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Gratitude is one of life's biggest difference makers. To be grateful is to be happy, content, and humble enough to express that to others. Gratitude isn't looking for me, it is thankful to others for what they have already done or who they are. Level 3 Gratitude is taking appreciation beyond words and into action and will literally change your life.

But not everyone has a thankful spirit. In fact, a majority of people, it seems, do not.  Is that you? I want to share three stories taught by Ralph Walker, a gospel preacher from Tampa, Florida.  These will make you think about how you show gratitude to others.

- What does it mean to be grateful?

- How often and in how many conversations do you say "thank you"?

- Why did six people take the candy and not say thank you?

- Why did seventeen people not pour out their hearts in gratefulness for being saved?

- And why did only one man, healed by Jesus, come back to thank Him and worship God?

Reach Out: Please include your email and I will get back to you. Thanks!

Are you making the most of each and every day?  Maybe we should open with this question instead:  how would one go about making every day valuable?  What would each day have to include to say it was lived well?  Oooh, I've got one more question - what if you could live each day over again?  I wonder how many people would often do that.

The truth is, today is the day you have been given, to use to the best of your ability.  If you have a value system set and attend to it daily, then your life is a success and will lead to greater success. Let's talk about what that looks like and how you can excel day in and day out... it's about time

- What does it mean to make the most of each and every day?

- If you could live a day twice over would it make things better for you?

- What are the values in your life that deserve your attention each day?

- Are those values getting the attention they deserve?

- How can you make even Mondays excellent and use them as building tools?

Reach Out: Please include your email and I will get back to you. Thanks!

Before man was created, the Godhead existed.  A friendship between three eternal beings, who shared in things, were there for one another, and knew all about the others. They were the first model for friendship.  Adam was created to be like them, so it comes as no surprise that he was not good alone.  God created a connection with another, and from there families were formed.  

God wants you to enjoy great friendships. It is not good for you to be alone.  But how do you get a friendship started.  And maybe more importantly, how do repair one that is broken down? There are three basic character traits that will help. I guarantee it. To the extent that you work on these, you will live with fuller and more rewarding relationships.

- Did God build man to be alone?

- Was God ever alone, even in eternity?

- Why did so many friendships and marriages fall apart?

- What are the three key character traits of great friendships?

- How can I apply them right now, today, with the people I love?

Reach Out: Please include your email and I will get back to you. Thanks!

Everyone wants to be successful. Whether in business, relationships, or life, we want our work to pay off. Especially with regard to faith, we want to live for God and receive the great reward of heaven! But not many people make it, really not in any of these categories.  Far too often people start working, and get immediate results, but then... it gets hard. The experience the inevitable dip. Most people give up. But not those who find success. Not those who build great marriages. Not those who see heaven!  Let's talk about how to press on through the dip!

- What do we expect when we put out new effort?

- What is "the dip" and why does it interrupt our growth?

- How do successful people handle success better than most?

- Does Christ expect you to work "through the dip" in your faith?

- What are good reasons to quit something you have started?

Reach Out: Please include your email and I will get back to you. Thanks!

Everyone knows about the Ripple Effect. But have you thought about it recently? Have you considered that this is actually a principle? I mean, the impact of actions on others is ongoing. It is a reality of your life, whether you know it or not, whether you believe it or not. So we might as well make sure we own this reality. The things we say and do matter. They matter in the moment. And they continue to matter in the moments that follow and among people far beyond yourself. 

And while everyone knows this, there is something else known by far fewer people.  God is acting. God's will is carried out from the choices we make. The spiritual world and battles and souls, all influenced by what we choose to do and say and become. Let's look at the example of David and Goliath, where a rock struck a forehead, and the world changed. 

- What is "the ripple effect?"

- Is the ripple effect occasional or ongoing?

- How far does your influence extend in terms of relationships?

- More crucially, what is God doing with your decisions in the spiritual realm?

- How can David's victory over Goliath help us think more about our ripple effect?

Reach Out: Please include your email and I will get back to you. Thanks!

It is important to grow and learn and do great things for God. But it is crucial to remember that the power to do so is not in you. On our own we are wayward, weak and lost. But with God's power, anything is possible... everything is possible! We must see God near us. We must visualize Christ right here in the room with us. When God's hand is upon us, and we tap into it, we can change lives and honor His name!  To demonstrate this, let's look into the life of a man named Ezra.  You know his name, not because of his personal strength, but the hand of the Lord his God upon him!

- How strong are you on your own faith and strength?

- How far away is God? Is He in heaven or is He near you?

- What becomes possible when we know Jesus is in the room?

- How did Ezra draw strength from the nearness of God?

- What was Ezra able to do by the strength of God in his life?

Reach Out: Please include your email and I will get back to you. Thanks!

Reach Out: Please include your email and I will get back to you. Thanks!

Have you ever heard of Charlie Tremendous Jones? Yeah, me neither. At least, not until recently.  He provided a quote a handful of years ago that I am sure will help you!

The sermon at the Lindale church of Christ on Aug. 23rd 2020 was titled "Increase Our Faith." We talked about what areas of our faith need to increase and looked into how God might go about doing that.  In this episode we will look at 5 different ways that God helps you get stronger.  The first three are common to us and found in the Scripture.

The last two... well, we've got Charlie to thank for that!  He explains that there are two things in your life that change you.  To the extend that you have them, do them, and embrace them, you will grow tremendously.  So tune in and check it out!

- Do you ask God to "increase my faith?"

- In what ways do you want God to help you get better?

- What are the main factors in changing someone over time?

- How do you get information outside of what you know to help you grow?

- Will you pursue new people and great books to see what knowledge can do for you?

Reach Out: Please include your email and I will get back to you. Thanks!

Partnerships are important.  Each of us has deficiencies that keep us from fulfilled potential. But in a partnership, you have the chance to get what you need to grow from another, and they from you. At least, that's the way it is supposed to work. Sadly, many relationships, friendships, partnerships, aren't like that at all. Some don't share benefit, or don't help the people around them. We want to build great partnerships. Let's talk about what that looks like and see it described through the new sponsorship the ESM podcast now has with Cunningham Financial Group. 

- What is a partnership?

- What makes a partnership terrible? bad?

- What makes a partnership good? great?

- How can the relationship between ESM and Cunningham illustrate this?

- Are you ready to evaluate the value of partnerships in your life?

Reach Out: Please include your email and I will get back to you. Thanks!

Willpower is important. Knowing what you want to do matters. Professing things you want to avoid, also good. However, most people find that will power and proclamations don't last. Life is hard and we fall back on bad habits if we aren't careful. And of course, good habits can fade quickly.  

However, one decision, made daily and in many ways, can make all the difference in the world. If we begin to own the power of sight, the reactions to things we see, then we can begin to take control of our future. The willingness to redesign and control the environment will trigger good behavior and keep bad behavior far away. Give your willpower a little environmental help and you will find success much easier to maintain. 

- What senses control our behavior?

- What is the connection between sight and action?

- How powerful is environment in lining up a day of moral success?

- How can we design our environment by connection habits to locations?

- What are practical ways to create distance from time wasted on the cell phone?