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Praise Thursday

Focused on the Building

lifeline banner-01Lifeline 2016’s theme is Build Your Kingdom Here, based on the song by Rend Collective. Today for Praise Thursday we continued talking about the meaning behind the song and why we chose it for Lifeline.  Our theme verse is Luke 17:20-21.

The website Taking it Deeper had a recent post about the song where they focused on the word build and asked us to think about the verb ‘building.’

“When it comes to the Church, most of us equate it to a structure on a street corner.
Instead try thinking of a church as something that is being built in the hearts of millions of people around the globe. The church is the people, not the building. Is it being built in your heart everyday? Here are ways you can tell: Are you becoming more caring toward people? Meeting their needs? Praying for them? Are you building up more and more compassion in your life? Putting others first?”

How can we build his kingdom in our hearts? That is where it has to start.  We want to focus on this theme this year.  We have an amazing opportunity to build God’s kingdom with the airwaves.  WNZR is committed to reaching people with a positive message of grace and hope.  Help us to be kingdom workers by being the hands and feet of God.

Word of the Day
glower
verb
Have an angry or sullen look on one’s face; scowl.

Have a great night,
Faith

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Why Build His Kingdom?

lifeline banner-01

Last week we started the discussion about our Lifeline 2016 theme, “Build Your Kingdom Here.”

This week, we’re asking and answering this question: why should we WANT to build His kingdom in our hearts?  To me, one answer became clear last Sunday in church, when our youth pastor, Brian, spoke very transparently about how the “Gospel means everything.” It’s the good news that Jesus brought that fuels a desire to make room for Him in our hearts.

But what is that good news?  Luke 15 gives us some perspective. When Jesus tells the parables of the lost sheep, the lost coin and the lost son, we learn some very important elements of the beauty of the Gospel…

1- Every person is important to God. Why else would the shepherd leave 99 to find one lost sheep?

2- God celebrates when a lost person is found. All three of these parables don’t end with a scolding, they end with a celebration!  Just like heaven does when a lost soul is found.

3- While we may turn away or turn our back on God, he never turns his back on us!  God never stops in his pursuit of us. He doesn’t turn his back on the straying ‘son or daughter.’

4- God has compassion for the lost. The father in the story of the prodigal son extends his love and acceptance his boy returns, miserable after trying life on his own.

When we build his kingdom in our hearts, he gives us his heart when it comes to lost people.

Today’s word of the day is: deasil (DEE-zil), which simply means, clockwise!

Thanks for listening…

-Joe

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Build Your Kingdom…where?

lifeline banner-01

Today we started sharing some of the reasons behind choosing “Build Your Kingdom Here” as our theme for Lifeline 2016.

Reason #1 – the song from Rend Collective, which starts with these lines:

Come set your rule and reign, in our hearts again...

Reason #2 – Luke 17:20-21

20 Once, on being asked by the Pharisees when the kingdom of God would come, Jesus replied, “The coming of the kingdom of God is not something that can be observed, 21 nor will people say, ‘Here it is,’ or ‘There it is,’ because the kingdom of God is within you.” (or “in your midst”, NIV)

The point of all this is to remind us that the ‘kingdom’ of God starts in our hearts!  He needs to take His rightful place on the throne of our heart.  So the question becomes, are we making room for Him there?  Have we made sure to create good habits to allow Him to take his rightful place? To start his construction project? Are we crying out to him to, once again, take rule in our hearts?

Revelation 3 reminds us that he’s standing at the door and knocking…are we answering and letting him in?

Today’s word of the day: INTERSTITIAL (in-ter-STISH-ul), meaning…
pertaining to, situated in, or forming small or narrow spaces or intervals between things or parts; in anatomy. situated between the cells of a structure or part: interstitial tissue.

Thanks for listening!

-Joe

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Who’s your confidant?

confidant

We continued our series today on good habits we can start or renew in 2016.  The last one from the book, Lead Like Jesus, by Ken Blanchard and Phil Hodges, is the habit of involving ourselves in supportive relationships.  This is also called the habit of intimate community.

This can be your Sunday School class, a lunch group, small group, men’s group, women’s group, band of brothers, etc.  Let’s face it – sometimes we don’t view feedback positively. We look at it as a bother or irritant.  Blanchard and Hodges remind us that feedback is a gift! Don’t remove the trusted messengers in your life that can speak truth, lovingly, into your week. Oh, and return the favor!  Be a truth-teller in their life, too.

