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Praise Thursday

God Gives Us Wisdom to Handle Trials

This week, we continued our series on the book “Can God be Trusted in our Trials?” from Tony Evans. In this section, we talked about God giving us wisdom to handle our trials.
James 1:5 is a great promise that God will supply the wisdom needed to Indore a trial  and come out victorious on the other side. The Bible says, “but if any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God who gives to all generously and without reproach, and it will be given to him. “
 Let’s not miss read this promise. God is saying that he will always answer the ‘why’ question Of your particular trial. Actually, he has already answered it by telling us that our trials are designed for our good and our growth so the wisdom God wants us to ask him for is not the why of the trial but the how of your particular trial. Actually, he has already answered it by telling us that our trials are designed for our good and our growth so the wisdom God wants us to ask him for is not the why of the trial but the how: that is “Lord, I need your wisdom to know how to react to this trial so that I am faithful to you and it’s an experience the growth and blessing you have for me.
 Lord, I need your wisdom to know how to react to this trial so that I am faithful to you and had an experience the growth and blessing you have for me. “
Biblically, wisdom is the ability to apply divine truth to the various circumstances of life. What we need to know when I’ll trails is the right life application to make. That’s a tall order.  Which is why God promises us not just a trickle of divine wisdom, but an overflow. God promises to answer us generously, which allows us to see the problem or the trail from his perspective and not merely from the physical reality is that we observe around us.
This promise is mind-boggling, but there is a condition attached to it. We may lack wisdom, but that’s no excuse for lack of faith. We read and James 1:6–8, “but he must ask in faith without any doubting, for the one who doubts is like the surf of the sea, driven and tossed by the wind. For that men aunt not to expect that he will receive anything from the Lord, being a double minded man, unstable in all his ways. “
Being double minded means you can’t make up your mind whether you really want God’s wisdom or not. You can’t decide whether you want to hang in there and complete the test or bail out and take the seemingly easy road. I double minded Christian is a schizophrenic saint  Who is divided mind and wishy-washy attitude don’t exactly move the Lauren to answer his prayers. Why? Because “without faith it is impossible to please God, for he who comes to God must believe that he is and he is a rewarder of those who seek him. “God is not fellowship with unbelief.
 What happens to often in a trials that we Vacillate from God to man, from the spiritual to the physical, from the human to the divine perspective. This doesn’t mean we should not seek council from spiritually mature people, but when we are double minded we don’t elicit guards response. The reality is that far too many Christians are attempting to live in both worlds, but what they wind up with is only man’s view, because God says a person like this cannot expect anything from him.
 This doesn’t mean we should not seek council from spiritually mature people, but when we are double minded we don’t elicit guards response. The reality is that far too many Christians are attempting to live in both worlds, but what they wind up with is only man’s view, because God says a person like this cannot expect anything from him.
You may be saying at this point, “how about a real life illustration of what it means to be a single minded Christian in a trial and see God’s blessing question you may be saying at this point, “how about real life illustration of what it means to be a single minded Christian in a trial and see God‘s blessing?”  James took care of that for us in James 1:9–11 with an example we can all identify with money. “The brother of humble circumstances is to glory  in his high position;  in the rich man is to glory in his humiliation because like flower and grass he will pass away”.
Thanks for listening!
– Lilly and Hannah
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Praise Thursday: A New Series!

Today Lilly and I jumped right into a new book that will be a series for the next few weeks!

This book is called ” Can God Be Trusted in Our Trials?” by Tony Evans – That title pretty much sums up what this book is about.

We started where most people start books, chapter one!  This chapter was titled “Our trials have a positive purpose.”

Today on the show we talked about the first two sections of chapter 1.

The first section that we coved was the introduction. This laid the groundwork for what trials are. The “Biblical definition of trials…are adverse or negative circumstances that God either brings about directly or allows in order to develop us spiritually.”

In this introduction, we also shared a verse, that I believe we will be talking about a lot, that is:

“Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.” – James 1:2-4 

We sum up this part with the quote “God is not telling us to be joyful about the pain but about the purpose and the outcome of the pain, which is our spiritual completeness and maturity.

