Wednesday, October 26, 2016

The Fruit of The Spirit - Joy


Read: Galatians 5:22-24, 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18, Romans 12:12, Romans 16:25, Nehemiah 8:10, Acts 2:46, 13:52, 1 Peter 1:8, Luke 2:10, Luke 1:47, Luke 1:44, John 15:11

When it comes to joy, there will be times when you are filled with joy and hope and then there will be times when you’re not. It's pretty much a guarantee in life that we'll experience both ends of the "joy spectrum". 


As you crack open God’s Word we see that He says a lot about Joy! 


In fact, depending on the specific translation, it refers to the words Joy or Rejoice (where we get our word for Joy) over 300 different times!


God’s Word teaches us a lot about joy in part because He created us to live in a joyful relationship with Him and He wants us to experience the true joy that is found in Him!


You may be asking, What's the difference between Joy and Happiness? 

Let's take a brief look at the difference as well as some of the things that can increase or decrease joy.

Tuesday, October 18, 2016

Relationship Fuel

For study and encouragement Read: Ecclesiastes 4:9-10, Proverbs 18:24, Proverbs 17:17, Proverbs 27:17, Proverbs 12:26, Job 29:4-6, Job 16:20-21, John 14:15-17, John 14:26, John 15:12-15, Galatians 6:2


God didn't create us to go through life alone. He created us to be relational. He created us to do life together. 


We can all recognize that depending on how we're wired, we may need varying levels and quantities of relationship interaction. 


For instance, if you're an introverted person then you'll typically need less than an extroverted person but the same truth remains that we were create for relationship beginning with a growing relationship with God as well as with others. 


We're meant to pour into one another. Build one another up and in a sense - be fuel for one another. 



Thursday, October 13, 2016

The Fruit of The Spirit - Love


Read: Galatians 5:22-23, John 3:16, Mark 12:30–31, John 15:13, 1 John 3:11, Romans 5:8, Luke 6:35, 1 John 5:3, John 13:35.

For the believer, when it comes to The Fruit of The Spirit, Love is one of the hardest fruits to bear as it doesn’t come naturally to us.

In the landscape of culture, background, upbringing and more, it can mean many things to each person.

To add to the confusion, it also doesn't help that what is called "love" is also skewed by what we often see represented in multiple venues such as movies, TV, books and even people around you that you may know. 

It may also be personally hard for you accept, receive and give to others because of how you were raised, the horrible ways you've been treated as well as the false examples of love you've experienced. 

If your/our idea of love falls into any of the before mentioned examples that we see in the culture, or the negative ones you've experienced first hand, we need to work hard to reject these ideas in order to see true love, the perfect love that God replaces the worlds love with. 

Because of how prevalent the culture and our sinful nature is, we need to rethink and re-calibrate what love really is. 

God's Love including the Love that comes through the Fruit of The Spirit, are completely different than the love we can experience and that we see exhibited in the world.  

Sunday, October 09, 2016

Rest


Rest. 

Rest is healthy and it's Biblical. 

There are many examples of instructions in God's Word where He wants us to enter into rest. He makes special emphasis about the importance of rest.

Whether it's through a specific day such as sabbath (Exodus 20:8-10) that we set aside for Him, ultimate rest found in Him (Matthew 11:28-30) or practical and regular times to rest - we need time to rest! 

This includes times of vacation!

Take time to actively rest in Him as it will help rejuvenate your morale, your heart, mind and soul! 

Even Jesus took time to rest! You aren't designed to keep going 110 miles an hour as you need to unplug and rest regularly! 

Blessings in Christ, 

rlk 

#rest #peace #hope #ashepherdsheart #faith #joy #truth #wisdom #life #encourage #encouragement #inspire #inspiration #inspirational #inspirationalquotes #quote #quotes #christian #Christianity #christfollower #bible #scripture #Godsword #heart #mind #soul #ashepherdsheart



Need your prayers!

