Family Christmas Trivia
christmas-bible-trivia
Importance of Community {Connect Groups}
When God created the World, He saw what He did and said it was “good” except man being alone. That verse becomes more significant when we look at the context of it…in Genesis 1, God creates everything in six days and six times he declares that what He has made is GOOD. Then at the end of those days, He said what He had created was “Very Good” (Gen 1:31). He says over and over that His creation is good and then for the first time He says something is “not good”. Man being alone was not good – it is not what God intended. The Bible doesn’t say it is not good to be single, it says it is not good to be alone. We are created to be in a community, a family, a relationship.
Bring Him our Thanksgiving
Psalm 95:2 KJV “Let us come before his presence with thanksgiving, and make a joyful noise unto him with psalms.”
Psalm 95:2 is such a classic Scripture for this Thanksgiving season. This is a verse that we hear quoted so often around this time of year. I can already smell the thanksgiving turkey, and hear the family members laughing in the background when I read this scripture.
“Let us come before his presence with thanksgiving.” This scripture is beautiful and easy to follow. It’s simply stating that when we enter His presence, the only thing we should bring is our thankfulness. What has God done for you in your life that you’re especially thankful for? Read more…
Test, Trials, and Pressure Produce Gratitude
James 1:2-4 says, “Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.”
James at first glance seems so far from what makes one grateful. How can trials, testing and pressure produce gratitude. Read more…
Always Be Thankful
1 Timothy 2:1-2 “I urge, then, first of all, that petitions, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for all people-for king and all those in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in a godliness and holiness.”
When I think of the upcoming seasons, I think of warmth and excitement. This time of year is such an exciting one. The sad thing is, usually Thanksgiving gets overlooked by Christmas. We overlook the season of thankfulness and focus on a season of receiving. Isn’t that odd?
An Attitude of Gratitude
Not only does it feel good to have a grateful outlook on life, but the benefits of gratitude are scientifically proven to affect everything from your relationships to your stress level to the quality of your sleep.
Be Glad and Rejoice
Gratitude is an everyday action, done in the present with celebration. The reason for daily gratitude is God has made each day therefore it is good. God is the personification of goodness, there is not evil in Him. The day from our perspective may not be good because of negative circumstances, volatile emotions or spiritual dryness. We live in God therefore we are blessed. We have to choose to rejoice because of our relationship with God.
There is a chorus I like “I am blessed, I am blessed every day that I live I am blessed. When I rise up in the morning till I lay my head to rest, I am blessed.”
Freedom In The Process
We’ve all been in situations when we’ve defended ourselves, or wanted to. Maybe someone heard us wrong, and we tried to explain that we didn’t say what they thought we said; or that we didn’t do what they thought we did. Maybe they misinterpreted our intentions-and we’re frantically trying to convince them that our heart isn’t evil and we could never intentionally hurt someone.
“What if Jesus Came Today?” Part Two
Rev. 22:20 says, “Even so come Lord Jesus.” The next great event on God’s program is the coming of the Lord Jesus Christ back to planet earth. His coming is sure, it will be selective, and it will be sudden. How blessed to know that if Jesus came today, we can be ready for Him and not be ashamed at His coming. It should be our prayer, as it was that of the Apostle John, that Jesus would come very soon. What will happen for the saints of God if Jesus came today?
- Burdens Would Be Eliminated! Notice the “no mores” in Rev. 21. Those things listed cause us to at times be burdened down in this life. A “burden” speaks of a “load” or “something that weighs down and oppresses.” Pain causes us burdens. Many folks live day and night with excruciating and annoying pain. Pressures in everyday life, as well, can bring us many heavy loads we never anticipated. Read more…
“What if Jesus Came Today?” Part One
The Apostle Paul’s letters to the Thessalonians is likely one of the earliest Christian documents. Even then, 1 Thessalonians makes it clear that Paul considers the suddenness of Christ’s return to be apparent to all believers. “…for you know very well,” he writes in 1 Thessalonians 5:2, “that the day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night.”
God Is Not Through With You Yet!
How to Stand Firm in Fiery Trials
Sometimes people have something bad happen in life and claim they’ve lost their faith because of it. Good! They need to get rid of that faith, because a faith that cannot be tested is a faith that cannot be trusted. When you face fiery trials, when things are not going your way, it is easy to lose faith and crumble. Real faith in a real God will not grow weaker through difficulty. It will only get stronger. That is the kind of faith we all need as Christians, because fiery trials will come our way. Trials produce something that easy times will not, and that is spiritual toughness.
The Triumph of Victory/The Agony of Defeat
Why Worry? God is at work in your life!
There are times in the Christian walk when the Lord seems far away. The dew of His conscious presence no longer saturates the contemplations of our heart. The clouds of doubt, fear, unbelief, and worry hide the Son from us, and we feel all alone. God, however, clearly tells us in His Word that He is ever present. Jesus said: “Lo, I am with you always!’ It is His desire, His good pleasure to be with us. When we have a sense of God’s nearness; His presence, we are unconquerable.
Worry is the trigger for fear, and fear is the nemesis of faith. Faith or fear will always travel with us, but never together. Faith causes fear to flee; fear paralyzes faith. The mediating difference is always a sense of God’s presence. When we sense His Nearness, fear flees, and faith arises. Read more…
50 Days of Prayer
Pastor Haitham Besmar and Rev. Andy Garber have constructed an amazing 50 Days of Prayer guide. They strongly suggest that we as a Nation lift up our Nation, the Nation of Israel and one state everyday in prayer according to needs. We encourage you to use this daily prayer guide over the next 50 days in addition to your daily bible reading and prayer time.
50 Days of Pentecost Prayer
- Ask God for a fresh outpouring
Joel 2:28 “And it shall come to pass afterward That I will pour out My Spirit on all flesh; Your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your old men shall dream dreams, your young men shall see visions.”
- Ask God for a fresh infilling
Acts 2:4. “And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.” Read more…