We then started the second section, which is titled “Joy Vs. Happiness” – We talked about how happiness is more of a feeling and how our happiness levels can change within a second. “Our feelings respond to the information we are fed to them, whether it is true or not.”

We will be continuing this topic next week!

Thank you so much for tuning in to the Afternoon Drive! – Hannah Radke

 

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Lifeline 2018: Fix My Eyes

“When I sleep and when I rise, 
Help me Lord, to fix my eyes.”

Firstly, if you want to learn everything there is to know about Lifeline 2018, click here!

Secondly…
It’s the last Praise Thursday before Lifeline 2018!
This means, today, we dived into the theme song of Lifeline 2018, “Fix My Eyes” from For King and Country! Read on to dive into the lyrics and scripture of the song!

The first verse goes like this…
Hit rewind
Click delete
Stand face to face with the younger me
All of the mistakes
All of her heartbreak
Here’s what I’d do differently

Hitting rewind and clicking delete is something I really wish I could do – and quite often at that. Here’s what we learn about that from scripture…
Philippians 3:13 – “Brothers and sisters, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead.”
There are so many things we wish we could hit rewind and click delete on, getting rid of that messy past, standing face-to-face with the younger us. But Philippians tells us that we should forget what is behind us.
Once we come to fix our eyes on Christ, our past fades away. No matter how dirty our past has been, Christ makes us clean and makes us new.

Christ isn’t looking at our mistakes. Christ isn’t looking at all the heartbreak.
He is calling us to stop dwelling on our past and hand that past to Him.
2nd Corinthians 5:17 also says :Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come:[a] The old has gone, the new is here!”

The chorus goes like this…
I’d love like I’m not scared
Give when it’s not fair
Live life for another
Take time for a brother
Fight for the weak ones
Speak out for freedom
Find faith in the battle
Stand tall but above it all
Fix my eyes on you

One BIGGGG part of the song is the first line of the chorus. LOVE LIKE IM NOT SCARED.

Hooooowwwwww much easier would life be if we stopped being scared? I’ll be the first one to admit how generally scared of a person I am. I’m scared of everything from spiders to escalators to driving to not being good enough, and so many things in between. I’m scared of what other people think of me. I’m scared of what they’ll think if I really loved them like I wasn’t scared. WE ARE THE LIGHT OF THE WORLD. God has not given us a spirit of timidity or fear. The creator of the universe and the author of love itself has given us a spirit of power and love and a sound mind. We might be the only glimpse of Christ that someone ever sees. We need to not be afraid to love because Christ was never afraid to love us. And we get to love like we’re not scared right here through WNZR. We have the opportunity to be the light of Christ every time you turn on that radio. We are blessed to be a light in this community of Mt. Vernon and we can’t do that without you.

Okay, clearly, we could do are whole show on just one of these lines. Let alone just this one part of the chorus – but what is this over all meaning of this part. I think these things are the outcome of what happens when we fix our eyes on God or When things that we can do in order to “Fix” our eyes – meaning if that our eyes were broken, that they were fixed on something worldly. These are things that we can do to remind us who is in controls the world.

The bridge… oh yes…
The things of Earth are dimming
In the light of Your glory and grace
I’ll set my sights upon Heaven
I’m fixing my eyes on you

The verses before 2nd Corinthians 4:18 also tell us that the troubles of this world are LIGHT and MOMENTARY. When we compare the weight of our current troubles to the glory that is going to be revealed to us in heaven through Christ, the troubles really do begin to seem light and momentary.

James 4:14 literally tells us that we’re a mist.
“Why, you do not even know what will happen tomorrow. What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes.”

Yes our lives our short and the things of this earth don’t matter once we reach Heaven, but it matters how we live the lives we’re given here on earth. God has given us our lives not to promote our own name, but to tell the world of His.
Yeah, I’m a mist. But I’m a mist with purpose and I want to tell the rest of the mists about the Lord who has given me life.

Thanks for listening!
– Lilly and Hannah

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Lifeline 2018: Point to You

Today, we dived into another Lifeline themed song- “Point to You” from We are Messengers! Check out the lyrics and scripture below!

