Thursday, September 30, 2010

Join Faith, Not Fear Anytime! Read at your Own Pace

It's never to late to join us for our 40 Day Devotional: "Fear, Not Faith." You can read previous entries at your own pace.

Here are links to what we've covered thus far:

1. Seek First His Kingdom

2. Count Your Blessings

3. Things Hoped For

4. Write the Vision

5. Giving Thanks

6. Renewing Your Mind

7. A Mind Like Christ

8. To Everything There Is A Season

9. Letting Go Of The Clutter

10. Love Never Fails

11. Lean Not Unto Thine Own Understanding

12: Stop, Look & Listen

Day 7--Faith, Not Fear: A MIND LIKE CHRIST

Welcome to Day 7 of our Bible based, Christ focused devotional.

Purpose: With so many people suffering during these tough economic times, I wanted to create a daily devotional which would promote faith in God as a solution to overcoming anger and fear.

Each devotional will provide a daily passage of Scripture for you to reflect on throughout the day. In addition, an “Action Item” will assign a daily, simple task to help you address your fears with faith and move forward with God's plans for you.

Thank you and God bless you for reading this devotional--please share it with others!

Steve Kendall

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DAY 7: A MIND LIKE CHRIST

TODAY'S SCRIPTURE FOR REFLECTION: For who hath known the mind of the Lord, that he may instruct him? But we have the mind of Christ. 1 Corinthians 2:16 (King James Version)

OPENING PRAYER: In your opening prayer, please ask God to help you develop a mind like Christ so that you can be at peace in your thinking when life's problems come along.

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DEVELOPING YOUR SPIRITUAL MIND: Well, we made it through our first week of this 40 day devotional!

Pat yourself on the back, you deserve it.

At the end of each week, please take time to reflect back on what we've discussed and how you're feeling.

Hopefully, you've noticed some positive changes in your life.

Some folks believe that once you become a Christian things will be just perfect and life will be without problems. Well, simply put, in my poor English--that ain't true. While were still in this world, doing God's will, planting seeds to help others to get saved, we will still encounter problems.

The title of this 40 day devotion is “Faith, Not Fear” and we want to keep that in mind as God did not make us to go through life to be fearful: For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind. 2 Timothy 1:7 (King James Version)

Remember, this world is not your home. Heaven is where your home is and Jesus is preparing a place for you. While He's doing that, we have work to do as well.

Prayerfully, as we grow to be more like Christ, and strengthen our relationship with God, our Father, we will be better equipped to cope with life's difficulties and help others through bad times.

An excellent way to do all of this is to be fed, to have proper nutrition, Spiritually speaking, by reading the Word of God daily. One of our upcoming devotionals will deal with the issue of taking care of our physical Temple, our bodies, but to close out this week, we’ll focus on getting our minds healthy.

I've heard several preachers point out that you shouldn't just open your Bible on Sundays to read and hear the Word. If you ate food only on Sundays, you would die. We can begin to wither Spiritually by only reading the Word once a week.I used to do that and I was a deacon in my church at the time!

Just as our bodies need to be fed daily, to operate at our best, so too must our minds be fed daily with God's Word.

I try to read my Bible every day. I'll be honest with you, it was difficult at first, but after awhile, it became a welcome habit. I tried reading the Bible in a year, but I found that to be too much pressure, plus, I wasn't really spending quality time with the Word. I was just rushing to get through the Scripture assigned for each day instead of taking time to reflect and think about what I read.

The key thing is to carve time out of your day, for God, every day. The things of this world compete for and take up so much of our time. God has been good to us, with this gift of life, and it's not too much to ask for us to spend time learning more about, and growing closer to, Him.

Perhaps you have 5-10 minutes in the morning to read--do it then, but don't read, or pray when you're sleepy. Give God your best, your full attention, so that you will be receptive to His to will.

Before I read the Word, I ask the Holy Spirit (which we'll talk about a bit more in a future devotion) to open and illuminate my mind, and to provide understanding and clarity to what I will read.

Bible Reading Tips: Here are some tips if you're just getting started with daily Bible reading (I could call it "Bible study," which it is, but as we discussed yesterday, changing just one word like "study" to "reading," may help your mind have a more positive outlook

1. Find a version/translation of the Bible which suits you best. You can find numerous versions (Over 100 in 50 languages) online at http://www.biblegateway.com

2. Start with books of the Bible you might enjoy most. For example, I recommend reading Luke, followed by Acts. Both are believed to have been written by Jesus’ apostle, Luke, who was a doctor. Luke is not only precise and detailed, but he also writes in an exciting narrative style, which is closer to the structure of today’s novels (especially the Book of Acts).