Appreciate your prayers for my audio/video venture! Find more information about it here and please pray for me! Only asking for prayers here but this link has information about the projects I'm trying to do. Thanks! http://www.ashepherdsheart.org/p/online-store.html#!/Audio-Video-Venture/p/53206936/category=0

Saturday, October 08, 2016

You're Not A Waste Of Time!

You may feel like God is too busy for you or that you've lived so a horrible life that He thinks you're a waste of time. 

With The Lord, there's Never a lost cause or a waste of time. 

He's not like the imperfect human beings you experience in your life who are conditional in their love and care for you! 

He's full of grace, love and truth for you. He's, there for you and loves you unconditionally so why not abide in Him and seek Him with all that is within you (heart, mind, soul and strength) each day!? 

What are you waiting for? He's constantly trying to draw you to Himself so why not listen to Him?

Blessings in Christ, 

rlk 

#saturday #foodforthought #ashepherdsheart #grace #truth #love #faith #hope #trust #wisdom #truth #life #Godisgood #GodLovesYou #Christianity #ChristFollower #Christian #encourage #encouragement #inspire #inspiration #inspirational #inspirationalquotes #quote #quotes 



Need your prayers!

Appreciate your prayers for my audio/video venture! Find more information about it here and please pray for me! Only asking for prayers here but this link has information about the projects I'm trying to do. Thanks! http://www.ashepherdsheart.org/p/online-store.html#!/Audio-Video-Venture/p/53206936/category=0

Tuesday, October 04, 2016

Prayer...It's not just a lifeline!


Can you imagine if you never spoke to people, especially important people in your life? Or, if you never shared your joys, struggles, trials and pains? It would be a lonely and depressing existence!

It's the same with prayer except you're communicating with your Creator who is your Father in heaven!

Prayer isn't just a lifeline, rather, it's a daily moment-by-moment communication with Him.

Prayer is a privilege as you talk to Him about what's going on in your life, seek wisdom and intercede for others and more!

Hebrews 4:16 encourages us to:

"Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need." -
Hebrews 4:16

Simply put, approach Him with confidence and never ever think that He's too busy for you! He always is there so...pray!
"God does things in and through our lives by prayer that He does in no other way."  -Henry Blackaby
God is at work in you when you pray my friend!

We're also told in 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18

"Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you."
-1 Thessalonians 5:16-18

Prayer is a constant activity as you abide in Christ and through every and any circumstance you pray through it.

Don't wait for a struggle or trouble to come to start communication / prayer with the Lord! If you aren't already... Start praying each day or moment as He created you for relationship with Him and He wants to hear from you!

In Christ Alone,

rlk

Friday, September 30, 2016

Relationships: Learning What You're 100% Responsible For!

Relationships can be tough. This is especially true when conflict exists. 

On the other hand, it can also be fantastic when thing are working the way they should be! 


This is true in any relationship in general whether a personal relationship with family or friends, in a business setting or in a mentoring, discipleship or counseling relationship. 


Speaking from experience in all of these before mentioned relationships, it can be great or it can be very very draining if you are the only one doing all of the work.


We invest in people and people are worth pouring into as long as they actually do their part too! 


Sometimes it does take more time but there's always a need to keep a healthy balance.


It can also be confusing sometimes because on one hand we shouldn't easily give up on people but in wisdom, we cannot have a "Jesus Complex" thinking we can "save" everyone because that's His job not ours. 


Our job is to be willing vessels and He'll give you the means and wisdom to do your part as long as it makes sense and to the point where it's not detrimental to you.


So, you may be asking, what is my part then? 


I'm so glad you asked! Please allow me to help briefly answer this and fill in the gaps for us as follows! :-) 

Tuesday, September 27, 2016

The Fruit of The Spirit - Get Ready To Grow!


Read: Galatians 5:22-23

If you follow God and take Him at His Word, You will see that He always provides a better way. 