Here’s the first verse…

“How can I forgive when I can’t forgive myself
How can I move on when all I have is regrets
How can I fix you when I keep turning away
How can I make it past the noise of my shame”

1st John 4:19
“We love because he first loved us.”

Romans 5:8
“But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”

It’s hard to forgive when we have no reference. It’s hard to move on, it’s hard to be fixed and it’s hard to make it past the noise of our shame. When we fix our eyes on God and learn that He has set the examples for us, we can do all these things more fully.

The pre-chorus is so powerful…

“Some healing for my heart
I need a revelation
A brand new start
I want simplicity
Where I can rest
But I need a miracle
to put my past to death”

1 John 1:9-
If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.

Psalm 103:12 –
He has removed our sins as far from us as the east is from the west.

God as taken our past and our past sin and thrown them out – but sometimes there is a lot of hurt left from those past sins – But Gods as got it *Psalms 23 – God is healing our hearts and grieving us peace like it says in psalms 23. We can become fully healed when we fix our eyes on Jesus and we can also have a peace that passes all understanding.

The chorus really packs a punch…

“I know you want my heart
My bruises and my scars
I’m coming as I am
The only way I can
I can’t forget from where I’ve come
And what my heart’s been rescued from
Yeah when they ask me who
I owe my whole life to
I point to You”

James 4:8
Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded.

 

Matthew 11:28
Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.

God wants us! He wants us – the creator of the galaxies wants us. And he doesn’t want this pretty perfect cleaned up version of us, because he knows that no matter how hard we try, it will never be good enough- That’s why he sent his son. To cleanses us. God doesn’t want this fake pretty picture of you, he wants you as you are – he knows that you broken and wants to help heel you, but you need to show him all the dark and gross, the bruises and the scars and let him heal those parts of your heart.

The first part of the second verse goes like this…

“I want so badly just to finally get well
But I don’t want a quick fix and emotional self”

This world is going to try to give you all these quick fixes. The world is going to try to get you to walk through all these doors that offer temporary happiness, a temporary cure. Once we fix our eyes on Christ, we know that this world has nothing to give us and that our hope and future is found only in Jesus, and He is the only one that can help us finally get well.

The second part of the second verse…

“I will be honest with my humanity
No I’m not perfect and I don’t pretend to be”

One of the hardest things to do is to admit when we’re struggling. Being honest with our humanity is so difficult and I know sometimes we want to pretend that we have it all together and pretend that we’re perfect, but that’s also difficult to do. In all reality, we are so broken. We are all broken. When we start being honest, it opens up a whole new world to us. We start becoming stronger as a Christian community because we are open and honest with each other because we now know that Jesus heals our brokenness and makes us new, and that’s what happens when we fix our eyes on Him.

The bridge is the most powerful part of this song…

 

“People say that I’ve lost myself
I’ll say I’m found in You
People ask where does my story end
I’ll say it starts with You”

Romans 6:14
For sin shall no longer be your master, because you are not under the law, but under grace.

Galatians 2:20
I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.

Psalm 39:4 -7
“Show me, LORD, my life’s end and the number of my days; let me know how fleeting my life is. 5 You have made my days a mere hand-breadth; the span of my years is as nothing before you. Everyone is but a breath, even those who seem secure. 6 “Surely everyone goes around like a mere phantom; in vain they rush about, heaping up wealth without knowing whose it will finally be. 7 “But now, Lord, what do I look for? My hope is in you.

We have been made new! As Christians Christs lives within us, we become one with him. We are no longer who we were but we are a new creation in him. That’s good and a reason to praise God, which we are on longer like our sinful self’s – are we perfect – no, but we are redeemed. The best part is, this life is just a breath, we get start our life in our true home. Heaven.

Thanks for listening!
-Lilly and Hannah

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Another amazing day on the Afternoon Drive, dissecting  Mandisa’s ‘Overcomer’ and also took a look at Hillsong United’s ‘Oceans’.

