HOW TO INCREASE YOUR BLESSINGS:  Jesus didn’t come to put a fake smile on your face; he came to give you deep and lasting contentment.  Follow his teachings and you will see a change deep in your soul.

THE APPRENTICE:  Ultimately, your apprenticeship with Jesus is the vital center of your life.  Make it your top priority.  (from Matthew 5)

WILL YOU PASS THE TEST?  God allowed the serpent in Eden, and he has allowed us to be tested ever since.  Grace is available for all who fail the test, which is all of us from Adam on.

GOD IS GREATER THAN OUR FEELINGS.  When we are slaves to our feelings, our lives can be miserable.  God has a simple solution for mastery of our feelings.  (from 1 John 3)

HOW CAN I KNOW I'M FORGIVEN.  : You and I are sinners.  We need to admit that.  If we want forgiveness, it needs to be confessed to God.  He will forgive us as he has promised because of his faithful mercy.  (from 1 John 1)

PROWLING COUGARS from 1 Peter 5:  The devil and his minions want to disable your faith.  They know they cannot have your soul so they settle on making you miserable with discouragement.  Stand firm and the cougars will look for someone else to bite.  The antidote for discouragement is gratitude.

 

SHOULD WIVES BE SUBMISSIVE?  Making the case for complementarianism using the Bible can’t be done with integrity.  Because of Jesus, we are compelled to treat everyone equally.  We’re here to serve, not to decide who gets to rule.

YOU MIGHT BE A PRIEST IF....  We’re all chosen by God to be functional priests that help bring people to Jesus.  As priests we do his work and speak out for him, so let’s live in such a way that the not-yet-believers trust us.

WHY DID I SAY THAT?  We say destructive things because we have the ability.  When we follow Jesus’ law of love, our toxic speech is greatly reduced.  When you treat others with dignity and honor, you develop a healthy and robust community around you.

WITH FLYING COLORS:  We can get through the tests and challenges of life with flying colors because our Master is cheering us on.  He sends us a special helper to get through the challenging times.