Psalm 46

¹ God is our refuge and strength,
an ever-present help in trouble.
² Therefore we will not fear, though the earth give way
and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea,
³ though its waters roar and foam
and the mountains quake with their surging.

⁴ There is a river whose streams make glad the city of God,
the holy place where the Most High dwells.
⁵ God is within her, she will not fall;
God will help her at break of day.
⁶ Nations are in uproar, kingdoms fall;
he lifts his voice, the earth melts.

⁷ The Lord Almighty is with us;
the God of Jacob is our fortress.

⁸ Come and see what the Lord has done,
the desolations he has brought on the earth.
⁹ He makes wars cease
to the ends of the earth.
He breaks the bow and shatters the spear;
he burns the shields with fire.
¹⁰ He says, “Be still, and know that I am God;
I will be exalted among the nations,
I will be exalted in the earth.”

¹¹ The Lord Almighty is with us;
the God of Jacob is our fortress.

Cross references:

1. Psalm 46:1 : Ps 9:9; 37:39; 61:3; 73:26; 91:2, 9; 142:5; Isa 33:16; Jer 16:19; 17:17; Joel 3:16; Na 1:7
2. Psalm 46:1 : Ps 18:1
3. Psalm 46:1 : Ps 34:18; La 3:57
4. Psalm 46:1 : Ps 18:6; Lk 1:54
5. Psalm 46:1 : S Dt 4:30; Ps 25:17
6. Psalm 46:2 : S Ge 4:7; Ps 3:6
7. Psalm 46:2 : Ps 82:5; Isa 13:13; 24:1, 19, 20; Jer 4:23; Da 11:19; Am 8:14; S Rev 6:14
8. Psalm 46:2 : ver 6; Ps 18:7; 97:5; Isa 54:10; Am 9:5; Mic 1:4; Na 1:5; Hab 3:6
9. Psalm 46:2 : Ex 15:8
10. Psalm 46:3 : Ps 93:3; Isa 17:13; Jer 5:22; Eze 1:24; Rev 19:6
11. Psalm 46:3 : S Job 9:26
12. Psalm 46:3 : S Jdg 5:5
13. Psalm 46:4 : S Ge 2:10; Rev 22:1
14. Psalm 46:4 : S Ps 1:3
15. Psalm 46:4 : Ps 48:1, 8; 87:3; 101:8; Rev 3:12
16. Psalm 46:4 : Ge 14:18
17. Psalm 46:4 : S 2Sa 15:25
18. Psalm 46:5 : Dt 23:14; S Ps 26:8; Isa 12:6; Zec 2:5
19. Psalm 46:5 : Ps 125:1
20. Psalm 46:5 : S 1Ch 5:20
21. Psalm 46:6 : S Job 12:23
22. Psalm 46:6 : Ps 74:23; Isa 5:30; 17:12
23. Psalm 46:6 : Ps 68:32; 102:22; Isa 13:4, 13; 23:11; Eze 26:18; Mt 4:8
24. Psalm 46:6 : S Ps 29:3; Isa 33:3
25. Psalm 46:6 : S ver 2
26. Psalm 46:7 : S 1Sa 1:11
27. Psalm 46:7 : S Ge 21:22
28. Psalm 46:7 : S Ps 20:1
29. Psalm 46:7 : ver 11; Ps 18:2
30. Psalm 46:8 : Ps 66:5
31. Psalm 46:8 : Isa 17:9; 64:10; Da 9:26; Lk 21:20
32. Psalm 46:9 : Isa 2:4
33. Psalm 46:9 : S Ps 37:15; S Isa 22:6
34. Psalm 46:9 : Isa 9:5; Eze 39:9; Hos 2:18
35. Psalm 46:10 : Dt 4:35; 1Ki 18:36, 39; Ps 100:3; Isa 37:16, 20; 43:11; 45:21; Eze 36:23
36. Psalm 46:10 : Ps 18:46; Isa 2:11
37. Psalm 46:11 : S Ps 20:1
38. Psalm 46:11 : S ver 7

Abide In Chirst - Article

What Does It Mean To Abide In Christ?