Staring at a stop sign
Watching people drive by
T mac on the radio
Got so much on your mind
Nothing’s really going right
Looking for a ray of hope

  • Where are you looking to find your ray of hope?
  • “And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.” Romans 8:28
  • “You see, a real sign of spiritual maturity is looking to God for purpose and perspective instead of comfort and convenience.” – Lysa Terkurst

Whatever it is you may be going through
I know he’s not gonna let it get the best of you

  • 1st Corinthians 10:13
    “No temptation has overtaken you except what is common to mankind. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can endure it.”
  • GOD IS FAITHFUL WHEN WE CHOOSE TO FIX OUR EYES ON HIM.
  • Jeremiah 29:11
    “For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.”

You’re an overcomer
Stay in the fight ’til the final round
You’re not going under
‘Cause God is holding you right now
You might be down for a moment
Feeling like it’s hopeless
That’s when he reminds you
That you’re an overcomer
You’re an overcomer

Exodus 14:14
“The Lord will fight for you; you need only to be still.”

Deuteronomy 20:1-4
“When you go out to battle against your enemies and see horses and chariots and people more numerous than you, do not be afraid of them; for the LORD your God, who brought you up from the land of Egypt, is with you.”

  • When it seems like all is lost, when you are down and out, when the walls are closing in, it’s not over. God is with us through the fight.

Psalm 20:7-8
“Some boast in chariots and some in horses, But we will boast in the name of the LORD, our God.”

John 16:33

“I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world.”

  • In this world you WILL have tribulation.
  • God’s not saying it’s going to be easy. The opposite, in fact. But what He is saying is that He’s going to be there through it all.

The same man, the great I am
The one who overcame death
Is living inside of you

  • Like, honestly can we say any more?
  • This should get you SUPER PUMPED.
  • Remember, the next time you’re staring at a mountain you think you can’t climb, when you’re toe-to-toe in the ring with a seemingly unconquerable sin, when you feel like David against Goliath, the Man that overcame death for YOU, also LIVES in you.

So just hold tight, fix your eyes
On the one who holds your life
There’s nothing he can’t do
He’s telling you

  • When we’re fixing our eyes on Christ, there’s NOTHING we can’t do.
  • We need to remember that He gives us the strength and power to fight these battles. Not only that, He’s also fighting those battles right along side us.

Moving over to Oceans from Hillsong United now…

You call me out upon the waters
The great unknown
Where feet may fail
And there I find You in the mystery
In oceans deep
My faith will stand

The unknown is scary and we have, as humans have this really big fear of failing we say – what if God calls me to *Fill in the blank* and I fail? Maybe I should just not do it. You are called to go deeper – don’t play it safe, it’s better to fail with God by your side doing what he told you to do rather than to succeed in something else that God didn’t call you to – don’t be a Jonah.

And I will call upon Your name
And keep my eyes above the waves
When oceans rise, my soul will rest in Your embrace
For I am Yours and You are mine

We are his. He has adopted us as children of God and if we choose to fix our eyes on him – resting in his embrace, we can keep our eyes above the water! We can claim the God of EVERYTHING has OURs as our FATHER. Why should we fear anything when we are royal children of the king of kings, the Lord of Lord – the Great Redeemer.

Thanks for listening!
– Lilly and Hannah

 

 

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Praise Thursday: Turn My Eyes

Today we got to do one of my favorite things ever in life, which is dissect a song!
We focused on the song ‘Turn My Eyes” from Bonray.

Lets take a little look at the first verse…

Every day I wake up and I meet the same old fight
Between a world of chaos and that quiet voice inside
And my phone keeps telling me there’s a million ways to find
Where my hope is, but it’s a lie

  • The world is going to lead us on a wild goose chase for hope. We can open every door, look down every alley, climb every mountain looking for hope in somewhere that’s not Jesus, and we’ll never be able to find it eternally.
  • 1st Peter 1:3
    “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”

The chorus goes like this…

I know who to run to
Every time the rain comes pouring down
I know who to turn to, yeah
I know where to find that solid ground

  • Where are you running when the rain comes pouring down? Who are you turning to when you’re in search of solid ground?
  • Psalm 46:1-3
    “God is our refuge and strength, A very present help in trouble.”
  • Psalm 91:2
    “I will say to the LORD, “My refuge and my fortress, My God, in whom I trust!”
  • That word refuge comes up a lot…
    Refuge – noun
    A condition of being safe or sheltered from pursuit, danger, or trouble.

