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Praise Thursday

The Long Walk Home

Today we continue our devotion from the book “Time with God for Fathers by Jack Countryman.” Our focus is going to be on keeping joy throughout our walk and living for God’s ambition during that walk.

The Long Walk Home

1 Peter 1:8-9

“Though now you do not see Him, yet believing, you rejoice with joy inexpressible and full of glory, receiving the end of your faith – the salvation of your soul.”

The Christian life is intended to be both taken seriously and full of joy. It takes a spirit-filled, conscious effort to contemplate our faith in a way that brings a noticeable positive impact in our lives.

But how could we not be joyful knowing the creator of everything, knows, cares for and loves every single one of us?

As you go through this life, walk in step with the one who loves you dearly, and do your best to let that love show.

Looking out for Number Two

Philippians 2:3-4

“Let nothing be done through selfish ambition or conceit, but in lowliness of mind let each esteem others better than himself. Let each of you look out not only for his own interest, but also for the interest of others.”

 The whole idea behind this verse is living for something other than ourselves. Specifically, God and his ambitions. Especially in today’s culture, that is so hard to do. We want to live FOR US, our desire and ambition are often the driving for behind how we live.

God wants to live through us. So our thoughts and actions should be centered around that concept. That might mean reaching out to someone who makes us uncomfortable or giving up something we know isn’t good for us. First and for most, we are to help forward the kingdom.

It’s important to note though, that this verse also does encourage self-care and ambition when it says “Let each of you look out not only for your own self-interest…”

NOT ONLY is the key phrase there. God doesn’t want us to neglect ourselves. Often, you’ll find that what God wants for your life is also beneficial to you. Therefore, by focusing on God’s interest, you indirectly satisfy your own.

Thanks for listening!
– Joe and Todd

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From the Inside Out

Today, we continue our devotions from the book “Time with God for Fathers” by Jack Countryman, discussing how we strive to live from the inside out.

2 Corinthians 4:16 says:

“Therefore, we do not lose heart. Even though our outward man is perishing, the inward man is being renewed day by day.” (NIV)

“So we’re not giving up. How could we! Even though on the outside it often looks like things are falling apart on us, on the inside, where God is making new life, not a day goes by without his unfolding grace.” (The Message)

Living for God from the inside out begins with a change of heart; and your decision to be a different person.

The way you walk, talk, and interact with your family and friends will change as you are called to reflect Jesus Christ in every area of your life.

When you become a Christian, you assume a personal responsibility to live for Christ. Although your sins have been forgiven through Christ’s sacrifice, you are still responsible for your behavior.

What you do on this Earth matters. You are free in Christ, but you are also a bondservant of Christ. Pleasing God is to be your first priority. As a Christian father, who you are in Christ will be reflected in your children as they observe the way you live…from the inside out.

Thanks for listening!
– Joe and Todd

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More wisdom for Praise Thursday

Today, we continue our devotions from the book “Time with God for Fathers” by Jack Countryman.

The Choice is Ours!

Matthew 6:24

24 “No one can serve two masters. Either you will hate the one and love the other, or you will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money.”

So many times in life, we struggle with our priorities. We struggle in our choices. We struggle with our needs and our wants. It is too easy to end up serving more than one master…and then find there is little satisfaction from either.

When we have two masters such as: God and work, or God and bank accounts, or God and family, all which have contradicting demands, we must make a choice about whom we will serve when our life comes together.

When everything we desire places God first, the choices that we make will come easily.

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An ordinary man serving God is an extraordinary father

Ephesians 2:10

10 For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.

The wonderful message about God is that we were ALL created in his image and He believes that we are ALL extraordinary.

God knows this perfectly and loves us completely. Just the way we are. We are His masterpiece, His workmanship of grace and love. His work of art.

As we grow, He continues to paint the portrait of our lives in such a way that we will glorify Him. Many times for us, this is a hard concept to grasp since we see our lives as incomplete and maybe like an unfinished portrait.

But His eternal eyes know exactly what we need and where we need His greatest attention. Every frustration, every disappointment, and every joy is a brushstroke serving a purpose in God’s perfect plan.

In his eyes, you are a masterpiece.

Thanks for listening!
– Joe and Todd

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The Eyes of Jesus

Today, we continue our devotions from the book “Time with God for Fathers” by Jack Countryman.  Our first focus today, ironically, has to do with our eyes.

USING THE EYES OF JESUS
Romans 15:7
7 Accept one another, then, just as Christ accepted you, in order to bring praise to God.

The attitude and influence we choose to have with our brothers and sisters in Christ is often determined by how we receive those we see every week…in church, at work and in the community.

When God looks at each of us through the eyes of Jesus, he sees us as perfect because Jesus has paid the price for all of our sins. The scripture asks us, in turn, to receive one another without fault or judgment.

