Just Continue That Thought...

A thought by Erwin Raphael McManus, (2006-11-14) from his book,  Soul Cravings: An Exploration of the Human Spirit (p. 173). Thomas Nelson. Kindle Edition. That is true isn’t it?   And it is a type of faith that comes natural.   I need oxygen to breath so I do it.   I may be a baby and have no idea what it is called but I just do it.   Having faith seems to be as natural as breathing. So why is it so hard to live by faith in other areas of our lives?   What area are you having trouble with faith in?   Finding a meaningful relationship?   Finding a job? Finding confidence?   Finding hope?   Finding a school?   Finding a place to live?   Finding an answer to a difficult problem?   Finding the answer to some of the major “whys” in your life?   Finding what you are to do next?   Finding the meaning for your life?   Finding your purpose?   Why not "S eek first His kingdom and His righteousness and all these things will be added to you."  [Matthew 6:33 (NASB)]?   Of

A thought by Erwin Raphael McManus, (2006-11-14) from his book, Soul Cravings: An Exploration of the Human Spirit (p. 159). Thomas Nelson. Kindle Edition. We all live by faith.   What we have chosen as our world view is lived out by faith.   Now I have chosen a world view that God is to be loved, served, and He will reward me with eternal life.   Is it a view that can be proven without faith?   Of course not but I still believe it.   John 3:16 says,  “For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son so that anyone who believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life.”    I have chosen to believe that and I live each day controlled by that belief.   It gives me hope.   Can I prove that it is totally true without any doubts?   No, I accept it by faith.   My faith will be proven true or false one second after I have died and the same is true of you. Now let’s say you believe that I am wrong.   You live with the world view that there is no God and that ther

A thought by Bill Hybels, (2010-06-29) from his book, T he Power of a Whisper: Hearing God, Having the Guts to Respond (p. 32). Zondervan. Kindle Edition . I have found that true over and over in my life.   He has proved faithful in my life over and over   again despite my blundering, mistakes and lack of faith. That is what it so amazing about God’s grace.   He loves me despite of how I have acted, despite my pride, despite my getting off the path, despite my lack of appreciation.   He has been there when I turned my back on Him. He was their waiting on me to come back to Him.  I just can’t believe what He has done in my life despite….me. What about you?   God has been faithful in your life and you didn’t even know it.     He has given you the opportunity of another day but all you did was gripe and complain.   Maybe that job was from Him but you didn’t really appreciate it and you never gave your all to being at your best in it.   Maybe it was the house He gave you

A thought by Erwin Raphael McManus, (2006-11-14) from his book, Soul Cravings: An Exploration of the Human Spirit ( p. 143). Thomas Nelson. Kindle Edition. There is so much in life that tempts us to settle.    Someone breaks your heart and you settle for never risking having another relationship because you don’t want to be hurt.   You hear that a plane crashed in San Francisco and you settle for never flying because of fear.   Your parents or some teacher tell you that you will never accomplish anything worthwhile and you settle for mediocrity because you believe them.   God says you were meant to fly but you settle for running or even walking because you don’t believe Him.   It is so easy to settle. There are so many different voices inside of us that cause us to settle.   What is it that has kept you from really living?   It may be that voice of being rejected or that parent’s voice that wants to protect you from being hurt or that voice of fear or that voice of just being

A thought by Leonard Sweet, (2012-03-13) from his book, What Matters Most: How We Got the Point but Missed the Person (Kindle Location 773). Random House, Inc.. Kindle Edition . As you may know if you have been reading here for long, I am reading through the Four Gospels this year thirteen times.   Over and over I see how the religious experts dealt with Jesus.   They knew what was right and Jesus just didn’t fit what they knew.   But I wonder what would have been their response if they really did love God and were seeking, really seeking after Him. What if all that mattered in my relationship with my wife, Margaret was to know everything I could about her and I never enhanced my love for her?   How would she feel? Granted, there are some things in all relationships that are important to know, like our anniversary, her birthday, what she likes.   I want to know all I can about God, about, Jesus, about the Holy Spirit not just to know but because my love for them demands

A thought by Erwin Raphael McManus, (2006-11-14) from his book, Soul Cravings: An Exploration of the Human Spirit (p. 129). Thomas Nelson. Kindle Edition. I believe that.   That’s why I write two blogs.   It’s not just because I want something to do now that I’m retired but because I retired so I could be more effective in letting people know that their life can be different.   It is my life message that comes from my relationship with Christ. Let, me ask you, are you satisfied with whom you are or would you like to be different?   Maybe it’s who you are in your job or your marriage or your relationship with your kids, your parents, your friends.   If that is true, what are you doing to make you different? The Bible says that you can be a new creation, a new person.   I know that is true because I am different.   I’m not totally there yet but I am different in a good way.   It all comes from my relationship with Christ.   On my other blog, bill’s front porch , I have

A thought by Erwin Raphael McManus, (2006-11-14) from his book, Soul Cravings: An Exploration of the Human Spirit (p. 115). Thomas Nelson. Kindle Edition . I’m not sure why I have been drawn to deal with the subject of despair and of hope.   It may be because you need to have the message of hope reinforced within you because you are about to give up on hope.   You are about to be paralyzed in your present.   There is a way of looking at your past and living in your present and believing in your future that makes life worth living.   It is a  connection with God that makes this true.  Prayer goes a long way to making it happen.   If you have a relationship with God prayer is a privilege and a vital part in that relationship making a difference in your life. Here is a simple idea in having prayer relieve your despair and enhance your hope.   It is the three pronged approach of praise, thanks, and request.   First of all, start your prayer with praise.   Praise is focu