3. Write down things you don’t understand, things you like, and Scripture that resonates with you. For the things you don’t understand, pray for wisdom and seek out your pastor, and/or someone whose judgment you trust is Christ centered and sound. Do your own research as well. There are tons of good online tools. You are welcome to share them with us at Bible Study Café in our Facebook discussion area.

4. Today’s Action Item is actually tip #4: Find passages of Scripture that you believe will help inspire and motivate you during tough times. Write them on index cards, or paper about that size.

Keep your Scripture cards handy, so that you can read them when a specific concern arises.

I have the following passages on cards at my desk and near my bedside: Mark 11:24, Romans 12:2, James 1:2-3, James 1:5-8, James 1:12, 2 Timothy 1:7, 2 Corinthians 12:9 and Proverbs 16:3 and 8

Share your favorite Scripture with us on Facebook.

You are also cordially invited to share with me how things are going with you and our devotions thus far. I welcome comments and suggestions as well. You can reach me via Facebook or my personal email address: Steve@BibleStudyCafe.com

CLOSING PRAYER: In addition to anything else you'd like to pray about, ask God to renew your mind so that you can change your thinking about the concerns of this world and focus more on serving Him and doing His will.

Until tomorrow, have a blessed day!

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Free Stuff For You! You are cordially invited to visit my ministry Web site, Bible Study Cafe.com, to download free stuff including a prayer journal. Join Bible Study Café on Facebook and follow my twitches and tweets on Twitter. ------------------------------------------

A True Relationship with God If you would like a relationship with God, the only way to do it is through His son, Jesus Christ. This is supported in the Bible: Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me. --John 14:6 (King James Version)

We begin this relationship by first accepting Jesus. Click Here for a link to more info:

Wednesday, September 29, 2010

Day 6--Faith, Not Fear: RENEWING YOUR MIND

Welcome to Day 6 of our Bible based, Christ focused devotional.

Purpose: With so many people suffering during these tough economic times, I wanted to create a daily devotional which would promote faith in God as a solution to overcoming anger and fear.

Each devotional will provide a daily passage of Scripture for you to reflect on throughout the day. In addition, an “Action Item” will assign a daily, simple task to help you address your fears with faith and move forward with God's plans for you.

Thank you and God bless you for reading this devotional--please share it with others!

Steve Kendall

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DAY 6: RENEWING YOUR MIND

TODAY'S SCRIPTURE FOR REFLECTION:

And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God. Romans 12:2 (King James Version)

OPENING PRAYER: In your opening prayer, please ask God to renew your mind and open it to a positive outlook, no matter what difficulties you may encounter today.

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ACTION ITEM--Recap:

Well, how did things go yesterday with your Action Items from Day 5?

How did it feel to give thanks to God, for an entire day, for things you take for granted?

What happened when you thanked someone out of the blue?

Did you notice any changes in your interaction with others throughout the day?

Again, I'd love to hear from you and discuss your results from the Day 5 Action Items. You can reach me by Facebook, or email: Steve@BibleStudyCafe.com

TODAY'S ACTION ITEM: I'm a real fan of today's Scripture listed above, from Romans 12:2. Specifically, I like the notion of "renewing your mind."

One way that I renew, or refresh my mind is to change the way I see and approach problems in my life.

For example, when I encounter a problem, I now pray about it first and ask, "Lord, how do you want this handled?"

I also decided to remove the word “worry” from my vocabulary and instead use the word "concern." I no longer have worries, I have concerns. Just changing one word, from worry to concern, made a big difference in my life.

Years ago I tried something similar with a group of students I was teaching.

After going over the syllabus during the first class, I asked if anyone had questions, or concerns. Several people said they were nervous about having a test every two weeks.

To address their fears, I changed the word "test" to "quiz" in the syllabus and the word "lecture" to "lesson." Some folks were still nervous about having a "quiz," but the majority of the class liked the change of just a few words in the syllabus.

1. For today's Action Item, get a piece of blank paper. Fold it down the middle.

2. On the left side, write "Concerns" at the top. Next, make a list of any "concerns" you may have in your life right now.

3. On the right side of the paper, write "Solutions" at the top. Now, write down a more positive way to express each concern listed on the left side.

Here's an example:

Concerns: 1. I'm too broke to afford _____

Solutions: 1. I don't have the money yet, to buy ___

You could also write as a solution: "I don't have the budget at this time to buy _____. The positive part is "at this time," which suggests there will be a time in the future when you can.

It may take you some time and thought to come up with a positive way to express your concerns.

