Sound Doctrine

"He must hold firm to the trustworthy word as taught, so that he may be able to give instruction in sound doctrine and also to rebuke those who contradict it." Titus 1:9

Sound doctrine is essential for growth in our Christian walk. We must become "pulpit critics" (a term from boundless.org). Meaning, whatever is being taught from the pulpit should align in scripture. We shouldn't be relying on someone else's revelation for our salvation. Turn to the scriptures mentioned and make notes of things to study later. Preaching should convict and inspire change through the Holy Spirit. Be careful what you're feeding your spirit! Happy Fri-yay! :) 

"Having the appearance of godliness, but denying its power. Avoid such people." 2 Timothy 3:5

http://youtu.be/00-6OyXVA0M

Courage

"Wait for the Lord; be strong, and let your heart take courage; wait for the Lord!" Psalm 27:14

Courage isn't the absence of fear, it's acknowledging it and persevering. Believers are called to stand firm on our beliefs and convictions, regardless of what the world says. It takes courage to share your faith, to tithe when you have a financial need, and to trust God with your whole life- not just parts of it. As the saying goes, with great risk, there's a great reward. When we live according to the word of God, we can never go wrong. Be bold and courageous for The Lord because he's crazy faithful. Happy Thursday! 

"Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be frightened, and do not be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.” Joshua 1:9

Know Him

"And without faith it is impossible to please him, for whoever would draw near to God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him." Hebrews 11:6 

Smart phones give us access to the entire world with the swipe of a finger. We see inspirational posts, a nice saying about God here or there and a maybe a quick morning devotional. Nothing is wrong with these but they shouldn't be the only elements to our relationship with God. Let them serve as a catalyst to study more about a topic, meditate on related scriptures, or pray about certain areas. The Lord was us to KNOW him. It takes time and energy to build and cultivate a relationship, but it's so worth it in the end. 

"His purpose was for the nations to seek after God and perhaps feel their way toward him and find him--though he is not far from any one of us." Acts 17:27

Selfless Prayers

"Therefore, confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working." James 5:16

Prayer is an earnest request from you to your Heavenly Father. You are petitioning Him for your needs and desires. However, when was the last time that you genuinely and earnestly prayed for someone else? It's so important to take our eyes off of self and intercede on behalf of others. I challenge you this week to devote more prayer time for others than yourself. Prayer changes things. Happy Tuesday :) 

"First of all, then, I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for all people..." 1 Timothy 2:1

Closer

"But from there you will seek the Lord your God and you will find him, if you search after him with all your heart and with all your soul." Deuteronomy 4:29 

As I listened to a worship song this morning (Closer by Steffany Frizzle), I heard these words: "pull me a little closer, take me a little deeper, I want to know your heart". As we seek God, it shouldn't be for our selfish gain. It's to learn more about Him, to find what breaks his heart, to learn how to serve him with our lives, and to honor him. This week, meditate on some ways that you can grow closer with your Heavenly Father. Happy Monday! 

"I love those who love me, and those who seek me diligently find me." Proverbs 8:17

Press On

"For you have need of endurance, so that when you have done the will of God you may receive what is promised." Hebrews 10:36

Have you ever started off really motivated to do something and then overtime you slowly dial back until you've completely fallen off? This can be a special diet, exercise, reading the Bible in a year, or (insert any goal here). Making the daily choice to persevere through your feelings is what we're called to do as believers. Stay focused on your goals and remind yourself that you have the Holy Spirit within, helping you through. It's almost Friday! 

"As for you, brothers, do not grow weary in doing good." 2 Thessalonians 3:13 

Help others

"Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others." Philippians 2:4 

Last night, I was rushing (as usual) to take the metro into the city. As I'm next in line to add money to my metro card, a guy with an accent asks for my help in navigating to map and city. I proceed to get out of line and try to assist him with my limited knowledge, I knew I was going to be late, but God's timing was perfect. I helped the tourist, just barely made the metro, and got to the meeting place right on time. I was reminded that if we're open to the Holy Spirit's lead, we won't miss out. We'll be exactly where we need to be at the God ordained time. Let's not get so caught up in ourselves that we miss valuable opportunities to share the love of Christ. Happy Wednesday! 

"Do not neglect to do good and to share what you have, for such sacrifices are pleasing to God." Hebrews 13:16

Character of Christ

"Now may the Lord of peace himself give you peace at all times in every way. The Lord be with you all." 2 Thessalonians 3:16

Sometimes we need to be reminded about the character of Christ. When we seek God for answers or direction, it can be a challenge to distinguish his voice. Our Heavenly Father does not condemn, he convicts. He's not a God of confusion, but one of clarity. He's does not rush, but takes his perfect time. If it is God's voice, you will have clear confirmation, peace, and order. Seek him daily. Happy Tuesday! 

"You keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on you, because he trusts in you." Isaiah 26:3

Draw Close

The Parable of the lost coin (Luke 15:8-10) was told by Jesus as a demonstration of the Father's love for his children. He is grieved when we begin to stray from him and he rejoices when sinners repent and come to him. As we stray, he will draw us back to him, like a lost sheep (Luke 15:1-7); however, our hearts need to be open to him. Do a heart check today. Is anything in your life pulling you away from Christ? What do you prefer to do instead of spending time with your Heavenly Father? Happy Monday! 

