Try to encourage your shepherd every now and then.

Now also we beseech you, brethren, get to know those who labor among you [recognize them for what they are, acknowledge and appreciate and respect them all]—your leaders who are over you in the Lord and those who warn and kindly reprove and exhort you. – 1 Thessalonians 5:12, Amplified Bible Which profession do you think fits the description… Continue reading Try to encourage your shepherd every now and then.

Be content with how God made you.

…be satisfied with your present [circumstances and with what you have]… – Hebrews 13:5, Amplified Bible When preachers preach on Hebrews 13:5, they usually focus on being content with the material possessions and circumstances that God has given us. Of course, Hebrews 13:5 absolutely teaches us this lesson, but it also teaches us another lesson… Continue reading Be content with how God made you.

I’ll bet you didn’t know that love is the key to great decision making.

And this I pray: that your love may abound… So that you may surely learn to sense what is vital… and of real value… – Philippians 1:9-10, Amplified Bible (AMP) To make good decisions, we need discernment. “Discernment” is defined by Merriam-Webster’s Dictionary as “the quality of being able to grasp and comprehend what is obscure.”  The word “obscure” means: 1 : shrouded in… Continue reading I’ll bet you didn’t know that love is the key to great decision making.

Your life has an impact, whether you’re conscious of it or not.

Before I formed you in the womb I knew [and] approved of you [as My chosen instrument], and before you were born I separated and set you apart… – Jeremiah 1:5, AMP In 1983, Teddy Kremer was born with Down Syndrome. A hospital worker counseled Dave and Cheryl Kremer that they should consider institutionalizing their son, but… Continue reading Your life has an impact, whether you’re conscious of it or not.

Slothfulness is selfishness, plain and simple.

Slothfulness casts one into a deep sleep, and the idle person shall suffer hunger. – Proverbs 19:15, Amplified Bible (AMP) It is not terribly hard to spot people who are habitually slothful. Habitually lazy people are virtually allergic to work, and like all good allergy sufferers, they try to avoid that which causes them pain.… Continue reading Slothfulness is selfishness, plain and simple.

When leading others, be sure not to put a square peg into a round hole.

Train up a child in the way he should go [and in keeping with his individual gift or bent], and when he is old he will not depart from it. – Proverbs 22:6, Amplified Bible (AMP) Whether you are a sports fan or not, you have to admire the great coaches that are always behind… Continue reading When leading others, be sure not to put a square peg into a round hole.

When God needs you to, please be ready to act like Titus.

But God, Who comforts and encourages and refreshes and cheers the depressed and the sinking, comforted and encouraged and refreshed and cheered us by the arrival of Titus. – 2 Corinthians 7:6, AMP When we are down and depressed, God often comforts us one-on-one while we are engaged in scripture reading or prayer. But, just as often, God sends His comfort through encouraging people He points… Continue reading When God needs you to, please be ready to act like Titus.

God would be proud of you if you could earn the respect of a demon.

But [one] evil spirit retorted, Jesus I know, and Paul I know about, but who are you? – Acts 19:15, AMP Have you ever been paid a compliment by a demon? The Apostle Paul has, and it was one of the greatest compliments he was ever paid. In Acts 19, we find Paul engaged in his… Continue reading God would be proud of you if you could earn the respect of a demon.

Being faithful pays off.

The king, beside whom the queen was sitting, asked me, How long will your journey take, and when will you return? So it pleased [him] to send me; and I set him a time. – Nehemiah 2:6, AMP Being a person of cheerful integrity can pay off. In Nehemiah 2, we find Nehemiah in a… Continue reading Being faithful pays off.

Be mindful of who you join forces with.

Because of this, wrath has gone out against you from the Lord. – 2 Chronicles 19:2, AMP In 2 Chronicles 18 we find Ahab, the wicked king of Israel, and Jehoshaphat, the righteous king of Judah, fighting together against the people of Ramoth-gilead. By the end of chapter 18, Ramoth-gilead was victorious, and Ahab was… Continue reading Be mindful of who you join forces with.