The key thing is that you want to change, refresh, "renew" your thinking about concerns so that you are walking in faith, not fear. Fear, as many have said, is the opposite of faith.

And as we discussed in Day 3: Things Hoped For, without faith, it is impossible to please God.

CLOSING PRAYER: In addition to anything else you'd like to pray about, ask God to renew your mind so that you can change your thinking about the concerns of this world and focus more on serving Him and doing His will.

Until tomorrow, have a blessed day!

--------------------------------------

Free Stuff For You!

You are cordially invited to visit my ministry Web site, Bible Study Cafe.com, to download free stuff including a prayer journal.

Join Bible Study Cafe on Facebook and follow my twitches and tweets on Twitter.

------------------------------------------

A True Relationship with God
If you would like a relationship with God, the only way to do it is through His son, Jesus Christ. This is supported in the Bible: Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me. --John 14:6 (King James Version)

We begin this relationship by first accepting Jesus. Click Here for more info.

Tuesday, September 28, 2010

Day 5--Faith, Not Fear: GIVING THANKS

Welcome to Day 5 of our Bible based, Christ focused devotional.

Purpose: With so many people suffering during these tough economic times, I wanted to create a daily devotional which would promote faith in God as a solution to overcoming anger and fear.

Each devotional will provide a daily passage of Scripture for you to reflect on throughout the day. In addition, an “Action Item” will assign a daily, simple task to help you address your fears with faith and move forward with God's plans for you.

Thank you and God bless you for reading this devotional--please share it with others!

Steve Kendall

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TODAY'S SCRIPTURE FOR REFLECTION:

Praise ye the LORD. O give thanks unto the LORD; for he is good: for his mercy endureth for ever. Psalm 106:1 (King James Version)

OPENING PRAYER: In your opening prayer, please thank God for things you take for granted.

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ACTION ITEM:

Giving Thanks

Today you won't need to use any paper, you just need your mind.

I wondered what it would be like to spend an entire day thanking God for the things I usually take for granted.

Here's our three part exercise for today: 1. Pay close attention to things you typically take for granted, then say, "Thank you, Lord for (you fill in the blank). Do this the entire day until you close your eyes at bedtime.

For example, although I woke up tired, I thanked God for waking me up.

Throughout the morning, I focused on things I normally don't even give a second thought, like turning on the water in the kitchen and having clean water to drink. I thanked Him for that and a number of other things I just simply take for granted everyday.

Now you may be in situations throughout the day where you don't want to say, "Thank you, Lord for..." aloud. If so, just do it in your head.

I want to especially thank God for what I have instead of what I don't have today. You may have a job, but need more money--thank God for what you have, a job. Perhaps you don't have a job, but need one--thank God for allowing you to wake up yet another day so that you can look for work.

In my case, I don't have the energy, or health to complete all of the tasks on my "To Do List" for today. I thanked God for the degree of health that I do have and that I can accomplish some things on my list and if I don't get to everything on the list, I still want to thank God for his help and love.

2. The other thing I'm going to focus on today is asking God to help me remain positive in my thinking every time a negative thought, or situation presents itself today.

When something negative comes up, I'll just say, thank you God.

3. Say "thank you" to someone today that you haven't thanked recently. Specifically, perhaps there's someone you take for granted, or a friend, or family member you haven't thanked in quite some time--or ever.

When you thank this person, do it out of the blue, as a surprise to them. For example, you could call someone and say, "You were on my mind today and I just wanted to thank you for (being in my life, being a good co-worker, etc. You fill in the blank of thanks.)

Remember, try these three forms of thanksgiving for the entire day. It may seem awkward at first, but once you get started it will probably become easier as the day progresses.

After you do this, I'd love to hear from you, discuss your results and what happened when you surprised someone with thanks. If you can reach me by Facebook, or email: Steve@BibleStudyCafe.com

CLOSING PRAYER: In addition to anything else you'd like to pray about, give God thanks for creating you, because you are special and one of a kind, thanks to God.

Until tomorrow, have a blessed day!

-------------------------------------------------

Free Stuff For You!

You are cordially invited to visit my ministry Web site, Bible Study Cafe.com, to download free stuff including a prayer journal.

Join Bible Study Cafe on Facebook and follow my twitches and tweets on Twitter.

------------------------------------------

A True Relationship with God

If you would like a relationship with God, the only way to do it is through His son, Jesus Christ. This is supported in the Bible: Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me. --John 14:6 (King James Version)

We begin this relationship by first accepting Jesus. Here's a link to more info: http://biblestudycafedotcom.blogspot.com/2010/09/prayer-of-foregivness-and-salvation.html

Monday, September 27, 2010

Day 4--Faith, Not Fear: WRITE THE VISION

Welcome to Day 4 of our Bible based, Christ focused devotional.

