anger vs. love

Anger is easy.

Love is always worth the effort.

"Love is...

not easily angered,

it keeps no record of wrongs."

1 Corinthians 13:4a,5b

possibilities

Is anything too difficult for God?

No. Not one thing.

Jesus looked at them and said,

"With man this is impossible,

but with God all things are possible."

Jesus looked at them and said,

"With man this is impossible, but not with God;

all things are possible with God."

"For nothing is impossible with God."

Matthew 19:26, Mark 10:27, Luke 1:37 NIV

steps

We are most content,

when we keep in step with God,

rather than trying to keep up

with someone else.

"The steps of a man

are established by the Lord,

when he delights in his way."

Psalm 37:23 ESV

voices

Out of all the people in the world,

God recognizes your voice.

"In my distress I called to the Lord;

I cried to my God for help.

From His temple He heard my voice;

my cry came before Him, into His ears."

Psalm 18:6 NIV

Merry Christmas

May our celebrations begin, middle, and end

with Jesus our Savior.

"And the angel said to them,

'Fear not, for behold,

I bring you good news of great joy

that will be for all people.

For unto you is born this day

in the city of David a Savior,

who is Christ the Lord.'"

Luke 2:10-11 ESV

searching for happiness

After all our searching elsewhere, we will find,

no happiness compares with the joy

that is ours in Christ.

"Rejoice in the Lord always.

I will say it again: Rejoice!"

Philippians 4:4 NIV

can't sleep?

Sleepless nights can be very beneficial.

"I will praise the Lord, who counsels me;

even at night my heart instructs me."

Psalm 16:7 NIV

on value

The value of an item is determined

by the price a person will pay for it.

Imagine how much God values you.

"For God so loved the world, that He gave

His only Son, that whoever believes in Him

should not perish but have eternal life."

John 3:16 ESV

Christmas joy

Jesus...

the joy of Christmas.

"Though you have not seen Him, you love Him;

and even though you do not see Him now,

you believe in Him and are filled with

an inexpressible and glorious joy,

for you are receiving the goal of your faith,

the salvation of your souls."

1 Peter 1:8-9 NIV

don't give up

There are times when we don't know

if the thing we desire and are praying for

is part of God's plan--

so we keep on praying until we do.

"Then Jesus told His disciples a parable

to show them that they should always pray

and not give up."

Luke 18:1 NIV

God with us

Courage happens when we realize,

not only are we with God,

but God is with us!

"When you pass through the waters,

I will be with you;

when you walk through fire

you shall not be burned,

and the flame shall not consume you.

For I am the Lord your God,

the Holy One of Israel, your Savior...

Fear not, for I am with you."

Isaiah 43:2-3a, 5a ESV

no fear

Fearlessness has always been a requirement

for the followers of Christ.

"Be strong and courageous.

Do not fear or be in dread of them,

for it is the Lord your God who goes with you.

He will not leave you or forsake you.

It is the Lord who goes before you.

He will be with you,

He will not leave you or forsake you.

Do not fear or be dismayed."

Deuteronomy 31:6, 8 ESV

prayer work

When someone asks us to pray,

God is already at work,

and for some wonderful mysterious reason

He is letting us in on His labors.

"Continue steadfastly in prayer,

being watchful in it with thanksgiving."

Colossians 4:2 ESV

darkness & dawn

No matter how dark the day,

God promises a brighter tomorrow.

"The path of the righteous

is like the first gleam of dawn,

shining ever brighter

till the full light of day."

Proverbs 4:18 NIV

still watching

God still watches over His children--

every moment of every day.

"The Lord your God has blessed you

in all the work of your hands.

He has watched over your journey

through this vast desert.

These forty years the Lord your God

has been with you,

and you have not lacked anything."

Deuteronomy 2:7 NIV

the path

God has a unique path marked out

for each one of us;

comparisons are not beneficial.

When Peter saw (John), he asked,

"Lord, what about him?"

Jesus answered, "If I want him to remain alive

until I return, what is that to you? You follow me."

John 21:21-22 NIV

see?

Faith sees God.

"Now faith is being sure of what we hope for

and certain of what we do not see.

And without faith it is impossible to please God,

because anyone who comes to Him

must believe that He exists and that He

rewards those who earnestly seek Him."

Hebrews 11:1, 6 NIV

pavement

Thankfulness paves the way

to everything that matters.

"He who sacrifices thank offerings honors Me,

and he prepares the way

so that I may show him

the salvation of God."

Psalm 50:23 NIV

longings & Jesus

Every Christmas longing

is met in the One whose birth we celebrate--

Jesus our Savior!

