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Sound Mind Set

Sound Mind Set

By Kindred Resources / SPS

Daily, short guided meditations and reflections to help you be fully present in God's Presence to encounter Him more intimately. Be still and know that I am God.
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Tuesday, March 19, 2024

Sound Mind SetMar 19, 2024

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Tuesday, March 19, 2024

Tuesday, March 19, 2024

In the Book of Ecclesiastes, Solomon in all his wisdom worked hard to figure out why life is completely out of his control, even as a powerful king. In his writings, he was frustrated and angry and cynical and flippant and sarcastic. Does that sound familiar at all? Thank God that He gave us such a wide variety of people and circumstances in His Word to show us the collision between the divine and the human.
Listen to Ecclesiastes 8:7-9 in The Message … Yes, there’s a right time and way for everything, even though, unfortunately, we miss it for the most part. It’s true that no one knows what’s going to happen, or when. Who’s around to tell us? No one can control the wind or lock it in a box. No one has any say-so regarding the day of death. No one can stop a battle in its tracks. No one who does evil can be saved by evil. All this I observed as I tried my best to understand all that’s going on in this world. As long as men and women have the power to hurt each other, this is the way it is.
Can you relate to any of Solomon’s words?
When we can’t actually control anything about life but we want to, we usually end up hurting one another, trying to control each other. And we have to be so careful that we don’t end up trying too hard to control our kids. Control is never the point of parenting.
Let’s fast-forward to the end of Ecclesiastes where Solomon finally resolves his search for truth.
The words of the wise prod us to live well. They’re like nails hammered home, holding life together. They are given by God, the one Shepherd. But regarding anything beyond this, dear friend, go easy. There’s no end to the publishing of books, and constant study wears you out so you’re no good for anything else. The last and final word is this: Fear God. Do what he tells you. And that’s it. (Ecclesiastes 12:11-14 MSG) So, evidently it’s okay to run through all of our crazy, mixed-up emotions and express our cynical and sarcastic opinions of how life treats us. Because what matters most after the process is where we end up. Better, not bitter. Realizing we will never be God and He always will be. And that will always be a great place to land.
Let’s pray together: “Heavenly Father, please help me to realize I can vent with You as my Father. I can tell you exactly what I think. You already know what I’m thinking so I may as well just voice it. But remind me in those moments that all I am saying is that You have to be in control—and to thank You that I’m not. As above, so below.”
Mar 19, 202410:00
Monday, March 18, 2024

Monday, March 18, 2024

One of the toughest things we have to deal with in life is when something we care about is taken completely out of our control. Then anytime it involves our kids, that adds a heightened level of emotions. And if you add issues like hurt, distrust, betrayal, and being unfair, all of life can quickly seem unbearable and confusing.
Fortunately, the Bible has a lot to say about these very human dynamics because we all deal with them, more than we ever want to. For that reason alone, we have to learn where to go for help.
In chapter 30 in the Book of Proverbs, King Solomon gets very real about life while talking to God … I am weary, O God; I am weary and worn out, O God. I am too stupid to be human, and I lack common sense. I have not mastered human wisdom, nor do I know the Holy One. Who but God goes up to heaven and comes back down? Who holds the wind in his fists? Who wraps up the oceans in his cloak? Who has created the whole wide world? What is his name—and his son’s name? Tell me if you know! Every word of God proves true. He is a shield to all who come to him for protection. (1-5 NLT) Bottom line here … When life wears you out, just admit you are fragile, you don’t know everything, don’t know what to do, don’t know what God is up to, but also … if He has created everything and is control of all you see, then He knows what to do with your life and will protect you … even, yes even, when it does not feel like it.
This passage is not to be taken as someone speaking from a poor self-image, but how we feel when life gets out of our control. All to remind ourselves who we are not and who God is.
Listen once again:
I am weary, O God; I am weary and worn out, O God. I am too stupid to be human, and I lack common sense. I have not mastered human wisdom, nor do I know the Holy One. Who but God goes up to heaven and comes back down? Who holds the wind in his fists? Who wraps up the oceans in his cloak? Who has created the whole wide world? What is his name—and his son’s name? Tell me if you know! Every word of God proves true. He is a shield to all who come to him for protection. (30:1-5 NLT) What feels totally out of control in your life right now?
Here’s the odd, yet good news … if you can admit it’s out of your control, then maybe it’s totally in God’s control? Why don’t you take a minute and invite Him to take over anything you are struggling with? Right now.
Let’s pray together: “Heavenly Father, I guess feeling like I’m in control of anything is just an illusion, huh? Would you take over everything right now—the things I think I’m controlling and the things I know are completely out of my control? … As above, so below.”
Mar 18, 202409:52
Friday, March 15, 2024

Friday, March 15, 2024

The toughest thing about trying to live as a Christ-follower is being beat down by the world, all the while knowing Heaven is a reality waiting for us one day. But it’s hard to see Heaven when we feel like Hell is constantly on our doorstep, isn’t it?

We know that God, who raised the Lord Jesus, will also raise us with Jesus and present us to himself together with you. All of this is for your benefit. … That is why we never give up. Though our bodies are dying, our spirits are being renewed every day. For our present troubles are small and won’t last very long. Yet they produce for us a glory that vastly outweighs them and will last forever! So we don’t look at the troubles we can see now; rather, we fix our gaze on things that cannot be seen. For the things we see now will soon be gone, but the things we cannot see will last forever. (NLT) When things are tough, especially inside your own family and dealing with your kids, try and remember this life is temporary … in several ways … one, your children are growing up and there will be a day when they will leave home, and two, there will be a day that Heaven will move from a someday thing to a reality. So hold onto it all loosely and maybe a little less intensly.

Listen to today’s passage in the Message Bible … And what we believe is that the One who raised up the Master Jesus will just as certainly raise us up with you, alive. Every detail works to your advantage and to God’s glory … So we’re not giving up. How could we! Even though on the outside it often looks like things are falling apart on us, on the inside, where God is making new life, not a day goes by without his unfolding grace. These hard times are small potatoes compared to the coming good times, the lavish celebration prepared for us. There’s far more here than meets the eye. The things we see now are here today, gone tomorrow. But the things we can’t see now will last forever.

What problem are you holding onto just a bit too tightly right now?

What issue should you take a little less seriously right now?

What do you need to change your perspective on to see it as temporary? Because it is.

Let’s pray together: “Heavenly Father, please help me to stand up when I feel like giving up. Help me to release my grip when I feel like taking control. Help me to hand over to You everything I hold on to. As above, so below.”

Mar 15, 202409:49
Thursday, March 14, 2024

Thursday, March 14, 2024

From a teenage boy in the fields alone with the sheep to a king in the palace, David’s life knew trouble … trouble he made for himself, trouble from others, and a lot of trouble with his kids.

Despite his issues, David constantly showed us how to turn to the Lord with anything and everything.

Listen to Psalm 18:1-6 …

I love you, Lord; you are my strength. The Lord is my rock, my fortress, and my savior; my God is my rock, in whom I find protection. He is my shield, the power that saves me, and my place of safety.  I called on the Lord, who is worthy of praise, and he saved me from my enemies. The ropes of death entangled me; floods of destruction swept over me. The grave wrapped its ropes around me; death laid a trap in my path. But in my distress I cried out to the Lord; yes, I prayed to my God for help. He heard me from his sanctuary; my cry to him reached his ears. (NLT) If you were to composed a psalm of your own, what would you say to God? What would you say about God?

You know what enemies, threats, floods, and distress feel like, don’t you? Do you know the other side David speaks about? To allow God to rescue you? To cry out to Him for help?

Listen to part of this passage again in The New Life Bible … I love You, O Lord, my strength. The Lord is my rock, and my safe place, and the One Who takes me out of trouble. My God is my rock, in Whom I am safe. He is my safe-covering, my saving strength, and my strong tower. I call to the Lord, Who has the right to be praised. And I am saved from those who hate me. The ropes of death were all around me. The floods of death make me afraid. The ropes of the grave were all around me. The traps of death were set for me. I called to the Lord in my trouble. I cried to God for help. He heard my voice from His holy house. My cry for help came into His ears.

Let’s take a few moments to list some of the major troubles you have experienced … maybe something you are walking through right now?

Now list what God has done or what You want to see Him do?

Listing, even writing out your prayers is a great exercise … one you might try doing with your kids too.

Let’s pray together: “Heavenly Father, You are my strength, my Rock, my Safe Place, my Covering, my Strong Tower. Thank You for hearing me when I cry out to You. Thank You for answering, not always on my time, but on Yours. As above, so below.”

Mar 14, 202409:53
Wednesday, March 13, 2024

Wednesday, March 13, 2024

When we face tough times, when we don’t know what to do as a parent, when disappointment and heartache comes, we have to remember Jesus came and experienced all these same hurts and emotions and so He understands how we feel. Listen to Hebrews 4:14-16 … So then, since we have a great High Priest who has entered heaven, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold firmly to what we believe. This High Priest of ours understands our weaknesses, for he faced all of the same testings we do, yet he did not sin. So let us come boldly to the throne of our gracious God. There we will receive his mercy, and we will find grace to help us when we need it most. (NLT) How often have you been in a dark moment and thought, “I just wish someone could understand what I’m going through right now. How I feel.”? How amazing is it that God tells us when we are weak and failing the test, that actually is the best time to come boldly before Him … to receive mercy and find grace. … Help when we need it most.

Listen to this passage again in The Message Bible … Now that we know what we have—Jesus, this great High Priest with ready access to God—let’s not let it slip through our fingers. We don’t have a priest who is out of touch with our reality. He’s been through weakness and testing, experienced it all—all but the sin. So let’s walk right up to him and get what he is so ready to give. Take the mercy, accept the help.

What part of this passage stood out to you? Spoke to you?

How great is it that we are told to … walk right up to him and get what he is so ready to give. Take the mercy, accept the help?

Knowing that God has experienced what you are feeling and is ready, waiting to give you the mercy and strength you need. Can I do that now? Imagine in your mind your Father is with you now, He knows the struggle already, can you boldly walk to him and ask for what He promises He is ready to give? Ask for mercy and then ask for help.

What if you wrote that message across your bathroom mirror? To see it first thing every morning and the last thing at night? Take the mercy, accept the help. … amen.

Let’s pray together: “Heavenly Father, when I’m weak, when I’m being tested by my kids, when I have no idea what to do, remind me to “take the mercy and accept the help.” As above, so below.”

Mar 13, 202409:45
Tuesday, March 12, 2024

Tuesday, March 12, 2024

Parenting is a long-haul job. A job we don’t get days off from and we cannot quit. We all need constant emotional, mental, and spiritual fuel to keep on keeping on in raising our kids.

Listen to Romans 5:2-5 …

Because of our faith, Christ has brought us into this place of undeserved privilege where we now stand, and we confidently and joyfully look forward to sharing God’s glory. We can rejoice, too, when we run into problems and trials, for we know that they help us develop endurance. And endurance develops strength of character, and character strengthens our confident hope of salvation. And this hope will not lead to disappointment. For we know how dearly God loves us, because he has given us the Holy Spirit to fill our hearts with his love. (NLT) Confidence. Joy. Help for problems and trials. Endurance. Character. Strength. Hope that does not disappoint. Our hearts filled with love. Who else could possibly offer that kind of guarantee but God?

Listen to verses 3-5 in The Message …

There’s more to come: We continue to shout our praise even when we’re hemmed in with troubles, because we know how troubles can develop passionate patience in us, and how that patience in turn forges the tempered steel of virtue, keeping us alert for whatever God will do next. In alert expectancy such as this, we’re never left feeling shortchanged. Quite the contrary—we can’t round up enough containers to hold everything God generously pours into our lives through the Holy Spirit!