Purpose: With so many people suffering during these tough economic times, I wanted to create a daily devotional which would promote faith in God as a solution to overcoming anger and fear.

Each devotional will provide a daily passage of Scripture for you to reflect on throughout the day. In addition, an “Action Item” will assign a daily, simple task to help you address your fears with faith and move forward with God's plans for you.

Thank you and God bless you for reading this devotional--please share it with others!

Steve Kendall

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DAY 4: WRITE THE VISION

TODAY'S SCRIPTURE FOR REFLECTION: And the LORD answered me, and said, Write the vision, and make it plain upon tables, that he may run that readeth it. Habakkuk 2:2 (King James Version)

You can read a more contemporary version by Clicking Here.

OPENING PRAYER: In your opening prayer, please pray that God will reveal His plans for you, according to His will, so that you may write it down, and carry it out to glorify Him.

Prayer List Update After your opening prayer, locate your Action Item paper from Day 2 (Same one as Day 1). Look for the Prayer List. Write those names on another piece of paper, notebook paper if you have it, so that you can keep the list handy during prayer time and add to it as needed. -----------------------------------------------------------------------

ACTION ITEM:

Acting On Your Goals--Make a Plan

Commit to the LORD whatever you do, and your plans will succeed. Proverbs 16:3 (NIV)

You'll need your Action Item paper from yesterday, Day 3, for today's exercise.

On the left side of the paper you should have a list of your Hopes and Dreams. If you thought of more since yesterday, please add them.

On the top, right side of the paper, we wrote the word Goals. I would define a goal as something one wants to achieve.

Achieving goals requires action in the form of Objectives, which are the steps you put in place to fulfill those goals. You may define these terms in another fashion and can find lots of info online about all of this, but I want to keep it simple, to "make it plain" as the Scripture above tells us, so that we don't get tangled up in language and process.

Instead, let's keep it plain and clear so that God can use us as instruments to glorify Him and do His will. Simply put, this 'ain't a college course, and I'm no expert. I'm just telling you what has worked for me in the past thanks to God's help. I started this devotional to also help myself. I needed to write down a plan that I could read and refer to so that I would stay on task and not let fears and worries get in the way of doing what God required of me.

I felt the need to share this devotional as God blessed me with the vision for it and God doesn't give us gifts like this to keep to ourselves. So, I'm "re-gifting" what God gave to me--especially for you! : )

For brevity's sake, and the purposes of this devotional, I going to lump Goals and Objectives together and just call them Goals. In other words, we'll think of goals as something we want to achieve with the proper plan from God.

For each of your Hopes and Dreams (think of them as your Vision), you'll pray for God's help in coming up with a plan to execute each item.

Now you may have some hopes and dreams that seem impossible to fulfill, but remember, with God, all things are possible--when they are according to His will.

God often gives us what we need, but not always what we want.

Look over your Hopes and Dreams. Are there any items that seem selfish? For example, let's say you wrote down, "One of my dreams is to own a sports car someday."

If you have anything listed that won't glorify God, and be a blessing to others, think about scratching it from the list. You may rationalize that a sports car would be a blessing to someone else as you can drive them to a destination quickly--uh, yeah, that's true, but a mini van may be more practical and fit better within your budget. : )

Once you've modified your list, and prayed about it, (asking God to show you His will), draw a line through the words Hopes and Dreams and write the word Vision above them. You may not feel that you're ready to do this today. Maybe God has not revealed the Vision to you yet. It may take time for this to come to you.

Next, let's set some goals for achieving the Vision. Again, this may take some time. As one of my favorite church Deacons likes to say, "Our time is not God's time." We often have to be patient when God is working on putting things together for us so that the timing will be right to act on a plan.

We often mess stuff up when we act impulsively and rush forward without going to God first in prayer.

Over the course of this 40 day devotional, you'll work on your goals as they are revealed to you. I can't tell you how God will reveal them to you. I can only testify about my experience:

God often reveals a vision and a corresponding plan to me while I'm in church, listening to the pastor's sermon. I used to feel guilty about thoughts that would pop into my head that were unrelated to the sermon as I would hurry to write it down on the church bulletin, or any scrap of paper I could find--I now bring a notebook to church. : )

Over time, I came to realize that perhaps this is what God wanted me to do.

