Growing in Grace

God greatly blessed both King Solomon and Daniel. They both were well known and able to influence the lives of many people. Not only were they wise, but they also enjoyed fame, fortune, and great success during their lifetimes. King Solomon is the author of our wisdom book - the book of Proverbs. God used him to teach us the difference between the wisdom of God and the perceived wisdom of the world. King David was King Solomon's father. He taught Solomon the value of trusting in God and having the wisdom of God above all else. Through Solomon's story, we see the value of having the fear of God as our first priority. From King David, Solomon learned the importance of being faithful, righteous and upright in heart. Solomon viewed himself as a servant. When asked by God what he would like, Solomon asked for a discerning heart to grow God's people and to be able to distinguish between right and wrong. He did not ask for long life, wealth or the death of his enemies. God gav

A Proverb is a short sentence expressing in a few words a well-known truth. The main purposes for studying the Proverbs are: *to know God *to know the Word of God *to Know God's principles *to learn how to apply God's wisdom *to give purpose to life We can understand the Proverbs by recognizing we have a need, listening, praying and studying. Usually and older person does have knowledge and wisdom because of their life experiences. They have already dealt with many of the same problems we are facing. But just because a person is old does not mean that he or she is truly wise. True wisdom comes only from God. Foolish people tend to judge others by whether they are rich or poor, athletic or musical, smart or slow to learn, well dressed or poorly dressed, outgoing or shy or friendly or lonely. Maturity teaches us to view others as God views them. God judges us by whether we are wise or foolish. A fool rejects the one true God. In Psalm 14:1-3, King David described the

According to Proverbs 3:13-15, silver, gold, rubies and anything you desire cannot compare to the value or importance of wisdom. 1 Corinthians 2:4-8 says there are two kinds of wisdom: the wisdom of this age and the wisdom of God. Proverbs 21:30 tells us that nothing can succeed without the Lord's wisdom. Anything that denies or belittles God is not wisdom. Without God, there can be no true wisdom. Isaiah 55:8 says that God's thoughts and ways are not our thoughts and ways. Therefore, atheism or godlessness in any form is not wisdom. God alone makes us wise. Knowledge is the accumulation of facts and ideas. Wisdom is knowing how to apply facts and ideas so that important choices can be made rightly. 1 Corinthians 1:19-21 shows us that God will destroy the wisdom of the wise. The world cannot use the wisdom of God to know God. God used the foolishness of what was preached to bring people to a saving knowledge of Him. 1 Corinthians 3:19-20 tells us that the world sees God's

Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable - if anything excellent or praiseworthy - think about such things. -Philippians 4:8

You cannot be a follower unless you are filled with the Holy Spirit. When you become a Christian you receive from God the gift of the Holy Spirit. That's His promise to all who put their faith in Him. So it's not a question of whether or not you have access to this power of the Holy Spirit; the question is, have you accessed it? Fans may have received the gift of the Holy Spirit but they aren't being filled with the Holy Spirit. Fans may have received the gift of the Holy Spirit but they aren't being filled with the Holy Spirit. Being filled with the power of the Spirit begins with an honest acknowledgement of our own weakness. The only way to be filled with the Spirit is to empty myself of me.  Fans foolishly think that with enough hard work they can follow Jesus. Followers of Jesus understand that it's a journey they were never meant to make alone. Followers keep in step with the Spirit and He supernaturally gives us the strength and

Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness for they will be filled. -Matthew 5:6 Photo Credit

A message for dads. . .  For you know that we dealt with each of you as a father deals with his own children, encouraging, comforting and urging you to live lives worthy of God, who calls you into his kingdom and glory.  -1 Thessalonians 2:11-12 Photo Credits

Do not love the world or anything in the world. If anyone loves the world,love for the Father is not in them. For everything in the world - the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life - comes not from the Father but from the world. The world and its desires pass away, but whoever does the will of God lives forever. -1 John 2:15-17

Tekel: You have been weighed on the scales and found wanting. -Daniel 5:27 Photo Credit In Daniel 5:27, King Belshazzar sees a cryptic message handwritten on the wall of his banquet room. When he asks Daniel what it means, God's prophet replies, "You have been weighed on the scales and found wanting." Thinking about this reply might prompt us to ask, "Where are we found wanting?" To find out, look to Jesus and ask yourself how much you have been conformed to His likeness. Do you have His meekness? His humility? His gracious spirit? Do we, like Paul, consider ourselves "the worst of sinners" and least of all the saints? (1 Timothy 1:15) Can we say with him, "For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain"? (Philippians 1:21) Let's ask God to bring us there. Let's ask His Spirit to rekindle our need for God, for deeper faith, for warmer zeal, and for more fervent love. Together let's cry out, "Please, Lord, if I am

