Category: <span>Thoughts by All</span>


“He is also the head of the church, which is his body. He is the beginning, the first to come back to life so that he would have first place in everything.”
Colossians 1:18 GOD’S WORD Translation (GW)


I can’t imagine starting my day without seeking God first!

When I wake up long before my alarm clock goes off I’m so excited to get that extra free time to spend with Jesus. I rush to fill my coffee cup and spread His Word around me, studying and waiting for fresh insights from Him. In the early morning I seek Him. What new wisdom will He have for me today? Lord, give me understanding of what you are teaching me.

Honoring the Lord with my time, following His agenda rather than my own, and joining Him in His work are ways I try to prioritize my day. Am I flexible when God throws me curve ball? I need to be open to new developments in His scheduling.

His will is before mine – “Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven,” as David’s prayer tells us. We are to seek first His kingdom and His righteousness.

We are to put God first in our relationships, before a spouse, children or parents. We can only have the right kinds of relationships if they are built upon and centered in the deep love of Christ. We can only know this pure kind of love if we abide in Christ and have a growing intimacy with Him. God must be given first place in our lives, the place of highest honor, the seat at the head of the table.

The people we know will come and go during different seasons throughout our lives. But God remains forever. He is the first and the last. And all His children will be together with Him for eternity.

In heaven I won’t just give God my early morning hours or occasional moments throughout the day, but I will worship, praise and glorify Him with all of my heart all of the time.

By Karen Huffaker
Used by Permission

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Further Reading

•   Ask God First – by Karen Huffaker

•  God First –  by Ashlea Massie

  First Things First – By John Grant


Thoughts by All thoughts by Karen Huffaker


Most of us had a hard time learning to tie our shoes.

And, oh the advice.  Everyone had a different approach.  Can’t anyone agree?  On only one thing.  You need to know how!

My friend Roy used to sit on a park bench each morning. One day he noticed a little fellow struggling to board the bus. He was leaning down, frantically trying to disentangle a knotted shoestring.  He grew more anxious by the moment—eyes darting back and forth between the shoe and the ride.  All of a sudden the door closed.  The boy fell back and sighed. That’s when he saw Roy.  With tear-filled eyes he asked,

Do you untie knots?”

Jesus loves that request.

Life gets tangled.

People mess up.

You never outgrow the urge to look up and say, “Help!”

Look who shows up. Jesus, our next door Savior.

Do you untie knots?”  He answers emphatically, “Yes!”

by Max Lucado
Used by permission

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To learn more about Max Lucado visit his website at:
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Further Reading

•  In the Midst of the Mess –  by Marilyn Ehle

•  In the Middle of the Mess – by Kristi Huseby

•  God Answers the Mess of Life –  by Max Lucado


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Thoughts by All thoughts by Max Lucado Thoughts by Men


A Mother’s Day Prayer

Heavenly Father, to you I pray…

On this day called, “Mother’s Day.”

Let all mother’s on earth give praise,
To you…for the children that you gave.

For you have blessed them from above,
with little souls to nourish and love.
Let them mould each one with care…
And teach them to be kind and share.

Forgiveness is the special key…
Start early on, to help them see.
Their fragile minds are easily impressed.
Please teach them ways, so they’ll be blessed.

Sow godly seeds into their minds.
With careful pruning, you will find…
Young adults with such strong roots,
all through life, will bear rich fruit.

And then have faith for God to show…
Them all the rest they have to know.
Remember they’re His children too.
For they were only lent to you.

Author Unknown

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Further Reading

•  Mother’s Day
•  Sample Prayers
•  How to Pray


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Thoughts by All Thoughts by Women


Read:  Luke 22:31-34


The disciple Peter was a man of great faith and bold action. But as readers of the New Testament know, his brash style sometimes led him to make humiliating mistakes. More than once, this disciple had to wear the label of “miserable failure” rather than that of “obedient servant.

We can all relate when it comes to falling short of expectations. Obedience to God is a learning process, and failure is a part of our development as humble servants. When we yield to temptation or rebel against God’s authority, we realize that sin has few rewards, and even those are fleeting.

Failure is an excellent learning tool, as Peter could certainly attest. Through trial and error, he discovered that humility is required of believers (John 13:5-14); that God’s ways are higher than the world’s ways (Mark 8:33); and that one should never take his eyes off Jesus (Matthew 14:30). He took each of those lessons to heart and thereby grew stronger in his faith. Isn’t that Romans 8:28 in action? God caused Peter’s failures to be put to good use as training material because the disciple was eager to mature and serve.