When this happens, the barriers that stunt our relationship with other Christians are removed and fellowship becomes the joy of our hearts. This attitude is the foundation for building a solid relationship with those whom we call the body of Christ.

A PARENTAL LIFE WITH NO REGRETS
Romans 10:11-13
11 As Scripture says, “Anyone who believes in him will never be put to shame.” 12 For there is no difference between Jew and Gentile—the same Lord is Lord of all and richly blesses all who call on him, 13 for, “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”

Becoming a parent is a gift that only God can give.

Through his divine providence, we have been given the privilege of having children. We need to accept this blessing…and look forward to the adventure of raising our kids with the love of God in our hearts.

When we place our faith in Christ, his Spirit is ever-present to guide us to be the best parents that we can be. The Lord wants very much to be included in your daily life as a parent and as a follower of Jesus Christ.

God never offers salvation to you and then pulls the rug out from under you. When you put your faith in Christ, everything you need to be a great parent is available. You need only to ask and God, through his gracious mercy, will deliver.

Thanks for listening!
– Joe and Todd

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The power and depth of God’s love

Today, we continue our devotions from the book “Time with God for Fathers” by Jack Countryman.  Our focus today is the power of God’s love and how it impacts us.

LET YOUR GREATEST LOVE BE GOD

Deuteronomy 7:9

9 Know therefore that the Lord your God is God; he is the faithful God, keeping his covenant of love to a thousand generations of those who love him and keep his commandments.

Think about this: everything that we do and don’t do, face and don’t face is touched by God’s continuing love.

Everything about us is hanging on love; some might even say hinged on love, because God, who IS love, created you and me in his image. And because God loves us, He gives us blessings and lets us share them.

When we pray and are told to wait, it is because He loves us and knows that we need time to grow. When the overwhelming choices before us make it hard to know which way is up, our Lord and Savior shows us our need to depend on His guiding love…

…and until we come to understand and believe that at our deepest, innermost level…that God is love…we will continue to struggle with trusting him. With obeying him. And seeking him wholeheartedly.

One of the keys to our spiritual growth is believing in God’s love EVEN when we cannot see it.

FOCUS IS THE NAME OF THE GAME

Mark 12:30-31

30 Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’] 31 The second is this: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’] There is no commandment greater than these.”

When we talk about being a Christian and living the Christian life, we know that everything hinges on the first two commandments.

There is first, the vertical commandment: to love the Lord with all of your heart soul mind and strength. Then the second is a horizontal commandment: to love your neighbor as yourself.

The essence of these verses is, of course, love! Love for God and love for each other. It is the kind of love that seeks no reward or personal gain, but rather desires to honor God by sharing his grace and generosity with those around us.

Great character and great morals are built on this foundation…and when we practice these in everyday life the Lord is lifted up. He is glorified! And we are also blessed.

Thanks for listening!
– Joe and Todd

 

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Dependable Promises and Assured Victory for Praise Thursday

Today we continued our devotion “Time with God for Fathers” by Jack countryman. Our two topics included having confidence in God’s promises and the guaranteed victory we have when we put God first.

 

You Can Count on Every Promise God has Made

Joshua 23:14 “Now I am about to go the way of all the earth. You know with all your heart and soul that not one of all the good promises the Lord your God gave you has failed. Every promise has been fulfilled; not one has failed.

 

The bible has thousands of promises in it so that you can feel secure in trusting God’s word to have the answers to life’s difficult questions. For example, God promises to “never leave you nor forsake you” in Hebrews 13:5. He also promises that when “you delight yourself also in the lord” then “He shall give you the desires of your heart” in Psalm 37:4. God wants a relationship with us and he uses these promises as a way to build confidence within us. That confidence is well founded too, since he has never broken even one of his promises.

 

 

With God, We Always Win in The End

Colossians 3:12

12 Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience.

 

When we learn to depend on God for wisdom, insight and understanding, He always wins in the end. A life apart from God will always be full of struggle, and sadly you will not come out on top in the end. On the other hand, WITH God, all things are possible and you cannot lose. We sometimes struggle with selfish ambition or material possession taking precedents over God. We become separated from him when this happens. God won’t settle for last place, he wants to be first in your heart. For him to win in your life, you must ultimately lose yourself

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The blessing of trust!

More devotions today from the book “Time with God for Fathers” by Jack Countryman.  Our focus today is on the blessing of trusting in the Lord; plus, the importance of our relationship with Christ.

THE BLESSING OF TRUSTING IN THE LORD

Psalm 62, verses 5-7, reads:

Yes, my soul, find rest in God;
my hope comes from him.
6 Truly he is my rock and my salvation;
he is my fortress, I will not be shaken.
7 My salvation and my honor depend on God[c];
he is my mighty rock, my refuge.