Stall - Pretty Good Article

What To Do When God Size Dreams Stall

Decide

Decision is the key to Destiny.

"God, can you be merciful and send me off to hell and lock me in forever?" "No, Pilgrim, I will not send you there, but if you choose to go there, I could never lock you out."

The Singer, Calvin MIller

Healing and Restoration

There is more in the balm to heal than there is in the guilt to wound; for there is more in grace to save than there is in sin to destroy.  J.C. Philpot

FORWARD - My One Word For The Year

One Word by Jon Gordon

Missional Leadership

Missional leadership is about cultivating an environment that innovates and releases the missional imagination present in God's people.  The Missional Leader, Alan Roxburgh and Fred Ramonuk

A Weaving

My life is but a weaving, between my God and me.
I do not choose the colors, He worketh steadily.
Ofttimes He weaveth sorrow, and I in foolish pride,
Forget He sees the upper, and I the underside.

Not till the loom is silent and the shuttles cease to fly,
Will God unroll the canvas and explain the reason why.
The dark threads are as needful in the skillful Weaver's hand,
as the threads of gold and silver in the pattern He has planned.

Each New Day, Corrie ten Boom

The Symbol For Christianity

Transformation

"I am the Madman," he said, "but the Troubadour has come and I am full and whole."
The Singer, Calvin Miller

Matthew 9:27-31 - Eyes Opened

Two Blind Men Who Can See

The Easter Story - A Great Vid

The Story of Lent and Easter

You, Jesus...

You, Jesus, are my Teacher
You show me who I am
You tell me I am precious
You're there to hold my hand.

Your love is unconditional
No matter what I've done
When the Race is tired and long
You're there to help me run.

I've turned my back toward You
I've turned my face away
Yet even when I hide from You
You promise me You'll stay.

Your forgiveness is eternal
The flow will never end
Whatever sad mistakes I make
You're there to make amends.

I will be with You forever
By Your side eternally
Please help me to remember
Lord, that You chose me.

By Erin Reich

A friend of mine sent this via email.

Love - Biblical Love

I Corinthians 13

This Is The Pic For Christianity - We Are An Easter Everyday People

 

Each New Day, Corrie ten Boom - Feb., 13th - Train People To Share Their Faith

A Very Short List - Benefits Of Being A Member Of A Church

Meet new people
Children meet other children
New friendships formed
Solid friendships formed
People praying for you during difficult times
People rejoicing with you in good times
Personal development and improvement
Learn to move out of you comfort zone
Learn to stay in God’s comfort zone
Learn scripture
Hear from God
Health improvement
Social networks
Career networks
Solid people involved in children’s lives
You get to help others
Helping others is a good thing
You get to sing like you are in the shower even though you are not in the shower
Learn of new songs and music
Retreat opportunities
Camp opportunities
Encouraged to go for it
Encouraged to slow down
Improve your relational skills
Become a rock star
Learn public speaking skills
Develop skills you never knew you had
Sharpen skills you know you have
Childcare network
Built in support system
Hugs, handshakes and high fives
Understand just how important you are
Meet you future spouse
Move past your stereotypes
Learn to ride a bike
Learn to live life to the fullest
Learn to live in God's grace, forgiveness, truth and righteousness

Love Covers A Multitude Of Sins

This is from Uncommon Life, Daily Challenge.

Lloyd Carr - At The End... and One Word.

Very Comforting - Picture Taken of OBX Sound on a Sat. Morn.