God doesn’t reward rebellion or wrongdoing. However, by His grace, He blesses those who choose repentance and embrace chastisement as a tool for growth.

We would probably all prefer to grow in our faith without ever making a mistake before God’s eyes, but we cannot deny that missteps are instructive. Failure teaches believers that it is much wiser and more profitable to be obedient to the Lord. That’s a lesson we all should take to heart.

By Dr. Charles Stanley
Used by Permission
from charlesstanley.com

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Further Reading

•  Overcoming Failure

•  When You Feel Like a Failure

•   God Uses Failure


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Thoughts by All thoughts by Charles Stanley Thoughts by Men


The wordHosannais used to express adoration, praise or joy.

In the original Rabbinical Hebrew it is interpreted to mean ‘save, we pray’. As we read part of the Easter story we are reminded that as Jesus was entering Jerusalem,

a very large crowd spread their cloaks on the road, while others cut branches from the trees and spread them on the road. The crowds that went ahead of him and those that followed shouted, “Hosanna to the Son of David!” Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord! Hosanna in the highest!”  (Matthew 21:8&9)

As we celebrate the Easter season let us not only remember to express our adoration, praise and joy but let’s remember the ‘why’ as well; The resurrection! Our salvation depends on it!

My prayer for you this week

“Jesus, we ‘spread our cloaks on the road’ asking, save, we pray, oh Son of David. Blessed are you who came in the name of the Lord! Hosanna in the highest!” Amen. Matthew 21:8 & 9

by Alec Niemi
Used by Permission

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Further Reading

•  Touched by the Risen Lord

•  Easter Quotes  and  Easter Prayers

•  Salvation Explained


thoughts by Alec Niemi Thoughts by All Thoughts by Men

But the hour is coming, and is now here, when the true worshippers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for the Father is seeking such people to worship him. God is spirit, and those who worship him must worship in spirit and truth. (John 4:23-24, ESV)


There is a popular saying we use often in our society today, “let Jesus into your heart”. Now while on the surface there is nothing wrong with this saying, in our modern society this saying has taken on a different meaning than what it was once intended to mean.

We hear this saying today and imply it that we can let Jesus into our hearts conforming Jesus to us. It is as if God fits into our lives – we find a place for Him in our hearts along with everything else. We have great intentions with this line of thinking however; we can’t fully experience Father when we seek Him this way. We become frustrated.

I speak from personal experience on this issue. I spent fifteen years wandering from church to church all the while never fully experiencing Father in my life and still wondering what Jesus meant to me. Fifteen years of fellowship, sermons, small groups, and worship and I was still as lost as the day I thought I let Jesus into my heart.

The Lord never gave up on me and in my weakest moment of my life, I really found Him. In that moment I reversed the script and gave Jesus my heart, my baggage, my life and in doing so, found myself with my Father, my Creator, my God, my Savior.

But now thus says the LORD, he who created you, O Jacob, he who formed you, O Israel:

Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by name, you are mine. When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and through the rivers, they shall not overwhelm you; when you walk through fire you shall not be burned, and the flame shall not consume you. For I am the LORD your God, the Holy One of Israel, your Savior.’ (Isaiah 43:1-3, ESV)

Lord I pray today that all who walk with you will want to walk in you. I pray today that all who have let you in their hearts will give their hearts to you. Touch and move on them as you did me Father, let them experience your love and mercy as you showed upon me. Lord we know we can’t manage or handle this world on our own, we need you, and we want you. Help us to understand your love, as we give back everything you have given to us, back to you Father. In Jesus name, Amen.

Question: Have you invited Jesus into your life?
http://www.thoughts-about-god.com/4laws/law0.html

by Rev. Daniel Forster
Used by Permission

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Further Reading

•  Hiding Place

•  The Bride of Christ

•  Wait for the Lord


Thoughts by All Thoughts by Men thoughts by Rev. D. Forster


When we have worry, doubt, and fear clutched tightly in our hands and our hearts are ruled by anxiety, God wants to say something to us of this effect,

Let go of your burdens and give them to me. I will put in your hands that are now empty and open…

Joy
Peace
and Freedom.”

All we need to do is give God our burdens and He will give us rest. He will give us joy, a fullness of indescribable joy we have not known before.

From my own experience, I can tell you it will not happen if we keep holding on. We have to let go of one to gain the other. I know what He has to offer is so much more than what we are holding on to, and I know this because I have walked that road before.

