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Faith

Taking the first step

It’s all about taking the first step in the right direction.

Then the second

and repeating

Categories
Faith

09 – What Makes God Smile –

Point to Ponder:
God Smiles when I trust Him

Verse to Remember
The Lord is pleased with those who worship Him and trust His love

Question to Consider:
Since God knows what is best, in what areas of my life do I need to trust Him most?

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Faith

Romans 8:6

S: The mind of sinful man is death but the mind controlled by the Spirit is Life & peace.

O: Paul is explaining to the Romans (and us) that there is a choice:: two opposites. To be controlled by thoughts of sin or by thoughts of the Spirit. For each of these there is a consequence, sin -> death & Spirit -> life & peace.

A: To me, peace is the critical word in this passage. Life and Death are eternal consequences, but peace is a worldly and obvious sign that I’m on the road to life.

P: Lord, give me strength and wisdom to choose to live controlled by the Spirit and let peace be the sign that I’m on the right track.

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Faith

What is a SOAP

SOAP stands for Scripture, Observation, Application, Prayer. It is a way focussing on what you are reading in the bible (though with some modification it could apply to anything).
The basis of SOAP is to read a Bible chapter, and select one verse (or thereabouts) that really speaks to you. This is the Scripture. Write out the verse.

The idea of Observation is to put the verse in context of what is happening in the bible, or failing that, simply put the verse into your own words.

Application: how does this verse apply to my life or the things that I see around me at the moment.

Prayer: write a short prayer pertaining to the scripture or your observations or application.

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Faith

03 – What drives your life?

Point to Ponder:
Living on purpose is the path to peace.

Verse to Remember
You, LORD, give perfect peace to those who keep their purpose firm and put their trust in you. Isaiah 26:3

Question to Consider:
What would my family and friends say is the driving force of my life? What do I want it to be?
Most of them would probably say computers, or maybe even money. I would like to think that my driving force is Solving Problems” but that most of the problems in my sphere of influence are computer based problems. I really like helping people find answers. Deep philioshical answers to questions of life the universe and everything don’t seem to be my specialty, but I computers are, and I like the fact that I know what I’m good at.

As for what I want it to be, does it matter?? Am I the one who decides my purpose?? I really want to learn what it is that God has in store for me, and I can honestly say that I hope it is something I like, but God’s purpose is, well, God’s, and even though I have a choice as to whether I accept it or not, I believe there is a price to be paid for not following Gods plan, so I will wait with as much patience as I can muster and remember that our God is a loving God and won’t give me anything I can’t handle..(at a stretch).

I’m also inspired by the quote that “”Living on purpose is the path to peace”” because peace and is something I pray for, epecially the peace that comes from knowing that what you do is “”the right thing””

I often wonder if I think too much…

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Faith

04 – Made to last forever

Point to Ponder:
There is more to life than just here and now.

Verse to Remember
This world is fading away, along with everything it craves. But if you do the will of God, you will live forever. 1 John 2:17

Question to Consider:
Since I was made to last forever, what is the one thing I should stop doing and the one things I should start doing today?

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Faith

02 – You are not an accident

Point to Ponder:
I am not an accident.

Verse to Remember
I am your Creator. You were in my care even before you were born. Isaiah 44:2

Question to Consider:
Knowing that God uniquely created me, what areas of my personality, background, and physical appearance am I struggling to accept?
I feel I generally accept myself for who I am, though I may spend a little too much time reflecting on what it is in life that has shaped me to be the me I am today.. 🙂
In fact, if I have a problem in this area, it is more likely to be a lack of care for my physical appearance. Other than the fact that it would be really great if I toned up and lost a kilo or two, I do have a tendancy to be a bit of a sloppy dresser, and several people noted that the Baptism was the first time they had seen me in a Shirt and Tie for a while, but I have to confess that I simply don’t find dressing “up” to be that important, as long as I look fairly neat and presentable. I do look presentable most of the time, don’t I??

Categories
Faith

01 – It all starts with God

Point to Ponder:
It’s not about me

Verse to Remember
Everything got started in him and finds it’s pupose in him. Colossians 1:16b

Question to Consider:
In spite of all the advertising around me, how can I remind myself that life is really about living for God, not myself?
I believe I need to surround myself with people who have and express a real faith in God. Many of the people in my life, and pretty much all the ones I’m closest to are like this. I also need to setup visual cues to remind me, much like the advertising billboards are designed to do. What I listen to is also important. In this time of war, it is easy to get sucked into listening to news all the time, but the relaxed atmosphere of a Christian radio station provides extra spiritual food that I need whole still keeping me informed about what is happening in the world.