Some of the things revealed to me were: --Plans to put the pastor's sermons on the Web (my son found some free audio editing software online and I read an article about free, Internet radio programs one could host, a few days after a sermon)

--I also wrote the rough draft of an entire play and a children's book in church a few years ago. I believe my pastor, Dr. Lucius M. Dalton, confirmed this was God's will when he read the manuscript for the book and wrote, "Simply amazing! Brother Kendall (we call each other Brother and Sister in our church, instead of Mr., Ms, Mrs., etc. as we are all Brothers and Sisters in Christ) is on fire for Christ! He ends each story with a sentence that is so Spirit filled and so powerful that it makes you want to read the next chapter or the next story."

I was so surprised and humbled by that glowing review that I put it on the back of the book and will cherish it the rest of my life as a testament to how God used me to carry out His will.

You can read excerpts from that book, God's Glorious Christian Soldiers at: http://www.lulu.com/product/paperback/gods-glorious-christian-soldiers/617681

Once you arrive at the link above, look for the word "Preview" below the book cover and click on it. -----------------------------------------------

The Plan:
As God reveals your goals for each vision on your paper, write it down.

For example, I wrote:

Vision 1. Finish another Christian children's book for the Christmas season.

Goal 1. My Goal is to do this by writing on a calendar what I want to accomplish every day leading up to a November 1, 2010 deadline.

I selected Nov. 1 so that the book will be ready in time for me to get a proof back from the printer, make adjustments and publish it by Thanksgiving, which is a good time to begin selling it for the holiday season.

I must confess that much of the book is finished as I've been working on it for about three years, off and on, but the project stalled when I had a bout illness and...when I felt better, I neglected to pray about it, rushed forward and messed up a lot of stuff that I now have to correct.

In closing, I'd love to hear about your Visions and how you plan to carry them out.

Feel free to post them in our Bible Study Cafe discussion area on Facebook, or you are welcome to send me a private message via Facebook or my email address: Steve@BibleStudyCafe.com

NOTE: If you have a Vision for something you don't want to share publicly, do not post it on our Facebook page. Specifically, you may have an idea, or concept that you want to remain unique--in other words, you don't want someone to steal your idea. : )

Your private emails to me remain confidential and will not be shared without your consent.

What Happened to my Worries: Do you feel better about some, or all of the fears, and worries you wrote down on Day 1? If the answer is yes, tear that side of the paper off and throw it away! (Remember, your Prayer List is on the back of that paper. So make sure you transfer those names to another piece of paper as we discussed at the beginning of today's devotional.)

If you are still dealing with some of those items, go ahead and throw that side of the paper away, but continue to pray that God will help you overcome those worries.

We don't want to dwell on that stuff and keep reading about it. Throw it away so that you can begin to change your mindset and take on a mind more like Jesus (more about that in a future devotional).

CLOSING PRAYER: After you talk to God about the people on your prayer list, also ask God to reveal the Vision(s) He has for you and how you can best fulfill them according to His will.

Until tomorrow, have a blessed day!

---------------------------------------------

Free Stuff For You!

You are cordially invited to visit my ministry Web site, Bible Study Cafe.com, to download free stuff including a prayer journal.

Join Bible Study Cafe on Facebook and follow my twitches and tweets on Twitter.

------------------------------------------
A True Relationship with God

If you would like a relationship with God, the only way to do it is through His son, Jesus Christ. This is supported in the Bible: Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me. --John 14:6 (King James Version)

We begin this relationship by first accepting Jesus. Here's a link to more info: http://biblestudycafedotcom.blogspot.com/2010/09/prayer-of-foregivness-and-salvation.html

-----------------------------------------
Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright 1996, 2004. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Wheaton, Illinois 60189. All rights reserved.

Sunday, September 26, 2010

Day 3: Faith, Not Fear: THINGS HOPED FOR

Welcome to day 3 of our Bible based, Christ focused devotional.

Purpose: With so many people suffering during these tough economic times, I wanted to create a daily devotional that would promote faith in God as a solution to overcoming anger and fear.

Each devotional will provide a daily passage of Scripture for you to reflect on throughout the day. In addition, an “Action Item” will assign a daily, simple task to address your fears with faith.

Thank you and God bless you for reading this devotional--please share it with others!

Steve Kendall

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Day 3: Things Hoped For

Today’s Scripture for Reflection: Hebrews 11:1 Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. (King James Version)

Opening Prayer: Please find a quiet place where you can pray alone. Remember, no matter how long, or short your prayer, you’re having a conversation with God.

In your opening prayer, please pray for greater faith, especially faith that God can help you to handle the unseen--your future. -----------------------------------------------------------------------

Hopes and Dreams

Hebrews 11:1 is one of my favorite passages of Scripture. I like the King James Version posted above as it sounds so poetic.