The joy I now have is because I finally made the exchange. When I grew weary and tired of my burdens, I finally trusted and obeyed My Father’s voice. I finally let go and I was amazed.

I don’t ever want to walk that road again. The road that says it is too hard to let go. If you want to walk in joy, make the exchange. Open your hands to Him, let go, and place your burdens in His hands. Soon you will know what it is to walk in His peace and joy. Soon you won’t be weary under the load of burdens you were carrying on your own.

It starts with a step of faith and a heart of trust and emptying your hands of the burdens God asks you to lay in His hands.

Will you make the exchange?

Come to Me,  all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.” Matthew 11:28

By Kathy Cheek
Used by Permission


Do you know this love that is found in God alone, through Jesus?  Would you like to give your burdens to him and have a relationship with Him?  It doesn’t mean that life will be easy but it does mean you have Jesus walking by your side. It starts with a simple heart felt prayer:

Lord, thank You for dying so we can be set free from all of guilt and sin — no matter how big or small.  Your blood has erased all of our sin. Thank You so much! Lord Jesus, I want to know you personally. Thank you for dying on the cross for my sins. I open the door of my life to you and ask you to come in as my Savior and Lord. Take control of my life. Thank you for forgiving my sins and giving me eternal life. Make me the kind of person you want me to be. Amen

It is the first step.  Keep learning more….


If you prayed this prayer we would love to hear from you . If you would like to know God deeper we can connect you with an email mentor and/or send you some great links.


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Thoughts by All thoughts by Kathy Cheek Thoughts by Women

“Finally, receive your power from the Lord and from his mighty strength.”   Ephesians 6:10 (GW)


Ever had one of those days when you felt as though you had nothing left in you; no motivation, no passion, no desire to move forward?  Feelings of worthlessness begin to surface and it seems as though you are headed backwards instead of forward.  What happened to the fervor and the passion?

If this is you today, I have a word of encouragement for you.  The Lord wants you to know that He is still working.  Sometimes handling life’s challenges can drain us of our power and our drive to keep going.

Some of us are just in need of good refreshment.  I am reminded of the passage in 1 Kings 19 wherein Elijah was on the run from Jezebel after defeating 850 prophets of Baal.   This was a great victory for Elijah and other great feats followed.    What caught my attention in this story however was that Elijah became fearful when Jezebel sent him a note about what she would do to him.  She didn’t come to him face to face, she sent words.   On that note, what has the enemy been speaking to you that has you sidetracked?

Elijah came to rest under a tree and prayed that he might die.  Upon falling asleep, he was visited by the Angel of the Lord.  Elijah was given bread and water and told to eat because the journey ahead of him was great.  That spoke volumes to me.

As Christians, we need to stay connected to our power source.  When our phone dies or our battery looks low, the first thing we do is connect to the power source.  Why not do the same spiritually?  Just like a battery needs to be recharged by being plugged into its power source, so do we as children of God.  Our feelings and emotions begin to get out of control when we are not connected to our source of power.   When I say plug in and recharge, I am referring to our need as believers to fast, pray, and spend time in the presence of the Lord.  Find the time to reconnect today. Be strengthened; you have not lost your fire and passion; you are just running low on spiritual fuel.  Finally my brethren, receive your power from the Lord and from his mighty strength.

Father, I thank you for the power and the strength that you provide us. I pray that we will not take lightly what you have made available to us. May we be recharged daily so that we can accomplish the works you have given us to do.  In Jesus name Amen

By Mary Pinckney
Used by Permission
From:  Be Attitudes: A Devotional Journey To a Healthier and Happier You

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Further Reading

Getting Holy Spirit Power

•  A Poem of Hope …”I feel the arms of God around me”

•  Salvation Explained


Thoughts by All thoughts by Mary Pinckney

Being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.” Philippians 1:6


My son was complaining recently about a throbbing pain in his legs. It was so painful that we went to the doctor to have x-rays taken. The result? It was merely something we have all felt at one point when we were younger. Growing pains.

Growth hurts. The ache and discomfort of pain can be agonizing, but it is necessary and always beneficial. God created us, not to stay stagnant, but to always be growing in Him and becoming more like Jesus. But it’s not easy, and we can certainly stunt it.

Failure to thrive” is a term used to describe an underlying condition causing physical growth delay. The reason behind it is inadequate nutrition. Just like we need to feed our bodies with the necessary nutrients to grow, we need to feed ourselves spiritually for growth to occur.

