Friday 21 September 2012

Call Out Seeds of Greatness

...God...calls those things which do not exist as though they did.”
- Roman 4:17 
 
Very often, we see potential in other people that they can’t see in themselves. When you speak vision into them, when you tell them what they can become, you can help set the direction for their life. Your words have the power to push people into their divine destiny. I believe that the reason some people are not living at their full potential is because no one has ever spoken faith into them. No one has taken the time to say, “Hey, you’re great at this. You’ve got a gift here. You’re going to do something amazing.” I believe that one of our assignments in life is to call out the seeds of greatness in other people. Look around at who God has placed in your life. They’re not there by accident. Take time to study them. See what they’re good at. What are their gifts? What do they excel at? Don’t just think about it, speak vision into them. Tell them what they can become. Let your encouragement ignite the greatness on the inside. Help them rise up in confidence so they can be all God has called them to be!
 
Father, thank You for the people You’ve placed in my life. I choose to be faithful, to speak life and call forth the greatness in them. Thank You for bringing me to new levels as I help others rise higher, too, in Jesus’ name. Amen. 
 
 

Saturday 1 September 2012

No Regrets


“Am I now trying to win the approval of human beings, or of God? Or am I trying to please people? If I were still trying to please people, I would not be a servant of Christ.” (Galatians 1:10, NIV)


I read a report from a nurse who takes care of people who are close to death. She asked hundreds of patients in the last twelve weeks of their life what their biggest regret was. The number one regret reported was, “I wish I had been true to who I was and not just lived to meet the expectations of others.”
How many people today are not being true to who God created them to be simply because they are afraid they’re going to disappoint somebody? They’re afraid they may fall out of someone else’s good grace. They worry about not being accepted into a certain group. I say this respectfully, but you cannot live trying to be who your parents want you to be, or who your boss wants you to be, or who your friends want you to be. You’ve got to stay true to who God has called you to be.
Today, make the decision to live life with no regrets. Surrender yourself wholeheartedly to who God created you to be. Let Him mold and shape your character. Let Him order your steps. As you submit your ways to Him, He will shine down on you, and you will live the fulfilled, abundant life He has prepared for you!


Father God, thank You for loving me and accepting me just the way I am. It is my heart’s desire to know You and to be known by You. Help me to live the life You’ve called me to and be faithful to You always in Jesus’ name. Amen.


Saturday 19 May 2012

If Only



He who tends a fig tree eat its fruit....
Proverbs 27:18

It’s easy to get stuck in the trap of thinking that if only your circumstances would just change, then life would be better. You might think, “If I got a new job, or a new house or had better friends, then I would really be happy.” But I’ve learned that often times, God changes us before He changes our circumstances. We are thinking, “If only my circumstances would change,” when God may be thinking, “If only your attitude would change!”
Today, if you’ve been thinking, “If only,” it’s time to turn your thoughts around. Don’t allow negative thinking to direct your attitude or affect how you treat others. Instead, begin to thank God for what He has planned for you. Bloom where you are planted. Tend to what God has placed in your hand. If you will focus on what you have instead of focusing on what you don’t have, then God can bless you and multiply you and lead you forward into the destiny He has in store for you!
 

A Prayer for Today

Father in heaven, thank You for Your goodness and grace upon my life. Today I choose to turn my thoughts around and focus on what You have placed in my hands. I will be faithful knowing that You are faithful, and that You have a good plan in store for me in Jesus’ name! Amen.

 By Joel & Victoria Osteen







Sunday 15 April 2012

Ressurection Power at Work

"He is risen from the dead, just as he said would happen" 
Matthew 28:6, NIV

We have a reason to celebrate every day because we serve a God who is alive and filled with resurrection power! Not only did He resurrect Jesus from the dead, but He wants to extend His resurrection power to every area of your life, today!
Maybe you have a dream to get out of debt, pay off your house or be free from that burden of lack, but it looks like it's impossible in the natural. Business is slow. The economy is down. You've gone as far as your education allows. But God is saying, "I'm not limited by those things. I've got resurrection power. I can give you one break that will thrust you to a new level. I can open up doors that no man can shut. I can bring talent out of you that you didn't know you had. I can cause people, for no reason, to go out of their way to want to be good to you."
Your part is to keep believing today, knowing that He wants to bring you into supernatural increase. Remember, He is risen, He is alive, and He is faithful to His Word. Trust Him today and let His resurrection power work in your life!

From Today's Scripture - Joel & Victoria Osteen 

Father God, thank You for Your resurrection power at work in my life. Today, I give You my broken dreams, disappointments, failures and setbacks, trusting that You will breathe Your life into me. I trust that You have a good plan for my future, and You are leading me into total victory in Jesus' name. Amen!




