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Matthew 22: 36-40 NIV

As you know, Jesus made it clear that you should love God with everything you are; heart, soul, mind, strength. But then He added another part of the rule. Love your neighbor as yourself. Neighbor includes everyone that is around you, not just the people that live next to you. 

The dynamics of that include everyone, even as you move around in your day. For every step you take, you could have new neighbors. Loving God is your vertical and loving your neighbor is your horizontal. Once Jesus said them together, you can't have one without the other. 

Today is a good day to start. Love is a smile, sensitive, compassion, courtesy, respect, and anything that you would want others to do to you.

Go in your day and love God the Father and love your neighbor as you would love yourself.

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Scripture quotations taken from The Holy Bible, New International Version® NIV®
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Have you ever thought about the Church, not as a place; but as a community?

Scriptures we will be talking about are 

-       Acts 2 42-47
-       1 Corinthians 1: 10
-       1 Corinthians 12: 18-20
-       Ephesians 4: 11-13

Every person has a different perspective on what “church” looks like. Whether that perspective is good or bad depends on their personal experience there. To some, the church is simply a building, but in the Bible, God establishes the idea of the Church being the people, not the place. What does fellowship mean to you? Maybe, a friendly association, especially with people who share one interest. The way that a person feels about a church from their first visit can determine whether or not they ever consider coming back. A negative experience could last their entire life. However, one positive encounter with someone in the church can have a just the opposite effect.

God intended the Church to be a sanctuary and a comfortable environment. Church should not be an intimidating. However, some people come to a new church who often feel uncomfortable, and in some cases, intimidated. For the ones that are a bit unsure anyway, they look for flaws which give them an excuse not to come back. I believe that the Church is not just a building. It is a community.

Let’s Read Acts 2:42-47

We know that there are countless trials and hardships in our lives. As you know, when you are seeking a safe place to go, the Church can provide you with comfort, sympathy, fellowship, and can even help you grow as well as it can positively impact your lives. When we come together in fellowship and by standing on the foundational beliefs that we do, we have a support group against the worldly beliefs. As Christians, there is a special bond between the people of the Church. It is important to us to make sure you feel as though you can openly share your “from the heart” opinions in the Church without judgment. 

We want to present the benefits that come with having a community within the Church. As I have often heard, this is our extended family. In the scripture, we learned about some of the positive examples that a Church should look like. Examples that a healthy relationship within the Church can provide include comfort, guidance, fellowship, spiritual growth, and others. It is our responsibility as part of the Church community to create unity within our Church as everyone else does for us.

Read 1 Corinthians 1:10

Think of yourself as twine. Twine by itself is strong but combined with other twine and with a common purpose, many strands of twines cooperating make rope which is stronger than the parts that make it.

Read Ephesians 4:11-13

Although God has an ideal image of what the Church should look like, not every Church ends up looking that way. But God uses each of us to build the Church into what He desires it to be. Each person plays a role and together we are stronger.

Closing

The

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Scripture quotations taken from The Holy Bible, New International Version® NIV®
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Daily Devotion - Stick with It

As you prepare for your day, let’s take a look at Noah’s story of commitment and God’s blessing to protect his life.

Most important: Be consistent in your faith, even when it is not a popular choice

Today’s Scripture is Genesis 6:5-9 & 7:22-23

We all know parts of the story of Noah and the Flood. God asking Noah to build a big boat called an Ark, collect two of each animal of the world, and it rained for 40 days and 40 nights. 

However, there is more to this story. It is a story about faith and trust. In our daily lives, it is Satan’s plan to always look for ways to challenge your faith. When that happens by a group of others, it can feel very lonely to stand by God. Sometimes it seems easier to just give in and say yes to the World and no to God. 

This was not the case when God asked Noah to build the ark. Being a strong follower of God, Noah just did what God asked. Imagine the commitment that Noah had to endure for an incredible number of years. Imagine what everyone around him was doing. I would suspect that everyone was telling him he was crazy, not a cloud in the sky, not so much as a drizzle, and he is building a boat over dry land. 

Noah felt very alone and isolated with a very large burden. However, with Noah’s faith also came God’s strength. Noah knew he was right doing what he was commanded to do by God. But, the temptation to give up must have been incredible.