The wings of the ostrich flap joyfully, though they cannot compare with the wings and feathers of the stork. -Job 39:13 In Job 38-41, God takes Job on a tour through the wonders of nature. In Job 39:13, the Lord points Rejoice in who you are and with what God has given you. The wings of an ostrich really don't do much of anything. Ostriches can't fly. But they can run like the wind! Even so, it's the glory of a bird to flap its wings, and the ostrich does so with pride and joy. We too can rejoice in both our strengths and our weaknesses - in our strengths because they are precious gifts from God and in our weaknesses because God demonstrates His power and grace through them as we depend on and trust in Him. (12 Corinthians 12:9-10) our that "the wings of the ostrich flap joyfully, though they cannot compare with the wings and feathers of the stork." Whatever else God intended to teach through this observation, one application seems clear: -From  A Spectacl

Greg Laurie Thursday, January 25, 2018 While the Pharisees were gathered together, Jesus asked them, saying, "What do you think about the Christ? Whose Son is He?"                                     —Matthew  22:41 –42 Without question, Jesus Christ is the most controversial figure who has ever lived. He is loved, worshiped, and followed by some. He is hated, despised, and rejected by others. He is disregarded and ignored by most. But it always will come down to Jesus. Who is Jesus? Two thousand years ago, Christ Himself asked the question: “What do you think about the Christ? Whose Son is He?” (Matthew  22:42 ). And to this very day, people are still confused about the answer. Maybe there has never been a time when more people profess faith in Jesus yet at the same time have no clue as to who He really is. Many will speak with respect about Christ. They will say things like, “I believe that Jesus was a great prophet” or “I believe that Jesus was a messenger sent from

Greg Laurie Wednesday, January 24, 2018 "For whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted."                                                                                                —Luke  14:11 If we have learned nothing else from our culture telling us what we should do to be happy, we have learned this: It is just not true. We have realized where happiness isn’t. Prior to becoming a Christian, I already knew the answer was not in the world. I knew it wasn’t in my mother’s world of hedonism and drinking and partying. I knew it wasn’t in my world, limited as it was at seventeen years old. So I was wondering where it was. And then I became a Christian. We have a different paradigm to follow, given to us by God in His Word. We could call it the divine paradox, because in God’s economy, if we want to be great, we must learn to be humble. If we want self-fulfillment, we should seek the fulfillment of others. Regarding this divine

Greg Laurie Tuesday, January 23, 2018 Now after six days Jesus took Peter, James, and John, and led them up on a high mountain apart by themselves; and He was transfigured before them. His clothes became shining, exceedingly white, like snow, such as no launderer on earth can whiten them. —Mark 9:2–3 The miracle of the Transfiguration wasn’t that Jesus shined like the sun; the miracle was that He  didn’t  shine like the sun all the time. When Jesus came to Earth, He never gave up His deity. But we might say that He shrouded His glory and laid aside the privileges of His deity. Jesus Christ is God. He is a member of the Trinity, coequal and coeternal with the Father and with the Holy Spirit. Jesus was God before He was born, and He remained God after He became man. His deity was prehuman, pre-Mary, and pre-Bethlehem. Jesus laid aside not His deity, but the privileges of deity, to model what it is to be a servant. Paul told the believers in Philippi, “Let this mind be in you

Greg Laurie Monday, January 22, 2018 What is causing the quarrels and fights among you? Don't they come from the evil desires at war within you?                                                                 —James 4:1 I think we could safely say that so many of the problems we deal with are because of our selfish human natures. Selfishness is at the root of many sins. It is amazing how even little children have this trait. Have you ever noticed when two children are playing and one child doesn’t care about a certain toy until the moment the other child picks it up? Suddenly both children want it. They scream and pull, and they will destroy the toy in the process. It’s all because one child wants what the other has. That is just human nature. We are born that way, and we carry this trait with us through life. James pointed out, “What is causing the quarrels and fights among you? Don’t they come from the evil desires at war within you?” (James 4:1). That’s really it. We want