Five Ways To Get To Know Others and Build Community and Unity

5 Ways To Build Community and Unity In Your Church

12 Ways - Good Brief Read For Women and Men

12 Ways To Make Your Love and Marriage Last

Love Is The Only Law You Need

Love does no wrong to anyone. That is why it fully satisfies all of God's requirements. It is the only law you need.  Romans 13:10 TLB

The Beach Invites - From June 2009

I went to the beach yesterday afternoon for my first time in '09. My son and a friend of his went with me and we had a good time with other friends in the sand and surf. As I came off of the parking lot and over the dune to see the beautiful blugreenish ocean with nice little swells I felt relief come over my shoulders, mind, and even my soul. It was good to enjoy the sand, surf and sun and be with my son and friends. It was relaxing and challenging to walk into the water, paddle out and start trying to catch the first wave of '09. For a lurfer (a person learning to surf) the water and waves were nice. Good sets, not to mushy and just the right size for an inside lurfer. As I sat in my chair while takaing breaks and looked over the vast water and floated on my board in the water looking to the horizon while watching for swell to form I could not help but think how big God is and how small I am, yet the big God I worship knows my name, my weaknesses, my strengths, my concerns, my joys and my hopes. He knows me. That is good news. He is real, personal, and involved. That brings relief. It also makes me desire to invite others to Him just as I often invite others to the beach.

P.S.
At the end of the day my son and I took a few minutes and shared God's message of hope with our new friend. In doing so we found out that he had accepted Christ a few years ago by some others friends sharing with Him the message of Good News, the Gospel. CooleO.

My Captain

Out of the light that dazzles me,
Bright as the sun from pole to pole,
I thank the God I know to be
For Christ the conqueror of my soul.

Since His the sway of circumstance,
I would not wince or cry aloud.
Under that rule which men call chance
My head with Joy is humbly bowed.
Beyond this place of sin and tears
That life with Him! And His the aid,
Despite the menace of the years,
Keeps, and shall keep me, unafraid.

I have no fear, thought strait the gate,
He cleared from punishment the scroll.
Christ is the Master of my fate,
Christ is the Captain of my soul.

Dorothea Day

Good Clip About The Bible

The Bible - God's Word

Revival - Prayer

Logan County Revival

No Matter What! A Little Humor

Christians Are A People Of The Resurrection - Thank God For Life

Caution For The Church

The local Church must be cautious of focusing on activity rather than the purpose of the church. Activity does not always accomplish the purpose of the church. Concentrating on the God given purpose of the church will almost always lead to accomplishing the purpose of the church and to church planning and activity that is very fulfilling, rewarding, exciting, joyful, world changing, Kingdom building, and challenging which invariably leads to a deeper and wider fellowship throughout the whole Church family.

The Bible - Redemption

Very good article.

Jim Denison - What is the Bible about?

Yep!

Quotes Worth Your Thought Time

Now, with God's help I shall become myself. - Soren Kierkegaard

If you are weary of some sleepy form of devotion, probably God is as weary of it as you are. - Frank Laubach

Christianity without discipleship is always Christianity with out Christ. - Dietrich Bonhoffer

Joy is the serious business of Heaven. - C.S. Lewis

People nowadays take time far more seriously than eternity. - Thomas Kelly

We are all worms. But I do believe I am a glowworm. - Winston Churchill

In general the soul makes greater progress when it least thinks so...most frequently when it imagines that it is losing. - St. John of the Cross

Above all else, guard your heart, for it is the well spring of life. - King Solomon, Pr.4:23

Going in faith does not necessarily mean going in serenity or without doubts. Faith can be difficult. - John Ortberg

These are taken from The Life You've Always Wanted, John Ortberg

This Is A Good Place To Be When Seeking To Hear From God

Pivotal Prayer - When You Need Direction

Lord, I need to know what to do, which direction to take. Frankly, Lord, some of the options in front of me are inviting. Like Paul years ago, I need to know soon, "What shall I do Lord?" Help me especially to know which way will give you the greatest glory. Help me to discover and walk in Your peace. And, Lord, when I do know the direction to take, give me humility to walk in that direction and in Your ways.

From Pivotal Praying

Demonstration

The Church is called to be a provisional demonstration of God's will for all people. - Prebyterian Book of Prayer.

