Paul confesses to the church at Rome in the 7th chapter beginning at the 15th verse in the Living Bible…“I don’t understand myself at all, for I really want to do what is right, but I can’t. I do what I don’t want to, but what I hate. Verse 16, I know perfectly well that what I am doing is wrong, and my bad conscience proves that I agree with these laws I am breaking. Verse 17 But I can’t help myself because I’m no longer doing it. It is sin inside me that is stronger than I am that makes me do these evil things.

Jesus told Nicodemus in John chapter 3, “You must be born again.” To be born again is a spiritual act of God’s power to deliver us from sin when we confess with our mouth and believe with our hearts that God has raised Jesus from the dead we shall be saved.

In essence, Jesus says everyone needs to have two birthdays, and the second birthday is just as important as the first. The first birthday determines when you are born on this earth through our natural parents. Jesus said to Nicodemus that we need a second birth, we must be born again — a spiritual birth — if we were going to become a part of God’s family, if we are going to live a saved life, being spiritually reborn.

Now in the NKJV of Philippians 2:12-13, Paul says to us, “Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling.”

Working out salvation does not mean "working for" salvation but making salvation functional and practicable and progressing in spiritual maturity. James 2, beginning at the 17thverse declares, “So faith by itself if it has no works, is dead. Verse 18: A man may say, “You have faith and I have works.” Show me your faith without your works, and I will show you my faith by my works.” By what I do, how I function and practice.

Collegiate or professional athletes, whatever the sport may be function and practice their sport daily…. hours and hours, months and months years and years of practice in order to progressively become more proficient or get better. One that is always determined to win.

And in the end, every day and in every way, you and I always win because we have been born again, and as Paul declares in the Amplified Version of Philippians 2:12-13, “continuing to work out our salvation [that is, cultivate it, bring it to full effect, actively pursuing spiritual maturity] with awe-inspired fear and trembling [using serious caution and critical self-evaluation to avoid anything that might offend God or discredit the name of Christ].” This is how we Save Ourselves From Ourselves.

It's easy to talk about our strengths, but not so easy to talk about our weaknesses, which we all have because none of us are perfect! Someone once stated, “the largest room in the world is the room for improvement.”

For life and ministry to be most effective, there must be balance. Everything in the world is balanced. For every weakness we have, we have a strength that explains or provides context for that weakness.

The context of Paul’s thorn in the flesh reminds us that it was due to the great revelations that he received in 2 Corinthians chapter 12.  Paul asked God to remove his thorn three times and God did not remove it. But God responded by saying to him, “ My grace is sufficient for you.”

Paul still had the thorn in his flesh, but because of God's grace, he could say in 2 Corinthians 12: 9, "when I'm weak that's when I'm strong.”

Invite a friend or family member as discuss principles and precepts from God's word as we continue to learn to "Think Like God Thinks", further understanding that when "we are weak, that is when we are strong (2 Corinthians 12:9).

In the church world, mentoring or mentorship is a topic that is not discussed very often. However, Jesus Himself created a mentoring culture that was against the norm of society as He was training and developing the disciples for their future assignments in ministry.

In the Message Bible, John 15:13, Jesus says, “This is my command: Love one another the way I loved you. This is the very best way to love. Put your life on the line for your friends. You are my friends when you do the things I command you. I’m no longer calling you servants because servants don’t understand what their master is thinking and planning. No, I’ve named you friends because I’ve let you in on everything I’ve heard from the Father.”

In the last few hours prior to the crucifixion, Jesus is further solidifying a mentoring culture for His disciples where their love should be of the nature that they would be willing to die for one another.

People who are willing to do this, do not fight with each other as they had done earlier that evening, asking Jesus who’s the greatest (Matthew 18:1-5). Jesus adds that the greatest example of love for a man is to die for his friends.

The mentoring culture that Jesus established with the disciples includes His desire for them noted in John 17:21 where Jesus says, “My prayer for all of them is that they will be of one heart and mind, just as you and I are, Father—that, just as you are in me and I am in you…”

After washing the disciple's feet in John chapter 13, Jesus says in the 15th verse of the Common English Version, “I have set the example, and you should do for each other exactly what I have done for you.” Mentoring is about learning and we never stop learning in God's classroom of ministry.

Setting the example was a means or method that Jesus used to encourage the disciples to learn His heart and mind for ministry. For us as the people of God, as leaders in our respective places of service in the Kingdom, everybody needs a mentor in order to learn how to love and to live like Jesus.

Invite a friend, family member or co-worker to join us as we discuss principles and precepts from God's word in today's podcast, "Why Everybody Needs A Mentor."