Do you believe your current troubles can develop passionate patience in you? Something we all desperately need as parents in today’s culture, right?

The next time you feel hemmed in by trouble, know that you aren’t being short-changed, but God will provide a way out and, then on the other side, you can experience the “tempered steel of virtue.”

Let’s pray together: “Heavenly Father, when trouble comes, especially with my kids, help me to look for You in the midst of the mess. Teach me to anticipate what You are going to do on the other side. As above, so below.”

Mar 12, 202409:30
Monday, March 11, 2024

Monday, March 11, 2024

Galatians 5:22 and 23 offers us a list of qualities and characteristics that God will give us. Then, as parents, can become a blessing to our children.

But the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. (NLT) Picture a fruit tree … whatever fruit is your favorite … when that tree begins to show the fruit it grows on its branches, does it then use that for its own food? Of course not. The fruit of the tree is not for the tree, but for those who can take part in its maturity and enjoy its blessing. Does picking the fruit to eat hurt the tree? No. Two reasons why … that’s the purpose of the tree and it can grow more.

The same concept is what God’s fruit produces and provides in us—our maturity and growth that blesses others, but most especially our own kids.

Listen to The Message Bible’s take on this same passage:

But what happens when we live God’s way? He brings gifts into our lives, much the same way that fruit appears in an orchard—things like affection for others, exuberance about life, serenity. We develop a willingness to stick with things, a sense of compassion in the heart, and a conviction that a basic holiness permeates things and people. We find ourselves involved in loyal commitments, not needing to force our way in life, able to marshal and direct our energies wisely.

So, are you strong in kindness but struggle in self-control? Good at expressing love but battle being at peace within your heart? Take a few minutes to do a fruit inspection with God. Let Him show you anywhere you need to submit to Him. Keep in mind, none of us can produce this fruit on our own.

Let’s pray together: “Heavenly Father, help me to love, to find joy, to allow peace, to be patient, be kind, show goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and please help me to have self-control by giving control of everything to You. As above, so below.”

Mar 11, 202409:39
Friday, March 8, 2024

Friday, March 8, 2024

“I have loved you even as the Father has loved me. Remain in my love.  When you obey my commandments, you remain in my love, just as I obey my Father’s commandments and remain in his love. I have told you these things so that you will be filled with my joy. Yes, your joy will overflow! This is my commandment: Love each other in the same way I have loved you. There is no greater love than to lay down one’s life for one’s friends. … Now you are my friends, since I have told you everything the Father told me. You didn’t choose me. I chose you. I appointed you to go and produce lasting fruit, so that the Father will give you whatever you ask for, using my name. This is my command: Love each other. (John 15:9-13, 15-17 NLT) Did you notice how many times Jesus used the word “love”? And did you also notice He called us “friends”? There is such an incredible intimacy in this passage. Jesus literally commanded us to love with our very lives. A love that impacts eternity, our families, and what our families do and take part in as believers.
Today’s passage in the Message Bible …
“I’ve loved you the way my Father has loved me. Make yourselves at home in my love. If you keep my commands, you’ll remain intimately at home in my love. That’s what I’ve done—kept my Father’s commands and made myself at home in his love. “I’ve told you these things for a purpose: that my joy might be your joy, and your joy wholly mature. 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’ve named you friends because I’ve let you in on everything I’ve heard from the Father. “You didn’t choose me, remember; I chose you, and put you in the world to bear fruit, fruit that won’t spoil. As fruit bearers, whatever you ask the Father in relation to me, he gives you. “But remember the root command: Love one another.
How can you grow in your love for your kids … the kind of love Jesus talked about here?
How can you love one another better inside your own home?
How can you lead your kids to love people … not just certain people or people that look like them but everyone?
The answers to these questions are what your faith is all about.
Let’s pray together: “Heavenly Father, I need to grow in love… my love for You, myself, my kids, and others. Help me to teach my kids how to love … love like You. As above, so below.”

Mar 08, 202409:29
Thursday, March 7, 2024

Thursday, March 7, 2024

One of the most telling and incredible passages in the New Testament is where Jesus talks about the difference in those who follow Him and those who don’t, and how you can tell them apart here on earth. What is also fascinating here is the things He cares about the most in what we do with our lives.
“But when the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, then he will sit upon his glorious throne. All the nations will be gathered in his presence, and he will separate the people as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. He will place the sheep at his right hand and the goats at his left. “Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father, inherit the Kingdom prepared for you from the creation of the world. For I was hungry, and you fed me. I was thirsty, and you gave me a drink. I was a stranger, and you invited me into your home. I was naked, and you gave me clothing. I was sick, and you cared for me. I was in prison, and you visited me.’ “Then these righteous ones will reply, ‘Lord, when did we ever see you hungry and feed you? Or thirsty and give you something to drink? Or a stranger and show you hospitality? Or naked and give you clothing? When did we ever see you sick or in prison and visit you?’ “And the King will say, ‘I tell you the truth, when you did it to one of the least of these my brothers and sisters, you were doing it to me!’ (Matthew 25:31-40 NLT) So what does it appear God cares a lot about? Did you catch it? Feeding the hungry. Providing for those who have no water or no clean water. The homeless. The naked. The poor. The sick. Those in prison.
Why do you think the righteous responded by asking Jesus…..”when did we see you among those we ministered to”? … Notice they knew they did those things, they were just asking Jesus where He was?
What if once a week, you found some way for you and your kids to do just one of these things? It doesn’t have to take a lot of money … it can just take a little time and energy. Maybe sponsor a child with one of the many aid and education organizations and let your kids write a letter to the child? Let them choose the country and the child. Or you could take a few canned goods to a local food pantry and ask for a tour of what they do? Write a letter to an inmate in prison through one of the many great prison ministry organizations?
And remember and remind your kids—when you do it for someone like this, you are actually doing it for Jesus. He said so.
Let’s pray together: “Heavenly Father, I confess I get overwhelmed with the problems of the world and end up doing nothing. Help me to take this passage and focus on just one simple act to get started on what your sheep do.  I certainly know what it looks like to be over looked and ignored, so let’s help those who live that way every day.  As above so below.”

Mar 07, 202410:04
Wednesday, March 6, 2024

Wednesday, March 6, 2024

Billy Graham once said, “The true test of who we really are is found inside our own families.” And let’s be honest, we see the very best of one another and then the very worst. Watching video from our homes, someone might accuse any of us of being Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, right? But God knows that … it’s called flesh and spirit.
The apostle Paul was a brilliant and articulate man. But a man with a horrible past. Before he met Christ, he went after Christians to imprison or execute them. He oversaw the stoning of Stephen, approving of a brutal death. So he understood so well how evil we can be, even while thinking we are doing something right in our own eyes. Listen to his words in Romans 7 … listen close, because this is quite a passage to take in … And I know that nothing good lives in me, that is, in my sinful nature. I want to do what is right, but I can’t.  I want to do what is good, but I don’t. I don’t want to do what is wrong, but I do it anyway. But if I do what I don’t want to do, I am not really the one doing wrong; it is sin living in me that does it. I have discovered this principle of life—that when I want to do what is right, I inevitably do what is wrong.  I love God’s law with all my heart. But there is another power within me that is at war with my mind. This power makes me a slave to the sin that is still within me. Oh, what a miserable person I am! Who will free me from this life that is dominated by sin and death? Thank God! The answer is in Jesus Christ our Lord.  (Romans 7:18-25 NLT) How would really understanding these verses allow you to change your understanding of your own behavior? Your kids’ behavior? How might this change your parenting … not meaning you cut slack as much as you better understand your kids’ hearts?
We get Paul’s frustration, don’t we? This makes a lot of sense. We watch it in our kids literally every day.
How can you take in these words and allow the truth here to impact your parenting, your response to your own behavior, that of your kids, and the dynamics inside your home? Remember this: The answer, thank God, is that Jesus Christ … acted to set things right in this life of contradictions … Let’s pray together: “Heavenly Father, I get it. The very thing I don’t want to do, I do. And the very thing I want to do, I don’t do. Thank You that You understand this daily battle within me, within my family. Help me to apply Your truth and Your answers in my heart and in my home. As above, so below.”

Mar 06, 202410:18
Tuesday, March 5, 2024

Tuesday, March 5, 2024

“Don’t let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God, and trust also in me. There is more than enough room in my Father’s home. If this were not so, would I have told you that I am going to prepare a place for you?  When everything is ready, I will come and get you, so that you will always be with me where I am. And you know the way to where I am going.” “No, we don’t know, Lord,” Thomas said. “We have no idea where you are going, so how can we know the way?” Jesus told him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one can come to the Father except through me. … From now on, you do know him and have seen him!” (John 14:1-7 NLT) It’s so encouraging that Jesus began with stating the reality of this world—we live so much of the time with troubled hearts. So that is why Jesus tells us to trust God and Him. He goes on to talk about Heaven, about how there is a place for us if we choose it, and then assuring us that He is the Way. Not a way or one of the many ways, but the Way.
Let me ask you … when you hear this, do you really believe it? Do you believe there is actually a place in Heaven for you?
Have you ever been to Paris? Or Rome? Or London? Or Tokyo? How do you know for certain this are real places that exist? Well, you believe the map, you believe the pictures you see, the articles you read, TV shows, movies, and anyone who has been there to tell you about those cities.
But who just told you He had a real place in eternity prepared for you? Jesus. Well, if we can believe maps, and articles, and people about physical places here, isn’t it safe to believe God about what He tells us, since He made it all, earth and Heaven?
And I leave you with this question: How can you help your kids see Heaven as a real place?
Let’s pray together: “Heavenly Father, hearing that You have a place for me in Heaven is surreal, but yet I know it’s real. Please grow my faith to believe that heavenly city exists just as much as where I live right now. I want to get excited about eternity as it becomes more and more real to me. As above, so below.”

Mar 05, 202410:12
Monday, March 4, 2024

Monday, March 4, 2024

Timothy 3:14-17 …
But you must remain faithful to the things you have been taught. You know they are true, for you know you can trust those who taught you. You have been taught the holy Scriptures …, and they have given you the wisdom to receive the salvation that comes by trusting in Christ Jesus. All Scripture is inspired by God and is useful to teach us what is true and to make us realize what is wrong in our lives. It corrects us when we are wrong and teaches us to do what is right. God uses it to prepare and equip his people to do every good work. (NLT) Wisdom. Inspiration. Teaching. Truth. Correction. What is right and what is wrong. Preparing us and equipping us for good work. We all need all these dynamics, all the time in our lives.
Let’s go back to the first sentence in the passage that states … “if we remain faithful to the things we already have been taught.” So much of our issue is not really reading the Word of God, but applying and obeying it, right? Reading words is easy but doing them is another matter entirely.
I want to encourage you to find a Scripture that fits your family, that speaks to your family. If your single with no kids, one that speaks to your life and your goals. Pray and ask God to help you craft a statement using that verse that you can use to help you make decisions and live a life that will be pleasing to Him.
Let’s pray together: “Heavenly Father, give me a hunger and a thirst for Your Word. Help me to allow Your Spirit to show me truth, expose my places of rebellion, correct my mistakes, and train me and my family to live life Your way. As above, so below.”

Mar 04, 202409:35
Friday, March 1, 2024

Friday, March 1, 2024

Today we close out our theme of love for this month, as well as this week as we have been talking about intimacy. We’ve looked at a level of closeness that God can provide that should affect every relationship we have in life—from our families to the groups of people we associate with. God allowing us to be His temple changes everything as to how we approach all of life and every relationship.