"And the angel said to them,

'Fear not, for behold,

I bring you good news of great joy

that will be for all people.

For unto you is born this day

in the city of David a Savior,

who is Christ the Lord.'"

Luke 2:10-11 ESV

wisdom of thankfulness

Wise people are thankful people.

"Be careful, then, how you live--

not as unwise but as wise,

making the most of every opportunity...

always giving thanks

to God the Father for everything,

in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ."

Ephesians 5:15-16, 20 NIV

on our value

We can trust the One

who ordains every detail,

and determines every step.

"Are not two sparrows sold for a penny?

And not one of them will fall to the ground

apart from your Father.

But even the hairs of your head are all numbered.

Fear not, therefore; you are of more value

than many sparrows."

Matthew 10:29-31 ESV

new mercy

God doesn't expect us to survive

on yesterday's blessings;

He showers us with new mercies

every single day.

"The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases;

His mercies never come to an end;

they are new every morning;

great is Your faithfulness."

Lamentations 3:22-23 ESV

satisfaction guaranteed

It's not our responsibility

to help people find fulfillment apart from God;

the best we can do

is point them to the source of ours.

"Because Your love is better than life,

my lips will glorify You.

My soul will be satisfied

as with the richest of foods."

Psalm 63:3, 5a NIV

bye-bye blues

One day depression will vanish;

sadness will be unheard of

in the hearts of the children of God.

"But only the redeemed will walk there,

and the ransomed of the Lord will return.

They will enter Zion with singing;

everlasting joy will crown their heads.

Gladness and joy will overtake them,

and sorrow and sighing will flee away."

Isaiah 35:9b-10 NIV

God leads

God is so sovereign and loving and good

that even when His children

aren't consciously following Him,

He is leading them.

"In Your unfailing love you will lead

the people You have redeemed.

In Your strength You will guide them

to Your holy dwelling."

Exodus 15:13 NIV

talk to yourself

The most effective sermons

may be the ones

we preach to ourselves.

"Praise the Lord, O my soul;

all my inmost being, praise His holy name.

Praise the Lord, O my soul,

and forget not all His benefits."

Psalm 103:1-2 NIV

on losing and earning

We will never have a bad enough day

to lose our salvation;

we will never have a good enough day

to earn it.

"For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith--

and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God--

not by works, so that no one can boast."

Ephesians 2:8-9 NIV

not allowed

If God knew of one thing

we ought to be anxious about,

being anxious would be allowed.

"Do not fret--it leads only to evil.

Do not be anxious about anything,

but in everything, by prayer and petition,

with thanksgiving,

present your requests to God."

Psalm 37:8, Philippians 4:8 NIV

where to go

Feelings of guilt and shame

tend to lead us away from God--

the exact opposite of where

we should be going.

"Therefore, brothers, since we have confidence

to enter the Most Holy Place by the blood of Jesus...

let us draw near to God with a sincere heart

in full assurance of faith,

having our hearts sprinkled

to cleanse us from a guilty conscience

and having our bodies washed with pure water."

Hebrews 20:19, 22 NIV

avoidance tactic

We avoid many struggles

when we go to God first.

"Trust in the Lord with all your heart,

and do not lean on your own understanding.

In all your ways acknowledge Him,

and He will make straight your paths."

Proverbs 3:5-6 ESV

Attention!

We stand before a loving God

who will not condemn His own,

but graciously leads those who want to follow.

"Search me, O God, and know my heart!

Try me and know my thoughts!

And see if there be any grievous way in me,

and lead me in the way everlasting!"

Psalm 139:23-24 ESV

God does

Prayer doesn't work. God does!

Praise Him.

"And call upon Me in the day of trouble;

I will deliver you and you will honor Me."

Psalm 50:15 NIV

pleasing prayers

May God inspire the prayers

He is pleased to answer.

"This is the confidence we have

in approaching God:

that if we ask anything according to His will,

He hears us.

And if we know that He hears us--

whatever we ask--

we know that we have what we asked of Him."

1 John 5:14-15 NIV

good things

Children ask for things.

Parents give them only the good things.

Prayer is like that.

"For the Lord God is a sun and shield;

the Lord bestows favor and honor;

no good thing does He withhold

from those whose walk is blameless.

O Lord Almighty,

blessed is the man who trusts in You."

Psalm 84:11-12 NIV

good medicine

Your smile just might be

the dose of encouragement

someone needs today.

"A cheerful heart is good medicine."