From Creating A Missional Culture, JR Woodward

Worth Thinking About

Pivotal Prayer - For A Miracle

Dear God,
I need a miracle - or at least I think I do. This situation has me completely overwhelmed. Instead of being lost in Your wonder, I'm lost in the pain and the fear of an uncertain future. I need your help. Help me to call on You more often. Please remind me that a life of bitter, prideful ingratitude is empty. Give me a taste of Your glory, Your wonder. The lions are roaring, and I'm afraid. Please help me! Amen.

Pivitol Praying, John Hull and Tim Elmore

The Picture For Christianity

See

Open our eyes, dear Lord,
That we may see
The far vast reached of eternity,
Help us to look beyond life's little cares
So prone to fret us
And the grief that wears
Our courage thin.
O may we tune our hearts
To Thy great harmony
That all the parts may ever be
In perfect, sweet accord.
Give us Thine own clear vision, blessed Lord.

Each New Day, Corrie Ten Boom

One Word by Jon Gordon

This is worth a look.

One Word

Prayer - Quotes

Every great movement of God can be traced to a kneeling figure.  D.L. Moody

We are too busy to pray, and so we are to busy to have power.  R.A. Torrey

Prayer is the first thing, the second thing and the third thing necessary to a minister. Pray then my dear brother; pray, pray, pray.  Edward Payson

Dear Lord, never let me be afraid to pray for the impossible.  Dorothy Shellenberger

Everything we do in the Christian life is easier than prayer.  D. Martin Lloyd Jones

Hurry is the death of prayer.  Samuel Chadwick

Trouble and perplexity drive us to prayer, and prayer drives away trouble and perplexity.  Philipp Melanchthon

Pray for great things, expect great things, work for great things, but above all, Pray.  R.A. Torrey

Prayer does not lead to greater works, it is the greater work.  Oswald Chambers

Prayer is not conquering God's reluctance, but taking hold of God's willingness.  Phillip Brooks

There is only one limit to what prayer can do; That is what God can do.  R.A. Torrey

When a Christian shuns fellowship with other Christians the devil smiles. When he stops reading the Bible the devil laughs. When he stops praying, the devil shouts for joy.  Corrie Ten Boom

To be a Christian without prayer is no more possible than to be alive without breathing.  Martin Luther

If you pray for bread and bring no basket to carry it, you prove the doubting spirit which may be the only hindrance to the gift you ask.  D.L. Moody

Prayer is not a convenient device for imposing our will upon God, or bending His will to ours, but it is the main way of our submitting our will to His.  John Stott

If Christians spent as much time praying as they do grumbling, they would soon have nothing to grumble about.  Anonymous

The greatest tragedy in life is not unanswered prayer, but un-offered prayer.  F.B. Meyer

Prayer honors God, acknowledges His being, exalts His power, adores His providence and secures His aid.  E.M. Bounds

Prayer is where the action is.  John Wesley

Men may spurn our appeals, reject our message, oppose our arguments, despise our persons, but they are helpless against our prayers.  Sidlow Baxter

Talking to men for God is a great thing, but talking to God for men is greater still.  E.M. Bounds

I would rather teach one man to pray than teach ten men to pray.  Charles Spurgeon

The man who mobilizes the Christian church to pray will make the greatest contribution to world evangelization in history.  Andrew Murrray

6 Things - Forget Busy - Get Productive

Six Things Really Productive People Do

Cats New Years Resolutions - Smile

My human will never let me eat his pet hamster, and I am at peace with that.

I will not slurp fish food from the surface of the aquarium.

I will not eat large numbers of assorted bugs, then come home and throw them up so the humans can see that I'm getting plenty of roughage.

I will not use the bathtub to store live mice for late-night snacks.

We will not play "Herd of Thundering Wildebeests Stampeding Across the Plains of the Serengeti" over any humans' bed while they're trying to sleep.

