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Raise Them up in the Way They Should Go
“Train up a child in the way he should go: And when he is old, he will not depart from it.” Proverbs 22:6 (KJV) A good friend said her daughter that is in the fifth grade came home and told her that the teacher was teaching the class about the occult. Her daughter was told…
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The Purpose of Your Desires
Psalm 37:4(ESV) “Delight yourself in the Lord, and he will give you the desires of your heart.” In the Old Testament, God gives us the record of His servant, Abraham, who was destined to become our Father of believing. Abraham was fully persuaded that what God promised, He was willing and able to perform. Abraham…
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Worthy of God’s Love
Roman 8:29-30(NLT) “29 For God knew his people in advance, and he chose them to become like his Son, so that his Son would be the firstborn among many brothers and sisters. 30 And having chosen them, he called them to come to him. And having called them, he gave them right standing with himself.…
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Loosen Your Grip
Lisa had been driving around for the last two months without insurance. She let her boyfriend use her car one weekend, and he totaled it. Thankfully, he is okay, but Lisa is in quite the bind. Rent is due, her job is ten miles away from her apartment building and relying on her mom for…
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The Choice to Love Others
My friend recently attended a holiday gathering, and she couldn’t wait to share some of the pictures of herself from that evening. She felt that she looked her absolute best, and I thought she looked beautiful as well. Later, she told me, “I sent my ex a picture of myself from the party, just so…
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The Promise of the Holy Spirit
Ephesians 4:30(NLT) “And do not bring sorrow to God’s Holy Spirit by the way you live. Remember, he has identified you as his own, guaranteeing that you will be saved on the day of redemption.” When we soak in the reality of what God tells us in Galatians 3:14(NIV), we should be forever changed. This…
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Self-Control
One of the major problems today is that too many of us try to control people and circumstances without learning the discipline of controlling ourselves. Our Master Jesus walked in the power of the Holy Spirit. He understood that the Source of his strength and power came from the Spirit that dwelled within him. The…
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Surrender Your Skeletons
Proverbs 23:26(NLT) “O my son, give me your heart. May your eyes take delight in following my ways.” A skeleton is the remains of a human body once it is drained of all life. Skeletons remind us of death, and if we were to hide one in our closet, it means we are probably trying…
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Praying for the Salvation of Others
Dante and Jackie decided to make a quick run to the store before Bible study one evening. Their plans for a random trip to the store turned into an opportunity that God planned so they could be a blessing. They asked a store clerk to point them in the right direction of an item they…
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Love with The Heart of Christ
God rescued us through Jesus Christ because of His extraordinary love for us all. Romans 5:8 (ESV) declares, “But God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” He loves us with a burning love, and He wants all His children to live blessed lives. God wants…
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Get Excited for the Future!
In Jeremiah 29:11(NLT), God told His people, “For I know the plans I have for you,” says the Lord. “They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope.” God is our Heavenly Father, and in this verse, He tells us that the plans He has for us…
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Appreciate the Losses
Dante had been job seeking for about a month when he finally got a request for an interview. The interview was longer than expected, and after an hour or so, he felt pessimistic about things. The interviewer asked Dante, “how do you feel about losing?” Dante answered by saying that he can appreciate the losses…
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God’s Mouthpiece
My friend, Jonah, has been trying to witness and spread the gospel of Jesus Christ, but he feels that he’s not being taken seriously. One of the individuals that he’s been telling about the Lord Jesus Christ is very important to him, but Jonah feels that this person isn’t allowing the Word to land. He…
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Study to Show Yourself Approved before God
Faith in God is the game-changer in this journey of life. Not having it will set us on a course of regression and devastation but having faith in our Heavenly Father through Jesus Christ will keep us standing strong in the middle of the most difficult storms of life. In the Gospels, when the disciples…
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Iron Sharpens Iron
Life is all about relationships. God has set up all relationships as an instrument to strengthen our relationship with Him, and as we are strengthened, comforted, and encouraged by Him, we can then bless others through Jesus Christ. We are to become established and saturated in His love for us and our love for Him.…
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God’s Correction