In John 17, as Jesus was in the garden knowing the cross was only hours away and all the brutality of sin was about to be placed on Him, He didn’t pray for Himself, but for intimacy and unity among the people who would believe in Him—those who were with Him on that day, those throughout the centuries, all the way to us today.

Imagine Jesus in the Garden alone in the dark, knowing the soldiers were on their own to take Him to the cross. Hear Him crying out to God through the filter of that reality and listen for how He prays for you …

“I am praying not only for these disciples but also for all who will ever believe in me through their message. I pray that they will all be one, just as you and I are one—as you are in me, Father, and I am in you. And may they be in us so that the world will believe you sent me. “I have given them the glory you gave me, so they may be one as we are one. I am in them and you are in me. May they experience such perfect unity that the world will know that you sent me and that you love them as much as you love me. Father, I want these whom you have given me to be with me where I am. Then they can see all the glory you gave me because you loved me even before the world began! “O righteous Father, the world doesn’t know you, but I do; and these disciples know you sent me. I have revealed you to them, and I will continue to do so. Then your love for me will be in them, and I will be in them.” (John 17:20-26 NLT)

Did you catch the same language as Paul later used as to where God will be?

Did you hear His prayer for you?

Did you hear His cry for intimacy between you and the Father?

Listen once more … this time I’ll abbreviate and focus on Jesus’ prayer for you and I today …

“I am praying … for all who will ever believe in me through their message. I pray that they will all be one, just as you and I are one—as you are in me, Father, and I am in you. And may they be in us so that the world will believe you sent me. “I have given them the glory you gave me, so they may be one as we are one. I am in them and you are in me. May they experience such perfect unity that the world will know that you sent me and that you love them as much as you love me. … “O righteous Father, the world doesn’t know you, but I do; and these disciples know you sent me. I have revealed you to them, and I will continue to do so. Then your love for me will be in them, and I will be in them.” (John 17:20-23, 25 NLT)

How should you respond to the Bible passages we have read this week? What did you hear that encouraged you? Challenged you? Convicted you? Intimacy is such an important concept to understand, grasp, an grow in, especially as Christ-followers, because we have no barriers to be able to love as He loves.

Let’s pray together: “Heavenly Father, help me in all my relationships to be a reflection of intimacy with You. I am Your temple and I want the world to see Your life and Your heart through my life and heart. As above, so below.”

Mar 01, 202409:58
Thursday, February 29, 2024

Thursday, February 29, 2024

Inside our theme of love this month, this week we have been talking about intimacy and how important it is to experience this dynamic with God, in relationships, and inside a community. Today, we will look at a different type of intimacy, in fact, the deepest intimacy possible.

In Paul’s teaching to the church at Corinth, he tied an Old Testament reality to the new reality Jesus provided. The temple was once a physical structure where only designated priests could enter. Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross, along with the presence of the Holy Spirit, allows His to be brought into our own hearts through faith in Christ.

Listen to 1 Corinthians 6:19-20 …

Don’t you realize that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit, who lives in you and was given to you by God? You do not belong to yourself, for God bought you with a high price. So you must honor God with your body. (1 Corinthians 6:18-20 NLT)

Do you see it? As followers of Christ, we literally become His temple. This brings an incredible new type of intimacy and closeness … God with us and God in us. We, of course, do not become God, but He now lives inside our lives.

Let’s read this passage again in The Message Bible.

Or didn’t you realize that your body is a sacred place, the place of the Holy Spirit? Don’t you see that you can’t live however you please, squandering what God paid such a high price for? The physical part of you is not some piece of property belonging to the spiritual part of you. God owns the whole works. So let people see God in and through your body.

As I have asked you a number of times on other days in Sound Mind Set, was there any line or phrase that stood you to you? What was it? … Why do you think it stood out to you? What might God be saying by highlighting that for you?

For the believer, the crucial focus here is that our bodies no longer belong to us. The temple of God is no longer a building or a place only priests can visit. Christ’s death and resurrection, along with the introduction of the Holy Spirit, makes us His temple. Shouldn’t that bring an entirely new focus and meaning to our lives? What we choose to do and not do with His temple?

 Let’s pray together: “Heavenly Father, seeing myself as Your temple is a tough concept to grasp. But I didn’t say that about me, You did. So help me to believe it, accept it as truth, and live it out. I need to simply believe what You tell me, about me. As above, so below.”

Feb 29, 202409:30
Wednesday, February 28, 2024

Wednesday, February 28, 2024

Inside our theme of love this month, this week we are talking about the importance of intimacy. The past two days we have defined intimacy as when people get really close, and also when we choose to be close to God. We also defined intimacy as in-to-me-see—allowing someone to see your heart and grow in love.

Another type of intimacy the Bible talks about is among a group of people, a community. Just like intimacy has its own meaning inside the word, so does community … common unity … community. A group of people can get very close to one another. Oftentimes, this may revolve around some issue, something positive or negative, that the group has in common. Yet, most of the time, as the closeness grows, the focus of the relationships no longer are about the original thing that drew them together. Now, the community is simply unified in their hearts.

Listen to Acts 2:42-47 …

All the believers devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching, and to fellowship, and to sharing in meals (including the Lord’s Supper, and to prayer. A deep sense of awe came over them all, and the apostles performed many miraculous signs and wonders. And all the believers met together in one place and shared everything they had. They sold their property and possessions and shared the money with those in need. They worshiped together at the Temple each day, met in homes for the Lord’s Supper, and shared their meals with great joy and generosity—all the while praising God and enjoying the goodwill of all the people. And each day the Lord added to their fellowship those who were being saved. (NLT)

What was this group’s common thread? A relationship with Christ.

What did this create among them? They all acted like Jesus, individually and as a community.

What happened as a result of the community’s unity? More people wanted to be a part.

Listen once again to The Message Bible’s version …

Everyone around was in awe—all those wonders and signs done through the apostles! And all the believers lived in a wonderful harmony, holding everything in common. They sold whatever they owned and pooled their resources so that each person’s need was met. They followed a daily discipline of worship in the Temple followed by meals at home, every meal a celebration, exuberant and joyful, as they praised God. People in general liked what they saw. Every day their number grew as God added those who were saved.

Have you experienced this kind of unity among a community?

Maybe you are experiencing this right now?

Or maybe you desperately need this in your life?

If you have it, thank God and pray for your friends in the community. If you don’t, ask God to help you find your community … people in love with Jesus who understand intimacy with Him and others.

In our prayer time today, as I just stated, if you have a community, take a moment to lift them up. If you don’t, ask God now to show you where and how to find yours. … As above, so below.”

Feb 28, 202409:59
Tuesday, February 27, 2024

Tuesday, February 27, 2024

Inside our theme of love this month, this week we are talking about the importance of intimacy. Intimacy is the word to describe when people get really close, and also when we choose to get close to God. Yesterday, we read that He has made the first move through Jesus and wants to be as close to us as we will allow.

Let me remind you of how we defined intimacy yesterday: In-to-me-see. That means allowing someone to see your heart and who you truly are.

For most of us, one of the big things that brings us to our knees and helps us choose to reach out to God is when our hearts are broken. When life is going incredible and we’re on top of the world, we can fail to see our need for God. But when everything falls apart and goes wrong, we realize we need help, that we cannot do life alone. Especially when people fail us and hurt us, we tend to look up, not out.

Listen to today’s passage …

The Lord hears his people when they call to him for help. He rescues them from all their troubles. The Lord is close to the brokenhearted; he rescues those whose spirits are crushed. The righteous person faces many troubles, but the Lord comes to the rescue each time. (Psalm 34:17-19 NLT)

How does God hear us? When we call for help.

When is He close to us? When we are brokenhearted.

Will He keep us from having troubles? No, but He promises to be there when we do.

Listen to this same passage in The Message Bible …

Is anyone crying for help? God is listening, ready to rescue you. If your heart is broken, you’ll find God right there; if you’re kicked in the gut, he’ll help you catch your breath. Disciples so often get into trouble; still, God is there every time.

Have you already discovered this to be true in your relationship with God? Or do you need to test it out for the first time?

There aren’t a lot of guarantees in this life, but I can say this: God will never let you down. There will be trouble and your heart will be broken, but He will be there when you reach out.

Let’s pray together: “Heavenly Father, thank You that You know what to do with my broken heart. Thank You that You will provide help to me when I need it most. When trouble comes, help me to come to You right away and never wait to try and solve my problems on my own. As above, so below.”

Feb 27, 202409:32
Monday, February 26, 2024

Monday, February 26, 2024

Inside our theme of love this month, this week we are going to talk about the importance of intimacy. Intimacy is the word to describe when people get really close, like a dad to a daughter, a mother to her son, a husband to a wife, or God to us.

The best way to remember what intimacy means is to just say the word by its syllables. In-to-me-see. Intimacy is allowing someone to see your heart, who you truly are. No hiding. Being honest.

Love, especially God’s love, allows us to get close to people and then grow in that closeness. We often call this a “two-way street” as in this kind of closeness takes each one to work on the relationship and get closer. When this happens in a healthy manner, love grows, closeness comes, and intimacy deepens. Let’s look at one short, simple verse that talks about intimacy with God and makes a powerful promise.

Come close to God, and God will come close to you. (James 4:8 NLT)

When we first read this verse, we can misunderstand the meaning, as if God is saying, “You make the first move and then I’ll respond to you.” But we have to remember this verse was written after Jesus had died on the cross and was resurrected. God has already made the first move toward us through Christ. Now, He is saying when you reach out to me, because of Jesus, we can immediately be close, just like Jesus was close with the Father.

With that thought in mind, let’s read this verse one more time.

Come close to God, and God will come close to you. (James 4:8 NLT)

Let’s paraphrase the verse this way, “Whenever you choose to be close to God, He is already there, waiting, ready to receive you.” That is real intimacy, when someone is always there for you, no matter what.

Here’s a question to think about …

How do you think you can know God is close to you?

Let’s pray together: “Heavenly Father, thank You that You promise You will be close to me, that You will say, “in-to-me-see”. Help me to trust You and always respond with, ‘God, in-to-me-see.’ As above, so below.”

Feb 26, 202409:52
Friday, February 23, 2024

Friday, February 23, 2024

Today we close out this week on teaching our kids what love is. I know some of the teachings we have looked at from Jesus this week are some of the toughest ones, but isn’t it fascinating that the overall theme of those is still love? Why? Because loving like God loves, in this world, is never going to be easy. That’s why we made a conscious choice to look at the truth about love from the Christian worldview, not the religious worldview or the world’s. So, in light of this, today, we’re going to close out the week on a lighter note from a story about Jesus and how He feels about kids…

One day some parents brought their children to Jesus so he could lay his hands on them and pray for them. But the disciples scolded the parents for bothering him. But Jesus said, “Let the children come to me. Don’t stop them! For the Kingdom of Heaven belongs to those who are like these children.” And he placed his hands on their heads and blessed them before he left. (Matthew 19:13-14 NLT)

Can you picture this scene? Well-meaning parents wanting this Teacher and Healer to pray for their kids. Imagine them running up to Jesus, ready to jump in His lap. But the disciples suddenly decide to become a security team and block them from bothering Him. But the kids don’t get rebuked, the disciples do. Then what He says surprises everyone: “Don’t stop them. In fact, you need to act like this with Me.” And the prayer and the blessing happened, just as the parents had hoped.

Here's the passage in the New Life Bible …

Then little children were brought to Him that He might put His hands on them and pray for them. The followers spoke sharp words to them. But Jesus said, “Let the little children come to Me. Do not stop them. The holy nation of heaven is made up of ones like these.” He put His hands on them and went away. (Matthew 19:13-14 NLV)

The holy nation of heaven is made up of people who are childlike in their love. Wow.

