How Do You Prepare?

How does your family begin preparing for Jesus' birthday?

I thought to myself all day as G and I shopped for Christmas gifts if all of these materialistic things were really necessary.

How can I teach my two boys the importance of celebrating Jesus rather than how many gifts they get.

We can go so overboard on presents, and in doing so, we push aside what Christmas is really about.

How can we overcome ourselves this Holiday season and focus more on Christ and others?

Jesus this special month is suppose to be all about You, yet we make it all about ourselves. Please forgive us. Show is how we can bring glory to Your name. Amen

Testing Your Knowledge Part 2

I am dying to know how you did yesterday on the questions I posted. I hope you did great, but more so I hope it challenged you to get in the Word.

How about another round?

1. By what other name is Mount Sinai known?

2. Where did Elijah's contest with the priests of Ball take place?

3.  What was poured over Saul's head when he was made King?

4.  In which city was the famous temple of Artemis?

5. What does "gospel" mean?

6. How many books does the Bible contain?

7. What kind of animal, belonging to Balaam, spoke God's words?

8. The valuable crop of which tree is used for making oil?

9. What was the name of the man to whom Jesus said, "You must be born again?"

10. What is the name of the the festival at which Christians remember the coming of the Holy Spirit?

I pray you are challenged and led to His Word today.

Anyone Up for Testing Their Knowledge?

I thought this would be fun to do, being that I just did it with my own family and I have to say, it was fun and we all learned alot and G and I also realized well, we didn't do so hot.

Anyone interested in testing their knowledge?

1. Who was Isaac's father?

2. Who got transformed into a pillar of salt as she looked back?

3.  Who was thrown into prison, had dreams, but eventually became prime minister of Egypt?

4.  Which woman protected the spies at the city of Jericho?

5. What was the name of the priest that Samuel served under?

6.  What was the name of the seven-year-old boy who was crowned King of Israel?

7.  What was the name of John the Baptist's father?

8.  In which town did Mary and Joseph live?

9.  Where was the wedding at which Jesus changed water into wine?

10. In which city was Straight Street?

I wish I was sitting with you over a cup of coffee asking you these questions. It would be so much fun. Enjoy brethren, I hope you know all of them, and if not I hope it challenges you to get in the Word today.

He's Earned It

"And I pray that Christ will be more and more at home in your hearts as you trust in him." Ephesians 3:17

In order to trust, one has to get to know someone. It has to be developed. Time has to be spent with that person, questions have to be asked and answered, and if we are honest, trust has to be earned.

So how does that work with the Lord? Do we make the Lord earn our trust? Is that even the right phrasing?

God is God. Yet being God He still knows that our hearts are weak and that we need to know His existence, His presence, and His love for us. And because of that, He displayed His existence through creation, His presence through the Holy Spirit, and His love through the death of His Son, Jesus.

He continues to show us His faithfulness. His trust is steadfast. It is strong. It is real. We can give Him our heart and trust that it will be treated with love, compassion, gentleness, and kindness.

So as we trust Him more and more, the more our hearts become His home. And I need Him to have complete residency within my heart.

He has given me absolutely every resource possible to trust in Him and His Word is the main one. If I don't read it, study it, and store it, then I will never fully develop a deep trust for Him, nor will He be more and more at home in my heart.

Jesus I need You and I need my heart to be completely filled with You. Help me to trust more and doubt less. Amen

I Need It...do you?

"I pray that from his glorious, unlimited resources he will give you mighty inner strength through his Holy Spirit." Ephesians 3:16

There is so much power in Paul's prayer to the Ephesians and to us. I have read this prayer so many times; I have prayed this prayer over many others and for my boys as well.

But today the Lord brought me back to this passage and I know for a very specific reason. There is power in praying God's Word over yourself and others. And He knew I needed it!

The moment the Lord brought me back here it felt as though Paul was praying this prayer over me and for me specifically. 

I felt the security, the hope, the relief, the comfort come as I read our particular verse above. And just as I was about to move forward, the Lord stopped me and said one line at a time.

Brethren I need and want His mighty inner strength to fall all over me through the Holy Spirit that is alive within me. I know how glorious He is and that His resources are truly unlimited and that brings me great comfort.

As I went over and over this in my heart, I couldn't shake the mighty inner strength. I need mighty inner strength to stand up against temptations, and any and all arrows Satan tries to throw at me. Especially right now with all this change that has taken place in our lives.

I mean who in this world does not want or desire mighty inner strength? Okay, well we know there are a few who could care less, but not me. 