Proverbs 17:22 NIV

God helps

When our words and actions

demonstrate a lack of faith,

as they so often do,

God will be there to help.

"Surely God is my help;

the Lord is the one who sustains me."

Psalm 54:4 NIV

who's following

When we follow Jesus,

we can be certain His goodness and mercy

will be following us.

"Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me

all the days of my life;

and I will dwell in the house of the Lord for ever."

Psalm 23:6 KJV

not just neighbors

God doesn't want to be our next-door neighbor;

He'd rather we pack our things

and move right into His house.

"He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High

will rest in the shadow of the Almighty.

If you make the Most High your dwelling--

even the Lord, who is my refuge--

then no harm will befall you,

no disaster will come near your tent."

Psalm 91:1, 9-10 NIV

wait for it

We wait. God works.

"Since ancient times no one has heard,

no ear has perceived,

no eye has seen any God besides you,

who acts on behalf of those who wait for him."

Isaiah 64:4 NIV

immense

It's difficult to understand

the immensity of God's love for us

because no one has ever loved us

the way He does.

"But because of His great love for us,

God, who is rich in mercy,

made us alive with Christ

even when we were dead in transgressions--

it is by grace you have been saved."

Ephesians 2:4-5 NIV

God pays attention

If we could see all that God does

every time we pray,

we would pray a lot more.

"For the eyes of the Lord are on the righteous

and His ears are attentive to their prayer."

1 Peter 3:12a NIV

just one thing

If one thing could happen

that's not part of God's plan for our lives,

God would not be sovereign,

there would have to be a force greater than He.

"No, in all these things

we are more than conquerors

through Him who loved us."

Romans 8:37 NIV

on greatness

The greater the God,

the more confident His people can be.

"With Your help I can advance against a troop;

with my God I can scale a wall.

For who is God besides the Lord?

And who is the Rock except our God?

It is God who arms me with strength

and makes my way perfect."

2 Samuel 22:30, 31-32 NIV

believe

Great news for believers!

There is only one sin God will not forgive--

unbelief.

"See to it, brothers, that none of you

has a sinful, unbelieving heart

that turns away from the living God."

"Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved."

Hebrews 3:12, Acts 16:31 NIV

Micah 6:8

Every struggle, every heartache,

everything we hope for or dream of,

every ambition and all of our efforts,

lead to the same end--

an awareness that we need more

than this world has to offer.

"He has showed you, O man, what is good.

And what does the Lord require of you?

To act justly and to love mercy

and to walk humbly with your God."

Micah 6:8 NIV

happiest

The happiest people are those who know

they can stand before God--

forgiven.

"Blessed are they

whose transgressions are forgiven,

whose sins are covered.

Blessed is the man whose sin

the Lord will never count against him."

Romans 4:7-8 NIV

moving day

We can trust God to keep us moving

in the right direction.

"In your unfailing love you will lead

the people you have redeemed.

In your strength you will guide them

to your holy dwelling."

Exodus 15:13 NIV

be thrilled

We are not as thrilled with God

as He is thrilling.

"Great is the Lord

and most worthy of praise;

His greatness no one can fathom.

For from Him

and through Him

and to Him

are all things.

To Him be glory forever!"

Psalm 145:3, Romans 11:36 NIV

Abba, Daddy

When we pray,

we are speaking to

our loving Father,

not a distant Being

who cares nothing about us.

"And because you are sons,

God has sent the Spirit of his Son

into our hearts,

crying, 'Abba! Father!'"

Galatians 4:6 ESV

family

Acquaintances come and go,

friends are forgotten,

but family--

is forever!

"[Jesus] replied to him, 'Who is my mother,

and who are my brothers?'

Pointing to his disciples, he said,

'Here are my mother and my brothers.

For whoever does the will of my Father in heaven

is my brother and sister and mother.'"

"For those God foreknew he also predestined

to be conformed to the likeness of his Son,

that he might be the firstborn among many brothers."

Matthew 12:48-49, Romans 8:29 NIV

even sin

God is so absolutely sovereign

that even sin

provides fuel for the fire

of our passion for Him.

"But where sin increased,

grace increased all the more,

so that, just as sin reigned in death,

so also grace might reign through righteousness

to bring eternal life

through Jesus Christ our Lord."

Romans 5:20-21 NIV

watching and listening

Our prayers get God's attention, every time,

because He always listens for them.

"The eyes of the Lord are on the righteous,

and His ears are attentive to their cry."

Psalm 34:15 NIV

He's mine

We can claim God as our own--

our very own God.

"The Lord is my Shepherd."

Psalm 23:1