Do you love your kids? Of course you do. So take them to Jesus. Do you want them to understand love, real love? Of course you do. So take them to Jesus. Do you want them to be able to know authentic, sincere, vulnerable, unconditional love, to be able to receive and to give? Take them to Jesus. Pray for them. Talk to them about Him. Read His words to them. Make Him a part of their lives and He will show them His love.

 Let’s pray together: “Heavenly Father, sometimes I forget that You made my kids. You gave me my kids. So no one loves them more than You. Teach me to teach them Your love and help me to love them like You do. As above, so below.”

Feb 23, 202409:44
Thursday, February 22, 2024

Thursday, February 22, 2024

Inside our theme of love this month, this week we are focusing on teaching our kids what love is. Let’s be honest … when people talk about God’s love, too often it’s kind of a unicorns and rainbows thing. It sounds religious or like a fantasy and so we really don’t attempt to accept it for ourselves or apply it to others. Well, this week, we are trying to look at what God’s love really means, for the sake of our kids. If anyone is going to help them understand the reality and the balance of His love, it needs to be us.

I know yesterday’s passage from Jesus’ teaching was a tough one. Today is going to be no different. In fact, today’s focus can sound downright questionable. Curious? Okay, listen really closely and then we’ll dig in a little deeper.

“Don’t imagine that I came to bring peace to the earth! I came not to bring peace, but a sword. ‘I have come to set a man against his father, a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law. Your enemies will be right in your own household!’ “If you love your father or mother more than you love me, you are not worthy of being mine; or if you love your son or daughter more than me, you are not worthy of being mine. If you refuse to take up your cross and follow me, you are not worthy of being mine. If you cling to your life, you will lose it; but if you give up your life for me, you will find it.

What do we do with these words? How do these concepts connect to God’s love?

Passages like this one are where our English translation from the Greek can easily get confusing. Here’s the bottom line: People preach coming together across the aisles and meeting in the middle but how often do we actually see that happen? Jesus tells us that He is the ultimate dividing line for humans. Not politics or race or gender or the things we draw lines against all the time. The real line is do we believe in Him or not? Are we committed to Him or not? Do we love Him more than anyone or anything else in life?

Think of it this way … What if your love for God was so strong that compared to all the other loves in your life, no one would question your commitment to Him? That’s what He means.

If your love for God keeps growing every day, will that cause you to love your kids less? Of course not. But the hard stuff like loving your enemies will get easier. If you love God like Jesus was talking about here, His love will mark your life, His love will mark your relationships, and His love will forever mark your kids’ lives.

What dividing lines do you lay down as gospel in your life? Who do you put on one side while you stand on the other? Who do you teach your kids are different than them? Whenever you hear passages like this, just remember—But if you forget about yourself and look to me, you’ll find both yourself and me. … And so will your kids.

Let’s pray together: “Heavenly Father, I want people who stand against You, even well-meaning people, to know You. I want them to see You in my life. Help me to love You so it is clear to everyone that You are the love of my life. As above, so below.”

Feb 22, 202409:54
Wednesday, February 21, 2024

Wednesday, February 21, 2024

Inside our theme of love this month, this week we are focusing on teaching our kids what love is. One of the things we love about God’s love is hearing how much He loves us, will forgive us, and show us incredible mercy and grace, no matter what we do. But then the very tough thing about God’s love is, as sinners, we struggle when He tells us to love others that we do not want to love. Teaching our kids that kind of unconditional love will be one of the hardest things we ever do—to encourage them to follow God in loving someone with His love and grace that we do not want to love and don’t think we even can love.

Much of Jesus’ teaching was counter-cultural then, and it certainly is today. The religious leaders of His day wanted to separate people into two categories: acceptable and unacceptable. And those men would make that determination without God. In fact, Jesus’ teaching against their standards ended up getting Him on their unacceptable list. Listen closely to this passage as I read. No matter how many times you may have heard it, try and listen with fresh ears about how God wants us to love …

“But to you who are willing to listen, I say, love your enemies! Do good to those who hate you. Bless those who curse you. Pray for those who hurt you. If someone slaps you on one cheek, offer the other cheek also. If someone demands your coat, offer your shirt also. Give to anyone who asks; and when things are taken away from you, don’t try to get them back. Do to others as you would like them to do to you.

“If you love only those who love you, why should you get credit for that? Even sinners love those who love them! And if you do good only to those who do good to you, why should you get credit? Even sinners do that much! And if you lend money only to those who can repay you, why should you get credit? Even sinners will lend to other sinners for a full return.

“Love your enemies! Do good to them. Lend to them without expecting to be repaid. Then your reward from heaven will be very great, and you will truly be acting as children of the Most High, for he is kind to those who are unthankful and wicked. You must be compassionate, just as your Father is compassionate. (Luke 6:27-36 NLT)

Love your enemies? … That’s a cute catchphrase until you actually feel like someone is your enemy and is working to make your life miserable. Loving that person feels impossible. Do good to those who hate you? Bless those who curse you? Really, Jesus? But what is so great about Jesus’ teaching here is He told us why He wants us to do that.

In short, Jesus said… “if people who have no God, who don’t believe in God, who care nothing about Me, can be kind to those who are kind to them and love those who love them, then you don’t need Me to do that, do you? But now, loving your enemies? Doing good to those who hate you? You are most definitely going to need Me to help you do that. Why? Because by yourself, you can’t!”

Now, to be clear, turning the other cheek does not have anything to do with abuse or letting someone run all over you. Remember—Jesus was the guy who got angry and cleared people out of the temple with a whip. But to love like God and to teach your kids to love like He does, that’s going to take Jesus giving you the power and ability every time.

Let’s say it this way, if we’re going to call ourselves His kids, we need to act like He’s our Dad.

Let’s pray together: “Heavenly Father, this loving my enemies thing is so hard. Doing good to someone I deem as bad, blessing people I can’t stand, that feels impossible. But you are the God that makes the impossible possible. Help me, Jesus, to love like You and to teach my kids these really hard things about how to love like You. Because me and my kids are Your children. As above, so below.”

Feb 21, 202410:21
Tuesday, February 20, 2024

Tuesday, February 20, 2024

Inside our theme of love this month, this week we are focusing on teaching our kids what love is. God has assigned us the role of teaching them about love, to lead and be their example, to help them see by words and actions that authenticity is the only way to understand love, especially His love. Real love and intimacy require vulnerability and sincerity. And God’s Word is the original love letter from His heart to ours.

Today, we’re going to look at the first event in Jesus’ life that launched His ministry and started His road to the cross: His baptism. Now, you might ask … what does Jesus’s baptism have to do with love? Well, it’s really about what happened at Jesus’s baptism … listen as I read . …

The moment Jesus came up out of the baptismal waters, the skies opened up and he saw God’s Spirit—it looked like a dove—descending and landing on him. And along with the Spirit, a voice: “This is my Son, chosen and marked by my love, delight of my life.” (Matthew 3:16-17 MSG)

Did you hear the words of love and affirmation God spoken over Jesus? Imagine for a moment what John witnessed? The Trinity—God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit—all present at this historic event. Now, listen once again, and afterwards, I’ll tell you how you and I are connected to this moment.

Whenever we choose to enter into a relationship with Jesus, the reconnection of our spirits to His is completed. Please know then, that He will, for the rest of your life, look at you and say, “This is my son, this is my daughter, chosen and marked by my love, the delight of my life.”

I’m betting that is exactly the way you look at your child. But you need to know this is how God sees you. And if you can accept and receive that is the way your Heavenly Father sees you, you will then be able to pass that truth on to your kids. If you believe it, they will more likely come to believe it as well.

Repeat this truth out loud right now … I am chosen … I am marked … by my Father’s love ... and I am the delight of His life. … Say it to Him … You have chosen me … You have marked me … by Your love … and I am the delight of Your life.

Let’s pray together: “Heavenly Father, thank You that You chose me, thank You that my life is marked by Your love. Thank You that I am the delight of Your life. Help me to show my kids that You and I, together, feel that way about them. As above, so below.”

Feb 20, 202409:34
Monday, February 19, 2024

Monday, February 19, 2024

Inside our theme of love this month, this week we are focusing on teaching our kids what love is. We have to lead and be their example, to help them see by words and actions that authenticity is the only way to understand love, especially the brand of love God gives us, not what the world throws at us every day. Real love and intimacy require vulnerability and sincerity. For all these reasons, God’s Word is the original love letter from His heart to ours. So with that in mind, let’s get started:

Regardless of your church or spiritual background you likely know some or all of John 3:16. But sometimes when a verse becomes almost cliché, we can miss its meaning. We no longer consider the deep truth behind the words. For that very reason, I want to read verse 16 and 17 today from The Message Bible. But before I read, I want to challenge you to do something that might be tough, especially if you have any sort of issue with God, and what you feel He has allowed to happen in your life … I want you to hear this passage as if it was the first and only thing you have ever heard about God and His love. … Listen closely to every word …

“This is how much God loved the world: He gave his Son, his one and only Son. And this is why: so that no one need be destroyed; by believing in him, anyone can have a whole and lasting life. God didn’t go to all the trouble of sending his Son merely to point an accusing finger, telling the world how bad it was. He came to help, to put the world right again. Anyone who trusts in him is acquitted; (John 3:16-17 MSG)

Hearing this truth with fresh and unbiased ears, what did you hear? Love? Sacrifice? A whole life? No accusations but setting the world right again? And the closing word? … Trust in Him equals acquittal. … Wow.

There is no question that the enemy of God, along with the events that occur in a broken and fallen world muddy up and mess up us seeing God as love, grace, mercy, and forgiveness.

Whatever negative and harmful concepts life has planted in your heart toward God, I want to encourage you to try and erase those lies and replace it with the truth of God’s Word.

Whatever your concept of God is, that is what you will show your kids. Your attitude and actions will far outweigh anything you say. To teach them the correct view of their heavenly Father, who Jesus called Abba or Daddy, you will have to first view Him as the God we hear about in today’s passage. So what needs to happen for you to correct your view of biblical love, not what the world has shown you, but what God wants to give you … and your kids?

Let’s pray together: “Heavenly Father, Abba, Daddy, help me to get rid of any wrong ideas or concepts I have that are not right about You. I never want anyone to misunderstand or misrepresent me, so help me to learn how to get You right … in my attitude, actions, and words … and to teach my kids who you really are. As above, so below.”

Feb 19, 202409:59
Friday, February 16, 2024

Friday, February 16, 2024

Today’s passage from Romans 12 

Don’t just pretend to love others. Really love them. Hate what is wrong. Hold tightly to what is good. Love each other with genuine affection and take delight in honoring each other. Never be lazy but work hard and serve the Lord enthusiastically. Rejoice in our confident hope. Be patient in trouble and keep on praying. When God’s people are in need, be ready to help them. Always be eager to practice hospitality. Bless those who persecute you. Don’t curse them; pray that God will bless them. Be happy with those who are happy, and weep with those who weep. Live in harmony with each other. Don’t be too proud to enjoy the company of ordinary people. And don’t think you know it all! Never pay back evil with more evil. Do things in such a way that everyone can see you are honorable. Do all that you can to live in peace with everyone. (Romans 12;9-18 NLT)


In a divided world - where and how are we called to love?

Think about a situation in your life or one that you have observed lately that impacts you in even a small way.


Listen to this passage from the Message Bible

Love from the center of who you are; don’t fake it. Run for dear life from evil; hold on for dear life to good. Be good friends who love deeply; practice playing second fiddle.

