I will share about Christian books I have read or listened to.
I will be sharing about my life before and after Christ. I will include stories about my pet and other pets I have encountered.
The Power of Life and Death
Think of a time you said something you regret, or were the target of undeserved gossip. Now, reflect on a situation where you encouraged a friend who was hurting, or felt the life-giving effects of someone else’s words.
Words matter. Your words matter. And, God has given you the freedom to choose how you use them.
Are you using your words to tear down or build up? To provoke destruction or stimulate restoration? Do your words stir up drama or encourage peace?
“What you say flows from what is in your heart,” Jesus explained in Luke 6:45.
Fruit reveals the health of a tree, just as a tongue reveals what is happening in the heart.
Most of us want to use our words for good and not for harm … we don’t want to be unkind or critical. But, James 3 tells us that the tongue is unstable and cannot seem to be tamed.
So, what can we do? Is there a way to control it?
Self-control is a fruit the Holy Spirit produces in us, which means we can’t manufacture controlling our tongues on our own. But, we do have a part to play in the process: we need to stick close to Jesus.
When we read His Word, seek His face, and walk in His ways (no matter how many times we mess up and have to begin again), love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control begin to grow in our lives. The biblical term is abiding: staying, continuing, or remaining in Jesus’ presence.
As we abide with Jesus, the Holy Spirit begins to curb the way we speak and change the way we act. When that happens, our words start to bring life and hope to the people around us.
So this week, how will you use your words to bring healing and hope to people? If this isn’t something you’re used to doing, it’s never too early to speak words that spark life in someone.
“Now the sons of Issachar were, Tola, and Puah, Jashub, and Shimrom, four. And the sons of Tola; Uzzi, and Rephaiah, and Jeriel, and Jahmai, and Jibsam, and Shemuel, heads of their father's house, to wit, of Tola: they were valiant men of might in their generations; whose number was in the days of David two and twenty thousand and six hundred. And the sons of Uzzi; Izrahiah: and the sons of Izrahiah; Michael, and Obadiah, and Joel, Ishiah, five: all of them chief men. And with them, by their generations, after the house of their fathers, were bands of soldiers for war, six and thirty thousand men: for they had many wives and sons. And their brethren among all the families of Issachar were valiant men of might, reckoned in all by their genealogies fourscore and seven thousand. The sons of Benjamin; Bela, and Becher, and Jediael, three. And the sons of Bela; Ezbon, and Uzzi, and Uzziel, and Jerimoth, and Iri, five; heads of the house of their fathers, mighty men of valour; and were ...
Called to Contentment
Observing Sabbath-rest allows us to step into the same rhythm God established in creating the world. Scripture tells us when God rested from His work, it was because His work was complete (Genesis 2:1). God took joy in His accomplishment.
In Hebrews 4:10, the writer draws a parallel between God's rest and ours: "For anyone who enters God’s rest also rests from their works, just as God did from his." We're invited to delight in His presence and share in God’s divine contentment.
This rest isn't about taking a break from good works. It’s about surrendering the need to control by trusting in the completeness of God’s work. Our "rest" releases us from the burden of proving ourselves good enough to earn His love and approval. These things have been secured through Jesus’ finished work on the cross. When we step into this rhythm of rest, we can find contentment that spills over into every part of our lives.
Is God calling you to stop trying to do everything on ...