Some good verses on this topic: Hebrews 10:24-25; Ecclesiastes 4:9-10, 12

Today’s Word of the Day was related to our discussion – CONFIDANT (CAHN-fid-ahnt), which means a close friend or associate to whom secrets are confided; with whom private matters and problems are discussed.

Thanks for listening!

-Joe

 

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Unconditional love

Today we praise God for the incredible gift of God’s unconditional love.  Romans 8:38-39 reminds us that NOTHING can separate us from His kind of love.  But do we accept that love?  How do we respond to it?

The book Lead Like Jesus by Ken Blanchard and Phil Hodges asks us to consider: “what if you admit that you can’t achieve enough, earn enough or control enough to get any more love? You already have all the love there is there is through Jesus!”

Our response to this love should be to let it fill our hearts and let it flow out to others.

Our word of the day is INSOUCIANT – an adjective meaning free from concern, anxiety or worry.

Thanks for listening!

-Joe

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The Study and Application of Scripture

Today we talked about the habit of studying and applying scripture to our lives.

Some call this ‘dwelling’ in the word.
The book ‘Lead Like Jesus’ offers us some practical tips to create a habit of dwelling in the word.
1 – seek opportunities to HEAR the word
2 – make room to READ the word
3 – find resources that help you STUDY the word
4 – look for passages you can MEMORIZE
5 – find time to MEDITATE on the word
Our Word of the Day was presenteeism, a noun meaning going to work when you are sick. You can read more on that here.
Have a great evening!
-Jess

 

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Praise Thursday – The Habit of Prayer

Today was Praise Thursday on the Afternoon Drive! We continued our topic of habits for the new year by talking about the habit of prayer.

We shared the ACTS Model of Prayer from the book, Lead Like Jesus by Ken Blanchard and Phil Hodges:

ADORATION –all prayer should begin here; tell the Lord you love Him and appreciate Him for who He is (I Chronicles 29:11)

CONFESSION – this is where we confess our sins in response to the fact that we adore God (I John 1:9)

THANKSGIVING – this is the heartfelt expression of gratitude to God for all He has done in creation, in redemption and in our lives. (Ephesians 5:19-20)

SUPPLICATION – this is where we sometimes start…but we should finish here. This is simply a big word for asking what you need. (Matthew 7:7)

We need to think about this question: ‘How’s Your Prayer Life?’

 

Our Word of the Day was hebetude, a noun meaning the state of being dull. You can read more on that here.

Have a great evening!

-Jess

 

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Praise and Power

camp same power

I hope you’re praising into the new year.  Today we played some songs that remind us of the incredible love and power of God.  ‘Let it Be Love’ by Family Force 5, ‘Same Power’ by Jeremy Camp, ‘Noel’ from Lauren Daigle, ‘You Are Loved’ by Stars Go Dim…and many more.

We also talked about the power behind finding solitude as you start this new year.  Alone time with just you and God. No smartphone, no agenda, just a time for you to be quiet and hear his still, small voice.  Think about how counter-cultural that is in 2016 – yet, it is sometimes EXACTLY what we need!

Today we gave away Winter Jam 2016 passes and we’ll have more tomorrow on The Morning Thing and right here.

Today’s Word of the Day was TERPSICHOREAN (terp-sih-KORE-ee-un), which is an adjective meaning something pertaining to dancing.

Thanks for listening!

-Joe

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Mary’s song

Mary song

One of my favorite passages from the Christmas story in the gospels is the section of Luke 1 commonly referred to as “Mary’s Song.”

Mary’s obedient, humble response to the news that she had earned the Lord’s favor and would carry the Christ child is an incredible passage to read each year:

“My soul glorifies the Lord
47     and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior,
48 for he has been mindful
    of the humble state of his servant.
From now on all generations will call me blessed,
49     for the Mighty One has done great things for me—
    holy is his name.
50 His mercy extends to those who fear him,
    from generation to generation.
51 He has performed mighty deeds with his arm;
    he has scattered those who are proud in their inmost thoughts.
52 He has brought down rulers from their thrones
    but has lifted up the humble.
53 He has filled the hungry with good things
    but has sent the rich away empty.
54 He has helped his servant Israel,
    remembering to be merciful
55 to Abraham and his descendants forever,
    just as he promised our ancestors.”

Thanks for listening!

-Joe

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