Don’t burn out; keep yourselves fueled and aflame. Be alert servants of the Master, cheerfully expectant. Don’t quit in hard times; pray all the harder. Help needy Christians; be inventive in hospitality.

Bless your enemies; no cursing under your breath. Laugh with your happy friends when they’re happy; share tears when they’re down. Get along with each other; don’t be stuck-up. Make friends with nobodies; don’t be the great somebody.

Don’t hit back; discover beauty in everyone. If you’ve got it in you, get along with everybody. Don’t insist on getting even; that’s not for you to do. “I’ll do the judging,” says God. “I’ll take care of it.”


What person or situation do you need to apply this part of the passage to?

Don’t hit back; discover beauty in everyone. If you’ve got it in you, get along with everybody. Don’t insist on getting even; that’s not for you to do. “I’ll do the judging,” says God. “I’ll take care of it.” 


 Let’s pray together: “Heavenly Father, please help me to keep re-defining love as the way You love, not as the world tells me. Help me to be free from barriers and pain and express You to everyone in all my circles. As above, so below.”

Feb 16, 202410:47
Thursday, February 15, 2024

Thursday, February 15, 2024

The words of Paul from Ephesians 4 …

Therefore I … beg you to lead a life worthy of your calling, for you have been called by God. Always be humble and gentle. Be patient with each other, making allowance for each other’s faults because of your love. Make every effort to keep yourselves united in the Spirit, binding yourselves together with peace. For there is one body and one Spirit, just as you have been called to one glorious hope for the future. There is one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all, who is over all, in all, and living through all.


A life surrendered and submitted to God will lead to humility, gentleness, patience, making allowance, making every effort, binding together as one. Addition, multiplication, increase not subtraction or devision.


With this in mind listen again to the passage in The Message Bible

In light of all this, here’s what I want you to … get out there and walk—better yet, run!—on the road God called you to travel. I don’t want any of you sitting around on your hands. I don’t want anyone strolling off, down some path that goes nowhere. And mark that you do this with humility and discipline—not in fits and starts, but steadily, pouring yourselves out for each other in acts of love, alert at noticing differences and quick at mending fences.

You were all called to travel on the same road and in the same direction, so stay together, both outwardly and inwardly. You have one Master, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all, who rules over all, works through all, and is present in all. Everything you are and think and do is permeated with Oneness.


Wouldn’t it be amazing for our kids to see us live lives marked by “humility and discipline—not in fits and starts, but steadily, pouring ourselves out for each other in acts of love, alert at noticing differences and quick at mending fences? Living lives that are permeated with Oneness.

Let’s pray together: “Heavenly Father, I want to be someone who adds to people, who multiplies what You give me, that increases in love, grace, and the fruit of Your Spirit. I pray my life be permeated with Oneness. As above, so below.”

Feb 15, 202409:56
Wednesday, February 14, 2024

Wednesday, February 14, 2024

Ephesians 2:14-18 NLT

For Christ himself has brought peace to us. He united Jews and Gentiles into one people when, in his own body on the cross, he broke down the wall of hostility that separated us. He did this by ending the system of law with its commandments and regulations. He made peace between Jews and Gentiles by creating in himself one new people from the two groups. Together as one body, Christ reconciled both groups to God by means of his death on the cross, and our hostility toward each other was put to death. He brought this Good News of peace to you Gentiles who were far away from him, and peace to the Jews who were near. Now all of us can come to the Father through the same Holy Spirit because of what Christ has done for us. 


When you hear the phrase “hostility towards each other” who comes to mind for you? I doubt it’s a race of people, but a person. Maybe two? We need to see the Bible’s teaching as principles of the heart that apply to all our relationships. 


In the quietness of this moment, you know that any hostility that has been built in your heart is not good for you. It’s not good for your kids. 


Where do you need God to “break down the wall of hostility that separates you”? Where do you need Him to “end the system of law with its commandments and regulations”? Where do you need Him to bring you peace and put hostility in your heart to a final death? For your sake.


Let’s pray together: “Heavenly Father, take any hostility I have, that which I realize and that which I don’t, or won’t, or can’t. I need to let go of barriers in my heart and receive what You have provided for me in love, grace, and protection. As above, so below.”

Feb 14, 202410:45
Tuesday, February 13, 2024

Tuesday, February 13, 2024

Matthew 9:9-13 NLT

As Jesus was walking along, he saw a man named Matthew sitting at his tax collector’s booth. “Follow me and be my disciple,” Jesus said to him. So Matthew got up and followed him. Later, Matthew invited Jesus and his disciples to his home as dinner guests, along with many tax collectors and other disreputable sinners. But when the Pharisees saw this, they asked his disciples, “Why does your teacher eat with such scum?” When Jesus heard this, he said, “Healthy people don’t need a doctor—sick people do.” Then he added, “Now go and learn the meaning of this Scripture: ‘I want you to show mercy, not offer sacrifices.’ For I have come to call not those who think they are righteous, but those who know they are sinners.” 

The Pharisees called the people Jesus was hanging out with “scum.” Jesus removed the barrier the pharisees had and dismantled the prejudice and in doing that actually established a new boundary. The new boundary was towards prejudice, judgment and even privilege.

What drove Jesus’ actions and words? Freedom, righteousness, justice, mercy, and love. When we follow Him, we have the best opportunity to do the same. Tear down barriers made by man and install boundaries built by God.

Is there anywhere in your life that you have created an unhealthy barrier or outlook between the those you consider righteous and those you consider sinners?

Let’s pray together: “Heavenly Father, I have to admit that sometimes I act like You, but sometimes I act like a Pharisee. And all the time, I am a sinner. Teach me, help me, to take down barriers to love in my life and build only the boundaries You are okay with. As above, so below.”

Feb 13, 202410:06
Monday, February 12, 2024

Monday, February 12, 2024

(Psalm 16:1-3, 5-8 NIV)

Keep me safe, my God, for in you I take refuge. I say to the Lord, “You are my Lord; apart from you I have no good thing.” I say of the holy people who are in the land, “They are the noble ones in whom is all my delight.” … Lord, you alone are my portion and my cup; you make my lot secure. The boundary lines have fallen for me in pleasant places; surely I have a delightful inheritance. I will praise the Lord, who counsels me; even at night my heart instructs me. I keep my eyes always on the Lord. With him at my right hand, I will not be shaken. (Psalm 16:1-3, 5-8 NIV)


“The boundary lines have fallen for me in pleasant places.”King David is counting his blessings and includes the fact that he likes where God has placed the boundaries in his life. 


Boundaries that both bless and protect him. Part of his spiritual inheritance from God includes proper boundaries.


So, that tells us where our boundaries must also come from … not from pain or revenge or walls around our heart … but from God who knows us and has our best interest in mind at all times.


Choosing to try and protect ourselves on our own terms usually ends up with an emotional wall that just creates more hurt. But when we allow God to lead us, He can provide a way to create a healthy boundary that blesses and protects, just like David referred to.


So, to love in the biblical sense, do you need to tear down a wall and trade it for a boundary? Or maybe there’s been nothing in place for you, and you realize a boundary needs to be installed for your health.


Let’s pray together: “Heavenly Father, I know that walls of protection too often become homemade prison cells. Teach me to create boundaries. Show me how to love the way You love. For myself. For my kids. For those who have hurt me and those who help me. As above, so below.”

Feb 12, 202409:58
Friday, February 9, 2024

Friday, February 9, 2024

You’d be hard-pressed to go to a Christian wedding and not hear some part of 1 Corinthians chapter 13 read, also known as The Love Chapter. But today, let’s look at how Paul defined biblical love in verses 4-7 as we think about being proactive in love to battle hate.

1 Corinthians 13

Love is patient and kind. Love is not jealous or boastful or proud, or rude. It does not demand its own way. It is not irritable, and it keeps no record of being wronged. It does not rejoice about injustice but rejoices whenever the truth wins out. Love never gives up, never loses faith, is always hopeful, and endures through every circumstance.

I tend to read or hear this passage and think about how I fall short in loving, based on the definition we are given here. Do you feel that way? Why might we hear these words through a negative filter? Because even with those closest to us, and when we work really hard to be good at love, we still have a selfish sin nature.

Can you think of a situation that you are aware of your conditional, maybe self-serving love towards another person?

So, how can we possibly love anyone like this passage talks about? Listen again to this same passage, but I’m going to change out one word throughout. That will give us the only possible way to love as we are taught here. Listen with your heart …

Jesus is patient and kind. Jesus is not jealous or boastful or proud or rude. Jesus does not demand his own way. He is not irritable, and He keeps no record of being wronged. Jesus does not rejoice about injustice but rejoices whenever the truth wins out. Jesus never gives up, never loses faith, is always hopeful, and endures through every circumstance.

Isn’t that incredible? Jesus can be interchanged with the word “love” because He is love and the embodiment of God’s love. So, the closer we get to Jesus, the closer we get to love. The more we follow Jesus, the more we walk in the ways of love.

Feb 09, 202409:49
Thursday, February 8, 2024

Thursday, February 8, 2024

Matthew 5:43-48 MSG - Jesus' Words

“You’re familiar with the old written law, ‘Love your friend,’ and its unwritten companion, ‘Hate your enemy.’ I’m challenging that. I’m telling you to love your enemies. Let them bring out the best in you, not the worst. When someone gives you a hard time, respond with the supple moves of prayer, for then you are working out of your true selves, your God-created selves. This is what God does. He gives his best—the sun to warm and the rain to nourish—to everyone, regardless: the good and bad, the nice and nasty. If all you do is love the lovable, do you expect a bonus? Anybody can do that. If you simply say hello to those who greet you, do you expect a medal? Any run-of-the-mill sinner does that. “In a word, what I’m saying is, Grow up. You’re kingdom subjects. Now live like it. Live out your God-created identity. Live generously and graciously toward others, the way God lives toward you.”


I ask you what has become a familiar question from me to you in this podcast: What words stood out to you? Say it back to yourself. Then ask why?


We don’t really like the world-turned-upside-down verses like “Love your enemy,” do we? When someone gives you a hard time, pray for them? Really? These are tough and challenging words, but then it’s also the very reason we are drawn to Jesus, right?

With this in mind listen again to part of the passage

“… I’m telling you to love your enemies. Let them bring out the best in you, not the worst. When someone gives you a hard time, respond with the supple moves of prayer, for then you are working out of your true selves, your God-created selves. This is what God does. He gives his best … to everyone, regardless: the good and bad, the nice and nasty. If all you do is love the lovable, do you expect a bonus? Anybody can do that. … “In a word, what I’m saying is, Grow up. You’re kingdom subjects. Now live like it. Live out your God-created identity. Live generously and graciously toward others, the way God lives toward you.”

Can you think of someone in your life, or maybe even someone you don’t know… but you know of, that you strongly dislike or perhaps even hate? Can you pray for them right now? Prayer changes things… more than changing others and circumstances…it changes us.


Let’s take a few moments and pray for those we don’t like but God says He loves. Pray that they would encounter God and His love the way you have.


What in Jesus’ teaching do you need to “grow up” in, as verse 48 stated? Where have you been rationalizing hate and you have to trade it in for some of God’s love? I love the last line … “live generously and graciously toward others, the way God lives toward you.”


Let’s pray together: “Heavenly Father, help me to love my friends more and turn any hatred I have to love and pray like You said. I know you know that’s hard but if anyone can help me get to that place, it’s You, right? Teach me to live generously and graciously. As above, so below.”

Feb 08, 202410:38
Wednesday, February 7, 2024

Wednesday, February 7, 2024

We know from history that humans have gone through constant change. When one part of the world is at peace, another is in chaos. Economies rise and fall. Civilizations rise and fall. Life and death are constantly occurring. But the reality is that any season won’t last for long. Things change. Life cycles.