I cannot leap through closed windows to catch birds outside. If I forget this and bonk my head on the window and fall behind the couch in my attempt, I will not get up and do the same thing again.

I will not assume the patio door is open when I want to race outside to chase leaves.

I will not stick my paw into any container to see if there is something in it. If I do, I will not hiss and scratch when my human has to shave me to get the rubber cement out of my fur.

If I bite the cactus, it will bite back.

When it rains, it will be raining on all sides of the house.

It is not necessary to check every door.

I will not play "Dead Cat on the Stairs" while people are trying to bring in groceries or laundry, or one of these days, it will really come true.

When the humans play darts, I will not leap into the air and attempt to catch them.

I will not swat my human's head repeatedly when he or she is on the family room floor trying to do sit ups.

When my human is typing at the computer, his forearms are *not* a hammock.

Computer and TV screens do not exist to backlight my lovely tail.

I will not stand on the bathroom counter, stare down the hall, and growl at nothing after my human has watched "The Walking Dead."

I will not drag dirty socks onto the bed at night and then yell at the top of my lungs so my humans can admire my kill.

I will not perch on my human's chest in the middle of the night and stare until he or she wakes.

I will not walk on the key board when my human is writing important adagfsg gdjag ;ln.

I found this at preaching.com

There came a man...

There came a man sent from God whose name was John. John 1:6

There came a man - person = YOU

sent from God = GOD SENDING YOU

whose name was John the Baptist = HOW WILL YOU BE KNOWN

Memorize and Practice - This is what I told myself when I saw this quote

"Celebrate what you want to see more of." - Tom Peters

Now That Christmas Is Over

Nine Things You Should Know About Christmas

By the way, Christmas is not really over. We have moved past the Christmas Season, but God is still very near, we have opportunites all around us to give, and Chirstmas is really about God, the giver of life.

Funny, Yet Right On

Overcoming Fear

Habits Of The Rich - Spiritually

The link below is to a great little article. Be encouraged.

Habits Of The Rich

3 Things

When God speaks - Listen
When God Commands - Obey
When God leads - Follow

God is In The Small Stuff, Bruce and Stan

Deutronomy 31:6 The Living Bible

Be strong!
Be courageous!
Do not be afraid...
For the Lord your God will be with you.
He will neither fail you or forsake you.

Redeemed

The Early Church - Sending Out

1 In the church at Antioch there were prophets and teachers: Barnabas, Simeon called Niger, Lucius of Cyrene, Manaen (who had been brought up with Herod the tetrarch) and Saul. 2 While they were worshiping the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, "Set apart for me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them." 3 So after they had fasted and prayed, they placed their hands on them and sent them off.

Acts 13:1-3

The Pic for Christianity

Purpose - Serve

35 Then James and John, the sons of Zebedee, came over and spoke to him. “Teacher,” they said, “we want you to do us a favor.” 36 “What is your request?” he asked. 37 They replied, “When you sit on your glorious throne, we want to sit in places of honor next to you, one on your right and the other on your left.” 38 But Jesus said to them, “You don’t know what you are asking! Are you able to drink from the bitter cup of suffering I am about to drink? Are you able to be baptized with the baptism of suffering I must be baptized with?” 39 “Oh yes,” they replied, “we are able!” Then Jesus told them, “You will indeed drink from my bitter cup and be baptized with my baptism of suffering. 40 But I have no right to say who will sit on my right or my left. God has prepared those places for the ones he has chosen.” 41 When the ten other disciples heard what James and John had asked, they were indignant. 42 So Jesus called them together and said, “You know that the rulers in this world lord it over their people, and officials flaunt their authority over those under them. 43 But among you it will be different. Whoever wants to be a leader among you must be your servant, 44 and whoever wants to be first among you must be the slave of everyone else. 45 For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve others and to give his life as a ransom for many.”
Mark 10:35-45 NLT

Salvation of Human Souls

The glory of God, and, as our only means to glorifying Him, the salvation of human souls, is the real business of life. - C. S. Lewis