Our primary passage of scripture for today's podcast is 1 Samuel chapter 18, verse 3, The KJV tells us, “Then Jonathan and David made a covenant because he loved him as his own soul.”  A covenant is a relationship between two people who make binding promises to each other.

Covenant relationships are not a casual, “if it’s convenient, it’ll happen”-type promise, but an “I’m going to do whatever it takes to make this happen”-type of promise.

A covenant relationship is a promise that you make for the benefit of someone else. It’s a choice that you make to benefit someone else. God Himself is the original promise maker and promise keeper…establishing covenant relationships with us through Jesus Christ.

The Strength of A Covenant Relationship carries the attributes of love and loyalty and the responsibility of accountability that are core elements, supporting the strength of a covenant relationship.

Invite a friend and family member, co-worker, or neighbor to join us as we discuss principles and precepts from God's Word concerning The Strength of A Covenant Relationship for life and ministry that lasts a lifetime.

In this fast-paced information world and age in which we live it can be easy to sometimes forget what really matters and is important. Due to this pace in life,  sometimes we simply forget some things. To forget is to lose (facts, knowledge, etc.) from the mind; failure to recall. To lose the remembrance of. To be unable to think of.

To remember is to recall to the mind by an act or effort of memory; to think of it again, to remain aware of.  To have (something) arise in one's memory; become aware of (something) suddenly or spontaneously. I suddenly remembered that today is your birthday.

"Don’t Forget To Remember" is further connected to how we think. Over the last 6 weeks, we have discussed from Matthew chapter 5, the 9 Beatitudes, or the attitudes that we are to be, which is connected to how we think.

Jesus says 9 times in the Beatitudes, “Blessed are…” The word “blessed” in each verse simply means happy. And in some translations, it actually says, “Happy are you…”Attitudes refer to a set of emotions, beliefs, and behaviors toward a particular object, person, thing, or event.

Don’t Forget To Remember the truth of Ephesians 4:23-24, in the Amplified version of the Bible which declares, “be constantly renewed in the spirit of your mind [having a fresh mental and spiritual attitude], And put on the new nature (the regenerate self) created in God's image, [Godlike] in true righteousness and holiness.”

A completely new attitude of mind can be defined from this passage as a certain perspective or state of mind. A way of feeling or acting towards a person, thing or situation that includes our emotional and spiritual mindset that focuses on and expects nothing but the best out of life.

The moral (knowing right and wrong), and the self-activity of Christian life made new in the way that we think. The new nature of verse 24 speaks of inward renewal that produces an exterior renovation.

After renovation, things look new and improved. Created in God’s image is the inward renewal and outward renovation of the God kind of life—the principles, precepts, habits, of being made new, being conformed to Christ, who gave us life, and Who is your life.

Invite a friend or family member to join us for today's podcast. "Don't Forget To Remember."

Today's podcast is the 6th and final of our series discussing the Beatitudes of Matthew chapter 5. The Bible measures blessedness differently from how people of the world measure it. James 1:12 says, “Blessed (happy), which is the same word that Jesus uses’ 9 times in the Beatitudes or the attitudes that we are to be in Matthew chapter 5.

James says “Blessed, happy is the one who perseveres under trial because, having stood the test, that person will receive the crown of life that the Lord has promised to those who love him.”

To those who rest…rest is another word for trust in God, He grants an inner state of joy that is unaffected by external trials. What is this promised “crown of life?”

It is a never-ending, victorious life in our present circumstances and in the world to come, where all trials will end.

The Beatitudes or the attitudes that we ought to be, in Matthew chapter 5 speak of an inner state of well-being, the prosperity of our souls in Christ. Blessedness comes from unhindered fellowship with God the Father through our Lord Jesus. To be blessed is to experience the full impact of God’s presence in our lives now and for all eternity.

In the NKJV of Psalm 16:11, David says, “You will show me the path of life; In Your presence is fullness of joy- a synonym for happiness; At Your right hand are pleasures forevermore.”

Join us today, and invite a friend or family member for this final podcast of the series, God Wants You To Be Happy!

In today’s podcast, we want to continue with the Beatitudes or the attitudes that we are to be beginning in verse 9, where Jesus declares, "Blessed (enjoying enviable happiness, spiritually prosperous—with life-joy and satisfaction in God's favor and salvation, regardless of their outward conditions) are the makers and maintainers of peace, for they shall be called the sons of God!"

The KJV of Matthew 5:9 says, "Blessed are the peacemakers." The word peacemaker in the original Greek means to bring men together; to make peace between men and God; to solve disputes and erase divisions; to reconcile differences and eliminate strife; and the building of right relationships.

Zephaniah got a revelation of living a blessed, happy, spiritually prosperous life with joy and satisfaction when he declared in the Living Bible, of Zephaniah 3:17, “For the Lord your God has arrived to live among you. He is a mighty Savior. He will give you victory. He will rejoice over you with great gladness; he will love you and not accuse you.” Is that a joyous choir I hear? No, it is the Lord himself exulting over you in happy song."

