relationships, couple

How Can I Improve My Relationship? Part 1 of 4

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Many of us have at least one challenging relationship in our life. It hurts and we find ourselves asking, How can I improve my relationship? Most of what Jesus taught is connected to relationships. Jesus said the greatest commandment is to love God and the second is to love others. This is the foundation and end of spiritual growth. Relationships are the most important element of Christianity! This means we should learn to master relationships and how to love people. Thus, relationship difficulties are our biggest testing ground and our biggest growth opportunity. We will look at 12 keys to dealing with the difficulties we have in relationships. KEY ONE: Know your weaknesses. We all have relationship weaknesses. If we can be honest about them we will be able to take them into account when confronting a relationship difficulty. Be aware of your patterns and how they affect people. Be Continue Reading →

weekly words of encouragement

Your Blessings If You Seek First His Kingdom – Weekly Words Of Encouragement

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“But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.” Mt. 6:33 (NIV) “These things” are food, drink and clothing which Jesus mentions just before this verse. He is trying to teach us not to be anxious about these things. The cure is to seek first his kingdom above all else, as well as righteousness – which is right living approved by God. If our number one priority is living within God’s realm and rule then he promises to provide our most basic needs. Even better, in other places Jesus also teaches we will receive joy, peace and fruitfulness if we seek first his kingdom! It’s true that occasionally devout Christians suffer famine but I think this is the exception that proves the rule. (The New Testament authors rarely state exceptions and qualifications to their teachings all in one place; this Continue Reading →

weekly words of encouragement

You Can Be A Peacemaker Like Your Father – Weekly Words Of Encouragement

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“Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God” (Matt. 5:9 NIV). God promises to bless those who choose to be a peacemaker in the world. Making peace, in other words, reconciliation is one of God’s primary missions. His original plan for people was that they would all join together in harmony and mutual edification. Sadly, our sphere of influence is full of people who do not pursue this peace. People hold grudges, say hurtful words, ignore people they don’t like and look for ways to get back at people. Thus, many people lack peace with God, with each other and with themselves. God’s followers are called to be aware of this discord and make a positive effort to bring reconciliation. This is not easy work. It requires talking with people who may not want to come to peace. They might argue and resist and even fight. To Continue Reading →

Am I Using My Will Too Little (Or Too Much)?

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One question I ask myself fairly regularly is whether I am using my will too much in order to grow spiritually or whether I am not trying hard enough. In other words, am I doing my part according to scripture? Am I crowding out the Spirit by trying to do too much on my own, or on the other hand, am I not activating my will and thus expecting God to change me without my cooperation? Am I erring on one side or the other: too willful or not willful enough? I have erred on both sides in my life, and I still have to adjust regularly. This is an important question because it can have a dramatic effect on our growth. If I just read a little scripture each day and go to church on Sundays, then I shouldn’t expect to grow much. This is the most common side Continue Reading →

weekly words of encouragement

The Pure In Heart Will See God – Weekly Words Of Encouragement

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“Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God”( Matt. 5:8, NIV). This verse gives us a tremendous gift: the opportunity to see God! This is one of the most popular verses in Christian history. Devout followers of Jesus who wanted to be close to God and “see” him in their lives made a serious effort to purify their lives. Purity of heart is a New Testament theme. The author of Hebrews instructed us to “work at living a holy life, for those who are not holy will not see the Lord” (Heb. 12:14, NLT). Scripture also instructs us to build relationships with others who are pure in heart: “Enjoy the companionship of those who call on the Lord with pure hearts” (2 Timothy 2:22, NLT). Jesus doesn’t give details about what it means to “see” God, but we know that it means that we will be very close Continue Reading →