Eternal Security

In God's faithfulness lies eternal security. - Corrie Ten Boom

¹¹ And this is the testimony: God has given us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. ¹² Whoever has the Son has life; whoever does not have the Son of God does not have life. ¹³ I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God so that you may know that you have eternal life.   I John 5:11-13

Retro

Grace (Pray) All The Time

You say grace (a prayer) before meals. Alright. But I say grace before the concert and the opera, and grace before the play and the pantomime, and grace before I open a book, and grace before sketching, painting, swimming, fencing, boxing, walking, playing, dancing, and grace before I dip the pen in the ink. - G.K. Chesterton

Still

Prayer = Breakthrough

Every major breakthrough for the church in the book of Acts came about as a direct result of prayer. God performed mighty works for the propagation of the gospel and the declaration of His glory in direct proportion to the prayers of His people.
Radical Together, David Platt

A Prayer

Beautiful Lord God, you have always wanted only to love and heal me, but my waywardness has often prevented you, I know. Oh, Lord, save me from being like an oven that never cools, even when empty; deliver me from habits and patterns that would stoke the fires of unfaithfulness in my heart. Save me from being half baked and halfhearted; help me to renew and fulfill a wholehearted covenant with you. Save me from being like a silly bird, flitting here and there, looking for satis- faction from things that will never satisfy; help me to seek and find my soul’s satisfaction in you, and only you. Save me from being like a warped bow; straighten my heart and mind and life until it is all plumb and pointed ever and always to you. Turn me away from everything that would turn me away from you. In Jesus’ name, amen.
Falling In Love With God by Bob Hostetler

3 Questions About Church

1. If you weren't on staff at your church, would you worship there? I think we've all served at churches that we wouldn't worship at. (I know I have). And many times we are in the process of transitioning them into a church that we'd love to attend. If you're in that position right now, this is still a great question to ask. Why wouldn't you want to worship there? And what is keeping other people away from the church that you serve?

2. If you didn't know ANYTHING about Jesus, what would you know about him after a normal weekend at your church? Think about your service yesterday. If you didn't know squat about Jesus yesterday morning; what would you know about Him or think about Him today? This is a question that we need to ask each and every week. How does your church communicate Jesus?

3. If you had a loved one who didn't know Christ, and they had one week left to live, would you take them to your church or another? In this last question, it goes one level deeper. How's your church doing at communicating the main message? Truthfully; would you take your dying unsaved mother to a service at your church or another church across town? How clear is the gospel presented in your church?

Craig Groeschel, Lifechurch

Christianty's Picture



Happiness

Many persons have the wrong idea of what constitutes happiness. It is not attained through self-gratification but through fidelity to a worthy purpose. - Helen Keller

Making Friends

You can make more friends in two months by becoming interested in other people than you can in two years by trying to get people interested in you. - Dale Carnegie

Listen To Others

The LADDER of Listening.

L - Look at the person speaking to you.
A - Ask questions if needed.
D - Do not interrupt.
D - Do stay on the subject.
E - Empathize.
R - Respond if needed.

No Limit

There is only one limit to what prayer can do; that is what God can do. - R.A. Torrey

Ministering In Everday Situations

Ministering in everyday opportunities that surround us does not mean that we select our own surroundings - it means being God's very special choice to be available for use in any of the seemingly random surroundings which He has engineered for us.
Oswald Chamber

From Our Daily Bread

Receive love. Give love. Repeat.

A 9-11 Prayer

"Lord, take me where you want me to go. Let me meet who you want me to meet. Tell me want you want me to say, and keep me out of your way."
Father Mychal Judge, Fire Chaplain who died rescuing others on 9-11

The Indwelling Spirit Of God

Diety indwelling men! That, I say, is Christianity, and no man has experienced rightly the power of Christian belief until he has known this for himself as a living reality. Everything else is preliminary to this.  A.W. Tozer

Heaven is ...