None of us like to be told we’re doing something wrong, especially if we’re enjoying it. Everyone needs constructive criticism, and the biggest room in the world is the room to grow. Most of us realize this. We know growth is a necessary part of life, but we love our routines. We like sameness and…
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Walking in Your Purpose
Marthea Duncan received the promotion she had been vying for since the day she started working for a prominent nonprofit. Her former boss was terminated for consistently missing the company’s fundraising goals. Marthea believed she could do a much better job, but already she had rubbed some of the other employees the wrong way. Like…
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Breaking Chains
In this life experience on earth, God is teaching and training us to live fully in His nature. This means that some of our thoughts, behaviors, and attitudes must go. We must kick them to the curb because they are not helping us towards God’s goal. These thoughts, behaviors, and attitudes are referred to in…
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Don’t Judge Others
One of the most defining characteristics of true disciples of Christ is placing ourselves under the scrutiny of God’s Word. We make ourselves accountable to what God says because this demonstrates our obedience and humility towards Him. Sometimes, it’s not enough to just look at the surface stuff, but to also go under the hood…
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Don’t Over Water Your Fruit
Jesus Christ said in John 15:8(NLT), “When you produce much fruit, you are my true disciples. This brings great glory to my Father.” As God’s children, Jesus makes it clear that we are in the fruit producing business. There can be no doubt in our minds that God requires something of us, and we’re not…
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Guard Your Heart
God’s Word is packed full of His truth, wisdom, promises, and prophecy. Everything that He has spoken in His Word has come to pass, and it is no mistake that He tells us about the future. He wants us to know, and most importantly, be prepared for what is to come. We are living in…
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Get Wisdom and Understanding
When Chaim met Olivia, it wasn’t exactly love at first sight. Initially, he thought she was bossy and opinionated, and she talked a bit too much for his taste, but it was easy to see how smart she was. Her smile was out of this world, and he found himself staring at her whenever she…
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The Tongue Can Bring Death or Life
Some of us think that we can say whatever comes to our mind. We’ve made a habit of allowing words to roll from our lips without considering how it might impact others. This is a dangerous game to play. Proverbs 18:21(NLT) tells us, “The tongue can bring death or life; those who love to talk…
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Keep Pressing
The phrase “easier said than done” is very common, and I’m sure most of us have heard it. The dynamic nature of life presents all kinds of situations and circumstances that give this phrase a continual workout. Our tendency is to think that just because something looks easy that it is in fact easy, when…
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The Blessing of Companionship
Having a significant person in your life that you can lean on is a beautiful blessing. God even says so in Ecclesiastes 4:9-12(NLT). This passage states, “Two people are better off than one, for they can help each other succeed. If one person falls, the other can reach out and help. But someone who falls…
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Your Faith Will Be Tested
Life was designed by God to be a very dynamic journey. It’s often filled with wonderful highs and devastating lows. It ebbs and flows, and this is to be expected. God didn’t keep it a secret that life would be challenging, but life wasn’t designed by God to be one big tragedy. Through Christ, it…
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Do You Really Want a Relationship with God?
In the Old Testament, the Israelites were God’s chosen people, and He set them apart to worship Him. Through the record of the Israelites living during Old Testament times, we can learn a lot about ourselves, but more importantly, we can learn a lot about God’s patience, mercy, and grace. Throughout history, humanity has demonstrated…
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Walking in Faith!
Before a baby can stand and take its first steps, there are false starts, a bit of shakiness, and a hint of doubt in the baby’s mind that they can actually put one foot in front of the other. It’s uncharted territory for them, and some take longer than others to get the coordination down…
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Humility before God
One rainy night, after seeing a Broadway show featuring one of his favorite characters, a little boy that I know walked the streets of New York. He was holding tightly to his mother’s hand. As they hurriedly sped past the blocks, he saw something that disturbed his spirit, and did so on such a level…
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Seek the Kingdom of God Above All Else
Jesus Christ commands us in Matthew 6:33(NLT), “Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need.” During our time here on this earth, we sometimes forget that we were sent here on a mission from our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. This mission is to…