No matter where you travel in Life, or what challenges you may face as a father, the Rock of God goes before you; inviting you to trust in the Lord with all your heart (from Proverbs 3:5).

When you hand over your troubled emotions to him, he will always be there. Let nothing separate you from the love of Christ. Depend on his Spirit to give you strength and to guide you every day, through whatever life may bring.

God’s desire for your family is that each one of them will know the loving grace and mercy that only God can give. Let each day be filled with the power of God’s presence, as you trust him to give you his wisdom and understanding.

THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN JESUS AND YOU

John 15:5-7 says:

5 “I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing. 6 If you do not remain in me, you are like a branch that is thrown away and withers; such branches are picked up, thrown into the fire and burned.7 If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you.

The relationship you have with Jesus Christ is the most important relationship you will ever have; in fact, it’s the most important decision you will make in your life: whether to accept or reject Christ.

When you belong to Christ, you have been called to play a significant role in the kingdom of God. This role can only be fulfilled if you allow Jesus to live his life in and through you.

Remember, apart from him you can do nothing; but IN him you can do anything he calls you to do. Jesus did not want you to lead an unproductive or unfocused life.

He chose you not only for salvation, but also to fulfill a specific purpose for the glory of him and his kingdom.

Thanks for listening!
– Joe and Todd

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Modeling how to handle fear and forgiveness

Today, we continue our devotions from the book “Time with God for Fathers” by Jack Countryman.  Our focus today is on the important role of parenting in helping model two things: overcoming fear and forgiving.

Isaiah 41:10
So do not fear, for I am with you;
do not be dismayed, for I am your God.
I will strengthen you and help you;
I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.

God has promised that his grace is sufficient for any need that you may have. As a father, the security and strength that your children need comes from your willingness to build a bond of love and a bond of confidence that cannot be broken.

Each of us has faced fear at some point in life; it is what we do with that fear that matters the most. What do we do? We claim our position as a child of God who has been given the Holy Spirit as our guide and protector. We then apply God’s word to our life, giving us the power to overcome fear.

Deuteronomy 31:8
He will never leave you nor forsake you. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged.

When you’re fearing a situation or emotional challenge, really envision God saying this, just to you. I’m on your side. I’ll never turn on you. Some of our lowest, most painful moments in life can also be our closest times with the Lord.

MODELING FORGIVENESS

Psalm 103: 8-12

8 The Lord is compassionate and gracious,
slow to anger, abounding in love.
9 He will not always accuse,
nor will he harbor his anger forever;
10 he does not treat us as our sins deserve
or repay us according to our iniquities.
11 For as high as the heavens are above the earth,
so great is his love for those who fear him;
12 as far as the east is from the west,
so far has he removed our transgressions from us.

When you forgive your children for something they’ve done that has been disappointing or has been hurtful, you are showing exactly what your heavenly father does when you fail to live up to his standard for your life. You’re emulating his love.

Forgiveness breaks down the walls that separate you from the love of your children and it opens the door to reconciliation. The unconditional love that our heavenly father has promised to you is the same kind of love needed by those God has given you to nurture and raise.

Let nothing interfere with God’s gracious gift of forgiveness…and the reward you receive will bless you richly.

Thanks for listening!
– Joe and Todd

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Praise Thursday

Today we continued are devotion from “Time with God for Fathers” by Jack Countryman. We talked about the relationship between discipline and love as well as the special love God gives to those in trouble.

Discipline and Love Go Hand and Hand 

Hebrews 12:9-11 New International Version (NIV):  

Moreover, we have all had human fathers who disciplined us and we respected them for it. How much more should we submit to the Father of spirits and live!10 They disciplined us for a little while as they thought best; but God disciplines us for our good, in order that we may share in his holiness. 11 No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it.

Now no one likes to be disciplined, especially as adults. Like the verse says it never feels good in the moment. But when we choose to cooperate with God when he corrects us, blessing are sure to follow. It’s during these times our hearts and minds our open to his mercy and grace. It’s also here were we can be blessed with an opportunity for a closer walk with him. When we learn from our discipline, we learn to follow his will and then can do all things through the holy spirit in us.

 

Special Love For Troubled Fathers

1 Peter 1:6-8 New International Version (NIV)

6 In all 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 the proven genuineness of your faith—of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire—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,

 

God knows you face difficult situations. He hears your cries even if he doesn’t answer when you want him too.  The fact of the matter is, no one is immune to feelings of hopelessness in dark situations. Sometimes, he’ll let these situations unfold to see where you turn too. It’s a way for Him to test your faith in him and strengthen it as well. When you fall back on him in times of trouble, he will give you the strength and comfort to make it through. In turn, this will bring you closer to him so you can further his kingdom! He can take the darkest situations in your life, and make them into something beautiful

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