King Solomon gave us one of the most prolific and poetic texts for this concept in Ecclesiastes 3, verses 1-8.

For everything there is a season, a time for every activity under heaven.

A time to be born and a time to die.

 A time to plant and a time to harvest.

 A time to kill and a time to heal.

 A time to tear down and a time to build up.

 A time to cry and a time to laugh.

 A time to grieve and a time to dance.

 A time to scatter stones and a time to gather stones.

 A time to embrace and a time to turn away.

 A time to search and a time to quit searching.

 A time to keep and a time to throw away.

 A time to tear and a time to mend.

 A time to be quiet and a time to speak.

 A time to love and a time to hate.

A time for war and a time for peace.


Ask yourself 2 questions.

Where do hear your own life, what time are you in right now?

Where did you hear our culture, where might we be right now?


Regardless of what time, or season you are in, or our culture is in, one truth remains, the other side of the coin, the other “time” will come back around soon enough.

Interestingly, all of these ‘times’ I just read are choices we make. Deliberate mindsets, or as the scripture calls it, ‘activities’ that we choose. 

Is there a mindset that you need to reaffirm today? Or maybe readjust?


Let’s pray together: “Heavenly Father, You created the seasons and the times of our lives. Help me to know what time you want it to be for me in every season. But help me to constantly make the current season a time to gather, embrace, mend, and love. As above, so below.”

Feb 07, 202410:17
Tuesday, February 6, 2024

Tuesday, February 6, 2024

Psalm 97:9

You who love the Lord, hate evil! He protects the lives of his godly people and rescues them from the power of the wicked.(NLT)

So what does God hate and tell us to hate? … He says if you love Him then you will hate evil. So is evil a person? … No. Evil is the outcome of disobedience. Disobedience to God is sin, which creates evil. So, we are to hate disobedience to God and its results. Can you picture an outcome of your disobedience to God? 

While there most certainly is grace for our disobedience, can you attach a sense of hatred for the outcome of that disobedience you have encountered? We are not to hate ourselves for the disobedience, but the forces that oppose God inside our own hearts and in the world today. So, what good does it do to hate that evil? The answer is a response of avoidance, of abstinence … of evil.

Today, I’m going to provide some current context to hating evil by reading Ephesians 6:1… 

Be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on all of God’s armor so that you will be able to stand firm against all strategies of the devil. For we are not fighting against flesh-and-blood enemies, but against evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, against mighty powers in this dark world, and against evil spirits in the heavenly places. Therefore, put on every piece of God’s armor so you will be able to resist the enemy in the time of evil. Then after the battle you will still be standing firm.

Who are we not fighting? Flesh and blood. Each other. We may do evil things out of disobedience, but we are not evil. 

Evil exists, evil is the destruction that comes from sin. We have an enemy, God has an enemy, Satan and his spirits. A force that exists in this fallen world that leads us to disobedience which leads to our destruction. So, how do we guard ourselves from this destruction? By hating the destruction the enemy wants for us and by putting on the full armor of God. We cannot fight an unseen power with our own ‘seen’ efforts. God’s Power, His spirit enables us to resist the enemy. 

Psalm 97:9-11 …

You who love the Lord, hate evil! He protects the lives of his godly people and rescues them from the power of the wicked. 


Love God. Hate Evil. Really feel the hate that disobedience to God’s ways brings to your life. Claim God’s power as your own to protect again the evil our enemy has planned for us.


Let’s pray together: “Heavenly Father, forgive me when I show love for evil by cooperating with it. But help me to hate that which opposes You, even the sin in me. Teach me to love You more, and help me to show love that can conquer hate. As above, so below.”

Feb 06, 202410:43
Monday, February 5, 2024

Monday, February 5, 2024

In John 17, Jesus’s prayer in the Garden of Gethsemane, we find God’s answer to redeem the Garden of Eden.

John 17 - Starting vs. 13 - THE MESSAGE

“I’m saying these things in the world’s hearing

 So my people can experience

 My joy completed in them.

 I gave them your word;

 The godless world hated them because of it,

 Because they didn’t join the world’s ways,

 Just as I didn’t join the world’s ways.

 I’m not asking that you take them out of the world

 But that you guard them from the Evil One.

 They are no more defined by the world

 Than I am defined by the world.

 Make them holy—consecrated—with the truth;

 Your word is consecrating truth.

 In the same way that you gave me a mission in the world,

 I give them a mission in the world.

 I’m consecrating myself for their sakes

 So they’ll be truth-consecrated in their mission.

I’m praying not only for them

 But also for those who will believe in me

 Because of them and their witness about me.

 The goal is for all of them to become one heart and mind—

 Just as you, Father, are in me and I in you,

 So they might be one heart and mind with us.

 Then the world might believe that you, in fact, sent me.

 The same glory you gave me, I gave them,

 So they’ll be as unified and together as we are—

 I in them and you in me.

 Then they’ll be mature in this oneness,

 And give the godless world evidence

 That you’ve sent me and loved them

 In the same way you’ve loved me. (John 17:13-23)


Jesus recognized the hate in the world that is opposite His heart for the world. But He also said while we do not belong here, He leaves us here. Why? To reflect His love in the same world that hates His ways. That simplifies and hones our mission on earth. We are here to be His love to others, even in the midst of hate.  

Jesus was praying specifically for his disciples initially here, who are physically with him, then he looks beyond the present to the future - to you and me. 

Listen again to what He prays specifically for you - 

I’m praying not only for them (his disciples)

 But also for those who will believe in me (that’s you)

 Because of them and their witness about me.

 The goal is for all of them to become one heart and mind—

 Just as you, Father, are in me and I in you,

 So they might be one heart and mind with us.

 Then the world might believe that you, in fact, sent me.

 The same glory you gave me, I gave them,

 So they’ll be as unified and together as we are…

 And give the godless world evidence

 That you’ve sent me and loved them

 In the same way you’ve loved me.


Can you ask Jesus right now to unify your heart for the world with His? To be evidence of His love for others - not your love - But becoming His love for others - the world.

Who is one person that comes to mind that you need to extend God’s love, beyond your love, to today?


 Let’s pray together: “Heavenly Father, You are love and You also know what it feels like to be hated, to the point of death. You were hated centuries ago and You are hated today. Help me to be an expression of Your love, not mine, and to be an answer for the hate in this world. Teach me to love like You. As above, so below.”

Feb 05, 202410:40
Friday, February 2, 2024

Friday, February 2, 2024

Today, we close out our week, focusing on hope.

Romans15:13 

May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.


Hope is something that often eludes us. Day-to-day, we can get so lost in the stress and anxiety of our culture that our sense of hope feels diminished. That’s why this passage cuts through. It starts by saying that we are sons and daughters of the ‘God of hope’. 


What is an area in your life right now that feels hopeless?

It says we will be filled with hope, joy and peace as we trust in Him. 

Right now, can you reaffirm your trust in our God of hope?

It also says the power of the Holy Spirit will cause us to overflow with hope.

Can you invite the Holy Spirit to release the power of Hope in your life so that it ‘overflows to those around us?


Pray with me: “God of hope, please fill me with joy and peace, and help me trust you in all areas of my life. I ask that your Holy Spirit would fill me with the hope that overflows into those around me. As above, so below. ”

Feb 02, 202409:29
Thursday, February 1, 2024

Thursday, February 1, 2024

Psalm 77:11-15

I will remember the deeds of the Lord;

    yes, I will remember your miracles of long ago.

I will consider all your works

    and meditate on all your mighty deeds.”

Your ways, God, are holy.

    What god is as great as our God?

You are the God who performs miracles;

    you display your power among the peoples.

With your mighty arm you redeemed your people,

    the descendants of Jacob and Joseph.


There is a Hebrew word that shows up often in the Bible; the word is  ZAKAR, meaning remember. Often when God had provided a way through or a victory, people who witnessed it would stop what they were doing, and build an altar to celebrate the faithfulness of God. Jesus, on his last night with his disciples before his crucifixion, told us all to do this very thing. To take the bread and the cup in remembrance of him. There’s more to this practice than just calling back to mind something that has happened. It is ruminating on the faithfulness of God that anchors us. 


Can you think of a situation where you didn’t see a way through, where you had come to the end of yourself, but God came through? 

Take a moment and put yourself back in that situation of desperation, feel the doubt, feel the fear, and now remember what it felt like when you realized things were going to be OK... when you saw God come through. 


Ruminate on what it felt like for God to deliver, and know that that same power is available to you right now, whatever you are facing


Let’s pray together: “Father, help me to commit myself to the act of remembrance. To remember Your faithful power that I have seen at work in my life. Help me to hold on to that awareness when I come into situations where I don’t know what to do. As above, so below”

Feb 01, 202409:47
Wednesday, January 31, 2024

Wednesday, January 31, 2024

Psalm 107:1-9

Oh, thank God—he’s so good!

    His love never runs out.

 All of you set free by God, tell the world!

    Tell how he freed you from oppression,

 Then rounded you up from all over the place,

    from the four winds, from the seven seas.

Some of you wandered for years in the desert,

    looking but not finding a good place to live,

 Half-starved and parched with thirst,

    staggering and stumbling, on the brink of exhaustion.

 Then, in your desperate condition, you called out to God.

    He got you out in the nick of time;

 He put your feet on a wonderful road

    that took you straight to a good place to live.

 So thank God for his marvelous love,

    for his miracle mercy to the children he loves.

 He poured great drafts of water down parched throats;

    the starved and hungry got plenty to eat.


This is a beautiful Psalm about the goodness of God. So many times in life, we can feel knocked around by circumstances. Feeling overwhelmed by the demands, the responsibilities and the challenges that we all face, can sometimes take our focus off the goodness of God . 


This Psalm has 34 more verses just like the ones we’ve read. Over and over, describing God coming to our aid in difficult circumstances and challenges. The common thread of all these verses explains the only thing that we are responsible for is calling out to him… and he comes through. 


Take a moment to realize the goodness of God in your life is just a request away. Crying out to him doesn’t always result in us getting our way, but it does lead us to an abundant life, even amid the circumstances that we find ourselves in. That abundant life is God's goodness, and we can be expectant that he delivers His abundance, peace, and reassurance if we just cry out for him. 


Be aware that his goodness and presence are all around you regardless of your circumstance.


PRAY

Father thank you for your goodness which always comes through. Please help me to be patient. Help me to be aware and expectant that amid whatever challenge I find myself in, your abundance… your goodness is always available. As above, so below.

Jan 31, 202409:53
Tuesday, January 30, 2024

Tuesday, January 30, 2024

Today our scripture reading is from Colossians 3:15-17

 Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful. Let the message of Christ dwell among you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom through psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit, singing to God with gratitude in your hearts. And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him. 


Having a spirit of gratitude is one of the most powerful tools that God has given us. The act of giving thanks, of feeling gratitude can actually change our brain chemistry. 


No matter what situation you find yourself in, there’s always something around you worth giving thanks for. It may be a small thing, it may be a significant thing. Every day we wake up with a choice. That choice is what we focus on. We can focus on a sense of lack, or what we’re missing, or we can choose to find and focus on those things we are grateful for. And allow the peace of Christ to rule our hearts. 


Can you think of one thing that you are grateful for ?Maybe its a person, something that has happened, or something that is a blessing - like health, or provision.

Focus on that one thing and everything about that one thing that you are grateful for. Feel it in your body, feel the gratitude and worship Your father in the spirit of gratitude.


