You are Forgiven

Welcome back to the Encouragement Challenge Week 3! We are talking about forgiveness this week. Today, we are going to focus on God’s forgiveness towards us. We are forgiven! You are forgiven!! No matter what you have done…you are forgiven! All you have to do is ask God to forgive you! He is faithful and just and will forgive our sins!

Here are a just few scriptures about God’s forgiveness:

Psalm 32:5 “Then I acknowledged my sin to you and did not cover up my iniquity. I said, “I will confess my transgressions to the LORD.” And you forgave the guilt of my sin.”

Matthew 26:28 “This is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins.”

Acts 2:38 “Peter replied, ‘Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.'”

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.”

John 3:16 “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.”

Repent (turn away from) your sins and be forgiven. God has forgiven you…so now forgive yourself. We all fail and need forgiveness. Allow God to forgive you. Then, forgive yourself.

Be a blessing to others,
~M

Generosity

Welcome back readers!! Today, we are going to talk about Generosity. Generosity can be described as “the quality of being kind and generous or the habit of giving without expecting anything in return”. I have found that when I help others, God will bless me and enrich my life. You don’t have to give monetary gifts. Just find a way to share your blessings. Some ways you can be generous are spending time with someone, sharing your talent with someone, encourage someone, volunteer to help your church, smile at someone, love others, and love God!

The Bible reminds us to be generous in the following scriptures:

Acts 20:35: “In every way I’ve shown you that by laboring like this, it is necessary to help the weak and to keep in mind the words of the Lord Jesus, for He said, ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive’.”

Galatians 6:10: “Therefore, as we have opportunity, we must work for the good of all, especially for those who belong to the household of faith.”

2 Corinthians 9:7: “Each person should do as he has decided in his heart—not out of regret or out of necessity, for God loves a cheerful giver.”

Be a blessing to others,
~M

Encouragement Challenge Week 1

Welcome Back to our Blog. Today, we are going to talk a little more about the Encouragement Challenge. Each week we will post a few scripture and suggestions to help you out during this challenge. This week we are going to talk about encouraging each other and building up one another.

1 Thessalonians 5:11 reminds us, “Therefore encourage one another and build up one another.”

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.”

Hebrews 3:13: “But encourage one another daily, as long as it is called “Today,” so that none of you may be hardened by sin’s deceitfulness.”

How can we build each other up?

Pray for Each Other
Be Kind
Don’t spread gossip
Don’t say hurtful things
SMILE at someone
Show God’s love
Listen to Others
Forgive

Be a Blessing to Others,
~M

A Challenge for You

30 days of encouragement — The Challenge!  The Lord has been laying this on my heart for a while.  Our world is so full of people putting others down, hurting and violence.  You can’t even watch the news without hearing about bullying or some type of violence.  Our world is full of hate and sadness.  It is such a hard time for both our children and the adults.  So many people are immune or numb to the pain of words and actions from others.  The following verse just jumped off the pages when I read it.

Galatians 5:13-15

 You, my brothers and sisters, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the flesh; rather, serve one another humbly in love. For the entire law is fulfilled in keeping this one command: “Love your neighbor as yourself.” If you bite and devour each other, watch out or you will be destroyed by each other.”

We are called to love each other and not hurt each other.  This verse is so true now.  We hear about people destroying each other all the time.  But what about encouraging each other?  Encouragement is defined as “the action of giving someone support, confidence, or hope.”  Jesus is so full of encouragement for us.  We have His support.  We can be confident in His promises and His love.  Jesus gave us HOPE when he died for each of us.

Let’s stop the pain and the devouring of each other by words and actions.  Let’s show others Christ’s Love and Encouragement.  I would like to challenge each and everyone of you to participate in 30 days of encouragement.  Here’s what the 30 days of encouragement campaign consists of:

1.  Don’t say anything negative about others.

2.  Say something that you admire or appreciate about someone else.  You can even send someone a card of encouragement.

3.  Greet others with a smile.  One smile can change someone’s day.

4.  Pray for Others daily.

5.  Show Christ’s LOVE all the time.

6.  FORGIVE others!

7.  Go out of your way to help make someone else’s day better.

Please comment if you are joining our challenge.  Keep us posted on your progress.  We are praying for each of you.  You CAN do this!!  Don’t forget to Be a Blessing to Others,

~M

The Cost of Love

Welcome back to The Fruit of the Spirit Series. Today, we will be finishing up the first fruit: Love

Galatians 5:22-23
22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law.

The Cost of Love:

Genesis 29:14-20
After Jacob had stayed with him for a whole month, 15 Laban said to him, “Just because you are a relative of mine, should you work for me for nothing? Tell me what your wages should be.” 16 Now Laban had two daughters; the name of the older was Leah, and the name of the younger was Rachel. 17 Leah had weak eyes, but Rachel was lovely in form, and beautiful. 18 Jacob was in love with Rachel and said, “I’ll work for you seven years in return for your younger daughter Rachel.” 19 Laban said, “It’s better that I give her to you than to some other man. Stay here with me.” 20 So Jacob served seven years to get Rachel, but they seemed like only a few days to him because of his love for her.

John 3:16
16 “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.

~Dr G

The Biblical Definition of Love

Welcome back to The Fruit of the Spirit Series.

Galatians 5:22-23
22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law.

The Biblical Definition of Love:

1 Corinthians 13:1-8
13:1 If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. 2 If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. 3 If I give all I possess to the poor and surrender my body to the flames, but have not love, I gain nothing. 4 Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. 5 It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. 6 Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. 7 It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. 8 Love never fails.

~Dr G

The Prayer of Love

Welcome back to The Fruit of the Spirit Series.

Galatians 5:22-23
22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law.

The Prayer of Love:

1 Thessalonians 3:12
12 May the Lord make your love increase and overflow for each other and for everyone else

Luke 6:27-28
27 “But I tell you who hear me: Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, 28 bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you

~Dr. G

The Pursuit of Love

Welcome back to The Fruit of the Spirit Series.

Galatians 5:22-23
22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law.

The Pursuit of Love:

Proverbs 21:21
21 He who pursues righteousness and love
finds life, prosperity and honor.

Ephesians 5:2
2 and live a life of love, just as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.

1 John 4:12
12 No one has ever seen God; but if we love one another, God lives in us and his love is made complete in us.

Hebrews 13:1
13:1 Keep on loving each other as brothers.

Proverbs 17:17
17 A friend loves at all times

1 Peter 1:22
22 Now that you have purified yourselves by obeying the truth so that you have sincere love for your brothers, love one another deeply, from the heart.

Galatians 5:6
6 For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision has any value. The only thing that counts is faith expressing itself through love.

~Dr. G

The Example of Love

Welcome back to The Fruit of the Spirit Series.

Galatians 5:22-23
22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law.

The Example of Love:

James 2:8
8 If you really keep the royal law found in Scripture, “Love your neighbor as yourself,” you are doing right.

Leviticus 19:18
18 “‘Do not seek revenge or bear a grudge against one of your people, but love your neighbor as yourself. I am the LORD.

Proverbs 15:17
17 Better a meal of vegetables where there is love
than a fattened calf with hatred.

~Dr G

The Portrait of Love

Welcome back to The Fruit of the Spirit Series.

Galatians 5:22-23
22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law.

The Portrait of Love:

1 John 3:16-18
16 This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers. 17 If anyone has material possessions and sees his brother in need but has no pity on him, how can the love of God be in him? 18 Dear children, let us not love with words or tongue but with actions and in truth.

1 John 4:9-10
9 This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him. 10 This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins.

~Dr G