RCCG Victory Temple Chantilly's Podcast

"The lips of the godly speak helpful words." Pr
10:32 NLT
How do you feel when someone tries to put you
down? Then don't do it to others! "Kind words bring
life, but cruel words crush your spirit" (Pr 15:4
GNT). You can crush someone with what you say, so
be careful. Some of the people you meet each day
need an emotional lift, so encourage them.
"Righteous people know the kind thing to say, but
the wicked are always saying things that hurt" (Pr
10:32 GNT). Don't be the kind of person who
pounces on a weakness in someone. Maybe you do
it in a joking way, but you do it, and you enjoy doing
it. In a cartoon, Charlie Brown is talking on the
phone to a girl who says, "Guess what I'm running
for? The Queen of the May at our school." Charlie
Brown says, "That's very interesting. Lucy has
always been chosen at our school." The girl on the
phone responds, "Your school has pretty low
standards, huh, Chuck?" After Charlie Brown hangs
up, he looks at Lucy and says, "She says,
'Congratulations!'" Now, that's diplomacy! It's also
supportiveness. How supportive are you? If God
gave you a dollar for each kind word you said and
took away a dollar for each unkind word you said,
would you be wealthy or poor? When the brothers
who betrayed Joseph knelt before him in Pharaoh's
palace, he held the power of life and death over
them. But he forgave them, was gracious toward
them, and promised to take care of them.
Supportive words can build a bridge in a strained
relationship. So the word for you today is-build
people up.

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"Not looking to your own interests but each of
you to the interests of the others." Php 2:4 NIV
Often in marriage we are unaware of our partner's
needs. We become calloused. We stop listening.
We're oblivious to the pressure thev're under.
Simply stated, the root of many marital problems is
insensitivity. Everyone you meet needs kindness.
The people who sit around you in church have major
hurts; you're just unaware of them. We find a great
example of sensitivity in the life of King David.
David's friend, Jonathan-Saul's son--had been
killed. Now, safely enthroned for several years,
David made a rare request. He asked if anyone was
left in Saul's family that he could help. He
discovered Saul's grandson-Jonathan's son-
Mephibosheth, who was crippled in both feet. When
David sent for him, Mephibosheth almost certainly
thought, "I'm going to be killed because I am a
member of the enemy's family, the old dynasty." But
notice David's words: "Don't be afraid…for I will
surely show you kindness for the sake of your father
Jonathan. I will restore to you all the land that
belonged to your grandfather Saul, and you will
always eat at my table" (2Sa 9:7 NIV).
Mephibosheth's reaction is interesting: "What is
your servant, that you should notice a dead dog like
me?" (v. 8 NIV). He felt like a dog and expected to
be treated like one. But the point you need to notice
is this: David took time, made the effort, and was
sensitive to his needs. One of the dangers of
success is that the pressures that accompany it can
make you insensitive toward others. Question: To
whom do you need to become more sensitive today?

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"Clothe yourselves with…kindness." Col 3:12

When you get up in the morning, you must not only
clothe yourself physically but spiritually and
emotionally too. You must ask ourself, "What sort
of attitude am I going to wear today? Will I be
controlling or cooperative? Positive or negative?
Complimentary or critical? Selfish or serving?" You
say, "But when I'm kind, people take advantage of
me." Yes, sometimes that will happen. But that's the
difference between taking the low road or the high
road. Which do you want to walk on? Despite the
risks, here are two reasons to be kind: (1) "Because
of [God's] kindness you have been saved" (Eph 2:8
TLB). Grace and kindness go together. Always! Poet
Robert Burns said that the kind heart most
resembles God. (2) Because you want people to be
kind to you and treat you right. Jesus said, "Do to
others what you would have them do to you" (Mt
7:12 NIV). If you are rude, people are going to be
rude to you. But if you are kind, most people will
desire to respond the same wav. "Be kind and
honest and you will live a long life; others will
respect you and treat you fairly" (Pr 21:21 GNT).
And here is another reason to be kind: "Your own
soul is nourished when you are kind: it is destroyed
when you are cruel" (Pr 11:17 TLB). So when you are
kind to others, you are really doing yourself a favor.
Let's read it again: "As God's chosen people, holy
and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with
compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and
patience" (Col 3:12 NIV). Now go out and try living
that way for one whole day.

