Эпизоды
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There are times in our lives when God's grace pours down like rain. But there are also times -- many times -- when it's His "dew" that sustains us on a day-to-day basis. His provision for every area of life demonstrates His immeasurable grace, and His gift of salvation through Christ's death and resurrection is more than enough for our every need.
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Contentment isn't a state that's based on circumstances; it's a state that's based on spiritual maturity. In the book of Philippians, Paul writes, "I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. I can do all this through Him who gives me strength." When we focus on God and His Kingdom, our lives cease to become ours and become His alone -- and no matter how much or how little we have, our contentment is found in Christ alone.
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Пропущенные эпизоды?
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God freely gives His grace to us. He doesn't hold back, even knowing that we'll squander it and continue to struggle with sin. Now, we're called to live sacrificially in service to others, offering everything we have to be used by Him as the Spirit leads.
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When Jesus died, He knew something that His followers didn't: He knew that God would raise Him from the dead and bring Him back to life. Because of His sacrifice, we're given the opportunity to be raised from eternal death and given eternal life in heaven, but accepting the salvation He so freely offers us is a choice that each and every person has to make.
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The story of David and Goliath is a famous example of God defeating a literal giant. But there are countless stories throughout Scripture, throughout history, and throughout each of our lives where God has been faithful to defeat proverbial giants on our behalf. We're going to face trials and tragedies in this world -- Jesus assured us of that -- but instead of spending our time wrapped up in anxiety and fear, we can believe His Word and trust that He's greater than anything that comes against us.
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God promises to supply all of our needs; if we doubt that, we just need to look at the countless examples in Scripture that demonstrate how He's cared for His people all throughout history. But Jesus teaches that we have more than just physical needs, and unless we eat the spiritual food that nourishes our spiritual needs, we will never be filled.
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Examine your life as it is right now. Are you holding onto something -- and unwilling to give it to God so that He can bring healing and help you move on? Whether it's our own mistakes from the past, or the hurt caused by someone else's actions towards us, we have to be willing to let go if we want to step into and take hold of the fullness of life that God offers us.
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Jesus spent His entire time on earth modeling for us what it looks like to live and love outside of the box. Obedience to God draws us out of our comfort zone by necessity, so that He may be glorified and His name may be made known to others. What "box" are you trapped in that's keeping you from surrendering in full obedience to Him?
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Joseph was just an average guy -- until he decided to trust and obey God, and ultimately became Jesus' earthly father. We might not all be Joseph, but when we become Christians, we cease to become "average Joes". The moment we choose to follow Jesus, God dwells in us through His Spirit and works through us to accomplish extraordinary things.
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Scripture's filled with stories that sound crazy on the surface, and none more so than the Gospel message of Jesus coming as the Messiah to die for our sins. In fact, 1 Corinthians 1:18 tells us that "the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God." We will never convince anybody to believe on our own, but the Holy Spirit can use us -- and our obedience in sharing the Gospel -- to reach people that they might believe and be saved.
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Scripture assures us that all the pleasures of this world will never be enough to fix our own brokenness. While it's important to enjoy and appreciate the life that God gives us, we can never lose sight of our role in obeying His commands to pursue Him above all else. Only He can change us from the inside out, and give our lives purpose and meaning.
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We are all going to die one day -- of that much we can be sure -- but not all of us are sure of what will happen to us after death. We have the choice to be assured of our salvation in heaven because of Christ's sacrifice on our behalf, but it's up to us to choose. As the sand falls in our hourglass of a lifetime, our "death wish" should be an eternity with Jesus, as well as wishing that same outcome for all those around us.
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In the Old Testament, God commanded His people to love Him with all their heart, soul, and strength. In the New Testament, Jesus took it one step further when He commanded us to love others as we love ourselves. The only way for us to obey is to understand the depth of God's love for us, and then to love Him in response. When we do that, we're able to love ourselves and others in the same way.
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Those moments when we trade in our original plans of obedience to God, and exchange them for the temporary and fleeting pleasures of the world, can be huge mistakes that lead to grave consequences. Every choice we make has an impact not just on us but on others -- that's why we've got to keep our eyes fixed on Jesus.
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The way we conduct ourselves on a day-to-day basis is meant to represent the abundant life we have in Christ. That means our lives would ideally model for others what it looks like to serve God. When we have a "model home" in both our family life and our personal life, that attracts others to what we have -- which is God in us -- and they're drawn to Him as a result.
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Scripture tells us that the world is on a wide and easy road to destruction. That's why as followers of Jesus, we're called to take the narrow path. Ours might be a difficult journey filled with trials and testing, but it's worth it for the eternal reward we have in Christ.
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The worry that we feel is often a direct reflection of our lack of trust in God. When we choose to believe that He knows what's best for us and has good plans for us, He gives us unexplainable peace and the ability to rejoice in all circumstances.
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Usually the biggest hurdle standing between us and freedom from sin is...ourselves. We have the ability to learn from the consequences we've experienced in the past and recognize the path down which our current struggles are leading us. We can choose to be deceived, or we can choose the path that leads to life in Christ.
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Satan has only one goal when he tempts you and me into sin: to steal, kill, and destroy our lives. He lures us in with promises that the ways of the world will be fun and fulfilling, but it's all smoke and mirrors. The only way to an abundant and fulfilled life is by submitting to God -- hating what's evil, and clinging to what's good.
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We can have good things in our lives, but unless they're also God things, they can come between us and Him. Sin struggles, distractions, or even innocent pleasures can be barriers to the life of freedom God has in store for us. It's important to examine our day-to-day living and identify whether we need to do teardown in some areas that are keeping us separated from Him.
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