A more contemporary version of Hebrews 11:1 reads this way, Faith is the confidence that what we hope for will actually happen; it gives us assurance about things we cannot see. (NLT) New Living Translation

What are your hopes and dreams? Do you have faith that you'll achieve them? If you really think about it, we can do nothing without God. And the primary way to please God is through faith in Him. Remember our Scripture for Reflection from yesterday? Hebrews 11:6 But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him. (King James Version)

The pastor of the church I attend, Dr. Lucius M. Dalton, is currently preaching a series of sermons entitled, "The Lord Will Provide," which was the inspiration for this 40 day devotional on faith over fear.

Because of a chronic illness, I am unable to attend church as often as I like. In fact, I have not been present for Pastor Dalton's recent sermons. I was able to listen to the audio from home, via the church Web site, and felt quite blessed by them. I can't wait until I'm able to join my church family again!

Click here to listen to Dr. Dalton's series.

If you are without a church home today. Pray that the Lord will lead you to a church where you can grow in Christ. Some folks will say they don't need church and can worship God without it. A church family is essential for your growth. The church is often full of hypocrites, liars, broken people, etc., which is the best place for all of us with problems so that we can help one another and be a blessing to someone else.

If you are unable to attend church, or in the process of looking for one, I recommend you seek preachers you can listen to, or watch on TV, or online. I prefer those whose sermons are Biblically sound.

For my recommendations, visit Bible Study Cafe on Facebook and look for the "Discussions" tab, followed by "Favorite Preachers." Please join the discussion and add your favorites. I look forward to reading what you share.

Final Thought for Today Last night in Bible study (an aside-I was soooo happy to have the energy and health to make it to church last night!), my pastor said he believes God blesses us so that we can be a blessing to someday else. I agree. In today's Action Item, we'll work on being a blessing to someone else and our hopes and dreams.

Today’s Action Item: Please use the paper from yesterday’s Action Item. Are there any remaining worries on your list that you circled? Do you have faith that God can help you with them? Be sure to pray about those items today.

Blessing Others Turn your paper over and look at the names on your Prayer List. Pick someone from the list who could perhaps use a pleasant surprise this week to brighten their day.

Bless this person with a simple act of kindness: If you will see them in person, treat this individual to their favorite snack, or beverage. Sign and attach a note indicating that you are praying for them and ask that they pray for you as well. Close the note with, "Have a blessed day!"

If you won't see this person during the week, mail (snail mail, not email, please--'cause everybody loves to get mail) a note to them with the prayer message from the paragraph above.

Each week during this devotional period, pick someone on your Prayer List and repeat the act of kindness/blessing.

Hold on to this first Action Item paper as you'll use the Prayer List on the back for the remainder of this 40 day devotional. Add names to your list at any time.

Hopes, Dreams and Goals Okay, get a new piece of blank paper. Fold it down the middle. Write the words "Hopes and Dreams" on the top left. On the top right, "Goals."

List and number your hopes and dreams. Don't hold back. Write down all your hopes and dreams, no matter how impossible they may seem to you at present.

Put the paper aside for tomorrow’s Action Item. We'll deal with your goals, which is how you can achieve those hopes and dreams, tomorrow.

You Are Truly Blessed On last thing about blessings--you are truly blessed. No matter how bad things get, if you wake up each morning, it's another day for things to improve with God's help. Remember, we can't do anything without God. If we could, we probably wouldn't have any problems.

I'm Blessed, Thank You! For the remaining days of this devotional, whenever someone asks, "How are you?" Reply: "I'm blessed, thank you. How are you?"

This exchange will prayerfully open the door for God to do something in your life that you haven't even thought of, or hoped for yet. When it happens, it will be evidence of things unseen.

Closing Prayer: After you talk to God about the people on your prayer list, also ask God to reveal the plans He has for you. Another passage of Scripture that I love pertains to God's plans for us: For I know the plans I have for you,” says the Lord. “They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope. Jeremiah 29:11 (NLT)

Remember to close your prayer by asking for these things in Jesus’ name as we discussed yesterday. Please do this with all of your prayers moving forward. ---------------------------------------------

Free Stuff For You! You are cordially invited to visit my ministry Web site, Bible Study Cafe.com, to download free stuff including a prayer journal.