Pray with me: “Father I have so much to be grateful for. Help me to work into the discipline of choosing to be grateful, of choosing to find things to give thanks for. Let your peace rule in my heart. As above So Below. ”

Jan 30, 202409:29
Monday, January 29, 2024

Monday, January 29, 2024

2 Corinthians 12:5-10

….I will not boast about myself, except about my weaknesses. Even if I should choose to boast, I would not be a fool, because I would be speaking the truth. But I refrain, so no one will think more of me than is warranted by what I do or say, or because of these surpassingly great revelations. Therefore, in order to keep me from becoming conceited, I was given a thorn in my flesh, a messenger of Satan, to torment me. Three times I pleaded with the Lord to take it away from me. But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me. That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong.


When we look at our lives, they are full of victories and full of setbacks. In these verses, Paul clarifies the true source of strength. God's strength. He also speaks of ‘a thorn in the flesh’, placed there to keep him from being conceited. It’s interesting to reframe the challenges in our life, failures in our life, and seeing even those play a divine purpose in our lives. 

What area of your life feels weak right now? 

What is the difficulty in your life right now?

"When I am weak, then I am strong."

This message is countercultural to our society which preaches self-reliance. 

Can you admit your weakness to God right now?

Ask for him to give you not only the strength to make it through but also the awareness that in your weakness, He is strong, Turning all things for your good and His glory


Let’s pray: “Holy Father, thank you for your power that shines in my weakness. I confess my failings, I confess my weakness, and I acknowledge those areas of struggle and hardship in the very areas where are you are shining brightest through me.”

Jan 29, 202409:27
Friday, January 26, 2024

Friday, January 26, 2024

Today, we live in a world that has lost the true biblical concept of grace and forgiveness. We turn on the news to hear another horrible stat and see that evil somehow seemed to win again. Yet, many passages in the New Testament encourage us that, no matter how bad anyone else gets, how bad the culture gets, we must keep steady in our faith and follow God even if that means walking against the grain and walking alone.

Listen to 2 Peter 3:17-18:

My dear friends, you have been warned ahead of time! So don’t let the errors of evil people lead you down the wrong path and make you lose your balance. Let the wonderful kindness and the understanding that come from our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ help you to keep on growing. Praise Jesus now and forever! Amen.


Scripture warns us that we have to stay away from evil to keep our balance and stay on the right path. How? By growing in the wonderful kindness and understanding of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.


What is one area of your life that you tend to follow the ‘path’ of the world? We all struggle with this.


What would it look like to apply these principles of 'kindness and understanding' to that situation or area of your life?


Let’s pray together: “Heavenly Father, one thing about the world getting worse is that the disparity between good and evil, right and wrong, You and Satan, are quite clear. Help me every day to stay away from evil by staying close to You. With You, in You, I have nothing to fear and everything to gain. As above, so below.”

Jan 26, 202410:30
Thursday, January 25, 2024

Thursday, January 25, 2024

Deuteronomy 32:46-47:

“Take to heart all the words I have solemnly declared to you this day, so that you may command your children to obey carefully all the words of this law. They are not just idle words for you—they are your life. By them you will live long in the land you are to possess.”

In our quote-unquote Christian culture, it is so easy for us to hear Bible verses and treat them like “idle words,” isn’t it? But what did God call His laws, His precepts, His principles? … They are your life. Literally, “Words to live by”.

With this in mind listen again to the passage, this time from The Message

“Take to heart all these words to which I give witness today and urgently command your children to put them into practice, every single word of this Revelation. Yes. This is no small matter for you; it’s your life. In keeping this word you’ll have a good and long life in this land …

think for a moment what having a good and long life in this land means to you. 

The scripture tells us the living by His word is no small matter, it’s literally your life. Is there an area of life right now that you know you are not living according to God‘s laws?

Instead of just beating yourself up and heaping more shame and guilt on yourself, can you reframe it and see that God‘s commands and God‘s laws are for your benefit. This is not just trying to control behavior… it’s like looking at scripture as an instruction or user guide for our life.

Now, how can we pass that critical principle down to our kids?

Let’s pray together: “Heavenly Father, I know I am the pathway of Your Word and Your life to my kids. Help me find ways to express You to them and make Your Word a part of our everyday

life. For You to be the head of my home. As above, so below.”

Jan 25, 202409:43
Wednesday, January 24, 2024

Wednesday, January 24, 2024

Isaiah 55 verses 10 thru 12:

“The rain and snow come down from the heavens and stay on the ground to water the earth.
They cause the grain to grow, producing seed for the farmer and bread for the hungry.
It is the same with my word.

I send it out, and it always produces fruit.
It will accomplish all I want it to, and it will prosper everywhere I send it.
You will live in joy and peace.”


Lets think through this

Who sends out God’s Word? … He does.

What does it do when He sends it out? … Produces fruit.

When will it produce fruit when He sends it out? … Always. … Not sometimes, but always.

So, how do we receive His Word? Reading, listening to, ruminating on Scripture. Just as we are doing right now.

With this in mind listen again to the passage, this time from The Message

“Just as rain and snow descend from the skies and don’t go back until they’ve watered the earth,
Doing their work of making things grow and blossom, producing seed for farmers and food for the hungry, So will the words that come out of my mouth not come back empty-handed.
They’ll do the work I sent them to do, they’ll complete the assignment I gave them. So you’ll go out in joy, you’ll be led into a whole and complete life.”

This passage is not a metaphor. It literally means that when we take in God’s Word, it will do a work in our lives. Our part is simply to obey and allow the Word to do the work God intended. That is why you can read a verse a hundred times over many years and get something different out of it almost every time.

As we take a few more deep breathes think about this promise to you from the scripture

So will the words that come out of my mouth not come back empty-handed.
They’ll do the work I sent them to do… So you’ll go out in joy, you’ll be led into a whole and complete life.”

Let’s pray together: “Heavenly Father, I invite Your Spirit to interpret to me what You want to say and do every time I hear any Scripture. Complete Your assignment in me. As above, so below.”

Jan 24, 202409:15
Tuesday, January 23, 2024

Tuesday, January 23, 2024

Psalm 1 from the Message Bible

How well God must like you—

 you don’t walk in the ruts of those blind-as-bats,

 you don’t stand with the good-for-nothings,

 you don’t take your seat among the know-it-alls.

Instead you thrill to God’s Word, you chew on Scripture day and night.

You’re a tree replanted in Eden, bearing fresh fruit every month,

 Never dropping a leaf, always in blossom.

You’re not at all like the wicked, who are mere windblown dust—

 Without defense in court, unfit company for innocent people.

God charts the road you take.


David tells us how much God loves obedience as he contrasts those who follow God versus those who don’t. But verse 2 talks about the concept of rumination on God’s Word, which is exactly what Sound Mind Set is all about. “Instead you thrill to God’s Word, you chew on Scripture day and night.” The way we find truth and find balance in this life is by repeating, thinking on, considering, and ruminating on His Word, allowing it to have a 24/7 impact on us.


As you have been listening to the passages of the Bible I read each day, do you find yourself thinking on, even repeating back parts of a verse to yourself later in the day or when a difficult circumstance arises? Almost like a song can get stuck in your head that you find yourself singing later? That, my friend, is rumination. And God loves it and can work in your life to bring balance in your heart and your home when that happens.


As you think/ruminate about a phrase that stood out to you from the scripture


Let’s pray together: “Heavenly Father, I want Your Word to go deep into my spirit to speak to me and make a difference. Bring the verses You want me to live by back to my mind as I go through my days and my nights. As above, so below.”


If this has been helpful, will you help us in spreading the word by sharing this on your social media. You can do that where you see the three dots below or above the podcast cover on your podcast platform. Share to Facebook and encourage friends to join us each day for a few minutes; to get still and know God more because Scripture promises that He meets us in the stillness.

Jan 23, 202409:38
Monday, January 22, 2024

Monday, January 22, 2024

Today, we look at Proverbs 8, a prophetic chapter where the word “Wisdom” correlates to Christ. The “me” here is Jesus. Verses 32 thru 35:

“And so, my children, listen to me, for all who follow my ways are joyful.

 Listen to my instruction and be wise. Don’t ignore it.

 Joyful are those who listen to me,

watching for me daily at my gates,

waiting for me outside my home!

For whoever finds me finds life and receives favor from the Lord.”


What do these verses tell us to do? There are 5 action items …

Follow His ways.

Listen to His instruction.

Listen to Him.

Watch for Him.

And the really tough one … Wait for Him.


No one could honestly say that following Jesus is easy in today's world. I have found that the world tends to offer us the easy way in the short-term, which rarely makes the long-term good. With the Lord, the short term is often hard, but the long term turns out right … if we listen … if we don’t ignore Him … if we watch … if we wait. We will find life and we will find favor from the Lord.

… if we listen … if we watch … if we wait.


Let’s pray together: “Heavenly Father, so often in my life choosing You over the world or my own way is hard. Please help me to listen for You, to You, to not ignore You, to watch for You, and the hardest one … to wait for You. As above, so below.”

Jan 22, 202409:54
Friday, January 19, 2024

Friday, January 19, 2024

Today, we will read the passage that contains what became known as The Lord’s Prayer—Matthew 6:6-13. The words of Jesus.

But when you pray, go away by yourself, shut the door behind you, and pray to your Father in private. Then your Father, who sees everything, will reward you. “When you pray, don’t babble on and on as the Gentiles do. They think their prayers are answered merely by repeating their words again and again. Don’t be like them, for your Father knows exactly what you need even before you ask him! Pray like this: Our Father in heaven, may your name be kept holy. May your Kingdom come soon. May your will be done on earth, as it is in heaven. Give us today the food we need, and forgive us our sins, as we have forgiven those who sin against us. And don’t let us yield to temptation, but rescue us from the evil one.

The time we invest in prayer is going to pay dividends as we live our life. The time in private with God is going to be seen in public with others because prayer changes us, changes our thinking, and changes our circumstances. Jesus says that the key to our prayers doesn’t lie in repetition to Him but in relationship with Him.

With this in mind, listen again to the passage from the Message translation. Jesus says to you, and I

The world is full of so-called prayer warriors who are prayer-ignorant. They’re full of formulas and programs and advice, peddling techniques for getting what you want from God. Don’t fall for that nonsense. This is your Father you are dealing with, and he knows better than you what you need. With a God like this loving you, you can pray very simply. Like this: Our Father in heaven, Reveal who you are. Set the world right; Do what’s best—as above, so below. Keep us alive with three square meals. Keep us forgiven with you and forgiving others. Keep us safe from ourselves and the Devil. You’re in charge! You can do anything you want! You’re ablaze in beauty! Yes. Yes. Yes.

Such a great rendering of The Lord’s Prayer. Did you notice our closing to all our prayers for Sound Mind Set? … As above, so below. … This is where that comes from. As above, so below is our goal for life.

Let’s pray together: “Heavenly Father, I use Jesus’ words today to close in prayer … Our Father in Heaven, reveal who you are. Set the world right; Do what’s best. Keep us alive with three square meals. Keep us forgiven with you and forgiving others. Keep us safe from ourselves and the Devil. You’re in charge! You can do anything you want! You’re ablaze in beauty! Yes. Yes. Yes. … As above, so below.”

Jan 19, 202410:27
Thursday, January 18, 2024

Thursday, January 18, 2024

Matthew 5:3-10 is called the Sermon on the Mount—one of Jesus’s most well-known teachings.

Matthew 5:3-10 “God blesses those who are poor and realize their need for him, for the Kingdom of Heaven is theirs. God blesses those who mourn, for they will be comforted. God blesses those who are humble, for they will inherit the whole earth. God blesses those who hunger and thirst for justice, for they will be satisfied. God blesses those who are merciful, for they will be shown mercy. God blesses those whose hearts are pure, for they will see God. God blesses those who work for peace, for they will be called the children of God. God blesses those who are persecuted for doing right, for the Kingdom of Heaven is theirs.