Greg Laurie January 20, 2018 "I am praying not only for these disciples but also for all who will ever believe in me through their message. I pray that they will all be one, just as you and I are one--as you are in me, Father, and I am in you. And may they be in us so that the world will believe you sent me." —John  17:20 –21 Have you ever noticed there are some people who like to fight? They like to argue, and they are unhappy when they are happy. So they find something to get worked up about, something new to debate. They love conflict. It’s a sad way to live. When I was a younger Christian, I felt that it was my job to set everyone straight. I had been a Christian for about a year and had been reading the Bible and going to church almost every night of the week. I thought , I’m going to set everyone straight.  That was the way I was. I knew everything. I had the answer to every question. And if you held a view different from mine, then I was going to talk you

Fans get caught up on what people see on the outside. What people see doesn't reflect who they really are. . . Jesus wants His followers to be authentic. What Christ wants in a follower is someone who isn't pretending on the outside to have it all together.  When the relationship on the inside is right, the outside will follow.  Fans grow tired of trying to maintain an outer appearance that doesn't match an inner passion. -"Not a Fan" by Kyle Idleman

When Jesus defines the relationship He makes it clear; He wants to be your one and only. 1) For what do you sacrifice your money?  2) when you're hurt, where do you go for comfort?  3) What disappoints or frustrates you the most?  4) What is it that really gets you excited? Following Jesus means following Him alone. Trying to follow Jesus part-time or halfhearted is impossible. The relationship He wants with you requires is impossible. If following Jesus cost you everything, would it still be worth it?  -From "Not a Fan", Kyle Idleman Photo Credit

Photo Credit Like the Pharisees, many fans have given their minds to the study of God , but they never surrendered their hearts. . . Do you just know about Jesus, or do you really know Him?  You can have knowledge without having intimacy. Where there is intimacy there should be a growing knowledge. -"Not a Fan", Kyle Idleman

Has following Jesus cost you anything? Have you made a decision for Jesus or have you committed to Jesus? There is no forgiveness without repentance. There is no salvation without surrender. There is no life without death. There is no believing without committing. When Jesus defines the relationship He wants with us, He makes it clear that being a fan who believes without making any real commitment to follow isn't an option. -From "Not a Fan" by Kyle Idleman

Jeremiah had trained his memory to look on the bright side, the hopeful side-which is always God's side. He knew God was at work even during dark times in his past, and Jeremiah let that powerful truth bring hope and comfort to his soul.  -from "A Spectacle of Glory" by Joni Eareckson Tada Photo Credit

What if all of life comes down to this one question? What if there really is a heaven and a hell? Where will I spend eternity? This may be the most important question you ever answer. A fan is an enthusiastic admirer. Photo Credit "Not a Fan" by Kyle Idleman

From "What Happens When Young Women Say Yes to God" by Lysa Terkeurst

"So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen,  since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal."  -2 Corinthians 4:18

When we take delight in the Lord, He becomes the desire of our heart. . . When we love God with all our heart, every obedience is a pleasure.  - From "A Spectacle of Glory" by Joni Eareckson Tada Photo Credit

The Lord is my shepherd. . . Photo Credit Photo Credit Photo Credit

When we load all our hopes, dreams, and expectations into the here and now, without taking eternity into account, we subtly ask people in our lives to be what they will never be and to do what they are incapable of doing. . . Only God can complete you. . . Place your hopes and expectations in Him. He will never disappoint you.  -From "A Spectacle of Glory" by Joni Eareckson Tada Photo Credit

We behave differently when we know people are observing us. . . This verse can remind us that others are watching so that we make sure our walk matches our talk.  -From "A Spectacle of Glory" by Joni Eareckson Tada

From "A Spectacle of Glory" by Joni Eareckson Tada

Those whose driving force in life is a thirst for God will be completely satisfied.  (Harold J. Sala)

God is our portion of protection and peace. He's our portion of provision and security. He's our portion of all of the joy and patience we need during the process of growing more like Christ. He is our portion of whatever we need, whenever we need it- if only we'll recall His goodness and ask Him.  -What Happens When Young Women Say Yes to God, Lysa Terkeurst Photo Credit

God, when I start to focus back on the world, remind me to keep my eyes locked on You. You see me and know me, and You know the amazing purposes I was born for. If I take a step in the wrong direction, You do not look away. When others let me down, You are still right beside me.  -From  "What Happens When Young Women Say Yes to God ", Lysa Terkeurst Photo Credit Photo Credit  Photo Credit

There is no moderation when it comes to allowing junk thoughts or impure feelings or actions. We must refuse to allow such things even the smallest foothold in our lives. When it comes to loving God and others, we don't do it in moderation. It's all or nothing.  -"A Spectacle of Glory", Joni Eareckson Tara