He always has something better in store. This doesn’t mean it’s always going to be easy but it does mean it will be better for you. 

In the case of the Fruit of the Spirit these are examples of the good fruits He wants us to bear and He equips us to bear in place of the bad fruit He speaks about Galatians. 

Let me ask you, have you smelled bad fruit? It’s not a pleasant smell is it? Well, much like bearing bad fruit I want you to remember the stench of the bad or rotten fruit you’ve smelled before? 

Depending on type of fruit, it may smell sickly sweet when it starts to go bad but if you ate it…it wouldn’t be pleasant. Or, worse yet, have you taken a bite of an apple or other fruit that looks good but when you take that bite…you find it’s not so good? 

Again, not so pleasant. 

Conversely, think of your favorite type of fruit (like a peach or maybe a mango, etc.,) for a moment that you enjoy and you take a bite and it tastes amazing! 

Now consider the contrast between the good and bad fruit we bear.  One is pleasing to God and can be pleasing to others and ourselves because we’re operating God’s way while the other isn't pleasant to anyone as we're not operating God's way. 

Thursday, September 22, 2016

You Are Worthy! Part 2

Dear Friend,

I decide to post a second version with links to alternative placed to listen to the 1 minute audio. 

Also, for the hearing impaired, I'm posting the words below that are basically a transcript of the audio message with hopes you are encouraged by what is communicated! 

Know your worth! You are worthy and worth it! 

Please listen to this brief audio message. (1 minute in length)


or


You Are Worthy!...

Let me tell you something that I suspect you haven't been told lately or maybe not at all. 
 
So, maybe you don't know it or believe it right now but you're highly valuable, very capable, of great worth and an awesome person! 

No matter who tries to hold you back from what you're supposed to be doing, no matter who tries to put you down, no matter your current circumstances, no matter the lies you start to believe about yourself, or others tell you about yourself (co-workers, friends, family, kids, neighbors, etc) or you tell yourself...you have to know your worth! 

Don't believe the lies or settle for other people's limited opinion of you! 

Know your worth for who you are and for all you are and all you are growing to become! This life is a journey and we're all a work in progress so remember these things in the good and bad times because you are worth it friend! 

You are worth it and worthy!

If you are encouraged by this message, Please share this with others! Encourage and help build them up! 

In Christ Alone,

rlk

Wednesday, September 21, 2016

You Are Worthy!
























Know your worth! 



You are worthy and worth it! 

Please listen to this brief audio message (1 minute long) as follows:



You are worthy my friend!

In Christ Alone,

rlk

P.S. If you're viewing this post via e-Mail, you'll have to visit the post via ashepherdsheart.org in order to hear the message inserted in the post. 

Tuesday, September 13, 2016

This Is Not The End!


To say that life is hard sometimes is truly an understatement and I think you'd agree!?

We go through so many things and we feel broken sometimes because of a multitude of things such as: 

Relationship issues including break ups with friendship or someone you're dating. Or, if you're married or been married, somehting worse...divorce. 

-Financial issues. Slander. 

-Misunderstandings and miscommunications

-Emotional and mental issues. 

-Issues of self-doubt, self-worth and self-esteem.

-Health issues. Job losses and much more!

Life is hard and honestly...we forget that we were never promised that life will be easy or trouble free. (See John 16:33) If you've bought into the idea of a trouble free life then you're obviously in for a rude awakening anytime something goes wrong. 

Tuesday, September 06, 2016

A Prayer for A New School Season


Heavenly Father,

Whether it's the first day of a new school year, coming back to school after a holiday break or starting school again after many years, there always seems to be mixed emotions that we process.  

Whether public school, online school, home education or private school, life is busy when school is in! 

There's a flurry of activity leading up to starting again including planning, supply purchasing, clothes shopping and more. 

There's anticipation of the new season and sometimes anxiety of the unknown or the "what ifs"