decisions

Change is Inevitable

“Do everything without grumbling or arguing, so that you may become blameless and pure, ‘children of God without fault in a warped and crooked generation.’ Then you will shine among them like stars in the sky…” – Philippians 2:14-15 People today love to say, “People don’t really change.” Let me tell you something — this is not true! Everything is always changing: your body, your spirit, your thinking, your friends, and your job. We have the power to change, and we can do this by deciding on the kinds of thoughts we are going to have. We can absolutely change the way we think to lead a better life. For starters, take responsibility for yourself and stop blaming others.  Imagine you’re in a swamp, feeling stuck in a rut. You’re finding it difficult to maintain harmonious relationships with your spouse, parents, co-workers or your children. There is a danger of

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Deception Brings Destruction

“But Jehoshaphat also said to the king of Israel, ‘First seek the counsel of the Lord.’” – 2 Chronicles 18:4 Being a good leader means we may have to hear things that we don’t want to hear. This was certainly the case for Jehoshaphat, King of Judah, and Ahab, King of Israel. As we learned yesterday, their two kingdoms were separate; however, once Judah began to enjoy great prosperity, Jehoshaphat wanted to align himself with Israel for the sake of protecting his blessings. There’s strength in numbers, and he knew that if he had the support of his northern neighbor, he would stand a better chance should another nation move in and try to capture his wealth. Unfortunately, King Ahab was not very wise — he was full of himself, and he wanted to utilize the manpower he found in his alliance with Judah to attack the northern country of

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The Umpire of Your Heart

“Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful.” – Colossians 3:15 One of the cool things about walking with Jesus is that He offers us a barometer by which to gauge how we’re doing, and that’s peace. The Bible says that this powerful fruit of the Spirit should have the rule in our lives; in other words, it should be our guide. Fascinatingly, the word translated “rule” in the Greek language actually means to act as an umpire. In other words, when we’re on the field of existence considering our next play and two choices present themselves, we should go with the one that finds our hearts and souls at rest. As we consider the various roads we might travel, it’s wise to follow the path that leads us toward tranquility and not away from

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