God’s Word is the essential nourishment for your being. King David, described by God as a man ”after my own heart” (1 Samuel 13:14), deeply loved and valued God’s Word with such passion that he not only meditated on it all day, but all night (Psalm 119:97, Psalm 119:148). Maybe we should be more like him so we can grow in faith.

Know that in the midst of heartache and pain, God is molding and growing you. Be confident in the promise from God that He is perfecting you as you allow Him to do the work He desires to do in you.

Heavenly Father, thank you for your promise that you are growing me into the person you have created me to be. I pray that your Word would fill my being. Open my heart to hearing all that you have to say to me and give me wisdom and knowledge while I meditate on your Word. Amen.

Thought:  it’s vital to commit yourself to putting time aside to read and meditate on God and His Word. Before you begin your day as well as at the close of your day, take some moments to be with God, strengthening and encouraging yourself with what He desires to show you.

By Brigitte Straub
Used by Permission

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Further Reading

•  Going Deeper with God

•  Personal Stories of Choosing God

•  Salvation Explained


Thoughts by All thoughts by Brigitte Straub Thoughts by Women

Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. Through him we have also obtained access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and we rejoice in hope of the glory of God.Romans 5:1-2 (ESV)


Our faith brings peace with God. What a powerful statement, yet there is more to this sentence. The verse goes on to say, “through our Lord Jesus Christ”. Our peace comes from God, by our faith, through our Lord Jesus Christ. If it weren’t for Jesus, you would not be receiving the peace from God by your faith. It is all about Jesus. The second verse points to this. “Through Him” we gain access by our faith in His grace. Our faith leads us to Jesus Christ, which leads us to His grace, which was given to us on the cross.

What is grace? Some say it is a church word. It is actually a real word used to describe the love God showers upon us. The definition of grace is “to receive something you do not deserve”. If we look at God’s word, it is clear to see that we do not deserve His love. In fact, we most often deserve His punishment for how we treat Him and others around us. This “not getting the thing we deserve” is defined as mercy.

Verse 2 says, “by our faith into this grace in which we stand”. Our faith leads us to discover a love we don’t deserve. And yet God gives this love to us. This grace comes in the form of God himself taking on human form. This grace and mercy comes in a form of Jesus taking our punishment for us by dying for us on the cross. By our faith we stand in God’s grace as free beings, free from sin, free from punishment.

We rejoice in the hope of the glory of God. We praise God for what He has done for us. How could we not rejoice? We live now in victory – victory over sin, and victory over physical and spiritual death.

By our faith we have peace from God given by His grace. Shout to the lord and rejoice! Walk out your door today and let the world see His peace and joy in you. Raise that chin up, for you have victory today, and every day, for all eternity through our Lord Jesus Christ.

“The cross is the lightning rod of grace that short-circuits God’s wrath to Christ so that only the light of His love remains for believers.” ~ A. W. Tozer

Father, I pray today that many will come to discover the grace that You give us, and many will come to be reminded of the grace that You give us. Lord I pray we do not walk around the world angry and defeated. Lord I pray we walk in Your grace, full of Your love, mercy, and compassion. Lord, let us walk with You so our lives look more like You. Help us with our unbelief, and turn our hearts and minds anew to You Lord, in the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.

Question: How does God’s grace bring peace in your life? Does His grace show in your life?

by Rev. Daniel Forster
Used by Permission

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Further Reading

•  Extending Grace to Others

•  Grace to Keep on Yielding

•   Unity What would it take to cause Christians to “make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace?”


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Thoughts by All Thoughts by Men thoughts by Rev. D. Forster

Hear God’s Word for you in 2 Corinthians 4:7. “But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us.

Your Father wants you to be completely whole in belonging and worth, in identity and legitimacy.

Be blessed to know without question what a treasure you are to Him. Be blessed to live as the special treasure you are. As you know who you are, you will understand the “why” of what you do. Be blessed with knowing your purpose and the specific blessings that God has stored up for you.

Be blessed in the name of the One who is all-surpassing power. Be blessed with knowing experientially that Jesus is the “how” of everything you are and do. Paul asked the rhetorical question, “What do you have that you did not receive?” (1 Corinthians 4:7). And the answer is nothing. God is your competence (2 Corinthians 3:5). Know that it is “not by might nor by power, but by my Spirit,says the LORD Almighty (Zechariah 4:6). You can be confident, knowing that apart from Him you can do nothing (John 15:5), but in Him you can do everything (Philippians 4:13).