As Noah learned, God is faithful to those who are faithful to Him. God rewards those who seek Him and follow his will. After the flood, Noah was to receive the greatest reward possible. To have his family and himself saved from the flood and to be the new Father of all the world, Wow. No pressure there… 

Just as God strengthened Noah, God wants to strengthen you. And all he asks is that you don’t give up on Him. As we talked about in the last devotion, temptation is everywhere. Avoid temptation, be committed to God, and God will strengthen you in your faith.

Read Genesis 6: 5-7

Read Genesis 6: 8-9

Noah spent many years dedicating himself to following what the Lord told Him to do. It couldn’t have been easy to stay committed to building something that took this long. In the end God came through and showed Noah how much it was worth it to stay faithful. Noah was selected because of his faith in God but that must have felt pretty lonely. 

When you are outside Church, do you feel lonely being a Christian?

As we talked about, Noah must have been made fun of and teased constantly because of the task God had given him. Have you ever felt like being faithful to God wasn’t worth it? 

Read Genesis 7:22-23

Let’s finish up with a scripture that encourages us to stick with our faith and pursuit of God even when it seems hard.

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Scripture quotations taken from The Holy Bible, New International Version® NIV®
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Daily Devotion – Resist Temptation

Temptations will always exist but with God, you always have a reason to resist.

Scripture we will be talking about is Genesis 3:1-13

We all know the story of Adam and Eve, also known as The Fall. Satan quickly enters the story. He tries to get God's greatest creation to disobey God. He tricks them to believe they will be like God if they disobey him. Many things about this story are still true today in our lives. Temptation is all around us. This causes us to weigh the option to follow God's word or our own desires. You will face temptation every day.

Temptation causes you to doubt the decision to fully commit to God's word. Following God's word and avoiding temptation can sometimes seem boring. Sometimes what the World sees as acceptable may be Temptation. The truth is, consistently choosing to follow God's word and make the sacrifices is a blessing in the long run. Temptation is challenging and Satan is sneaky. The popular direction might take you away from God's path. You may think you are alone when you resist temptation. If you follow God's direction, you will never be alone. Our hope is to help you identify temptation in your life and arm you on how to combat it. 

Sometimes resisting temptation can be an unpopular decision and you will get pressure to change your mind. It is God's desire to protect us from what might harm us in the World.

He wants a good relationship with us built on trust. That trust comes from us believing that his ways are best. 

Genesis 3: 1-5

Why do you think God even allows Satan to be involved in our lives?

Wouldn't it be easier if God didn't let him even tempt us in the first place?

How is Satan "crafty" in our culture and specifically with your friend group?

Satan tries to get Eve to question God's word.

Genesis 3: 6-13

Why do you think Eve ultimately gave in and ate the fruit? (Maybe she decided what was best for herself)

Temptation is a challenge at all ages. It is something you have to learn to deal with. Using God's word helps us understand the challenge but also shows us that there are consequences that comes with giving in. Let's talk about two points that can help you:

-       You have to decide... Do you trust God's word enough to resist your own desires?

Temptations make promises they can't keep. Eating the fruit was a temporary enjoyment that had long-term consequences. 

-       If you think back to a time that you gave in to temptation, was it worth it? Did you feel guilty?

Think about some ways you can prepare to be strong and not give into temptation.

Read 1 Corinthians 10:13

You will not be tempted beyond what you can bear.

Temptations will always exist but with God you always have a reason and a way

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Scripture quotations taken from The Holy Bible, New International Version® NIV®
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Psalms 1:1 NIV “Blessed is the one who does not walk in step with the wicked or stand in the way that sinners take or sit in the company of mockers;”

Show me the company you keep and I will show you your future. This saying still holds true today. Whether you are a Christian or not, understanding what you allow to influence your life is critical to the direction you travel. Psalms 1:1 is broken down into three influences you should be mindful of. The first word is what you should be striving for which is blessed. 

To be blessed, do not walk in step with the wicked. Wicked can also mean ungodly. If you find yourself with the wrong group of people, often times, this can lead you down the same path. It really doesn’t take long to begin to think the same as they think and pretty soon, you are asking those same people for life advice and counsel. 

To be blessed, do not stand in the way that sinners take. Every day we are forced to make decisions that will impact lives around us, including ours. Those decisions, without the proper council, are often influenced by the worldly things around us. 