Join Bible Study Cafe on Facebook and follow my twitches and tweets on Twitter. ------------------------------------------

A True Relationship with God

If you would like a relationship with God, the only way to do it is through His son, Jesus Christ. This is supported in the Bible: Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me. --John 14:6 (King James Version)

We begin this relationship by first accepting Jesus. Here's a link to more info: http://biblestudycafedotcom.blogspot.com/2010/09/prayer-of-foregivness-and-salvation.html

Until tomorrow, have a blessed day and a blessed week!
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Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright 1996, 2004. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Wheaton, Illinois 60189. All rights reserved.

Saturday, September 25, 2010

Day 2: Faith, Not Fear: COUNT YOUR BLESSINGS

Welcome to day two of our Bible based, Christ focused devotional. If you haven't read the previous day's devotional, scroll down this Web page to find it.

Purpose: With so many people suffering during these tough economic times, I wanted to create a daily devotional that would promote faith in God as a solution to overcoming anger and fear. Each devotional will provide a daily passage of Scripture for you to reflect on throughout the day.

In addition, an “Action Item” will assign a daily, simple task to address your fears with faith.

Thank you and God bless you for reading this devotional!

Steve Kendall

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Faith, Not Fear: A 40 Day Devotional Day 2: Count Your Blessings

Today’s Scripture for Reflection: Hebrews 11:6 (King James Version) But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.

Opening Prayer: Yesterday we closed our devotional with prayer. From this day forward, we’ll begin and end in prayer. Please find a quiet place where you can pray alone. You don’t have to talk aloud if you’re concerned about others who can hear you.

If you’re having trouble getting started with prayer, remember that no matter how long, or short your prayer, you’re having a conversation with God.

In your opening prayer, please pray from someone who is in greater need than you.

Today’s Action Item: Please use the paper from yesterday’s Action Item. Look over what you wrote under “I’m worried about…” Which items on this list now seem silly, or no big deal? Draw a line through those.

Are there any worries on your list that only God can solve? Write the words “Pray About” next to each one. For the remaining 39 days of this devotional you’ll pray about each these God-sized problems.

Any remaining worries on your list? If so, circle them as we’ll deal with that stuff in the coming days. Just remember, there’s always someone who has larger problems than you. For example, someone woke up this morning without food to eat. Someone woke up without a home. Many, many folks didn’t wake up this morning. From now on, whenever you begin to think of your problems, stop for a moment and pray for those who have greater problems.

Okay, enough about your problems : ) . Now for something positive. In your “My blessings…” column, think for a moment about each blessing. If you thought of more blessings please add them to your list.

Turn your paper over. Write the words "Prayer List" at the top of the page. Make a list of people you know with problems. For example, perhaps you have a family member, or friend in need of a job, etc.

In your closing prayer today, and each day forward during this devotional period, please pray for each of those folks on your prayer list before you talk to God about your needs. Add names to this list at any time.

Put the paper aside for tomorrow’s Action Item.

Closing Prayer: After you talk to God about the people on your prayer list, also ask God to help you overcome the God-sized problems on your list. Ask for these things in Jesus’ name. Why? In John 14, verses 13-14 it reads, And whatsoever ye shall ask in my name, that will I do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If ye shall ask any thing in my name, I will do it. (King James Version)

Please read the entire 14th chapter of John sometime today. Here's a link: http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=John+14&version=KJV

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You are cordially invited to visit my ministry Web site, Bible Study Cafe.com, to download free stuff including a prayer journal.

Join Bible Study Cafe on Facebook and follow my twitches and tweets on Twitter.

----------------------------------------

If you would like a relationship with God, the only way to do it is through His son, Jesus Christ. This is supported in the Bible: Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me. --John 14:6 (King James Version)

We begin this relationship by first accepting Jesus. Here's a link to more info: http://biblestudycafedotcom.blogspot.com/2010/09/prayer-of-foregivness-and-salvation.html

Until tomorrow, have a blessed day!

Friday, September 24, 2010

Day 1: Faith, Not Fear: SEEK FIRST HIS KINGDOM

With so many people suffering during these tough economic times, I wanted to create a daily devotional that would promote faith in God as a solution to overcoming anger and fear.

Given that there are 40 days until Election Day, November 2, 2010, and many voters are angry, this devotional is ideal to address their fears as well. I also like the fact that the time period of “40 days” plays such an important role in the Bible.

Each devotional will provide a daily passage of Scripture for you to reflect on throughout the day.

In addition, an “Action Item” will assign a daily, simple task to address your fears with faith.

Thank you and God bless you for reading this devotional!

Steve Kendall

Faith, Not Fear: A 40 Day Devotional

Day 1: Seek first His Kingdom

Today’s Scripture for Reflection:

Matthew 6:25-34­ (New International Version)

25"Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more important than food, and the body more important than clothes? 26Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? 27Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life?