You can be confident in the core of your being in following God’s will, not your own; in speaking His words, not your own; in doing His work, as He does His work of intimately revealing Himself. Thank God for your God-given competence, but don’t allow your competence to become your identity. Be blessed with healing in your deepest doubts and your deepest wounds of identity, so that you do not have to strive to prove that you are worthy, legitimate, significant, and deserving of honor.

God designed you for unique good works in Christ (Ephesians 2:10). There are some things He placed you in the world to do that you can do better than anybody else, because of who He designed you to be. Be blessed in everything He designed you to be to fulfill His purpose on the earth. As you align yourself with who God designed you to be, you will be fulfilled, and the world will be blessed.

Be blessed in the name of the One who is your all-surpassing power (2 Corinthians 4:7).

By Sylvia Gunter
Used by Permission

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From: You Are Blessed In The Names Of God (page 31)


Further Reading

•  Making a Difference

•  Poems

•  Salvation Explained


Thoughts by All thoughts by Sylvia Gunter Thoughts by Women

“That out of His glorious, unlimited resources He will give you the mighty inner strengthening of His Holy Spirit”  Ephesians 3:16


In Christ are all the attributes and characteristics promised to His children as the fruit of the Spirit. And the Holy Spirit was given to glorify Christ.

Do you need love?

The Lord Jesus Christ is the incarnation of love. Paul prays that our roots may “go down deep into the soil of God’s marvelous love; and may you be able to feel and understand, as all God’s children should, how long, how wide, how deep and how high His love really is; and to experience this love for yourselves (though it is so great that you will never see the end of it, or fully know or understand it“) (Ephesians 3:17-19).

Do you need peace?

Christ is the “Prince of Peace.” “I am leaving you with a gift,” said Jesus, “peace of mind and heart! And the peace I give isn’t fragile like the peace the world gives” (John 14:27).

Do you need joy?

Christ is joy.

Do you need patience?

Christ is patience.

Do you need wisdom?

Christ is wisdom.

Are you in need of material possessions so that you can better serve Christ?

They are available in Him, for God owns “the cattle on a thousand hills,” and He promised to supply all our needs (Philippians 4:19).

All that we need is to be found in Christ and nowhere else.

The supernatural life is Christ, for in Him dwells all the fullness of the Godhead bodily.

Bible Reading: Ephesians 3:17-21

Knowing that God’s unlimited resources make possible the mighty inner strengthening in my life, I shall focus my attention upon Him through reading His inspired Word and obeying His commands.

Dr. Bill Bright
Used by Permission

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Further Reading

•   God Is…

•  More than a Father

•  Salvation Explained


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Thoughts by All thoughts by Bill Bright Thoughts by Men

“For I know the plans I have for you, declares the LORD, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” Jeremiah 29:11 (NIV)


God brought Alyssa through one of the darkest times of her life.
Her dream was to dance professionally.  But in her late teens, a fall shattered her hopes.
The pain was incredible.  The doctor said she’d never dance or walk again.

Before the accident, Alyssa Barlow thought she knew her life’s plan.  Afterwards,  she became angry at God.  She sulked in her room for two months.

But then God began to soften her heart.  The Bible said God loved her, even if she was never on stage again.  And He still had a plan for the rest of her life.  So she prayed and trusted Christ for the next step.  And without explanation, she was healed.

Dear one, God can sustain you through your dark days.

Trust Him for your life’s plan.

By Vonette Bright
used by permission

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Further Reading

•  The Gift of Forgiveness | by John William Smith

•  Forgiveness Opens the Door  | by Helen Lescheid

 Prayer of Forgiveness and Release

•  Salvation Explained

 


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Thoughts by All thoughts by Vonette Bright Thoughts by Women


I  don’t know about you, but the things that stress me out the most are often the little things.

Things that, if you put them in the context of things you need to worry about, would be at the bottom of the list.  Small problems like burning the toast, the hot water service breaking down or the mess of leaves on the front path.  It is often the case that these little things build up in importance and we seem to be forever worrying about something.

Other times it is work that causes the most stress and we carry that worry through to our families and friends, thus causing tension.  In some cases our families are often the cause of stress and all our time seems to be taken up worrying about their lives and our eyes are taken off God and focused on others’ problems.