I NEED IT! I am weak, I am easily tempted in certain struggles and I can give in without thinking it through.

So, for this sinner, in need of Jesus daily, I need His glorious unlimited resources of mighty inner strength.

I want to be strong, but in order to develop this mighty inner strength, I have to get Miss "ME" out of the way and let the Holy Spirit take center stage.

Even that in itself is hard, but brethren it can be done and the Lord promises that.

Jesus thank You for always knowing exactly what I need and for the comfort that comes from Your Word. Amen

Altar Sunday

Jesus as I approach the altar and kneel before Your holiness and presence, I ask that You reveal to me all of the sinfulness that You see, so that I may lay it out before You with confession and repentance. I want there to be nothing that hinders this time I desire with You.

Open my heart Jesus and fill it with Your word.

Thank You for opening the door to Your throne room.

Re-Kindling the Passion

"For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life. God did not send his Son into the world to condemn it, but to save it.” John 3:16-17

Sometimes we just need to be brought back to the beginning when our fire and passion for Christ began.

Do you remember that moment when you and the Lord first met? Do you remember the days that followed?

Do you remember how you felt, how He took your breath away, how you knew He was the one that would change your life forever?

Living Spirit Filled

“So be careful how you live, not as fools but as those who are wise. Make the most of every opportunity for doing good in these evil days. Don’t act thoughtlessly, but try to understand what the Lord wants you to do. Don’t be drunk with wine, because that will ruin your life. Instead, let the Holy Spirit fill and control you.” Ephesians 5:15-18

I just don’t want to talk God’s Word yet never live it out. I don’t want to spend time studying, only to walk away forgetting what I have studied.

I don’t want to live one way around certain people than another around others.

I don’t want to be greedy, ungrateful, selfish, angry, bitter, jealous, hurtful, ugly, sinful, or spew meanness and gossip from my mouth.

I don’t want to be like the world, or a spectator in Church. I don’t want to be concerned only about myself or do things that please only me.

I don’t want to be grumpy or rude, lazy or careless.

I don’t want to be an average mommy or a mommy who dumps her kids off at Church for others to teach them the Word of God.

I want to be joyful, grateful, humble, loving, kind, patient, merciful, forgiving, and thankful, a hard worker, a peace maker, an encourager, a servant, an example, and a teacher.

I want to be a woman who is filled with grace, and whose complete identity is found in Christ. I want to be confident, faithful, trustworthy, and committed. I want to lead by example and show my children what a life lived for Christ is all about.

I want to live in such a way that people see only Christ and not me.

I know this is all a work in progress, but I am thankful to be marked as God’s child by the Holy Spirit who is working in me and helping me become the woman Christ designed me to be.

Jesus thank You for the great Counselor who is living and working within me!  Help me to become all You have designed me to be. Amen

Happy Thanksgiving From the Morgans and RG3

A New Identity

“Once you were dead, doomed forever because of your many sins. You used to live just like the rest of the world, full of sin, obeying Satan, the mighty prince of the power of air. He is the spirit at work in the hearts of those who refuse to obey God. All of us used to live that way, and we were under God’s anger just like everyone else.”  Ephesians 2:1-3

…but today in Christ you and I have a new identity; an identity that is far greater than the identity we could ever make, work for, or desire for ourselves. Today we are identified as…

You are justified (declared not guilty)-Romans 3:24

No condemnation awaits you-Romans 8:1

You are set free form the law of sin and death.-Romans 8:2

You are sanctified (made holy) in Jesus Christ-1 Corinthians 1:2

You are pure and holy in Christ-1 Corinthians 1:30

You will be made alive at the resurrection-1 Corinthians 15:22

You are new person-2 Corinthians 5:17

You are made right with God-2 Corinthians5:21

You are one in Christ with all other believers- Galatians 3:28

You are blessed with every spiritual blessing in Christ-Ephesians 1:3

You are holy and without fault-Ephesians 1:4

You are adopted as God’s children-Ephesians 1:5, 6

Your sins are taken away, and you are forgiven-Ephesians 1:7

You will be brought under Christ’s authority-Ephesians 1:10, 11

You are marked as belonging to God by the Holy Spirit-Ephesians 1:13

You have been raised up to sit with Christ in the heavenly realms-Ephesians 2:6

You are God’s masterpiece-Ephesians 2:10

You have been brought near to God-Ephesians 2:13

You share in the promise through Christ-Ephesians 3:6

You can come with freedom and confidence into God’s presence-Ephesians 3:12

You are members of Christ’s body, the church-Ephesians 5:29, 30

You have been given fullness in Christ-Colossians 2:10

You are set free from our sinful nature-Colossians 2:11

You will have eternal glory-2 Timothy 2:10

I don’t know about you, but I want every one of these to cover me that when others see me or hear me, they see that my identity is in Christ.

