Thanks Living

Acts 27:24 & 33.
#1.  Thanksgiving anchors your attitude. It's a chose of your will. Outlasting storms by keeping a good attitude. Thanking God at the worst time possible.  
Negative thoughts rob us. We need to keep our focus on God.
11Tim 3:1-3. We can loose the ability to cope. Don't compare. Focus on what's good.
It takes Gods grace to work through it. Thanklessness is a character issue.
Devil fights our tomorrow's not today. We should not take things for granted.
Cultivate Thanksgiving!!!

Stay Together in a World that pulls us Apart. Part 3

                                                     The Simple Things
1Tim 4:7-9
We need to exercise spiritually.  Our Life is in God!!!
We need to guard our life and marriage. We need to set guidelines and boundaries. The enemy wants to ruin our souls.  Our life needs to be guarded by the grace of God.
Success is in the way we treat each other.

Stop, Drop, and Take Cover

Mary or Martha?   Luke 10:38-42.  With prayer we keep the wisest choices and how to handle these choices. Things can get between you and God. As Martha, we can be troubled by many things.
Think about your life?  We need to stop and talk to God. Mary did. Martha didn't. Have to not loose sight of what's important.  Need to hear the voice of God for ourselves. Mary got it because she listened. Prov. 29:18. We need to have God's vision!!!!! She is famous in the Bible because she listened to God.  Got to make the time!!!!!

Stop, Drop and Take Cover

How do you survive a spiritual earthquake?  Stop and grab onto God.
Listen to His voice and navigate through the troubled times!!
Get into God's presence.  Stay in God's presence!!!! You need to know His voice!!!

Don't Leave Home Without Him!!!

There are a lot of Christians that don't have purpose.  They are a little empty.  We don't acknowledge God like we should.    Prov. 3:6
Every phase in our life we need full awareness.  As we age, our minds say one thing, and our bodies say something else.  We should be encouraging to others and their dreams. Even if our dreams have not been met, we need to not kill the dreams of the youth.
1. The sin of living life without God. The world does. They are too busy to depend on God.
We need to become a better person inside and out!!  We need God's involvement.  Don't compare yourself to others.
Rom. 8:28. And we know all things work for good......
2.  We don't have all the answers. We need His direction!!
3. Goal can be achieved if we take the time to seek God.  In all our ways acknowledge Him and He shall direct your path.  We need to see God in every part of our life.  It's precious when you do.
We live by the breath of God!!  Life is fragile.  Having a fresh awareness. Thank you God for all the good things!!!!

The Other Prodigal Son. #3

                                                          "Cure for the Common Cold"
Luke 15:28-31
The offer is still on the table. The Elders heart was on things. If your needs are not being met, you can be tempted.  Not every blessing is God's blessing.
1Tim. 6:10 - The love of money is a root of all kinds of evil.
The elder is controlling with his attitude by staying home.  But he is not into the Father. He should have been enjoying the Father.  He was in his own pity party. It fosters division.  His attitude exercises power over the situation.  Not love and forgiveness.
The Father does not let his son sour him.  He wanted everyone involved in the party.  
Anyone can have a cold heart!!!!  How to warm your heart.
1. Listen to the Father.
2. Start talking to the Father.  And not be critical and complaining.
3. Get back in and enjoy the father. Join the party.
4. The elder brother should get back in fellowship with his brother. Choose to be a blessing and encouragement.
Everything the father did is what the elder should have done.
Do people see you as the elder son?

5 Signs of the Elder Son's Heart

Luke 15:28-31.
Five signs of an elder brother's heart.
1.  When you use your goodness to demand your rights everywhere.
2.  He's very angry about how his life is going and he compares himself to others. I am valuable because I am doing good.  How do you interpret your own life?
3.  Another sign is when obeying God is hard and painful.  The attitude is "I have slaved all these years."  No gladness in the soul.  Motivation is wrong. We need a love birth of God!!!
Our delight is in the law of the Lord!!!!
4.  There is a combination here of a lack of joyful assurance and a tremendously judgemental spirit towards others. You can't be judgemental and angry and be connected to God.
5.  In fact it's very sad.....His heart is on things, material things.  That what he cares about more than anything else.  Not God, his relationship, and God's will.

God needs to be able to trust us, to bless us to draw us closer to Him.