Full of joy, full of life, full of peace, full of beauty, full of light, full of glory, full of goodness, full of love, full of God, full of wonder, full of worship, full of newness.

From revelation written by John.

The Pic For Christians

Three Stages Of The Great Work Of God Through Mankind and God's Church

Stage One
IT IS IMPOSSIBLE.

Stage Two
IT IS DIFFICULT.

Stage Three
IT IS DONE.

J. Hudson Taylor, Missionary to China

We Are The Church

It is high time that followers of Jesus Christ muse, embrace and speak the truth that we do not "go to Church." May we become very weary of the phrase "going to Church." Followers of the Way are the Church. We attend worship services, planning meetings, prayer events, concerts, small groups, Sunday school, and other meetings, but we are the Church, the missional people of God proclaiming The beautiful message of redemption and restoration. It is high time for this to be spoken and lived by followers of Jesus Christ, especially in the North American Church.

Purpose Is SO Important

No one knows where he is going; The aim of life has been forgotten and the end has been left behind. Man has set out at a tremendous pace - to go nowhere.  Jacques Ellul

Nothing

Nothing can separate us from the love of God..
..not death
..not life
.. not angels
..not demons
..not fears for today
..not worries for tomorrow
..not great powers
..not the highest star
..not the deepest ocean
..nothing in all of creation.

The Apostle Paul in a letter to those in Rome.

A Renewal

O God, I have tasted Thy goodness,
and it has both satisfied me and made me thirsty for more.
I am painfully conscious of my need of further grace.
I am ashamed of my lack of desire.

O God, the Triune God, I want to want Thee;
I long to be filled with longing;
I thirst to be made more thirsty still.
Show me Thy glory, I pray, so that I may know Thee indeed.
Begin in mercy a new work of love within me. Amen.

A Payer of A. W. Tozer

The Call of God

The call of God does what the call of man cannot. It raises the dead. - John Piper

A Vacation Prayer

Gracious God,
may I see the wonders of creation
this day.

May the simple gifts
that are so often buried
under the activities of my life
be revealed in glory.

May my heart that
is so often distracted
be clear and still.

May my soul,
hungry for peace,
be fed by your grace.

When I close my eyes in sleep
this night,
may I be filled with gratitude
for the blessing of this leisurely day.

I ask this for the sake of your love. Amen.

www.explorefaith.org

Twenty Reasons Your Church Might Not Be Growing

Twenty Reasons

I Am Resolved

I am resolved no longer to linger,
Charmed by the world’s delight,
Things that are higher, things that are nobler,
These have allured my sight.

I am resolved to go to the Savior,
Leaving my sin and strife;
He is the true One, He is the just One,
He hath the words of life.

I am resolved to follow the Savior,
Faithful and true each day;
Heed what He sayeth, do what He willeth,
He is the living Way.

I am resolved to enter the kingdom
Leaving the paths of sin;
Friends may oppose me, foes may beset me,
Still will I enter in.

I am resolved, and who will go with me
Come, friends, without delay
Taught by the Bible, led by the Spirit
We’ll walk the heav’nly way.

Prayer - Listen

“Prayer is not asking. Prayer is putting oneself in the hands of God, at His disposition, and listening to His voice in the depth of our hearts.” - Mother Teresa

Prayer - Stop Worrying and Start Praying

⁴ Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice! ⁵ Let your gentle spirit be known to all men. The Lord is near. ⁶ Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. ⁷ And the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. ⁸ Finally, brethren, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is of good repute, if there is any excellence and if anything worthy of praise, dwell on these things.     Philippians 4:4-8

Prayer - Serenity

God, give me grace to accept with serenity

the things that cannot be changed,

Courage to change the things

which should be changed,

and the Wisdom to distinguish

the one from the other.

Living one day at a time,

Enjoying one moment at a time,

Accepting hardship as a pathway to peace,

Taking, as Jesus did,

This sinful world as it is,

Not as I would have it,

Trusting that You will make all things right,

If I surrender to Your will,

So that I may be reasonably happy in this life,

And supremely happy with You forever in the next.