God Himself sings a happy song over you and me!  So now in John 13:17 in the Amplified Bible, at the Last Supper in His final few hours before His crucifixion, Jesus says to His disciples, “If you know these things, blessed and happy and to be envied, are you if you practice them [if you act accordingly and really do them].

Invite a friend, a family member, or a co-worker to learn to "Think More Like God Thinks" by listening to today's podcast, God Wants You to Be Happy: Part 5.

This is part 4 of our series of podcasts entitled God Wants you To Be Happy from the Beatitudes or the attitudes that we are to be in Matthew chapter 5. Research shows the average person speaks at least 7,000 words a day, with many speaking much more than that.

Those 7,000 words (at least) you and I speak each day are your imprint on the world. They dictate how people may perceive you – and largely define how you think that potentially influences your behavior, mood or conduct.

Can you remember the last time somebody asked you if were happy? Or what makes you happy? How did you respond to the question if you can remember someone even asking you the question !?

If a person, thing or set of circumstances brings you happiness, then for some, happiness dissipates when those things, people or circumstances are no longer present. For some, happiness seems like something that’s temporary or even elusive, because some people just can not find happiness.

A friend or a loved one may say, “I just want you to be happy” after knowing about your struggles. yet, Jesus says 9 times in the Beatitudes or the attitudes that we are to be, “Blessed are…” The word “blessed” in each verse simply means happy. And in some translations, it actually says, “Happy are you…”God Wants Us To Be Happy and our happiness is found and revealed in Him.

The Passion Translation of 1 Peter 1:13 declares, “Prepare your hearts and minds for action! Stay alert and fix your hope firmly on the marvelous grace that is coming to you. For when Jesus Christ is unveiled, a greater measure of grace will be released to you.”

This greater measure of grace is further revealed by the truth of Matthew 5:8, in the Amplified Bible, “Blessed (happy, fortunate, and spiritually prosperous—possessing the happiness produced by the experience of God's favor and especially conditioned by the revelation of His grace, regardless of their outward conditions) are the pure in heart, for they shall see God!”

Invite a friend, family member or co-worker to join us as we continue to learn To "Think Like God Thinks" as we focus on the fact that "God Wants You To Be Happy Part 4."

Happiness can be defined as an emotional state characterized by feelings of joy, satisfaction, contentment, fulfillment, and satisfaction in life.  In parts one and two of this series of podcasts, we talked about the reality that Jesus was the happiest person to ever live based on the authority of God’s Word.

Proverbs chapter 8, verses 30-31, speaking of Jesus as Wisdom in TLB further supports the fact of Jesus’ happiness as He teaches us, "I was the craftsman at His side. I was His constant delight, always rejoicing in his presence. And how happy I was with what He created—His wide world and all his family of mankind! And so, young men, listen to me, for how happy are all who follow my (wisdom’s) instructions."

Each of the 9 Beatitudes of attitudes that we are to be in Matthew chapter 5  begins with “Blessed are…” The word “blessed” in each verse simply means happy. And in some translations, it actually says, “Happy are you…”

The Bible says in Matthew 5:2, that Jesus opened His mouth and taught them, saying, in other words, what is implied in this passage by Jesus is that we have to be taught to be happy.

In these challenging days that we are confronted with, someone may wonder how can I be happy? When we cooperate with God’s plan for our lives in accordance with the Beatitudes of Matthew chapter 5, Jesus says the same thing 9 different times, "Blessed, happy, and spiritually prosperous" are those that follow what I’m teaching.

In the latter portion of Matthew 5:6, Jesus says they shall be completely satisfied! Stay with us for the next several weeks as we continue to learn to "Think Like God Thinks" and the reality that God Wants You To Be Happy!

In today’s podcast, we begin in Matthew chapter 5 in the Amplified version of the Beatitudes, where there are a total of 10 attitudes that we are to be. In psychology, an attitude refers to a set of emotions, beliefs, and behaviors toward a particular object, person, thing, or event.

Attitudes are often the result of experience or the way a person was raised, and our attitudes have a powerful influence over behavior. Attitudes can also be defined as a certain perspective or state of mind.

Each of the attitudes that we are to be begins with “Blessed are…” The word “blessed” in each verse simply means happy. And in some translations, it actually says, “Happy are you…”

In Matthew 5:2, The Bible says, "Jesus opened His mouth and taught them, saying..." In other words, what is implied in this passage by Jesus is that we have to be taught to be happy.

Invite a friend or family member to join us as we learn the reality of "God Wants You To Be Happy Part 2."