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"A time to be born, and a time to die." Ecc 3:2
Researchers at the Colorado Institute of Grief offer
us this helpful four-stage path to recovery. Stage
one - Shock. Our initial response is one of denial
and disbelief. "I can't believe this is happening.it's
not real!" There is a numbing of our senses, a God-
designed natural "anesthesia" that buffers the early
blow and allows us time to gather our coping
mechanisms. Stage two - Protest. We feel anger
and resentment against God, yet we feel guilty for
blaming Him. We may blame ourselves, the doctors,
the patient, and question God's love and
faithfulness-even bargaining with Him. "If You will
just do a miracle and bring them back, I will..." Stage
three - Disorganization. Everything comes apart at
the seams. The lifestyle we knew and loved
unravels. The dreams we cherished evaporate. We
feel hopeless, powerless, lost in a strange, empty
universe. Secondary losses may loom: financial
insecurity, social dislocation, depression, loss of
concentration, etc. We're convinced that life will
never be normal again. We survive moment to
moment, afraid to anticipate the road ahead. Stage
four - Reorganization. Unrelenting grief gives way
to waves of sadness varying in frequency and
intensity. We begin to accept and accommodate our
loss. The energy we expended on grief work
becomes available again, enabling us to adjust to
the demands and opportunities of our new lifestyle.
Slowly we reemerge and take hold of the reins
again. The process will take many months, and full
recovery even years. But God promises it will come!
There will be "a time to heal...build up..laugh...
dance...gain!" (Ecc 3:3-4, 6 NKJV).

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"He gave us his Son-will he not also freely give
us all things?" Ro 8:32 GNT
Do you like to collect Bible promises for challenging
times? When your collection seems inadequate, do
you add to it, thinking, "I just haven't found the right
promise yet?" Claiming the promise without
understanding the all-sufficiency of the Promiser
can disappoint you. Since there is no lack in God, He
is all you need. And He is all you will ever need! The
Bible says, He can do "immeasurably more than all
we ask or imagine" (Eph 3:20 NIV). Seeking relief
during a difficult time in life, author Hannah Whitall
Smith visited a respected Bible teacher, hoping to
find an answer. After listening attentively, the
teacher told her, "Yes, all you say may be very true,
but then, in spite of it all, there is God." Frustrated,
Hannah responded, "Surely you did not understand
how very serious.my difficulties are." "Oh yes, I
did, but then, as I tell you, there is God." Several
disappointing visits later, after hearing the same
response, "There is God." the light dawned. She
realized she had received the answer she needed;
God alone was enough for all her needs! She writes:
"The all-sufficiency of God ought to be...[to us], as
the all-sufficiency of a good mother is to [her]
child……[Her] presence and…..love…make all fears.
disappear. [She doesn't need] to make any
promises and…explanations, [she alone] is all that
the child needs." All God's blessings come in one
package-Himself! Paul reminds you, "Everything
belongs to you, [because] you belong to Christ, and
Christ belongs to God" (1Co 3:22-23 CEV). You will
get what you need because you are His redeemed

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"Pour out your heart before Him; God is a
refuge for us." Ps 62:8 NKJV

Life can feel overwhelming when you're responsible
for mortgage and rent payments, medical bills,
clothes for the family, escalating food and fuel
expenses, college fees, plus the reality of preparing
for your retirement! And the pressure is even
greater if you're underemployed or unemployed.
Where can you turn? Surrounded by enemies, David
turned to God: "My soul, wait thou only upon God:
for my expectation is from him. He only is my rock
and my salvation…I shall not be moved" (Ps vv. 5-
6). Where does your "expectation" lie? In the hope
for an improved economy or job market? Or the
promise of better times to come? David's hope was
more certain: He expected the answer to be found in
the unchanging character and faithfulness of God.
When anxiety arises, we sometimes resort to our
OMGWI list-"Oh my God, what if?" We focus on our
fears, feel inadequate, and give in to despair. Being
aware of your needs is being responsible but being
overwhelmed by them is evidence you're looking to
the wrong source for answers. George MacDonald
said, "We look upon God as our last and feeblest
resource. We only go to Him when we have nowhere
else to go. And then we learn that the storms of life
have driven us, not upon the rocks, but into the
desired haven." Remember David? "My soul, wait
thou only upon God; for my expectation is from
him." By Himself, plus nothing, God is your
adequate source. Since He gave us His Son, you
have all the evidence you need that He will also
"freely give us all things" (Ro 8:32 GNT).

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"Plans fail for lack of counsel, but with man
advisers they succeed." Pr 15:22 NIV

A good adviser does three things: they observe you,
instruct you, and motivate you. At first, the thought
of having someone evaluate you may be
intimidating. But think about it: people are watching
you anyway, so why not have a good adviser among
the crowd? Here is a list of some areas in which you
might consider inviting an adviser to evaluate you.
These things are not options, they're essentials:
spiritual development, personal discipline, family
relationships, decision making, handling finance,
conflict resolution, picking the right people,
breaking bad habits and establishing good ones,
goal setting and planning for the future. If you're
serious about succeeding, look for an environment
where you will be mentored, not just paid. Initially,
what you learn is more important than what you
earn, because what you learn early determines what
you earn later. What you don't know can hurt you
and put a lid on your potential. Opening doors of
evaluation is something you owe to yourself and
those who depend on you. And don't let it stop with
you. Pass on what you've been given to somebody
else. Jesus said, "Freely ye have received, freely
give" (Mt 10:8). "But I'm too young, nobody is going
to take me seriously" you say. Paul told Timothy,
"Don't let anyone look down on you because you are
young, but set an example" (1Ti 4:12 NIV). You're
not responsible for knowing everything; you're just
responsible for sharing what you know with others.
As you pour into them what God and others have
poured into you, they will go further and faster too
So ask God for a good adviser and become one to
somebody else.