The second verse is probably my favorite part. Here’s the first two lines…

There’s a voice that’s calling me, way out on a distant shore
It says if I just take a step, I’ll find what I’m asking for

  • This is what ‘Fix Our Eyes’ is about.
  • Philippians 4:19-20
    “And my God will fully supply your every need according to his glorious riches in the Messiah Jesus. Glory belongs to our God and Father forever and ever! Amen.”
  • We’re going to talk about Peter walking on water here soon cause that’s important.

The second part of the second verse is…

And this world keeps telling me, that I’ll sink beneath the waves
You’re my courage and You’re my faith.

  • Matthew 14:27-31

27 But Jesus immediately said to them: “Take courage! It is I. Don’t be afraid.”
28 “Lord, if it’s you,” Peter replied, “tell me to come to you on the water.”
29 “Come,” he said. Then Peter got down out of the boat, walked on the water and came toward Jesus. 30 But when he saw the wind, he was afraid and, beginning to sink, cried out, “Lord, save me!”
31 Immediately Jesus reached out his hand and caught him. “You of little faith,” he said, “why did you doubt?”

  • Peter sank because he took His eyes off of Jesus.
  • That first phrase that Jesus utters. UGH yes.
  • When the wind starts to kick up, are you looking in Jesus’s eyes? Or are you looking around at the things of this world for shelter?

The bridge! Ugh the bridge. Here it is…

Oh, all the things of earth start fading away
In the light of His glory and grace
I’ll lift my head up high and look to the One
Who’s with me every step of the way
I turn my eyes

  • Psalm 121:1-2
    “I lift up my eyes to the mountains—
    where does my help come from?
    My help comes from the Lord,
    the Maker of heaven and earth.”
  • Nothing on the face of this earth will ever compare to the love, glory, and grace of Christ Jesus. Nothing. Things are temporary. People are people. When it comes to the valley of the shadow of death, Christ is walking with you. Right by your side. All the hills and valleys in life, right there. Right by your side.

This point, that God is always there, ties right into another devotion I read last year, and is still relevant today. It’s about how God and His goodness is not dependent on our goodness, who we are, or what we’re doing.

“Yes, it is true, God will remain faithful even when you’re not, because His faithfulness rests on who He is. Not on what you’re doing.”

Second Timothy 2:13  “if we are faithless, he remains faithful, for he cannot disown himself.”

Think about this: The one who created and controls the world, the One who is the ultimate definition of what is loving, true, and good, and the one who alone has the power to fully defeat sin has chosen, because of His grace, to wrap His arms of faithful love and protection around you, and He will not let you go.

You can take your life off your shoulders because God has placed it on His. Security isn’t found in your faithfulness, but in His. He can be trusted even when you cannot. He will be faithful and good even when you are not. He’s going to do what is right and best even when you don’t, and He is faithful to forgive you when convicting grace reveals how unfaithful you’ve been.

God’s grace is calling you to invest in the one thing that will never come up short, and that one thing is the faithfulness of your Lord.

Thanks for listening!
-Lilly and Hannah

 

 

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Battle Plan: The Gospel.

This week, we’re putting a wrap on the Battle Plan for Prayer!
We’re finishing up with the most important part of the plan… The Gospel.

God created us to please and honor Him. But because of our pride and selfishness, every one of us has fallen short of our purpose and dishonored God at different times in our lives. We have sinned against Him, failing to bring Him the honor and glory He deserves from each of us.

So, if any of us claims to be a good person, we need to be honest with ourselves: have we ever dishonored God by lying, cheating, lusting, stealing, rebelling against authority, or hating others? Not only do these cause consequences in this life, but they disqualify us from being right before God and living with Him in heaven for eternity.
God is holy, so He must reject all that is sinful. And because He is perfect, He cannot allow us to sin against Him and go unpunished, or else He would not be a just judge. The bible says our sins separate us from God and that the wages of sin is death. This death is not only physical, but also spiritual, resulting in separation from God for eternity.