These are amazing and worth studying and storing within us until every one of them literally become a part of us.

Father as I look over all of these that identify me, I ask that You help me soak all of them up and live them out. Thank You for the beauty that comes from each of them. Amen

How To Get Rich

"May you experience the love of Christ, though it is so great you will never fully understand it." Ephesians 3:19

The Lord cannot contain His love for us. He has so much that it falls on us like a heavy rain covering every inch of us. It is so thick and surrounds us on every side.

His love is so powerful, so real, so strong, so captivating it is hard for us to fully understand it.

Let the Lord lavish you with His love today. Let it fall heavily upon you, that your every pour soaks it up.

Jesus we thank You and praise You for Your love. It truly is the richness our souls desire. Amen

Keeping the Passion

How do you keep your passion for Christ?

Altar Sunday

"Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you. Let me teach you, because I am humble and gentle, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke fits perfectly, and the burden I give you is light."  Matthew 11:28-30

Only God Is

Only God Is…

“As for God, his way is perfect. All the Lord’s promises prove true. He is a shield for all who look to him for protection.” Psalm 18:30

Only God is…

The strongest

Perfect

True

Faithful

Keeps His promises

Saves us

Rescues us

Heals us

Loves us unconditionally

Cares for us at all times

And Only God is God.

Father thank You for being the One and only God! Amen

Mismatch

I wonder how often we speak more about ourselves and our doings than we do about God and His doings.

Isn't that what giving thanks is really about, focusing more on God than on ourselves.

God knows if our hearts our truly thankful. Yet we often think we can live a mismatched life. 

Praise God He knows the real is and loves us anyway. He is good brethren, He is so good. 

Jesus keep my lips from speaking opposite of what You really see in my heart. You can not be deceived.  Amen

He is at Work within Me

"He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so that we can do the good things he planned for us long ago." Ephesians 2:10

I opened my eyes, my heart heavy, and my mind full of thoughts.

This morning I found myself broken. Broken for many reasons. My sinfulness, the lost, those who have lost loved ones, my selfishness, my girlfriends fight with cancer and the condition of my heart.

And in the midst of all these thoughts the Lord made His way in and reminded me of His presence, His love, and the fact that the Holy Spirit is living and working within me.

Today I am thankful for the conviction of the Holy Spirit. I am thankful for the work He is doing within me. I am thankful that I am a child of the living God and because of that I can overcome my struggles with sin. I can serve others, I can make a difference for His kingdom. Because of Christ I can do the good things He planned for me long ago.

I am made new in Christ and I am beyond thankful that He saved me from my old self.

Jesus strengthen my faith and help me to believe all that Your word says. Thank You for Your saving grace and the richness of Your love. Amen

It's Found in Letting Go

Sometimes our greatest blessings are found when we let go and let God take control.

Jesus thank You for the ability to final relinquish control and allow You to have it all. Amen

Bad Day...Give Thanks

 "Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good! His faithful love endures forever." Psalm 116:1

In the midst of my not so happy day today, I stopped what I was doing and started writing down everything I was thankful for.

It is amazing how quickly the Lord can remind me of how blessed I am and how much He loves me. The more I wrote the better I felt, the more the frustrations went away, and the happier I became.

God is so good!

When we take our thoughts captive and place them on the Lord and what's most important, the more He changes our hearts and lifts our burdens.

Jesus thank You for allowing me to place the negative behind me and focus on You and Your love. May my thankfulness become a habit everyday at all times. Thank You for Your goodness. Amen

He Is...

“Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good! His faithful love endures forever.” Psalm 136:1

He is alive

He is forgiving

He is kind

He is patient

He is loving

He is merciful

He is slow to anger

He holds no records

He is perfect

He is holy

He is faithful

He rose from the grave

He is our healer

He is our protector

He is our comforter

He is our guidance

He is our strength

He is everlasting

He is Creator of all things

He know us in detail

He loves us in spite of our faults

He is giving

He is…Lord

Give Him thanks!

Jesus You are more than we could ever acknowledge. Thank You for all that You are and all that You do. Amen

Altar Sunday

What state is your heart in when you enter the House of the Lord?