To be blessed, do not sit in the company of mockers. If someone around you or the group you are in have a bad attitude, it is surly to influence your thinking. Being exposed to negative attitudes and experiences can help make what is wrong seem right.

So, to be blessed, do not lean on your own understanding or others counsel and avoid the path that leads to destruction. There should only be one influence in your life. Understanding, counsel, and influence comes from the Holy Bible which is God’s word. Godly direction is demonstrated by Jesus, the Son of God. God’s counsel is always available as God cares about you. Walk in the way of Jesus and let the scripture be your guide. 

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Scripture quotations taken from The Holy Bible, New International Version® NIV®
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God’s goodness isn’t based on what we see, hear, or feel. It’s just based on His goodness.

Our thoughts are powerful. They impact our decisions, change our perspective, and influence our conversations with others. Negative and unhealthy thinking causes us to get trapped by our thoughts with, what we believe is little chance for escape. 

Our lives are always moving in the direction of our strongest thoughts. The life we have is a reflection of the thoughts we think. For example, if you think you can’t, you probably won’t but if you think you can, you most likely will.

Herein lies the battlefield. Most battles are won or lost in our minds. What we think determines who we become.

Worried thinking can be contrasted against peaceful thinking. For example, worried people are consumed with what people might think of you, your kid’s performance, what the future might hold, finances, job performance, and of course your health. However, peaceful thinking is more along the lines of doing what you can, trust that God has things under control, and allows full peace to be reached.

 
Remember, what comes into your mind, comes out in your life. No matter what you do, what you have, who you know, what you buy, where you live, where you travel, you can’t have a positive life when you have a negative mind.

So, the question, are you excited about the direction your thoughts are taking you? If not, it is time for some changes in your thinking. 

Whatever the reason, these can be poison in your mind.

The science of it. When you have a thought in your brain, the physical result is that your body wants to help make it easier to have that thought again so it alters your mind through a chemical process. With that understanding, you can see what happens when you think negative thoughts. Your brain just continues to make it easier to have those thoughts. That thinking can be reversed. Not only can it be reversed, when you start thinking positive thoughts, you get a little reward in the form of a chemical called dopamine. When you feel good about something you did? Dopamine.

Changing the negative thinking to positive thinking is a formal process that you must force yourself to do. You have to change the thinking habits and create a new path in the brain. 

Again, the same thing begins to happen. The more you think positive thoughts, the easier it is to think them. 

All negative thinking are lies that are placed in your mind by the enemy to keep you right where he wants you. For you to fight back, you must replace those lies with truths. Make no mistake, this is a battle against good and evil. Evil has a stronghold in your mind and the truth is your weapon and it will set you free. The question becomes, can you fight this battle alone?

What comes to mind comes out in life. You can’t have a positive life with a negative mind. To fight the battle, capture the lies and repl

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Scripture quotations taken from The Holy Bible, New International Version® NIV®
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Today we end our Pentecost Countdown with Day 1 - Pentecost

John 14:26 “But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he will teach you all things and bring to your remembrance all that I have said to you.”

The Holy Spirit is ready to be part of your life. Maybe he is just out of reach or for some he is just not in sync with your life. I am sure that most have other relationships in your lives. How do you keep that relationship fresh? Usually you visit, hang out, have coffee, talk on the phone. It is really no different than you should be with the Holy Spirit. If you want to know Him, spend some time with Him.

This journey can sometimes be a challenging one if you are not sure where to start. Once you have some knowledge about how the Holy Spirit works, you should start to feel more comfortable turning over decisions to Him and consult with Him on directions in your life. Pentecost is observed as the Apostles receiving the Holy Spirit. The amazing part is that this event happens every day to believers all over the world and is celebrated on earth and in Heaven.

The first step to Pentecost is belief. Second step is a simple conversation with Jesus to ask for forgiveness of your sins. After the second step, you will receive the Holy Spirit. From there, you begin your relationship with God the Father, the saving grace of the Son, and the ever-present Holy Spirit that is with you always. From there, you begin your discipleship. A disciple is a student. Start with the life of Jesus in the first four books of the New Testament. From there, head to Acts to see how the Apostles started and grew the first Churches throughout the known world.

Ask the Holy Spirit to speak to you today. Then, begin to do this every day and you will begin to unlock a deeper understanding of His role in your life. The journey has just begun.

