You were created to make a difference. God will direct your steps and give you opportunities to be a blessing to others, to meet a need or to lift someone’s spirit. Keep your eyes open for ways to be a light to those around you.
Joel Osteen

 

Give yourself a dream

Monday, January 2, 2012

Give yourself a dream

Give yourself a good, solid, clear and meaningful reason to do whatever you’re doing. Give yourself a real, authentic dream.

Give yourself a dream that has meaning, and that compels you forward. Keep yourself solidly connected to that dream.

Let your dream flow naturally and honestly from the vision you have for how life can be. Make your dream so big and exciting that you cannot fail to put the best of yourself into it.

Give yourself a dream, and give it to all the world as well. Choose a dream that enables you to lift others higher as you lift yourself higher and do what you truly love.

Let go of the excuses, the complaints, the anger, envy and frustration. Put the miraculous power of your thoughts, words and actions into the good and positive things that truly matter.

At this time of new beginnings, choose to live with more substance and meaning than ever before. Give yourself a dream, and give all of life the unique benefit of the very best you can be.

— Ralph Marston

Read more: http://greatday.com/#ixzz1iMTHextU

Who are you wheat or weed?

We had an awesome worship service today. Good message to chew on, which seed represents you?

The Parable of the Wheat and the Tares

24 Another parable He put forth to them, saying: “The kingdom of heaven is like a man who sowed good seed in his field; 25 but while men slept, his enemy came and sowed tares among the wheat and went his way. 26 But when the grain had sprouted and produced a crop, then the tares also appeared. 27 So the servants of the owner came and said to him, ‘Sir, did you not sow good seed in your field? How then does it have tares?’ 28 He said to them, ‘An enemy has done this.’ The servants said to him, ‘Do you want us then to go and gather them up?’ 29 But he said, ‘No, lest while you gather up the tares you also uproot the wheat with them. 30 Let both grow together until the harvest, and at the time of harvest I will say to the reapers, “First gather together the tares and bind them in bundles to burn them, but gather the wheat into my barn.”’”

The Parable of the Tares Explained

36 Then Jesus sent the multitude away and went into the house. And His disciples came to Him, saying, “Explain to us the parable of the tares of the field.”

37 He answered and said to them: “He who sows the good seed is the Son of Man. 38 The field is the world, the good seeds are the sons of the kingdom, but the tares are the sons of the wicked one. 39 The enemy who sowed them is the devil, the harvest is the end of the age, and the reapers are the angels. 40 Therefore as the tares are gathered and burned in the fire, so it will be at the end of this age. 41 The Son of Man will send out His angels, and they will gather out of His kingdom all things that offend, and those who practice lawlessness, 42 and will cast them into the furnace of fire. There will be wailing and gnashing of teeth. 43 Then the righteous will shine forth as the sun in the kingdom of their Father. He who has ears to hear, let him hear!

Quote of the Day

“Live life fully while you’re here. Experience everything. Take care of yourself and your friends. Have fun, be crazy, be weird. Go out and screw up! You’re going to anyway, so you might as well enjoy the process. Take the opportunity to learn from your mistakes: find the cause of your problem and eliminate it. Don’t try to be perfect; just be an excellent example of being human.”
– Anthony Robbins

Matthew 28 – HE HAS RISEN

Matthew 28 (New International Version, ©2011)

Matthew 28
Jesus Has Risen
1 After the Sabbath, at dawn on the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went to look at the tomb.

2 There was a violent earthquake, for an angel of the Lord came down from heaven and, going to the tomb, rolled back the stone and sat on it. 3 His appearance was like lightning, and his clothes were white as snow. 4 The guards were so afraid of him that they shook and became like dead men.

5 The angel said to the women, “Do not be afraid, for I know that you are looking for Jesus, who was crucified. 6 He is not here; he has risen, just as he said. Come and see the place where he lay. 7 Then go quickly and tell his disciples: ‘He has risen from the dead and is going ahead of you into Galilee. There you will see him.’ Now I have told you.”

8 So the women hurried away from the tomb, afraid yet filled with joy, and ran to tell his disciples. 9 Suddenly Jesus met them. “Greetings,” he said. They came to him, clasped his feet and worshiped him. 10 Then Jesus said to them, “Do not be afraid. Go and tell my brothers to go to Galilee; there they will see me.”
The Guards’ Report
11 While the women were on their way, some of the guards went into the city and reported to the chief priests everything that had happened. 12 When the chief priests had met with the elders and devised a plan, they gave the soldiers a large sum of money, 13 telling them, “You are to say, ‘His disciples came during the night and stole him away while we were asleep.’ 14 If this report gets to the governor, we will satisfy him and keep you out of trouble.” 15 So the soldiers took the money and did as they were instructed. And this story has been widely circulated among the Jews to this very day.
The Great Commission
16 Then the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain where Jesus had told them to go. 17 When they saw him, they worshiped him; but some doubted. 18 Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19 Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”

Quote of the day!!!

Make it a habit to tell people thank you. To express your appreciation, sincerely and without the expectation of anything in return. Truly appreciate those around you, and you’ll soon find many others around you. Truly appreciate life, and you’ll find that you have more of it.
Ralph Marston

What you do, do with joy

If you’re going to be doing something, do it with joy. Even if it’s not normally a joyful activity, you can add your own unique joy to it.

You can always choose to be positive and enthusiastic about life. No person, circumstance, or sequence of events can keep you down.

If you constantly fight against what you’re doing, you’ll make yourself miserable and you’ll destroy your effectiveness. That’s certainly not an outcome you would willingly choose.

So choose instead to put your own unique joy into whatever you’re doing. Make the experience a positive one just because you can.

