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Praise Thursday

Playing In Different Keys

Today for Praise Thursday we shared three uplifting and amazing devotionals. The first one was called Amazing Skill and it is written by Bill Crowder coming from Our Daily Bread. You can read the full devotional by clicking here.

The second one we shared is called Here Be Dragons? by Monica Brands, also coming from Our Daily Bread. Read the full devotional by clicking here.

We also shared about the amazing story of Joseph from the Bible (Genesis). We can learn from his story so many things, including that we may never see life’s shocks coming. But even though Joseph went through so much he never let his defining moment be the experience of his brothers selling him into slavery. Rather he kept his eyes fixed on God and just simply followed His will for his life. In the end, God specializes in redeeming messed-up situations and that is exactly what happened with Joseph and what can happen with anyone’s life.

Thanks for listening!
– Alyssa, Lexie, and Joe

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Don’t Stop Believin’

Today we shared a theme of ‘Living Hope,’ with stories about these songs:

  • What If – Nichole Nordeman
  • My Last Amen – Downhere
  • Living Hope – Phil Wickham

Nichole Nordeman’s song from her 2005 album, “Brave,” got a little more attention ten years later when pop legend Prince decided to record it. Nichole wrote herself about the song and about how came from her conviction about sharing her living hope:

“I wrote ‘What If’ for a friend of mine who isn’t a Christian. I think it’s so important to have people in our lives who don’t speak our same faith language.  And to dialogue about that without feeling the pressure to say the right thing, to point to the right book or to argue someone into the kingdom of God.  At the end of the day, it has to be about love.”

She added, “I’m just never going to be that person who has the script or the really organized outline of how to share my faith. But, those little opportunities that God gives us to sit down and have a cup of coffee with someone or engage someone in a difficult conversation…it sharpens me…it sharpens my faith to have people around me who don’t speak that same language.”

Marc Martel shares the story of My Last Amen in his blog here...

and in a video here!

Finally, here’s a link to Phil Wickham’s story behind Living Hope!

Thanks for listening!
– Joe and Alyssa

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A Quarter of a Million Dollar Computer?

Today for Praise Thursday I shared two great devotionals from Our Daily Bread.

The first one was written by Peter Chin and talks about knowing you’re worth by knowing who created you. You can read the full devotion by clicking here.

The second one is by Alyson Kieda and talks about the importance of having true friends using the example of David and Jonathan’s great friendship from the Bible. Read it by clicking here.

Thanks for listening!
– Alyssa

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The Power of Words

Today we shared a reminder of the power of words, inspired by the books of Proverbs (OT) and James (NT) and a devotional from author and pastor Craig Groeschel…we originally shared this in 2013. The words that come out of our mouth and fly off our pens and fingertips are important. Are we speaking life? Writing life? Posting life? Or death?

Proverbs 18:21 – “The tongue has power of life and death.”

Proverbs 15:4 – “The soothing tongue is a tree of life, but a perverse tongue crushes the spirit.”

James 1:26 – “Those who consider themselves religious and yet do not keep a tight rein on their tongues deceive themselves, and their religion is worthless.”

James 3:

3 When we put bits into the mouths of horses to make them obey us, we can turn the whole animal. 4 Or take ships as an example. Although they are so large and are driven by strong winds, they are steered by a very small rudder wherever the pilot wants to go. 5 Likewise, the tongue is a small part of the body, but it makes great boasts. Consider what a great forest is set on fire by a small spark. 6 The tongue also is a fire, a world of evil among the parts of the body. It corrupts the whole body, sets the whole course of one’s life on fire, and is itself set on fire by hell.

7 All kinds of animals, birds, reptiles and sea creatures are being tamed and have been tamed by mankind, 8 but no human being can tame the tongue. It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison.

9 With the tongue we praise our Lord and Father, and with it we curse human beings, who have been made in God’s likeness. 10 Out of the same mouth come praise and cursing. My brothers and sisters, this should not be. 11 Can both fresh water and salt water flow from the same spring? 12 My brothers and sisters, can a fig tree bear olives, or a grapevine bear figs? Neither can a salt spring produce fresh water.

