How to Have a Quiet Time (Part 3)
Jesus went out as usual to the Mount of Olives, and his disciples followed him. Luke 22:39 (NIV) *** *** *** *** Choose a special place The location where you have your quiet time is also important. The Bible indicates that Abraham had a regular place where he met with God (Genesis 19:27). Jesus had a custom of praying in the garden of Gethsemane on the Mount of Olives. “Jesus went out as usual to the Mount of Olives, and his disciples followed him” (Luke 22:39). Your place ought to be a secluded place. This is a place where …
How to Have a Quiet Time (Part 2)
Very early in the morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house and went off to a solitary place, where he prayed. Mark 1:35 (NIV) *** *** *** *** Select a specific time The specific time has to do with when you should have your quiet time and how long it should be. The general rule is this: The best time is when you are at your best! Give God the best part of your day, when you are the freshest and most alert. Don’t try to serve God with your leftover time. Remember, too, that …
How to Have a Quiet Time (Part 1)
“The Lord does not look at the things man looks at. Man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.” 1 Samuel 16:7 (NIV) *** *** *** *** Once you’re convinced that a daily quiet time is necessary for spiritual growth, how do you go about having one? You may be motivated to do it but may not know how. Start with the proper attitudes In God’s eyes, why you do something is far more important than what you do. On one occasion God told Samuel, “The Lord does not look at the things man looks …
Movie Review: Zero Day
This is a very haunting film. It was done a few years after Columbine and is almost a replica of the “basement tapes” by Dylan and Eric, and the resemblances are purposeful and very well done. The two actors playing the kids are extremely believable, with one caveat–the blond haired kid does look a little too pretty to be considered “an outcast”. The entire movie is shot in the same style of the “basement tapes”; it’s all “footage”. You’d think that would get old after, say, a half hour, and I seriously thought it was going to switch to a …
Changing Your Behavior
Be careful how you think; your life is shaped by your thoughts. Proverbs 4:23 (GNT) *** *** *** *** One of the great psychological discoveries of the past century is that your thoughts control your actions.If you want to change the way you act, you must first change how you think. Actually, thousands of years ago, Solomon pointed this out when he wrote, “Be careful how you think; your life is shaped by your thoughts” (Proverbs 4:23 GNT). The Bible says our thoughts influence six areas of our lives: · My interpretation influences my situation. …
Avery's Song
About a year ago, I was driving in the truck with my kids and my daughter Avery said “Daddy, I want to sing you a song.”She started singing like only a 4 year old can and I listened to her serenade. About 30 seconds into the song, Kai, my oldest daughter, told her to stop because it didn’t sound good. I told Avery to keep on singing that I was enjoying her songs. Avery kept singing. About six months after that, Kai, Avery, Noah and I went to visit one of our friend’s church. It was a little more charismatic …
How to Face an Uncertain Future
Do not boast about [what you’re going to do] tomorrow, for you do not know what a day may bring forth. Proverbs 27:1 (NIV) *** *** *** *** The Bible offers three timeless principles for facing an uncertain future: 1. Let God set your goals. It’s foolish to make any plans without first consulting God. He’s the only one who does know the future, and he’s eager to guide you through it. The Bible says “We may make our plans, but God has the last word” (Proverbs 16:1 GNT). In other words, planning without praying is presumption. …
How to Pray Effectively
Please remember what you told your servant Moses: “If you sin, I will scatter you among the nations.” Nehemiah 1:8 (NLT) *** *** *** *** Here are four secrets to answered prayer from the life of Nehemiah: 1. Base your request on God’s character. Pray like you know God will answer you: “I’m expecting you to answer this prayer because of who you are. You are a faithful God. You are a great God. You are a loving God. You are a wonderful God. You can handle this problem, God!” 2. Confess the sins of which …