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"His faithful love endures forever" Ps 118:2 NLT
Do yourself a favor - read Psalm 118! (1) "In my
distress I prayed to the Lord, and the Lord answered
me" (v. 5 NLT). What are you battling today? A
destructive habit? A crippling fear? A sense of
worthlessness? God wants to set you free. (2) "The
Lord is for me, so I will have no fear" (v. 6 NLT). Your
future doesn't rest in the hands of people, but God;
a good God who has good plans for you. (3) "He will
help me. I will look in triumph at those who hate me"
(v. 7 NLT). When people try to put you down, God
will raise you up. When they withhold from you, He
will supply all your needs. (4) "I will not die; instead,
I will live to tell what the Lord has done" (V. 17 NLT).
We will all die someday; but you don't have to die
before your assignment is complete and you have
brought glory to God. (5) "The Lord has punished
me severely, but he did not let me die" (V. 18 NLT),
Is God correcting you? Rejoice: His correction is not
rejection. It's protection against future mistakes. (6)
"This is the day the Lord has made. We will rejoice
and be glad in it" (v. 24 NLT). Whether yesterday
was a triumph or a tragedy, God is giving you a new
day. Seize it. Rejoice in it! (7) "Give thanks to the
Lord, for he is good! His faithful love endures
forever" (v. 29 NLT). You may experience days
without enough money, but you will never have a
day without God's mercy. These seven Scriptures
are for you, so stand on them today.

"You will never have a day without God's
mercy."

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"Every time I think of you, I give thanks to my
God." Php 1:3 NLT
Paul often acknowledged those who helped him.
"Every time I think of you, I give thanks to my God...
for you have been my partners in spreading the
Good News" (vv. 3, 5 NLT). "You Philippians were
the only ones who gave me financial help…No other
church did this. Even when I was in Thessalonica
you sent help more than once. I don't say this
because I want a gift from you. Rather, I want you to
receive a reward for your kindness" (Php 4:15-17
NLT). He writes to the believers in Thessalonica:
"We can't help but thank God for you, because your
faith is flourishing and your love for one another is
growing. We proudly tell God's other churches
about your endurance and faithfulness in all the
persecutions and hardships you are suffering" (2Th
1:3-4 NLT). Author Barbara Glanz tells about a
gentleman who remembered his eighth-grade
literature teacher. He wrote to her and received this
reply: "You will never know how much your letter
meant. I'm 83 years old, and……living all alone. My
friends are all gone. My family's gone. I taught
school 50 years and yours is the first 'thank you'
letter I have ever gotten from a student. Sometimes
I wonder what I did with my life. I will read and
reread your letter until the day I die." Ironically, she
was the teacher students talked most about at class
reunions, but nobody ever told her. Showing
appreciation costs so little in terms of time and
money, but it can mean the world to somebody. So
today, who do you need to express your
appreciation to?

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"For as he thinks in his heart, so is he." Pr 23:7
NKJV
AA
Every family has generational "issues" they struggle
with. These are things our parents and
grandparents passed to us like addiction, abuse.
anger, anxiety, lust, fear, etc. Often we say, "It just
runs in my family, I can't do anything about it." Yes,
you can! You may not be able to do anything about
your family's past, but by God's grace, you can
change the future for yourself and your children.
The Bible says, "If anyone is in Christ, he is a new
creation; old things have passed away; behold, all
things have become new" (2Co 5:17 NKJV). Note
the words "in Christ." By yourself you can't change
your family's dysfunction, but "in Christ" you
receive the power needed to go in a new direction. If
your computer can be reprogrammed, your mind
can too. "Be transformed by the renewing of your
mind" (Ro 12:2 NKJV). You say, "How do I renew my
mind?" By saturating it in the Scriptures! Just like
soaking your body in water removes sweat and
grime, soaking your mind in the Scriptures cleanses
and corrects your thinking. The old saying goes:
"Watch your thoughts for they become your words.
Watch your words for they become your deeds.
Watch your deeds because they become your
habits. Watch your habits because they become
your character. Watch your character because it
becomes your destiny." God told Gideon, "Tear
down the [old] altar of Baal that our father has"
(Jdg 6:25 NKJV). In its place Gideon built a new
altar to the Lord, and the lives of he and his family
were changed forever. And by programming your
mind with God's Word, you can do the same!

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