Yes, there are plenty of problems and tragedies and no, life is not always pleasant. That’s precisely why it’s so powerful and important for you to add as much joy as possible to life.

In every activity and in every tiny corner of your world, put a little extra joy. You’ll quickly find it makes a big, big difference.

— Ralph Marston

Read more: http://greatday.com/#ixzz1JSUAneG1

SUCCESS doesn’t just happen…SUCCESSFUL PEOPLE Follow Their Plan.

Write the Plan…Plan the Work…Work the Plan!

You need a plan to find success. Wanting success isn’t sufficient

enough to get it.

You’ve got to ask yourself, “What are you going to do to get the

things you want?”

Your problem is to bridge the gap which exists between where you are

now and the goal you intend to reach.

You cannot fail with a definite step by step plan, because each step

you take will carry you along to the next step, like a track. All you

need is the plan, the road map, and the courage to press on to your

destination.

You cannot get lost on a straight road.

by Rehema Stephens & Max Steingart

Defend Your Mind

Defend Your Mind
By: Dr. Creflo A. Dollar

Published: January 22, 2011

Do you think change is easy? Ask anyone who has tried to break a bad habit, or change a wrong mindset and attitude, and you will discover change doesn’t always feel good. It involves renewing your mind and replacing wrong mindsets with God’s way of thinking and doing things. It also involves defending your mind against wrong thoughts. The daily battle confronting you, when you decide to change, takes place in your mind. The enemy may lead you to believe you can’t change or that it is too difficult; however, be steadfast in maintaining a mindset that is focused on God and His Word. This will be the key to your success.

How do you defend your mind? You do it by capturing wrong thoughts when they come. Whenever you begin thinking in a way that doesn’t line up with the Word, cast those wrong thoughts down by speaking God’s Word.

Guarding your mind takes discipline and diligence. Satan’s objective is to get you to receive the negative thought, speak it and act on it. Once you act on something he has suggested, you activate a negative cycle in your life. This is where your resolve must kick in.

Second Corinthians 10:5 says, “Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ.” God isn’t going to defend your mind for you; it’s your responsibility. With the Word of God in your mouth and in your heart, you can defeat the enemy’s suggestions every time.

Regardless of whether your old issues are completely resolved, once you decide to go in a new direction, you have taken the first step toward change. Make a consistent effort to keep wrong thoughts of your past out of your mind. Learn from your mistakes and press forward. Get rid of “stinking thinking” and fill your mind with the truth of the Word by studying and meditating on the Scriptures daily.

Wrong thoughts don’t have to rule your life. Guard your mind by being careful about what you look at, listen to and talk about with others. God has given you authority over every aspect of your life, including your own mind! Fight bad thoughts with God’s Word.

Every day you will have the opportunity to go back to old ways of thinking. From your interactions with others, to personal decisions, you will have to choose God’s thoughts over your own. You can do it! You’re not alone on your road to change; the Spirit of God and His Word are there to help you. Decide today to turn away from anything that doesn’t line up with His Word.

Ephesians 4:21-24 declares, “Since you have heard about Jesus and have learned the truth that comes from him, throw off your old sinful nature and your former way of life, which is corrupted by lust and deception. Instead, let the Spirit renew your thoughts and attitudes. Put on your new nature, created to be like God—truly righteous and holy.” This is your new identity in Christ Jesus. Put forth your best effort to keep yourself in the right frame of mind. Stay in the Word and keep out the wrong influences as an act of your will. When you become a good custodian over your thought life, you will be victorious over negative thoughts.

Scripture Of The Day: “Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.” – Romans 12:2

——————————————————————————–

Dr. Creflo A. Dollar is the senior pastor of World Changers Church International, located in College Park, Georgia. He is committed to changing the world one person at a time, and his award-winning “Changing Your World” television broadcast reaches nearly one billion homes worldwide. Visit http://www.CrefloDollarMinistries.org…

——————————————————————————–

© Dr. Creflo A. Dollar. All rights reserved.

Are You Spiritual?

Are You Spiritual?

By: Skip Heitzig

Published: January 20, 2011

What does it mean to be a spiritual person? If you ask the average American you’ll get a potpourri of answers: some would say it means going to church, others chanting a mantra, while still others would define spirituality as a warm, fuzzy feeling. But God’s Word describes spirituality as belief in the one true God. The overflow of this belief is a life governed by the Holy Spirit. If we walk in the Spirit it will be evident to the world around us because we produce spiritual fruit.

Spiritual fruit demonstrates spiritual life. But how do we produce fruit in our lives? Jesus said “Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in Me. I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing” (John 15:4-5). We can only bear fruit by abiding in Christ.

Abide means to maintain living communion or keep close contact with, as with a close friend. Jesus tells us that we must abide in Him, keeping close communion with Him by talking with Him, listening to Him, and seeking Him. Spiritual fruit in our lives is the overflow of that intimate relationship.

The Bible encourages us to produce fruit that indicates that we are attached to Jesus Christ, the vine: people coming to Christ, holy living, giving to others of our time and resources, doing good works, and praising. The fruits of the Spirit all reflect the character of Jesus Christ: “love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control” (Galatians 5:22-23). Don’t you want to reflect those characteristics to the world?

Living spiritually is more than being involved in spiritual ideas or having a vague belief in a universal spirit. It’s even more than being involved in spiritual activity. It is a commitment to the Holy Spirit’s leading. Don’t be confused by the many spiritual ideologies that are prevalent in our culture. Instead, purpose to grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord Jesus by abiding in Him and producing fruit that will last.

Scripture Of The Day: “I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing” – John 15:5 (NIV)