28"And why do you worry about clothes? See how the lilies of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. 29Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. 30If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? 31So do not worry, saying, 'What shall we eat?' or 'What shall we drink?' or 'What shall we wear?' 32For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. 33But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. 34Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.

Today’s Action Item:

Get a blank piece of paper. Draw a line down the middle. At the top of the left side, write, “I’m worried about…” At the top of the right column, write, “My blessings…”

Number and list all of your fears and worries on the left side of the paper. On the right, list all of the blessings in your life, this can include things you’re thankful for. Just write whatever comes to mind for both categories. Don’t dwell on it too much. I want you to capture the thoughts that are dominating your thinking.

Put the paper aside for tomorrow’s Action Item.

Closing Prayer:

End today’s devotional by praying. Pray about whatever you like, but please include a request for God to help you overcome your fears. Ask for everything in your prayers in Jesus’ name.

If you haven’t prayed before, or if you’re a little rusty, here’s a prayer Jesus recommended in the Bible to get you started:

"Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name.

Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven.

Give us this day our daily bread.

And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors.

And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil: For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, forever.

Amen.

From Matthew 6: 9-13 (King James Version)

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Until tomorrow, have a blessed day!

Scripture taken from the HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984 Biblica. Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved.

The "NIV" and "New International Version" trademarks are registered in the United States Patent and Trademark Office by Biblica. Use of either trademark requires the permission of Biblica.

Thursday, September 23, 2010

Prayer of Foregivness and Salvation

DON’T READ THIS!

If you know for sure what happens to you when you die, then don’t read this. Being good and helping others will not get you into Heaven. Without salvation from Jesus, you will be eternally separated from God when you die.

Do you believe in God?

Do you really have a relationship with God? The Bible says the only way to do that is through His son, Jesus Christ, “Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.” (John 14:6)

Do you want to live with God—forever? God’s desire is that everyone be saved. God, through Jesus Christ, wants to forgive us of sins. Jesus Christ died for our sins and He was resurrected so that we might receive eternal life. Salvation is granted to those who confess with their mouths that Jesus is Lord and believe that God raised Jesus from death.

If you want salvation today, please pray this prayer: “Heavenly Father, I am a sinner. I have sinned against You. I want forgiveness for all my sins. I believe that Jesus Christ died on the cross for me and rose again. Father, I accept Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior of my life. I give You my life to do with as you wish. I want Jesus Christ to come into my heart. This I ask in Jesus’ name. Amen! ”

If you prayed the prayer above, you will be saved. Now it is time to join a church where you can grow and mature in Christ. For further discussion contact the author, Steve Kendall @ www.BibleStudyCafe.com

Have a blessed day!

Wednesday, September 22, 2010

Your Favorite Preacher(s)

Who are your favorite preachers?

You are welcome to share by sending me and email @: Steve@BibleStudyCafe.com

My favorite preachers are:

1. Dr. Lucius M. Dalton, Senior Pastor of Mt.Moriah Baptist Church, my home church. You can find Pastor Dalton's sermons at: http://mountmoriahchurch.org

2. Dr. A. R. Bernard - "Faith in Practice": http://www.arbernard.com/BroadcastPrograms/FaithinPractice/tabid/615/Default.aspx

3. Dr. Tony Evans - "The Alternative": http://www.oneplace.com/ministries/The_Alternative

4. Dr. Charles Stanley - "In Touch": http://www.intouch.org

I look forward to learning about your favorite preacher(s)!

Saturday, September 18, 2010

Dr. Stanley's Scripture Used in Prayer Message

Dr. Stanley used Colossians 4:2 in his message about prayer that I discussed in my earlier blog entry.

Friday, September 17, 2010

Charles Stanley on Making the Most of Prayer

Great radio message from Dr. Charles Stanley 2day re: Making the Most of Your Prayer Life-U can listen online @:

After listening to his message, I realize I need to make a greater effort to keep a prayer journal.

You can download a free prayer journal at my ministry site:

http://www.lulu.com/product/ebook/daily-prayer-journal/2741226

To view more free stuff from my site: http://biblestudycafe.com/

Monday, September 6, 2010

Safe & Blessed Labor Day

A happy, safe and blessed Labor to everyone! "Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest." --Matthew 11:28 (King James Version)

Thursday, September 2, 2010

A.R. Bernard on Idolatry

Heard good quote on radio 2day--"Idolatry: When you look for meaning, security and personal identity in things, people & relationships other than God. When 'things' become your identity, you're in trouble."

--A.R. Bernard from his radio series "Life Is Good"