What most people don’t realize is that our occasional good deeds do not take away from our sins, or somehow cleanse us in Gods eyes. If they could, then we could earn our way into heaven and negate the justice of God against sin. This is not only impossible, but it denies God the honor He deserves.

The good news is that God is not only just, but He is also loving and merciful. He has provided a better way for us to have forgiveness and come to know Him.
Out of His love and kindness for us, the Bible says He sent His only son, Jesus Christ, to die in our place and shed His blood to pay the price for our sins. This provided a pure sacrifice and a just payment to God for our sins and allowed Jesus to receive the judgement we are due. Jesus’ death satisfied the justice of God while also providing a perfect demonstration of the mercy and love of God. Three days after Jesus’ death, God raised Him to life as our living redeemer to prove that He is the Son of God.

God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, so that whoever believes in Him will not perish, but have eternal life.
These are two of the most encouraging bible verses to me as a Christian.

While we were still sinners, CHRIST DIED FOR US.
WOW.

Because of the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, we have been given the opportunity of being forgiven and then finding peace with God. It may not seem right that salvation is a free gift. But the scriptures teach that God wanted to reveal the richness of His grace and kindness toward us by offering us salvation for FREE.
He is now commanding all people to repent and turn away from their sinful ways and humbly trust Jesus for their salvation. By surrendering your life to His Lordship and control, you can have forgiveness and freely receive everlasting life.

Millions of people around the world have found peace with God through surrendering their lives to Jesus Christ. But each of us must choose for ourselves.
“If you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.” That’s from Romans 10:9.

Is there anything stopping you from surrendering your life to Jesus right now?
Be honest with yourself.
If you understand your need to be forgiven and are ready to begin a relationship with God, we encourage you to pray now and trust your life to Jesus Christ. Be honest with yourself about your mistakes. Be honest with God about your mistakes. Be honest with Him about your need for forgiveness. Resolve to turn away from your sin and to place your trust in Him and in WHAT HE DID ON THE CROSS. Then open your heart and invite Him into your life to fill you, change your heart, and take control.
If you are not sure how to communicate this to Him, use this prayer as a guide…

“Lord Jesus, I know that I have sinned against You and deserve the judgement of God. I believe that You died on the cross to pay for my sins. I choose now to turn away from my sins and ask for Your forgiveness. Jesus I’m making You the Lord and the Boss of my life. Change me and help me now to live the rest of my life for you. Thank you for giving me a home in Heaven with You when I die. Amen.”

If you just prayed sincerely, and gave your life to Jesus, we congratulate you and encourage you to tell others about your decision. If you really meant it, there are some important steps to take now in this spiritual journey.
1. Find a bible-teaching church. Tell them you want to obey Christ’s command to be baptized. This is a great mile marker that allows you to publicly identify with Jesus, share your faith with others, and launch your new spiritual walk.
2. Find a bible you can understand. Read for a few minutes each day. Start in the book of John and ask God to teach you how to love Him and walk with Him.
3. Take advantage of the opportunities that you’re given to share your faith with others.

God has truly made a way for all of us to experience assurance and settledness in Him. Of all the things we do not know or cannot predict about life, we can know for certain that He is with us now, and that our souls are safe with Him forever.
God bless you as you live out and discover the truth of His promises.

Thanks for listening.
– Lilly and Hannah

 

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Spiritual Temperature Test

Another Praise Thursday from the book ‘The Battle Plan for Prayer’!
This week we’re taking you through the spiritual temperature test!
Simply see if you can answer ‘yes’ to any of these following questions!

1. Is your spiritual life joyless and apathetic?
Romans 12:11
“Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord.”

2. Do you not love and follow God as you once did?
Hebrews 10:23 “Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for he who promised is faithful.”

3. Is there at least one unconfessed sin that you refuse to repent of?
1st John 1:9 “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”

4. Is there at least one person who has wronged you that you refuse to forgive?
Ephesians 4:32 “Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you.”

