“Say no to fear and live with the hope and courage that can only come when you remember the Lord is near. Our hopelessness of weakness is the only door to the hope of real strength.” -Tripp
“God is always near and always reachable.” -Tripp
“Faith believes that God really does exist and that He rewards those who seek Him. But faith isn’t natural for us, it is a gift of God’s Grace. Seek that Grace again today.“ -Tripp
“So my dear brothers and sisters, be strong and steady always enthusiastic about the Lord’s work, for you know that nothing you do for the Lord is ever useless.” -1 Cor 15:58
On Sunday, before the Superbowl, there will be locker room speeches encouraging all to give their best to win the big game. I’ll be watching and having fun.
Now I’m thinking about this locker room speech by Paul to every Christian, we are in the biggest game on the most significant team. When we feel discouraged and it just feels like its not working out remember this message from Paul. Everything we do for the Lord has His success built in. The “Big Game” is won!
“Faith is living in the light of what God has said, resting in what He has done and entrusting the future to His care.” -Tripp
“The reality is-God is the peace you are looking for.” -Tripp
“We don’t seek satisfaction, hoping God will deliver it. No, we seek God, and the result is satisfaction of heart.” -Tripp
“Envy is forgetful, selfish, self-righteous, shortsighted and impatient. It questions the goodness and wisdom of God.” -Tripp
What is making me reflect and grow as we go into 2023-
To see what others need to see of Jesus- we need to understand-“We are all in the same storms but we are all not in the same boat.” “When we see where a person is, we must also see where that person has started from.” -R Warren
In other words, I am called to ask “what can I say or do that brings this person closer to Jesus Christ. My being close to and hearing Jesus’ answer is the only way I can know that.” -TT
“How do we react to this world where the Lord has placed us?” -TT
We as ambassadors of the King ask ourselves: “What of the person, work and character of the Lord Jesus Christ does this person need to see in the situation he or she is now in?” -Tripp
“What does it mean to be an ambassador of the King? It means reflecting His message, His methods and His character wherever He has placed you.” -Tripp
You quit worrying about your “I must haves” and are freed to give yourself to the Lord when:
1) You are convinced He will give you all you need to face whatever He has ordained you to face
2) You really believe that God is actively committed to meeting every one of your true needs
-Tripp
“You can gaze over the fence and covet another person’s life, or you can tell yourself God has blessed you in ways you could never have earned.” -Tripp
“God has committed to meet every one of our needs. God hasn’t promised to deliver what you desire.” -Tripp
“Be Thankful! Often times God delivers us from our wants to rescue us from ourselves.” -Anon
“No, you won’t understand all that you face, and yes, God’s Will does confuse you at points, but your story has been infused with meaning and purpose because it’s been included in God’s story of redemption and restoration.” -Tripp
“As I have said before, You live between the “already” and the “not yet.” It is essential to understand that you have been fully forgiven already, but you have not yet been fully built into all that grace will make you.” -Paul David Tripp
“Perhaps before you start confessing your sins you should start confessing your righteousness. To the degree you are able to convince yourself of your righteousness you have less esteem for the perfect righteousness of Christ that allows you to stand before God.” -Tripp
“What rules our hearts shapes our words and actions. The big war is not with other people or circumstances. It is the war within us. It is the war for control of our hearts.” -Tripp
“And since I, the Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet you ought to wash each other’s feet.” -John 13
“Our relationships with others will only be fixed horizontally when they are rescued vertically.” -Tripp
What relationship in your life needs rescue? -TT
“For the entire law is fulfilled in this one command: “Love your neighbor as yourself.” -Gal 5
“Love in our relationships is started in, continued by and motivated with our love for God.” -Tripp
“For the entire law is fulfilled in this one command: “Love your neighbor as yourself.” -Gal 5
“Our lack of love for God is revealed in the lack of love in our relationships.” -Tripp
“For the entire law is fulfilled in this one command: “Love your neighbor as yourself.” -Gal 5
“You can only love others as commanded if God is in His right place in your heart. If God isn’t there, who is the one you insert in that place? The answer is easy – it is you!” -Tripp
“And since I, the Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet you ought to wash each other’s feet.” -John 13
“Only people who love God above all else will ever love their neighbors as themselves.” -Tripp
“And since I, the Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet you ought to wash each other’s feet.” -John 13
“Love is more than being nice to people. It is loving God above all else so that you are able to love others as He has commanded you.” -Tripp
“We are hardwired to live for God – I like to think of it this way; you can’t get up in the morning without bumping into God.” -Tripp
“He is always with you. He is always watching you. His heart is always for you. His hand is always upon you. He is always at work accomplishing His plans for you and through you.” -Tripp
“Hallowed be your name…” In the little moments of life, I must live for a greater honor and glory than my own.” -Tripp
“Hope is critical when trust and confidence are gone.” -E. Erikson
“Holding on to Hope is most important when that’s all you have left. The Hope we need is the Hope of Christ.” -TT
“Wisdom is the tree of life to those who embrace her; happy (blessed) are those who hold her tightly.” -Prov 3:18
“What do you need to hold on to? What do you need to let go of?” -TT
“Praise makes God bigger in our lives-and when our God gets bigger our problems get smaller.” -R Warren
“God is a planner and He does everything on purpose. We need an agenda and a plan. If we learn that God has a different plan then His plan always becomes Plan A. His plan is always perfect.” -TT
Often times at the end of a year and the beginning of the next we might reflect on where we are and what’s next. How do we live the life we’ve been offered in the day to day and what blocks the abundant life God has for us? Our level of peace has a lot to do with it. How do we live in peace?
