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Tag: God first

Check Your Idols

Check Your Idols

I find reading the Bible is essential for all believers because it serves as a mirror for us. Otherwise, we could easily think we’re on the right path while in reality wandering aimlessly in the wrong direction. It’s scarily easy to wander away. Best intentions do not help when we follow our own whims instead of God’s plan for us. It’s time to check your idols. Without the Bible, we’d be lost faster than we can imagine. We might think…

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God Enables Our Faith

God Enables Our Faith

Before we can work out our faith, God needs to work salvation in us. It’s always God first, then we are able to respond. God enables our faith. We are not even authors of our faith. God is. He is the miracle worker, not us. We can’t make ourselves worthy of God’s love or grace. But God can and he is continually at it. Let’s let God work in us freely. Then we can work out our faith for his…

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Only Three Things Left to Do

Only Three Things Left to Do

Do you wish there was more time in a day? I do. The demands of everyday life are great. Sometimes I do wonder how we all manage to get by with all the things we are asked to do. Juggling seems to be the style of living for many of us, especially during these last weeks of the year. Life is meant to be enjoyed, people cherished, and God worshiped. How can we accomplish that when we rush through things…

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Does Faith Work?

Does Faith Work?

What do you think? Does faith work or is it just a collection of meaningless religious rituals and a collection of outdated dogma? Too often people make their minds about this without testing it. Because if you do test-drive faith in Jesus, you will soon realize: it does work. How does faith work? It is a mystery. We don’t know how God operates. I find it wonderful that I can’t put God in a box. God is God and still,…

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Grow into Maturity

Grow into Maturity

I’ve always loved The Parable of the Sower. The Holy Spirit seems to be speaking through it so powerfully. At least, that’s my experience. It opens our eyes to see what hinders our spiritual growth and what helps us to grow into maturity. The seeds that fell among the thorns represent those who hear the message, but all too quickly the message is crowded out by the cares and riches and pleasures of this life. And so they never grow…

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Putting God First

Putting God First

What can we learn from the temptations of Jesus? Or are they inapplicable in today’s world? Sure, it is not just about big temptations, it’s about our daily choices. It’s about putting God first in everything. [My thoughts here on Matthew 4: 1-11 are inspired by Eugene H. Peterson’s sermon notes found in Conversations – the Message with its translator.] The core of the temptations is to put something else first in our lives and God second. The things can be…

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Faith Is Dwelling

Faith Is Dwelling

One of the sweetest yet also most profound words to describe faith is dwelling. How so? Isn’t it wonderful to know God dwells in us and in whom we find a dwelling place? Don’t you know that you yourselves are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit dwells in your midst? (1 Cor. 3:16, NIV) In peace I will lie down and sleep,     for you alone, Lord,     make me dwell in safety. (Psalm 4:8, NIV) But that’s not all why I…

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God First

God First

Usually, when we talk about the Biblical concept of putting God first, we think of choosing between God and other things/people in our life. But I think it is also choosing between you and God. We are so selfish that we think of ourselves first all the time. Even in our prayers we just let God know how he could help us. We do not seek him for the sake of him. Lord, have mercy! That’s why I truly enjoyed…

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Choosing Wisdom Over Wealth

Choosing Wisdom Over Wealth

I love how God comes to us. It’s always God coming to us. Just think of what happened after Adam & Eve had eaten the apple. The Lord God called to the man and said to him, “Where are you?” (Genesis 3:9, CEB) God is always looking for us. And when nothing else worked, he sent his only son to us. It’s always God first. Always God coming to us. Always God loving us first. Pouring out his grace enabling…

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Following Jesus, Putting God First

Following Jesus, Putting God First

What can we learn from the temptations of Jesus? Or are they inapplicable in today’s world? But it is not just about big temptations, it’s about our daily choices. It’s about putting God first in everything. My thoughts on Matthew 4: 1-11 were inspired by Eugene H. Peterson’s sermon notes found in Conversations – the Message with its translator. The core of the temptations is to put something else first in our lives and God second. The things can be…

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