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Scripture quotations taken from The Holy Bible, New International Version® NIV®
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Today we continue our Pentecost Countdown with Day 2

Hebrews 11:1 “Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see.”

Something to remember during this Pentecost. Jesus spoke about how the Apostles were blessed to be able to see and experience the wonders that Christ showed them which convinced them that he was the Son of God. He also made it very clear to them that even more blessed are the ones that believe who He is, but have not seen.

Our experiences in life help confirm what we know to be true. Don’t touch fire, gravity can sometimes be challenging, the taste of some food is amazing, and others. But how do we come to grips with things that we have not seen and are expected to believe they are true. I believe the first step is that you want to believe that they are true. 

We often move this direction as the first step toward Christianity. This comes from seeing how Christians act as themselves and with others. I’m talking about the glow that comes from a Christian during worship with hands raised high, or watching a pastor really getting into talking about the glory of God, or just showing unconditional love to others by obvious selfless deeds. Once you have that feeling, there is no going back. Christians are part of a club that doesn’t have any requirements to join except the desire to know God. The more you know, the more He will move in your life. Once you accept Christ, you then will know truth and it doesn’t even matter that you’ve not seen Him. He knows you and has from the beginning. He also doesn’t care what you have done. Just ask to be forgiven and begin your journey. I call that, welcome to day 1. 

Faith starts with wanting to believe and leads to being blessed by believing without seeing. Then, by believing, your eyes open and you begin to see everything clearly, just as someone that’s blind receives the gift of sight.

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Scripture quotations taken from The Holy Bible, New International Version® NIV®
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Today we continue our Pentecost Countdown with Day 3

Acts 1:8 “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.”

As you observe Pentecost, keep in mind that God has done great things through the ages. Every book, Old Testament and New Testament, are full of events that God directly fulfilled from page to page. Of course, the most important event of all, the resurrection of Jesus. 

As you understand the Bible, it is full of amazing stories about faith, obedience, trust, forgiveness, humbleness, and many others that join the events together directly under God’s guidance and instruction. 

The best part, the stories of the Bible are not meant to end. Once you accept Christ as your savior, you join in to continue the story and become a contributor. As you continue to contribute as your story unfolds, you will have opportunities for God to engage with you and others around you, just as He has done in the past. This engagement happens through the Holy Spirit. Using the Holy Spirit also gives you the ability to spread the gospel. Through the Holy Spirit, He encourages you to follow direction and enhance your position in God’s family.

With the Holy Spirit, you are directly aligned with God’s purpose for you. What will your story look like when you turn and write the next page? Ask God through the Holy Spirit. 

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To learn more about what topics we will be covering in our Spirit in Motion series, please visit:

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Scripture quotations taken from The Holy Bible, New International Version® NIV®
Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.
Used with permission. All rights reserved worldwide.

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Today we continue our Pentecost Countdown with Day 4

John 15:26 “But when the Helper comes, whom I will send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth, who proceeds from the Father, he will bear witness about me.”

As we continue our conversation about Pentecost, we are reminded that Jesus sent us a Helper as our Guide in the form of the Holy Spirit. Does this mean we will not encounter any hardships or hard decisions to make? Sorry, life doesn’t work that way. But what it does mean is that you have, if you choose to listen, a Helper on your side who cares about you and wants to keep you on the path of righteousness. 

Oddly enough, it is very easy to forget that God is always working in our lives. If you take the time to include God in your decisions, you give the Holy Spirit some time to inject the correct course to your thinking. The job of the Holy Spirit? Help you keep the faith.

Remember, God is still on the throne and Jesus is still your Savior. Just in case you needed to hear that today. Glory and power to God in the highest.

Something else very important to remember. God does not go anywhere uninvited. The invitation is a very formal request. Seek him and he will never leave you or forsake you, in every situation. Engage with the Holy Spirit during times of worship if you really want to feel God move in your life. The more you understand God, the easier it will be for you to understand the purpose He has for you.

Pray today and ask the Holy Spirit to be your Helper. Seek him in all things and in every way. Repent of your sins and ask for forgiveness. Trust in the Holy Spirit to show you the way. 

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To learn more about what topics we will be covering in our Spirit in Motion series, please visit:

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Scripture quotations taken from The Holy Bible, New International Version® NIV®
Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.
Used with permission. All rights reserved worldwide.