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Cultivating Fruitful Habits of Grace: The Church

6/30/2023

Welcome to the 3rd and final post in our series called “Cultivating Fruitful Habits of #Grace.” In this series, we look at 3 spiritual disciplines--the core of Christian life and the primary tools the Holy Spirit uses to grow & sanctify us. We've examined habits of biblical meditation & prayer. Today, we'll consider what it means to love God’s Church and practical ways to dedicate ourselves to it. The Church isn’t a place to be entertained or a facilitator of social justice. What is the #Church?

Welcome to the third and final post in our series called “Cultivating Fruitful Habits of Grace.” In this series, we are looking at three spiritual disciplines that are the core of our Christian life and are the primary tools the Holy Spirit uses to grow and sanctify us.

So far, we have examined the habits of biblical meditation and prayer. Today, we will consider what it means to love God’s Church and practical ways to dedicate ourselves to it.

As we begin, let’s take some time to remind ourselves of some vital truths regarding the Church. The Church is not a building or a place. It isn’t a social club or activity center. It isn’t simply a religious tradition or a self-help group. The Church isn’t a place to be entertained or a facilitator of social justice.

So, what is the Church?

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Choosing Gratitude: Week 4

6/27/2023

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Do you know anyone who is bound by #anxiety and needs to be released? Anxiety is a prison, and #gratitude is what brings #freedom. By Choosing to make gratitude our default, there is nothing--no matter how awful--that will overthrow us and leave us in a state of anxiety. But because we are human, we may very well feel the anxiety welling up within us. We must refuse to #dwell in a state of anxiety. The temptation to be #anxious is not a sin. The choice to live in a state of anxiety is. #reading

Hello, friend! Are you ready to begin your journey toward greater joy? Join us for our Summer 2023 Book Club-Style Bible Study. We're reading "Choosing Gratitude: Your Journey to Joy" by Nancy DeMoss Wolgemuth. This book challenges and equips us to live a life of gratitude.

What is gratitude? Gratitude is a choice. It is a decision to focus on the good things in our lives, even when things are difficult. When we choose gratitude, we are choosing to be happy and content. Why is gratitude important?

Gratitude has many benefits, including:

Increased happiness and well-being
Reduced stress and anxiety
Improved physical health
Stronger relationships
Increased creativity and productivity

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How to Effectively Study The Bible

6/23/2023

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In my “line of work” in full-time ministry, I often get asked this question, “Where do I start in studying God’s Word?” This post is an attempt to answer that by sharing one way we can approach the study of God’s Word using some specific questions and focusing on the passages we read.

Let me set the stage for you. One of my favorite passages in the New Testament is found in Colossians 1.

“For this cause we also, since the day we heard it, do not cease to pray for you and to desire that ye might be filled with the knowledge of His will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding; That ye might walk worthy of the Lord unto all pleasing, being fruitful in every good work, and increasing in the knowledge of God;” Colossians 1:9-10

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Choosing Gratitude: Week 3

6/20/2023

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Do you consider yourself a #grateful person? You may think, “I’m more grateful than the average person. After all, I'm a #Christian. Christians are grateful, right?” Did you know ingratitude is our first step away from #God? That sobering! Let’s fix that! Elizabeth Elliot said, “Thankless children we ALL are, more or less, comprehending but dimly the truth of God’s fathomless love for us.” According to that statement, we are thankless when we do not comprehend God’s fathomless love for us.

Increased happiness and well-being
Reduced stress and anxiety
Improved physical health
Stronger relationships
Increased creativity and productivity

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Homesick for Heaven

6/16/2023

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Are you homesick for #Heaven? This is not a sign that your #faith is weak. “No amount of faith in #God will change the fact that we are homesick exiles pining for another place, a place where He is. #Jesus is our Homeland.” --Elyse Fitzpatrick Behind every happiness, there’s a longing for something better. Behind all of my tears, there’s a knowledge that there is something better. It's pain mixed with #hope--happiness mixed with disappointment, and I’ve never had a word for it before. #goodreads

4 Reasons It’s Okay to Long for Better

A few weeks ago, I had a perfect day. A perfect cluster of days, maybe. All I know is that one afternoon as I was snuggling a warm, cuddly baby while mentally planning out some writing projects and looking forward to my husband getting home for a yummy dinner, it hit me. At that moment, I thought, “Life really doesn’t get much better than this.”

I’m not suggesting that I live in that peaceful, idyllic mindset every day. In reality, I battle anxiety and a desire for complete control over every detail of my life on a daily basis. My personality is one where guilt over every stupid word I’ve ever said or awkward social mistake I’ve ever made follows me into the shower every morning and onto the pillow every night.

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Choosing Gratitude: Week 2

6/13/2023

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How do we cultivate a life of #gratitude? Keep a gratitude #journal. #Write thank-you notes to people who have #blessed you. Spend time each day reflecting on the good things in your life. Express your gratitude to #God in #prayer. Join us for this powerful #study! Each weekly post will be posted on Tuesday mornings at 9. over on the #blog, 6/6/23 - 8/1/23. Feel free to discuss the book and share your thoughts in the comments. Let's make cultivating gratitude a priority in our lives this summer!

Increased happiness and well-being
Reduced stress and anxiety
Improved physical health
Stronger relationships
Increased creativity and productivity

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12 Minor Prophets

6/9/2023

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The Minor Prophets are a group of 12 books in the Old Testament. They are not called

12 Minor Prophets:
Do Justice, Love Kindness, Walk Humbly

“He has told you, O man, what is good; and what does the Lord require of you but to
do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?” Micah 6:8

The Minor Prophets are a group of 12 books in the Old Testament. They are not called "minor" because their message is less important. They are called minor because they are shorter in length compared to the "major" prophets. The major prophets, such as Isaiah, Jeremiah, and Ezekiel, preached the same messages.

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Cultivating Fruitful Habits of Grace: The Church

Choosing Gratitude: Week 4

How to Effectively Study The Bible

Choosing Gratitude: Week 3

Homesick for Heaven

4 Reasons It’s Okay to Long for Better

Choosing Gratitude: Week 2

12 Minor Prophets

12 Minor Prophets:
Do Justice, Love Kindness, Walk Humbly

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​Cultivating Fruitful Habits of Grace: The Church

Choosing Gratitude: Week 4

How to Effectively Study The Bible

Choosing Gratitude: Week 3

​Homesick for Heaven

4 Reasons It’s Okay to Long for Better

Choosing Gratitude: Week 2

12 Minor Prophets

12 Minor Prophets: ​Do Justice, Love Kindness, Walk Humbly

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Featured

Categories

Archives

Cultivating Fruitful Habits of Grace: The Church

Homesick for Heaven

12 Minor Prophets:
Do Justice, Love Kindness, Walk Humbly