Rom 12:18 “if possible, as much as it is up to you, live in peace with everyone.”
Our discussion Questions for January might help.
Who do I need to forgive?
What do I need to forget?
Who needs to forgive me?
What do I need to remember?
Pray on this, reflect on it and actually put in writing and into action some of the thoughts that come your way.
Merry Christmas and wishing you a great start to 2022!
“In change we will get better or bitter. In change, focus upon what never changes: God’s love, God’s truth and God’s plan for your life.” -R Warren
“Faith is choosing to persist without knowing the outcome. Faith is announcing an outcome to experience it.” -R Warren
Faith is a choice.
-TT
“Faith is choosing to believe without seeing; Faith is choosing to obey without understanding.”
-R Warren
Faith building is a choice.
-TT
“We are more careful about what we eat, but we are harmed more physically, emotionally and spiritually by what’s eating us!
-R. Warren
Fear, Doubt, regret, anger, unforgiveness are way more harmful than potato chips
-TT
“Love is truly ecumenical, truly universal. It knows no borders, no limitations, no divisions or differences of race, class, caste, nationality, ethnic origin political affiliation or religious conviction. Love breaks down every barrier to the realization of God’s dream of the beloved community.”
-Bishop Michael Curry
“We make our decisions and then our decisions make us.”
-DTW
What am I becoming today?
“What would your reaction be if Jesus met you at the door of your business and said, “This is an Owner visit, show me around?”
-B. Jacobs
“When God says no to you are you prepared to say yes to Him?”
-R Warren
“There is no need for us to judge people. God does not need a jury.”
-R Warren
“You don’t need a better computer to become a writer. You don’t need a better guitar to be a musician. You don’t need a better camera to be a photographer. You need to get to work.
-J Clear
“I am not defined by my best moment and I am not defined by my worst moment. Neither are you and you should refuse to let anyone define you that way.”
-R Warren
“The size of my God determines the size of my goal.
God says – Dream a big Dream
Man – Dreams his big dream
God says – My dream for you is still much bigger!”
-R Warren
“But the person in right standing before God through loyal and steadfast believing is truly and fully alive.” Hab 2:4 Msg “Are we living fully? Does our gift of right standing with God show in our right thinking, right actions and right living?”
-DTW
“The only answer to materialism and greed is selflessness and generosity. If we trust God with our soul how can we not trust Him with our finances?”
-R Warren
“The best index to a person’s character is (a) how he/she treats people who can’t do them any good, and (b) how she/he treats people who can’t fight back.”
-R Warren
“Books for mindset. Quiet time to think for strategy. Conversations with successful peers for tactics.”
-James
Clear Not a bad C12 strategy.”
-TT
Question: If I keep doing what I am about to do today for the next five years, will I end up with more of what I want or less of what I want?
-James Clear
How does this impact your relationship with God?
-TT
“Lament means entering into what breaks God’s heart and knowing God is near the broken-hearted. Lament moves us to action.”
-D Gray
“When you hit rock bottom, remember Jesus is The Rock.”
-D. Gray
A conversation: The first one says – “2021 is going to be the worst year ever!” The second one says “No, it will be a beautiful year. There will be flowers.” The first one says ”How can you know?” The second says ”Because I am planting flowers right now!” Anon What are you expecting in your garden?
-TT
Take Heart! “Sometimes when you are in a dark place you feel buried, but perhaps you have just been planted.”
-C. Caine