Sunday 18 March 2012

Leaps and Bounds

Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit who gives life has set you free from the law of sin and death. For what the law was powerless to do because it was weakened by the flesh, God did by sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh to be a sin offering. And so he condemned sin in the flesh.
Romans 8:1-3 

Reflect:  When I think of shows like Man vs. Wild and Survivor, shows my husband seems to enjoy, I think, "Why?  What's the point of putting yourself into hostile environments just to prove you can survive?"  But I've been thinking about this weekend's message, and how often we come to crossroads in life where we must change our course of action in order to survive, rather than staying stuck in cycles of destructive behavior.

Picture a wild goat.  He is aware of his surroundings, able to leap and bound over rocky terrain, find food and water sources, and defend himself against hostile animals.  By contrast, his domesticated counterpart sleeps in a barn, chews the grass at his feet, drinks water provided for him, and lacks the vigorous survival skills of his wild cousin.

When we choose to stay stuck in cycles of negative behavior, it's like we've become domesticated.  We're passively repeating old habits of sinful behavior rather than choosing to break free.  It's up to us to change our course.  We can do so with help from others who can show us the way, and help from the Holy Spirit within us.  We can be bound by our bad habits, or leap over them and be free through Jesus.

React:
 Have you been living the "easier" way that lacks spiritual health and vitality?  Refuse to repeat bad habits and choose positive change.

Pray:
 Lord Jesus, you have given your life so we can be set free from our sins.  Help me to let go of bad habits that entrap me and to follow you into freedom.
 

From a Team of Volunteers from Eastlake Church


In Christ Alone

Sunday 11 March 2012

The Savior is Waiting...


The Savior is waiting to enter your heart
Why don't you let Him come in?
There's nothing in this world to keep you apart
What is your answer to Him?

Chorus:
Time after time
He has waited before
And now He is waiting again
To see if you are willing
To open the door
Oh, how He wants to come in.

If you'll take one step
Toward the Savior, my friend,
You'll find His arms open wide.
Receive Him, and all of your darkness will end
Within your heart He'll abide.

Chorus:
Time after time
He has waited before
And now He is waiting again
To see if you are willing
To open the door
Oh, how He wants to come in.

Sunday 4 March 2012

When You Make a Mistake

“If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness”
1 John 1:9

When we make mistakes in life, there are three main things that we need to do. Number one, ask for forgiveness. Number two, receive God’s mercy. And number three, move forward with your life. Let it go and press ahead. So many people today are still beating themselves down over something they did five years ago. They’ve asked God to forgive them a thousand times, but can’t let it go. They go around living depressed, defeated and feeling unworthy. If that’s you, realize today the price has already been paid. The first time you asked God to forgive you, He forgave you. Now you’ve got to receive God’s mercy and press ahead. That mistake did not change who you are to God. My children have never once gotten up in the morning as an Osteen and then done something wrong and gone to bed that night with a different last name. No matter what they did, they’re still my children. You may have made mistakes today, but because of the blood of Jesus, you are still your Father’s child. You are still the apple of God’s eye. You are still His most prized possession. God may not be pleased with every action, but He is pleased when you receive His forgiveness by faith! 

Father, thank You for the blood of Jesus which cleanses me from all unrighteousness. Thank You for forgiving me and restoring me. I choose to forget the past and move forward into all that You have prepared for me in Jesus’ name. Amen. 

 
 

Friday 24 February 2012


“See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the desert and streams in the wasteland”
Isaiah 43:19

Change is one of the most difficult things for people to face; however, change is inevitable. In fact, Mark Twain once said, “The only person who likes change is a wet baby.” One reason people don’t like change is because they get comfortable with where they are in life. They get used to their friends, job or the place they live. And even if it’s not perfect, they accept it simply because it’s familiar. However, when we are not willing to change, we get stuck in life holding on to what God did in the past instead of growing and moving forward into what God wants to do in the future.
Today, I encourage you to be open to the new things God has in store for you. Always remember that just because God has blessed you where you are doesn’t mean you can just sit back and settle there. God wants to do something new in you and through you. He wants to see you grow, prosper and flourish. Get ready and keep your heart focused on Him. Embrace change and see the blessing God has in store for you!

Father God, I humbly come before You and thank You for all You’ve done in my life and all You will do in my future. I submit myself to You and choose to embrace change knowing that You always have good things in store in Jesus’ name. Amen.
 

 


Friday 17 February 2012

Wisdom to Change

James 1-5
If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you. 