It's important for our hearts to be prepared before we enter His house. All to often we walk into Church like we walk into work.

But Jesus deserves and desires more than that from us.

Can You List 100?

“Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, let us be thankful, and so worship God acceptably with reverence and awe.” Hebrews 12:28

If asked, could you list 100 things you were thankful for.

Have you ever tried to write them out?

Writing them out seems to open your eyes and heart, and makes you realize how much God loves you and blesses you.

What would happen to our hearts and thoughts if we wrote our blessings out every single day?

We would be transformed and changed. Our hearts would be softened, love would seep in, and anger and bitterness would slip away.

Our lives would be more patterned and shaped like Christ’s.

Things would be different, better, joyful.

We would react differently to our circumstances. We would focus more on His glory, His love, His character.

This is our choice! Let’s choose to focus on what we are thankful for, everyday.

Let’s not wait until something bad happens or our time is shortened to begin counting our blessings.

What are you thankful for?

Jesus we are too blessed to ignore it. We are too blessed and loved by You to not acknowledge it. Thank You for all You have given us. We are too blessed to not spend time praising You. Amen

A Similar Heart

“Lord, you alone are my portion and my cup; you make my lot secure. The boundary lines have fallen for me in pleasant places; surely I have a delightful inheritance.
 I will praise the Lord, who counsels me; even at night my heart instructs me.
 I keep my eyes always on the Lord. With him at my right hand, I will not be shaken.

 Therefore my heart is glad and my tongue rejoices; my body also will rest secure,
 because you will not abandon me to the realm of the dead, nor will you let your faithful^[b] one see decay. You make known to me the path of life; you will fill me with joy in your presence, with eternal pleasures at your right hand.” Psalm 16:5-11

We need to constantly speak God’s Word into our hearts so we are more aware of His goodness than we are our troubles, worries and fears.

That is exactly what David did all throughout the Psalms. He set the example for us and showed us the importance of keeping our hearts open and our eyes on Christ.

He taught us the importance of praise and what a thankful heart looks like.

He showed us the need for confession and repentance.

Through David the Lord showed us His mercy and forgiveness.

Is Jesus alone your portion and cup?

Jesus thank You for David’s story! He had a heart that pleased You, I pray You find our hearts to be pleasing to You. Hearts that are thankful, full of love and mercy. We love You, thank You for Your goodness. Amen

I Am Most Thankful For...

“Oh, what joy for those whose rebellion is forgiven, whose sin is put out of sight! Yes, what joy for those whose record the LORD has cleared of sin, whose lives are lived in complete honesty!” Psalm 32:1-2

For me, I am not sure there is anything greater or that I am more thankful for than what Christ did for me. He took my place, He became the ultimate sacrifice, and He covered me in His blood, forgave me and bridged the gap.

There truly is joy in those of us whose rebellion has been forgiven and whose sin has been put out of sight.

Jesus thank You for forgiving me! Thank You that my sin has been put out of sight. Thank You for this precious gift of life that I now have because I have You. Amen

A Thankful Heart is an Aware Heart

"Always be joyful. Keep on praying. No matter what happens, always be thankful, for this is God’s will for you who belong to Christ Jesus.” 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18

Is there a better way to give thanks than by living out this passage?

A joyful heart is a thankful heart.

A praying child is a thankful, trusting child

A thankful heart is a heart aware of the mercy and grace it’s been given.

Jesus our joy is found in You and we thank You and praise You for Your goodness, mercy and love. But most of all we are thankful for You and what You did on the cross for us. Amen

God Has it All Under Control-Trust Him

“I pray that your hearts will be flooded with light so that you can understand the wonderful future he has promised to those he called. I want you to realize what a rich and glorious inheritance he has given to his people.” Ephesians 1:18

The election has been on the minds of Americans today. Who will it be, who will win?

Only the Lord knows and has known for sometime. He knows who will be placed in the role of leading America.

He knows His heart, His thoughts, His every move and every intention.

The Lord knows the direction our country will go with whoever wins.

I find comfort in knowing that our God knows the future.

I find comfort in knowing that the Lord has my best interest at heart because I am His and He promises to protect His children.

Do you know the one thing that bothers me the most about all of this? The lives of those who are lost! There is more concern and talk about our new President than there is about those who are lost.

I get it, I really do, but I get Hell too. I get that in just a few short hours our new President will be named, life will go on, and we will all keep doing what we need to, to make it each and every day.

