3 Things To Do To Claim Your 2014 Blessings

--By Bo Sanchez

Let me tell you something that will blow your mind.

God created an entire warehouse of blessings for YOU.  

Your name—in big bold letters—is plastered on the roof of your warehouse.  By the way, your warehouse is sooooooo huge, it doesn’t fit planet earth.  It has to be located in Heaven.  And it’s stocked with every conceivable blessing for your life. It’s filled with joy, love, peace, wisdom, guidance, health, strength… and yes, financial blessings too.  Heaps and heaps and heaps of blessing!

       Here’s the problem: Many people don’t know HOW to claim their blessings.

       Because of this, many people live lives that lack blessings.  The blessings remain in the warehouse—untouched, unclaimed, and unused.

Today, at the start of this year, I’ll share with you 3 specific strategies to claim those blessings.  And have a spectacular year.

       Make these 3 commitments today.

       Here we go…(Click here to continue reading)

Have a Happy & a Prosperous New Year!!!

Let Small Problems Remain Small

Benjamin Disraeli said, Little things affect little minds.

I know of people who treat every little conflict, every little irritation, every little obstacle as a life-and-death emergency.  I pity them.  Because if we want to win in life, a master skill that we need to learn is the ability to let small problems remain small—and believe me, most of our problems are small.

Wisdom is knowing what to overlook.

Many years ago, before I became a personal finance teacher, a friend of mine asked for help.  He was working for a credit organization and wanted me to invest there so that he could earn a little from the commission of my investment.  So I liked the interest rates he was giving me and dumped half of my life savings in his company (I repeat: At that time, I still had zero financial literacy.) 

One morning, I learned that his whole company collapsed and I saw all my money disappear in a wink of an eye…

(Please click here  to continue reading)

By Bo Sanchez

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!

 - From Today's Word Joel & Victoria 

 

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. 

 

 

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! By Joel & Victoria Osteen 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.

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

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!

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