Protection

"The fear of the Lord leads to life, and whoever has it rests satisfied; he will not be visited by harm." Proverbs 19:23

I saw something on Instagram that said "God will wreck your plans before they wreck you." When things don't go as planned, look at it as God's protection. Maybe he wants to push you closer to him, to trust him more, and to rely on him instead of your intellect. Remember to submit your plans, thoughts, emotions, and desires to him daily. Don't allow your dreams to become idols in your life. Simply focus on him. Happy Friday! :) 

"For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them." Ephesians 2:10

Enjoy the Process

"For still the vision awaits its appointed time; it hastens to the end—it will not lie. If it seems slow, wait for it; it will surely come; it will not delay." Habakkuk 2:3 

If you've ever poured your heart out to God about something... anything, then you know the wait can be brutal. We live in a microwave society where we don't have to wait for much. However, God isn't affected by this manmade time system. He cares not about calendars and other tracking measures. He's sovereign and full of grace, which means his timing isn't even affected by our sin, mistakes, and slothfulness. Trust that every experience is preparation for the next phase in life. Enjoy the process. Happy Thursday! :) 

Give It Away

"The heart of man plans his way, but the Lord establishes his steps." Proverbs 16:9

How many times have you found yourself asking something along the lines of "Lord, how do I know what your will for me is, if I have no idea what I like and what my passions are?" Currently, I'm finishing up a book by Elisabeth Elliot who addresses this question. She says that we ought to reevaluate and simply tell God that we'll do whatever he says. What if we stopped over analyzing, told God our hearts desires, and let him take control. Think of the amount of peace we would experience, if we stopped trying to control every aspect of our lives. Today, think of something that you've been trying to "make work,"submit it God, and leave it there. Happy Wednesday! 

"Wait for the Lord; be strong, and let your heart take courage; wait for the Lord!" Psalm 27:14

In the World...Not of It

"Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice. Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you." Ephesians 4:31-32 

The Bible was written thousands of years ago, but we're still dealing with the same problems! This weekend, like most, was filled with tragedy. Deaths that could easily been avoided had these scriptures been heeded, prejudices were put aside, and heart issues were addressed. This world is not our permanent residence, but while we're here, demonstrate the fruits of the spirit daily to those who "deserve" it and those who don't. Pray for this world fervently. Happy Tuesday! 

Greatness in the Midst

The Road to Emmaus (Luke 24:13-35) is a story that takes place shortly after the resurrection. Jesus joins two men on their walk, yet the do not recognize him because they're riddled with doubt. Once they recognize him, Jesus vanishes. This story reminds me of how we can be oblivious to great things that are right in front of us. Sometimes we don't recognize blessings because they don't come wrapped in a package that we expect. It's so important that we strengthen our "spiritual eyes" to see things as The Lord does. Pray for clarity and understanding and realize that Jesus is always with you, even when you don't realize it! Happy Monday! :) 

Abundance

"Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us" Ephesians 3:20 

This week, my church has been doing Vacation Bible School for all ages. Last night's lesson was about Jesus feeding the multitude (Matthew 14). The teacher had us look at the story as one of abundance. He said, "imagine if you had $5000 worth of bills and $50 in the bank...but your dad was Bill Gates. You wouldn't worry about things getting paid, because your father has all the resources." In the same way, God will meet us in our deficiency. He always has more than enough, we simply have to submit ourselves, our problems, our everything to him. Happy Friday! 

No Apologies

"But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light." 1 Peter 2:9

You are called to be set apart. You're not expected to blend in with the norm or go along with what is common. In the words of Cornelius Lindsey, you should "Make no apologies" for who you are in Christ. It's alright to go against the grain to complete your God-given purpose, when few understand. I'm unapologetic. Are you? Happy Thursday! 

"Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect." Romans 12:2

Instant Friends?

"There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is no male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus." Galatians 3:28 

Have you ever met someone, then found out they were a Christian, and became instant best friends? Well that happens to me with every woman that I met at the Pinky Promise Conference the other weekend haha. There's something about knowing that other people think the way you do and believe the same things that changes the dynamic. It's like meeting a long lost family member because we're all a part of the body. Are the people that you fellowship with sharpening you or dimming your light? Happy Wednesday!

"And let us not neglect our meeting together, as some people do, but encourage one another, especially now that the day of his return is drawing near." Hebrews 10:25

Dream On

"Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer." Romans 12:12

Recently, I've been reflecting a lot on dreams -understanding those ideas and goals that God placed inside of each one of us. I thought about the life of Joseph and how he had dreams but he had so many obstacles (slavery, jail, gossip) to overcome before it came to pass. I just want to encourage you to remain faithful in cultivating those God-given dreams, even if the fruit is slow to show itself. Happy Tuesday! 

An Hour A Day...

"This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success." Joshua 1:8

I'm doing a challenge to study and meditate on the Word of God at least an hour a day. I actually used to do this but then I got...busy. We can't allow our schedules to hinder us from spending quality time with our father. So this month, I'm getting back in the habit. Are you down for the challenge? Happy Friday!