Reflect: Early on, working with my doctor to get to a diagnosis for occasionally crippling arthritic pain, I began to notice a relationship between what I consumed and when a flare-up would occur.  For example, if I ate shellfish, I would have a flare-up.  No big deal. I liked shrimp, but not more than pain, so I eliminated shellfish from my diet.  Next, I began to recognize that alcohol did the same thing to me.  I tried to mask the symptoms through a combination of doctor-prescribed medicines and home remedies.  They helped, but didn't completely work.  My wife knew when I'd had drinks while out of town because I'd be limping off the plane.

Some years later, on a camping trip, I was sitting around the campfire with family.  We told stories, laughed, and drank beer.  I was halfway through my beer when I started to feel the joint pain digging in.  It was cold, though, so I switched to hot coffee with a shot of liquor to stay warm.  I went to sleep that night, only to wake up a few hours later in agony.  I made a decision immediately to stop drinking.

I wish it had stopped there because, a few years later, I began to recognize in myself a relationship between sugar and my pain. I liked beer, and gave that up for the hope of being pain-free. Now I had to consider giving up sugar?  It just wasn't fair, but I gave it a shot.  The experiment has turned out great so far, as I eliminated sugar, medications, and most important: the pain.

React:
I gave up foods that I liked to eliminate physical pain. Consider what you're currently allowing into your life. Where have you not wanted to make the connection between a difficulty you're experiencing and your actions?  Change is hard, but nothing happens until you start.

Pray:
Lord, give me the wisdom to identify where I've been hurting myself and the courage and strength to make changes.
 

By a team of volunteers from EastLake Church


Wednesday 15 February 2012

Let No One Fool You: The Real Key To Success Is (Drumroll Please)…

I’ve been helping people change their lives for 30+ years.
And I’ve realized that one of the most common reasons why people don’t change is because they wait for the perfect condition to change.
But that’s a recipe for staying the same.
One November morning, an overweight guy told me, “I really want to get healthy. I want to start walking one solid hour every morning.”
“Great,” I told him, “When will you start?”
“I just need to buy a new pair of rubber shoes,” he beamed, “and I’m good to go. I want to walk with those hi-tech rubber shoes with air cushions in their soles. Once I buy that, I’m ready to conquer the streets. Boy, am I excited!”
When I checked him out in December, he said, “Oh Bo, it’s the Christmas season. I’m just super busy now. You know, with all the shopping and late-night parties.  But I promise you Bo, when Christmas is over, I’ll really get to it. Nothing is going to stop me from my morning exercise!”
In the middle of January, I bumped into him. He said, “I’ve not been able to start yet. Gosh, there’s a huge backlog in the office. Let me clear that off first. And I’ll jump into my exercise program right away…”
When I talked to him in April, he said, “Summer is crazy, Bo. My kids taking painting classes and music classes, and I have to drive them to all these classes every day.  After the insanity of summer is over, I’m really going to start walking every morning. You just wait. I’ll be burning the road. I’ll be sweating like a horse. I’ll be losing pounds….”
When June rolled in, he said, “The kids are back in school. Let me just settle them, buy their books, their uniform, their notebooks, and I’ll reeeeeeeeally start my exercise program in the morning. I mean, I can’t wait to walk on the road. The moment I start, I won’t stop. That’s me. That’s my personality. I don’t want to start anything half-baked…”
When I checked on him in October, he said, “Oh Bo, Christmas season is starting early this year. Let me let Christmas season pass by and I’ll reeeeeeeeeally get started on my morning walk…”
This man will never start.
Do you want to know if you’ll succeed in life or not?
Simply ask this question: Will you excuse or execute… 
(To continue reading Bo's inspiring article, click here.)

Saturday 11 February 2012

Let this be your Prayer

Like many people today, I have big dreams and goals. I have desires in my heart. But my prayer now is, “God, not my will, but let Your will be done.” If a door closes, it’s no big deal; I let it go. If my plans don’t work out, no big deal; I know God has something better. I’ve learned to not get so consumed by a dream that if it doesn’t happen my way, I get all bent out of shape.
Maybe you’ve gone through a disappointment. You don’t understand it. You could easily be bitter, live with a chip on your shoulder, and give up on your dreams. Realize today that God is at work in your life. He is directing your steps. What you thought was a setback is going to turn out to be a setup for a comeback! When you surrender your will to Him, when you humble yourself before Him, that’s when God can take you to another level.
Today, shake off the self-pity. Shake off the disappointment and realize that God has you in the palm of His hand. Know that He has good plans in store for your future, better than you could ever imagine! Trust Him with your whole heart today and every day!



Precious heavenly father, Today I surrender every area of my heart, mind and life to you. Have your way in me. Do Your will in my life. Let everything I am bring glory to You in all things, Amen.