5. Are the words of your mouth displeasing to God and dishonorable to others?
Ephesians 4:29 
“Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen.”

6. Are you not seeing answers to prayer or seeing God’s power in your life?”
Mark 11:24 “Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours.”
Philippians 4:19 “And my God will supply every need of yours according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus.”

7. Do you have time for entertainment but not for bible study and prayer?
Matthew 6:33 “But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.”

8. Do pride, worry, or fear stop you from obeying what God has told you to do?
John 14:15 “If you love me, you will keep my commandments.”

9. Does your family see you behave on way at church and another way at home?
Matthew 23:28 “So you also outwardly appear righteous to others, but within you are full of hypocrisy and lawlessness.”

10. Do you enjoy viewing things you know are unholy and displeasing to God?
Leviticus 11:44
“For I am the Lord your God. Consecrate yourselves therefore, and be holy, for I am holy. You shall not defile yourselves with any swarming thing that crawls on the ground.”

11. Are there people who have things against you but you make no effort to reconcile?
2nd Corinthians 5:18
“All this is from God, who through Christ reconciled us to himself and gave us the ministry of reconciliation.”

12. Is your worship casual and singing halfhearted?
Isaiah 12:5 “Sing praises to the Lord, for he has done gloriously; let this be made known in all the earth.”

13. Is your giving reluctant and calculated rather than extravagant and sacrificial?
2nd Corinthians 9:17 “Each one must give as he has decided in his heart, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.”

14. Have you been begged to serve in the church?
1st Peter 4:10 “As each has received a gift, use it to serve one another, as good stewards of God’s varied grace”.

15. Are you unresponsive to those around you that will likely die without Christ?
2nd Timothy 4:2
“Preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, and exhort, with complete patience and teaching.”

16. Are you blind to your spiritual condition and don’t think you need to change?
2nd Corinthians 4:4
“In their case the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelievers, to keep them from seeing the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God.”

Thanks for listening!

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Rhythms of Prayer

Good afternoon! Still kicking with the ‘Battle Plan for Prayer’ Praise Thursdays!
Today, we talked about the rhythms of prayer.

The fervent call for revival in the final chapter of the book is not merely wishful thinking. God has poured out his spirit and moved among cities and nations in times passed, stirring up the church, bringing countless thousands to salvation. But you can see that kind of revival right here as well. In your city. And in your country. God works revival on the waves of united, fervent, persistent prayer.  The great, known revivals that have left the most indelible mark on the past generations grew in the fertile soil of prayer closet in prayer groups and playing churches – often few months and years of cultivation among the leaders who refuse to stop believing that God will hear and respond.
 That’s why number of ministries and churches today or championing are united rid of a prayer, inspired by what was known centuries ago as concert of prayer. He’s involve willing individuals and groups would commit to regular cycles of prayer, which would been spread to other places were people were following a similar schedule. God response to the surrendered, repentance, expect a part of his people, and he blesses and moves even more when we’re working together.
 Consider rallying your church to adopt the following rhythm of prayer in the days ahead.
Weekly prayer: individually.
At least once a week, whether alone or in a small group, set aside a particular time to pray specifically for revival and your family, and your church, and spiritual awakening in the nation. Pray for the affected preaching and active listening of the word throughout your city during that week.
Monthly prayer: churchwide
 Preferably as an entire church body, but at least as a whole group, Bible study class, or larger prayer meeting, come together at least once a month and a special meeting for the sole purpose of praying for revival and spiritual awakening.
Quarterly prayer: community
Consider gathering once a quarter with multiple churches in your area, united in prayer for an enormous day, evening, or afternoon, of prayer for the spiritual needs of your city. Even if you’re not able to gather together, in a separate location, all over your community is going to be praying together about the same thing, at the same time, will be a powerful experience and effort.
Yearly prayer: nationally
 The national Day of prayer which is the first Thursday of May, offers an annual opportunity for believers across the country to focus as one on revival and repentance, coast to coast. Don’t let this day slip up on you, or become lost in the days business. Carve out this time to pray for relief with Christians revival and awakening in our land.

Thanks for listening!
-Lilly

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