scripture
James 1:4
Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.
quote
It belongs to human beings to do things halfway, not God.
– Roger Spradlin
scripture
2 Corinthians 9:7
Each man should give what he has decided in his heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.
story
A man was told by his pastor that he needed to read the Bible and not just a verse or two during a Sunday sermon. The man explained that he had difficulty understanding what was before him. The pastor therefore tried to encourage him and said, “Just read. Then do what you read.”
The man went home and after dinner decided to give it a try. Not knowing where to start he opened the pages and read - Judas hung himself. Matt 27:5
Irritated, he shut the book. After a few moments he opened it again and read - What thou doest, do it quickly. John 13:27
Application: read the whole Bible, not parts. Do not rely on what you think you know about the Bible or what others tell you about it.
-online sermon
story
The difference between passive mercy and active mercy: I remember hearing a story a long time ago about an old Jew that was pulling a wagon, a junk wagon on the street. And his poor old horse had seen his better days, and in fact he’d seen all of his days. He was swaying and miserable looking, and underfed. He collapsed and fell in the ropes. When they went over they found the old boy was lying there dead. The old Jew was standing there as a picture of grief since that was his only living, his little old wagon and that poor old horse. And the people gathered around and said “oh I am so sorry”. And another said “I am so sorry”. And yet another came over and said, “mister I am so sorry”. Then one fella, it sounds like he might have been Irish, I don’t know. It sounds like an Irishman. He walked over, took off his hat and said, “I am five dollars worth of sorry. How sorry are you?” And he passed the hat to get him money to buy another horse. And that’s the only kind of sorry-ness that I believe in. I believe in sorry-ness that will pass the hat. First put your own offering in. The sorry-ness that will do something about it.
A.W. Tozer
scripture
James 2:14-17
What good is it, my brothers, if a man claims to have faith but has no deeds? Can such faith save him? Suppose a brother or sister is without clothes and daily food. If one of you says to him, "Go, I wish you well; keep warm and well fed," but does nothing about his physical needs, what good is it? In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead.
scripture
Luke 12:49-53
"I have come to bring fire on the earth, and how I wish it were already kindled! But I have a baptism to undergo, and how distressed I am until it is completed! Do you think I came to bring peace on earth? No, I tell you, but division. From now on there will be five in one family divided against each other, three against two and two against three. They will be divided, father against son and son against father, mother against daughter and daughter against mother, mother-in-law against daughter-in-law and daughter-in-law against mother-in-law."
quote
Jesus came to comfort the disturbed and to disturb the comfortable. – unknown
thought
Authentic Christian living cannot be lived without disturbing the darkness. The offense taken by the darkness is not personal between you and them. It is beyond a simple personality conflict. The light in you scares, angers, challenges, frustrates, and confuses them. Do not think on merely physical, we are all spirit wrapped in flesh. Darkness clothes itself in your coworkers, your family, and the passer-by.
scripture
John 12:24, 27-28
I tell you the truth, unless a kernel of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains only a single seed. But if it dies, it produces many seeds.
Now my heart is troubled, and what shall I say? 'Father, save me from this hour'? No, it was for this very reason I came to this hour. Father, glorify your name!"
quote
The real truth is that while He came to preach the gospel, His chief object in coming was that there might be a gospel to preach. – R.W. Dale
thought
What if when God asked something of us that we did not want to do we responded as did Christ? “Okay. Not my will but yours be done.”
scripture
Luke 6:45
The good man brings good things out of the good stored up in his heart, and the evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in his heart. For out of the overflow of his heart his mouth speaks.
quote
The trouble with many men is that they have got just enough religion to make them miserable. If there is not joy in religion, you have got a leak in your religion.
Billy Sunday
The story is told of an old man who lived on a farm in the mountains of
His grandson who wanted to be just like him tried to imitate him in anyway he could. One day the grandson asked, "Papa, I try to read the Bible just like you but I don't understand it, and what I do understand I forget as soon as I close the book. What good does reading the Bible do?"
The Grandfather quietly turned from putting coal in the stove and said, "Take this coal basket down to the river and bring back a basket of water."
The boy did as he was told, even though all the water leaked out before he could get back to the house.
The grandfather laughed and said, "You will have to move a little faster next time," and sent him back to the river with the basket to try again. This time the boy ran faster, but again the basket was empty before he returned home.
Out of breath, he told his grandfather, "It's impossible to carry water in a basket," and he went to get a bucket instead.
The old man said, "I don't want a bucket of water; I want a basket of water. You can do this. You're just not trying hard enough," and he went out the door to watch the boy try again.
At this point the boy knew it was impossible, but he wanted to show his grandfather that even if he ran as fast as he could, the water would leak out before he got far at all. The boy scooped the water and ran hard, but when he reached his Grandfather the basket was again empty. Out of breath, he said, "See Papa, it's useless."
"So you think it is useless?" The old man said, "Look at the basket."
The boy looked at the basket and for the first time he realized that the basket looked different. Instead of a dirty old coal basket, it was Clean.
"Son, that's what happens when you read the Bible. You might not understand or remember everything, but when you read it, it will change you from the inside out. That is the work of God in our lives. To change us from the inside out and to slowly transform us into the image of His son."
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Take time to read a portion of God's word each day, and remind a friend by sharing this story. Live Simply, Love Generously, Care Deeply, Speak Kindly, Leave The Rest To God.
1 Peter 1:3-9
3 Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, 4 and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade—kept in heaven for you, 5 who through faith are shielded by God's power until the coming of the salvation that is ready to be revealed in the last time. 6 In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. 7 These have come so that your faith—of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire—may be proved genuine and may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed. 8 Though you have not seen him, you love him; and even though you do not see him now, you believe in him and are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy, 9 for you are receiving the goal of your faith, the salvation of your souls.
1. Trials should not diminish our faith but increase it.
2. Trials should remind us that this is not our home and that we are destined for a better place.
3. The way we respond to trails will either bring honor or dishonor to God.
4. Joy through trials is unexplainable to those who are perishing and is inseparable to they that are saved.