Again, I want to ask you if any line or phrase or word stood out to you? If so, say it out loud now. … Take a moment to ask God why He had that stand out to you?

This time through, I will paraphrase the passage, turning the words into personal language and only reading certain parts for you to hear it differently…

“God … realizes your need for him, for the Kingdom of Heaven [is yours]. … mourn, [and you] will be comforted. [be] humble, [and you] will inherit the whole earth. … hunger and thirst for justice, [and you] will be satisfied. [be] merciful, [and you] will be shown mercy. [be] pure, [and you] will see God. … work for peace, [and you] will be called the children of God. Do [what is] right, [and] the Kingdom of Heaven is [yours].

Which of Jesus’ teachings here do you feel like He asking you to focus on right now?


You likely know the reason, but if not, ask Him. He wants you to know … and tell you why.


For those who follow Christ, the Kingdom of Heaven starts here. The Kingdom of Heaven is yours … right now.


Let’s pray together: “Heavenly Father, thank You for such incredible teachings and challenges. Thank You for every promise You offer for a balanced and blessed life. I want to experience the Kingdom of Heaven starting here, right now. So I mean it when I say … As above, so below.”

Jan 18, 202409:57
Wednesday, January 17, 2024

Wednesday, January 17, 2024

Yesterday we were in Proverbs chapter 2. Today, we turn the page to chapter 3. 

My child, never forget the things I have taught you. Store my commands in your heart. If you do this, you will live many years, and your life will be satisfying. Never let loyalty and kindness leave you! Tie them around your neck as a reminder. Write them deep within your heart. Then you will find favor with both God and people, and you will earn a good reputation. Trust in the Lord with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding. Seek his will in all you do, and he will show you which path to take. (v. 1-6 NLT)

Finding favor with both God and people, as verse 4 states, would be a sign of a fulfilled and balanced life, would it not? Again, God promises He can do these things in our lives when we surrender and submit to Him and His ways. 

How might personal expressions like loyalty, kindness, faithfulness, and trust help you find better balance with everyone in your life? For these to become genuine in life, we must slow down and focus on others. Exactly the way we win favor and a good reputation.

With this in mind listen again to the passage, this time from The Message

Good friend, don’t forget all I’ve taught you; take to heart my commands. They’ll help you live a long, long time, a long life lived full and well. Don’t lose your grip on Love and Loyalty. Tie them around your neck; carve their initials on your heart.

 Earn a reputation for living well in God’s eyes and the eyes of the people. Trust God from the bottom of your heart; don’t try to figure out everything on your own. Listen for God’s voice in everything you do, everywhere you go; he’s the one who will keep you on track.

Did you notice twice in that version of the passage, the words “living well” were used? What we all desire. What we all seek. To live well.

Let’s pray together: “Heavenly Father, teach me to take the time to listen for You, teach me to hear when You speak, teach me to know the difference in my voice and Yours, others’ voices and Yours. I want to learn Your voice just as clearly as my closest friend’s. As above, so below.”

Jan 17, 202409:54
Tuesday, January 16, 2024

Tuesday, January 16, 2024

Proverbs 2,


King Solomon speaks to our personal bandwidth, mental, spiritual, and physical balance.


My child, listen to what I say, and treasure my commands. Tune your ears to wisdom, and concentrate on understanding. Cry out for insight, and ask for understanding. Search for them as you would for silver; seek them like hidden treasures. Then you will understand what it means to fear the Lord, and you will gain knowledge of God. For the Lord grants wisdom! From his mouth come knowledge and understanding. He grants a treasure of common sense to the honest. He is a shield to those who walk with integrity. He guards the paths of the just and protects those who are faithful to him. Then you will understand what is right, just, and fair, and you will find the right way to go. For wisdom will enter your heart, and knowledge will fill you with joy. Wise choices will watch over you. Understanding will keep you safe. (vv. 1-11 NLT)


Was there a sentence or phrase or maybe even a certain word that jumped out at you as I read?


That is often how God speaks to us through His Word. He will pull out a specific message for you for this moment, for this day. If so, focus on that throughout your day.


With this in mind listen to the passage again


From his mouth come knowledge and understanding. He grants a treasure of common sense to the honest. He is a shield to those who walk with integrity. He guards the paths of the just and protects those who are faithful to him. Then you will understand what is right, just, and fair, and you will find the right way to go. For wisdom will enter your heart, and knowledge will fill you with joy. Wise choices will watch over you. Understanding will keep you safe. (vv. 1-11 NLT)


God promises of Wisdom. Understanding. Insight. Knowledge. Common sense. Integrity. Justice. Protection. All promises from God when we seek Him. This ancient promise is yours. “Wisdom will enter your heart. Knowledge will fill you with joy. Wise choices will watch over you. Understanding will keep you safe.”


Let’s pray together: “Heavenly Father, I want Your wisdom, understanding, knowledge, and insight. I submit my schedule, my time and energy to You, to teach me the way to live, how to live, with You and for You. As above, so below.”

Jan 16, 202409:54
Monday, January 15, 2024

Monday, January 15, 2024

In Exodus 18, Moses’s father-in-law Jethro watched him do his work one day in serving the people. He saw the stress on both his son-in-law and the people waiting for him. So he shared his wisdom with Moses. Listen Exodus 18


When Moses’ father-in-law saw all that Moses was doing for the people, he asked, “What are you really accomplishing here? Why are you trying to do all this alone while everyone stands around you from morning till evening?”… “This is not good!” Moses’ father-in-law exclaimed. “You’re going to wear yourself out—and the people, too. This job is too heavy a burden for you to handle all by yourself. Now listen to me, and let me give you a word of advice, and may God be with you. … select from all the people some capable, honest men who fear God. Appoint them as leaders … Let the leaders decide the smaller matters themselves. They will help you carry the load, making the task easier for you. If you follow this advice, and if God commands you to do so, then you will be able to endure the pressures, and all these people will go home in peace.” (vv. 14-23 NLT)


Does trying to do everything alone and not bother anyone for help sound familiar to you? Does wearing yourself out hit close to home?


With this in mind listen again to these specific parts of this passage with a bit of adaptation directed at you personally


“You’re going to wear yourself out ... This job is too heavy a burden for you to handle all by yourself. Now listen to me, and let me give you a word of advice, and may God be with you. … let some capable, honest … [people] … help you carry the load, making the task easier for you. If you follow this advice, and if God commands you to do so, then you will be able to endure the pressures, and all these people will go home in peace.”


God has placed people in your life that want to help you. Is it time to identify who they are, ask for their help, and finally agree to let them help because they have been offering?


We can’t truly achieve balance in life by ourselves. We need the help of others. Just like Jethro changed Moses’ life and helped the people too with his advice, your life can be blessed and balanced by allowing others into your life.


Let’s pray together: “Heavenly Father, thank You for examples like this in Scripture that offer real wisdom for life. Help me to identify who can help me. Help me say yes when someone offers when I know it’s right. I need Your help to balance family, work, and all of life. As above, so below.”

Jan 15, 202410:03
Friday, January 12, 2024

Friday, January 12, 2024

Luke 12:25-31 - The words of Jesus

Can all your worries add a single moment to your life? And if worry can’t accomplish a little thing like that, what’s the use of worrying over bigger things? “Look at the lilies and how they grow. They don’t work or make their clothing, yet Solomon in all his glory was not dressed as beautifully as they are. And if God cares so wonderfully for flowers that are here today and thrown into the fire tomorrow, he will certainly care for you. Why do you have so little faith? “And don’t be concerned about what to eat and what to drink. Don’t worry about such things. These things dominate the thoughts of unbelievers all over the world, but your Father already knows your needs. Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and he will give you everything you need.


Did you catch what Jesus said about thoughts? The details of life …eating, drinking, clothing … are the things non-believers stay focused on … basically, constantly taking care of themselves first.


With this in mind listen again what Jesus says about being consumed with self reliance from this passage

“Don’t worry about such things. These things dominate the thoughts of unbelievers all over the world, but your Father already knows your needs. Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and he will give you everything you need.”


When we leave the details of life to God, when we fix our thoughts on Him, when we believe that He will take care of our business, that allows us the time, energy, and focus to consider His business, which is ministering to others in His name. Seeking the Kingdom of God first because everything we need will come from Him.


Let’s pray together: “Heavenly Father, I already worry takes away from my life. I don’t want to think the way I used to anymore. I don’t want to waste time on things that don’t really matter. Teach me to put You and Your kingdom first and to trust that You will always take care of me. As above, so below.”

Jan 12, 202410:03
Thursday, January 11, 2024

Thursday, January 11, 2024

Isaiah 26:3-4.

You will keep in perfect peace all who trust in you, all whose thoughts are fixed on you! Trust in the Lord always, for the Lord God is the eternal Rock.

Wow … perfect peace. Who doesn’t want that? But the promise of perfect of peace only comes how? Placing full trust and fixing our thoughts on God. Another way to communicate this would be to always have a bigger focus on God than any problem.

With this in mind listen again to the passage

Listen to this passage in The Message Bible: People with their minds set on you,  you keep completely whole, Steady on their feet,  because they keep at it and don’t quit. Depend on God and keep at it because in the Lord God you have a sure thing.

To work toward complete wholeness, we must set our minds on God. Depend on Him.

What would it look like if next time we have an insurmountable problem… instead of thinking, fixing our eyes on the problem, we fix our eyes on God. Think about Him and His power. How might that change our experience?

Listen to our original verse once more: You will keep in perfect peace all who trust in you, all whose thoughts are fixed on you!

Let’s pray together: “Heavenly Father, I long for peace. I want balance, to be steady. To have my feet on a rock. Help me to fix my thoughts on You, to keep my eyes on You and not the problems and challenges of my life…not to deny them but to defer them to You. Where they belong. As above, so below.”

Jan 11, 202409:46
Wednesday, January 10, 2024

Wednesday, January 10, 2024

Psalm 77

Listen to verses 1-3 and 10-13. 

I cry out to God; yes, I shout. Oh, that God would listen to me! When I was in deep trouble, I searched for the Lord. All night long I prayed, with hands lifted toward heaven, but my soul was not comforted. I think of God, and I moan, overwhelmed with longing for his help. … And I said, “This is my fate; the Most High has turned his hand against me.” But then I recall all you have done, O Lord; I remember your wonderful deeds of long ago. They are constantly in my thoughts. I cannot stop thinking about your mighty works. O God, your ways are holy. Is there any god as mighty as you?


The psalmist says that just when he feels like God has turned His back on him because of troubles, he remembers everything that God has done. All His mighty works.


When you feel like your back is against the wall and begin to wonder where God is, where does your mind take you? What are your thoughts about God?

With this in mind listen again to the passage

Listen to verses 10-13 again: And I said, “This is my fate; the Most High has turned his hand against me.” But then I recall all you have done, O Lord; I remember your wonderful deeds of long ago. They are constantly in my thoughts. I cannot stop thinking about your mighty works. O God, your ways are holy. Is there any god as mighty as you?

I once read this quote: “What we think about the most is our God.” … Tough but true.

How can you “remember God’s wonderful deeds”? How can He be constantly in your thoughts? More than your trouble and stresses? More than your fears and doubts?

Let’s pray together: “Heavenly Father, when I feel like life is coming apart, help me to think about You and what You have done, not what might happen to me because of bad things from the past or what might come. Help me to remember You first and give the problem to You. As above, so below.”

Jan 10, 202409:58