In our minds we know that worrying is not going to help matters, but we do it anyway. I read a story on the internet the other day where a lady was talking to her therapist and said to him, “worrying works for me as ninety-nine per cent of the things I worry about never happen”.  Another internet story on worrying is about a man who went to the dentist and left his car in a no parking zone just so he could worry about not getting a ticket, which took his mind off worrying about the dental visit.

Jesus’ words in the Gospel of Matthew give us assurance and hope whenever we are faced with situations where we feel the need to worry.

Matthew 6:25-27
Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more important than food, and the body more important than clothes? Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life?

Wonderful and understanding God, we turn to you in times of crisis and ask for strength and calm, but often not for the everyday problems that we worry about.  Help us to trust in you and in your promises and take these words of Jesus to heart.  Praise and thank you for your continued grace and your unconditional love. Amen.

By Terry Stead
Used by Permission


Do you want to stop worrying and start trusting Jesus?  You can start a relationship with our loving and trusting God through a simple prayer that expresses your trust and belief in him.  If you believe these words, then say this sample prayer and HE WILL come into your life.

Lord Jesus, I need You. Thank You for dying on the cross for my sins. I open the door of my life and receive You as my Savior and Lord. Thank You for forgiving my sins and giving me eternal life. Take control of the throne of my life. Make me the kind of person You want me to be.  Be the healer of my soul.”

This is just the beginning.  We encourage you to read the links below and get connected with a good church.  Also, consider an online mentor which we can connect you to.


If you prayed this prayer we would love to hear from you . If you would like to know God deeper we can connect you with an email mentor and/or send you some great links.


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Thoughts by All thoughts by Terry Stead Thoughts by Women


Love your enemies
Pray for those who persecute you
If someone forces you to go one mile, go two
If someone takes your shirt, give him your coat, too
If someone slaps you on the right cheek, offer the other cheek also
Give to those who ask
Don’t turn away from those who want to borrow
Return good for evil
Do not judge others
Forgive those who sin against you
Get rid of the log in your own eye so you can help with the speck in another’s
Treat people the way you want to be treated
Don’t make any vows you can’t keep
Don’t worry about tomorrow
Show mercy if you want your heavenly Father to be merciful to you.
(Read Matthew 5)

You may be thinking, “What kind of poppycock is this?” This, my friend, is Jesus’ way. This is true Christianity. If you must measure yourself, measure yourself by these things.

I would dare to say these are the most ignored words by Christians in all of scripture, yet they are the basis for everything Jesus stands for. I have grown up in the church all my life and heard these things seriously talked about maybe a handful of times. Why is that? Because they run contrary to us all. Because no one can hold to these things unless they are born of God. Heck … no one can even want them unless they are born of God.

These are not suggestions. This is not Jesus trying to shock people so He can get their attention. (Jesus doesn’t really mean these things. Oh yes He does.)

Not only does He mean these things; this is rudimentary. This is the real thing. This is true Christianity. This is Following Jesus 101.

Instead, I’m used to: “What’s the Sermon on the Mount? That’s that weird part in the beginning of Matthew that no one seems to understand or pay much attention to.” Or if they do, they explain half of it away.

This is how you know if you are a true Christian.
This is how you know if the Holy Spirit has been born in you.
This is how you can check yourself – by these attitudes and actions.

If these attitudes are not yours, but you want them, keep following and asking the Lord to change you by His Holy Spirit.

If these attitudes are yours, and they are increasing, be glad!

If these attitudes are not the way you want to live, then it’s probably time to get off this train.

Notice how most, if not all, of these things are against human nature? That’s because you have to be born again to have them. You have to be born of God.

This is what you want to build into your life – these attitudes and these actions.
This is what you put on your refrigerator.
This is what you stick to your mirror.
This is what you ask God for.
And in case you missed it the first time, here it is again:

Love your enemies
Pray for those who persecute you
If someone forces you to go one mile, go two
If someone takes your shirt, give him your coat, too
If someone slaps you on the right cheek, offer the other cheek also
Give to those who ask
Don’t turn away from those who want to borrow
Return good for evil
Do not judge others
Forgive those who sin against you
Get rid of the log in your own eye so you can help with the speck in another’s
Treat people the way you want to be treated
Don’t make any vows you can’t keep
Don’t worry about tomorrow
Show mercy if you want your heavenly Father to be merciful to you

By John Fischer
Used by Permission

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Further Reading

•   Love your Neighbor

•  The Way of Love – I Corinthians 13

•  Salvation Explained


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Thoughts by All thoughts by John Fischer Thoughts by Men