Godly words can revive, heal and change our lives…

Ungodly words have the power to bind, imprison and destroy!

  • Creative words create
  • Destructive words destroy
  • Hurtful words crush
  • Helpful words build up
  • Toxic words poison
  • Soothing words heal
  • Faith-filled words bring life
  • Faithless words bring death.

We have a choice and control what comes out of our mouth.

We also have a choice to make when we hear the words of others – we can receive them as truth or reject them as lies. 

We also have to consider the issue of “self-talk” – in other words, what are we telling ourselves about ourselves?  Toxic self-talk can shape our actions and our future.  We need to speak life-giving words to ourselves and our circumstances…always reminding ourselves of the value God places on us.  We need to align our thoughts and words with HIS truth.

Thanks for listening!
– Joe and Alyssa

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Immeasureable!

That’s one big word, but it describes the vastness and depth of God’s creation…and it also describes His love for us. Today, Joe shared a devotional by Xochitl Dixon called ‘The Maker of the Moon.’ You can read it by clicking here.

Alyssa shared a devotional called ‘Storm Chasers’ by Bill Crowder. You can read it here.

Thanks for listening!
– Joe and Alyssa

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Letters to God

Today we shared for Praise Thursday two devotionals from Our Daily Bread. The first one was called ‘Let Us Praise!’, it is written by Xochitl Dixon and it encourages with the idea of taking a praise break. Read it by clicking here.

The second one we shared was called ‘Right Beside You’ written by Sheridan Voysey, it was about God being right here with us even if we feel like He may be in a far off place. Read it by clicking here.

Thanks for listening!
– Alyssa

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Storytelling and smiles

Today we shared for Praise Thursday two powerful devotionals from Our Daily Bread. One talking about the power of storytelling and how humans are connected by the need for a story — read more on it here.

The second devotional was about the story of the “smiling Jesus”, talking about the joy that Jesus had and the joy He can bring to you. Read it here!

Thanks for listening!
– Alyssa

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Feed My Sheep

Today we shared some inspiration about forgiveness. Last week we talked about kindness….and part of that is learning to forgive and restore when someone comes to us to apologize for being unkind.

The devotional today is called ‘Feed My Sheep’ – click here to read more from Our Daily Bread.

Thanks for listening!
– Joe

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A Call to Kindness

Lately I’ve been convicted about kindness.

I’ve been hearing some horror stories about how people have been treated in the shadow of the coronavirus. Stories from essential workers being yelled at by people because they didn’t have something in stock, or they didn’t do something ‘supposedly’ the right way.

Yesterday morning, I heard from one of my friends, who works at a pretty popular regional restaurant, about how they had to ask a gentleman to leave last week because he was upset there was one item on their newly-reopened salad bar that they did not have.

I started thinking…very transparently…if your life revolves around the fact that you can’t have a certain type of salad; potato, macaroni, broccoli, whatever, then you probably need to look in the mirror and figure out what’s really wrong.

Then I started thinking… have I had moments in my life where I allowed one really insignificant thing to kill my kindness? I actually found a few.

Many of you are familiar with the ABC-TV show ‘Full House’ and the recent Netflix sequel, ‘Fuller House.’ One of the stars is Candace Cameron Bure. She wrote a devotional for Proverbs 31 Ministries a couple of years ago called ‘a call for kindness’ and it has so much significance today. Click here to read it. It encourages us to have great hope in the midst of an unkind world.

I see 2020 as a continuing watershed moment in our faith. Can we be the voice of kindness? Can we be the voice of loving and listening? Are we tuned into people that need an encouraging word today? I certainly hope so.

Titus 3: 4-5 says, “but when the goodness and loving kindness of God our savior appeared he saved us not because of works done by us and righteousness but according to his own mercy by the washing of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit.“

Thanks for listening!
– Joe

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