. God is far superior in all ways. One day God will completely wipe Satan out. But until then, he allows us to have a choice of whose side we’re on.
People are often pawns in this cosmic battle. Satan can’t hurt God. What do you do when you can't hurt someone? You hurt his children. So Satan goes after you.
The bad news is, you were born for a battle. But there’s good news. You were born to win the battle. The Bible says, “The one who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world” (1 John 4:4b NIV).
Satan isn’t afraid of you. He is afraid of who is in you — God.
With the Holy Spirit in you, you don’t have to be afraid of Satan. You’re on the winning side of this war. Now live like it.
Talk It Over
- How will knowing the truth that you’re in a spiritual battle change the way you live?
- How will knowing the truth that you’re destined to win spiritual battles change the way you face your fears?
“The one who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world.” (1 John 4:4b NIV)
You were born into a battle. You didn’t ask for it. But before you were born and long after you die, a cosmic battle is taking place all throughout the universe. You can’t escape the battle between God and Satan, good and evil — even if you don’t know it exists.
Yet it’s important to know God and Satan are not equal enemies. God is far superior in all ways. One day God will completely wipe Satan out. But until then, he allows us to have a choice of whose side we’re on.
People are often pawns in this cosmic battle. Satan can’t hurt God. What do you do when you can't hurt someone? You hurt his children. So Satan goes after you.
The bad news is, you were born for a battle. But there’s good news. You were born to win the battle. The Bible says, “The one who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world” (1 John 4:4b NIV).
Satan isn’t afraid of you. He is afraid of who is in you — God.
With the Holy Spirit in you, you don’t have to be afraid of Satan. You’re on the winning side of this war. Now live like it.
Talk It Over
- How will knowing the truth that you’re in a spiritual battle change the way you live?
- How will knowing the truth that you’re destined to win spiritual battles change the way you face your fears?
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