But here is what is bigger than all of that. In the end it’s either Heaven or Hell.

Salvation is the biggest and most important thing for us and it comes down to each of us individually making the choice. But it also comes down to us who are in Christ to get out and share His name and His Word with as many people as we can and as often as we can.

The two candidates didn’t waste time getting out and spreading their name and their plans for America’s future. They have been traveling and speaking for months.

Isn’t Christ worth that same effort and dedication plus a whole lot more? He is!

He is the one that determines our future, not the President. He is the one that saves us from death, not the President. He is the one that can heal us, not the President. He is the one that died for us. He is the one that is true, honest, perfect and holy. The President, whom ever that will be is human. He will fail us, but Christ will not.

All I am saying is if we as Christians keep our priorities in the right order, which is Christ first, then everything else will line up according to His will and plan.

Let’s pray for those who are lost, and let’s pray for our future President that Christ will be Lord of His life and He will seek Him first before He makes any decision.

Jesus open the eyes of the blind and the heart of our future President. May they experience You in a new and personal way. I pray You become more and more at home within their hearts and that their roots will go down deep into the soil of Your marvelous love. May they get a glimpse of how high, far, wide, and deep Your love is for them. I pray You become their first priority and that they put their complete trust and faith in You. You are our future. You are our hope. You are our every thing. Without You we have nothing! Thank You for seeing the bigger picture. Amen

Effort and Choice

“Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good! His faithful love endures forever.” Psalm 107:1

We must remember to give thanks to the Lord no matter our circumstances. I find this to be very hard at times.

Do you?

There are a lot of times when we allow stress, illness, frustration, hurt, money, appearance, etc to distract us from our blessings and God’s goodness.

God is so much better and greater than any of those things. Yet we still tend to focus more on them than Him.

It’s a messed up situation, really. But the more we focus on Him the more we see His goodness. So in reality if we would just stay fixed on Him, stay buried in His word, the better off we will be and the more we will realize His goodness and love.

It’s a daily effort and a daily choice.

So let’s choose to focus on Him. It is way more joyful and uplifting anyway, which I know we all need anyway.

Jesus You are good! Every single thing about You is good, perfect, holy, and beautiful. Thank You for Your unending love and mercy. Fix our eyes on You. Help us to fill our thoughts with Your word and love for us. In Jesus name amen!

Altar Sunday

“I wash my hands to declare my innocence. I come to your altar, O LORD, singing a song of thanksgiving and telling of all your miracles. I love your sanctuary, LORD, the place where your glory shines.”

Psalm 26:6-8

The Sacrifice that Honors Him

But giving thanks is a sacrifice that truly honors me. If you keep to my path, I will reveal to you the salvation of God.” Psalm 50:23

The greatest sacrifice is a heart full of thanksgiving. That is the sweetest aroma we could ever offer to the Lord.

When we acknowledge His goodness, love, mercy and grace and we express it through our praise and obedience, He is honored.

How often do we stop and thank the Lord for all He has done, does, and will do for us?

What changes do we need to allow the Lord to make in our lives so we can spend more time giving the sacrifice of thanksgiving that honors Him?

He is greater and bigger than any problem. He stronger and more powerful than any illness! He is more forgiving and loving than any human.

Jesus You are amazing, beautiful, holy, and perfect! Thank You for Your unending love and protection. Thank You for the gift of life. Amen

The Representation I want Seen in my Heart

“I will thank you, LORD, with all my heart; I will tell of all the marvelous things you have done. I will be filled with joy because of you. I will sing praises to your name. O Most High.” Psalm 9:1-2

I want this verse to be a representation of my heart. I want to constantly be sharing the marvelous things the Lord has done.

He is so good. He is the joy that fills my soul.

Jesus may I spend the remaining time here on earth in a state of thanksgiving. You are so merciful and loving. You are worthy of honor and praise.

I should constantly be thanking You for the forgiveness and mercy You have extended to me.

Forgive me for focusing more on the problems than blessings.

Keep my eyes and thoughts constantly on You and Your goodness.

Amen

A Heart that Acknowledges

"I will thank the Lord because he is just;  I will sing praise to the name of the Lord Most High." Psalm 7:17

To offer thanksgiving means that we acknowledge God's goodness.

When our eyes are on the Lord our entire being should be in a constant state of thanksgiving.

His goodness surrounds us, let's acknowledge it! 

Jesus thank You for Your goodness. Help us to acknowledge it more an more until our hearts are full of thanksgiving. Amen