Amen.

Prayer - 3 To Know

Great is our Lord and abundant in strength; His understanding is infinite.  Psalm 147:5

When praying we can know:
1. Great is our Lord.
2. He is abundant in strength.
3. His understanding and knowledge is infinite.

Dwell on these a little in your prayer time and throughout the day while you are in line, waiting, stuck in traffic, concerned about something or someone, having a hard day, exhausted form work and other responsibilities, paying your bills, ill, wandering and wondering. Dwell on these.

Prayer - A Prayer To Live

The prayer below was a brief prayer that Jesus used to help His followers begin to grasp prayer, praying and living. This prayer was never intended to just be prayed in worship services or to just be used as an example. This prayer is life. This prayer is how we are to pray and live.

⁹ “Pray, then, in this way:

‘Our Father who is in heaven,
Hallowed be Your name.¹⁰ ‘Your kingdom come.
Your will be done,
On earth as it is in heaven.
¹¹ ‘Give us this day our daily bread.
¹² ‘And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors.
¹³ ‘And do not lead us into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen.’

                                                                  Matthew 6:9-13

Prayer - Praying Together Is Vital For the Local Church

Prayer - Together

Ever major breakthrough for the church in the book of Acts came about as a direct result of prayer. God performed mighty works for the propagation of the gospel and the declaration of His glory in direct proportion to the prayers of His people.    Radical Together

Prayer - A Picture Is Worth A Thousand Words

7 Practices of Effective Ministries

1. Clarify the Win. Define what is important. What is the organization’s purpose. Leaders and people working/serving in the organization need to know what a “win” is.
2.Think Steps, Not Programs. Before you start anything, make sure it takes you where you want and need to go in order to “win”. Think process. Processes within programs.
3. Narrow the Focus. Do fewer things in order to make a greater impact. Less is more. Focus, focus, focus.
4. Teach Less for More. Say only what you need to say to the people who need to hear it. Not everyone has to be in the know. Not everyone has to give permission.
5. Listen to Outsiders. Focus on who you are trying to reach, not who you’re trying to keep. Information from those not yet in organization is needed and can be used to help make improvements.
6. Replace Yourself. Learn to hand of what you do. Develop people. Develop leaders. Train others. Give permission within perimeters of “win”.
7. Work On It. Take time to evaluate your work, and to celebrate your wins. Analyze and improve. Personal improvement and organizational improvement is a must. Allow Teams to evaluate and improve.

The above are taken from 7 Practices of Effective Ministry by Andy Stanley, Reggie Joiner, and Lane Jones.

The Symbol For Christianity



Prayer - Oneness With God

"Your Father knows the things you have need of before you ask Him" (Matthew 6:8). Then why should we ask? The point of prayer is not to get answers from God, but to have perfect and complete oneness with Him. If we pray only because we want answers, we will become irritated and angry with God. We receive an answer every time we pray, but it does always come out in the way we expect... We are not here to prove that God answers prayer, but to be living trophies of God's grace. - Oswald Chambers

Say so

Oh give thanks to the Lord, for He is good,
For His lovingkindness is everlasting.² Let the redeemed of the Lord say so,
Whom He has redeemed from the hand of the adversary
³ And gathered from the lands,
From the east and from the west,
From the north and from the south.

⁴ They wandered in the wilderness in a desert region;
They did not find a way to an inhabited city.
⁵ They were hungry and thirsty;
Their soul fainted within them.
⁶ Then they cried out to the Lord in their trouble;
He delivered them out of their distresses.
⁷ He led them also by a straight way,
To go to an inhabited city.
⁸ Let them give thanks to the Lord for His lovingkindness,
And for His wonders to the sons of men!
⁹ For He has satisfied the thirsty soul,
And the hungry soul He has filled with what is good.

                                  Psalm 107:1-9

Christianity's Symbol

More Than Nets - Pray, Give, Go