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Christian Devotional – September 17, 2021
Forgiveness, Day 2 How can we be encouraged? Read through Philemon in the Bible. Looking at this tiny book, we see a letter written from one man to encourage a second man. Paul writes this letter and indicates that he has been encouraged because of what Philemon has done. Because Philemon is building up and raising up others to follow Christ, that encourages Paul. So many of us need encouragement. The world is a difficult and challenging place and we can often feel beat down and discouraged everyday. What encourages us? What brings our heart joy? Often, the biggest area of joy can come from seeing other people following Christ.…
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Christian Devotional – September 16, 2021
Forgiveness, Day 1 We’re going to spend some time going through the book of Philemon. It’s only 1 chapter, so we’ll read it all the way through each day. Looking at the first 3 verses, we see Paul introducing himself and listing all the people that he’s writing the letter to. He wishes them grace and peace. When we meet people, do we wish them grace and peace. Do people even know what grace and peace are these days? We run and run and seek after so mamy things, yet do we have peace? Do we understand that we have grace and that only through God are we able to…
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Christian Devotional – September 15, 2021
Book of Regrets, Day 12 When we think about regrets, we realize that we only experience those as we look back and consider our decisions and actions. Read Ecclesiastes 12. As God has moved through our lives, we see that God knows all that we do and he will ultimately judge our actions. Are we prepared to stand before Him? Only through Jesus Christ are we able to stand. Only because of Jesus can we face the judgment of God. Jesus is the one that is acceptable to God. Are we relying on our own deeds and status, or are we resting on the deeds and merit of Jesus Christ.?
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Christian Devotional – September 14, 2021
Book of Regrets, Day 11 Anxiety and troubles don’t leave us. We have to cast them off. Read Ecclesiastes 11. Often we rhink that we will just stop being anxious about situations in our lives. Unfortunately, that isn’t always the case. Even asking Christ into our lives doesn’t always fix that. We have to choose to cast off anxiety and fear. We have to make a conscious decision to let go. Otherwise we will continue to hang on to all that is bringing us down. Will we choose to let go to anxiety and fear and hold on only to Christ?
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Christian Devotional – September 13, 2021
Book of Regrets, Day 10 What do you display to the world? Read Ecclesiastes 10. As Solomon continues explaining all that he is doing and all that he learns, he gives some great, practical advice. He mentions that people can often display to others what more than they intend to. Sometimes people who lack sense make that fact obvious to others. Our only wisdom truly comes from God. So anyone who isn’t trusting in him, isn’t living in wisdom. Are we trusting in God to follow up and do all that he says? Or are we displaying our stupidity to the world?
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Christian Devotional – September 12, 2021
Book of Regrets, Day 9 Hope. Such a powerful thing. Read Ecclesiastes 9. While we live, we have hope. We can effect change. We can influence our surroundings. We can even increase our love and praise of God. Once we have died, we are then in a position of receiving the reward (or punishment) of our decisions about Jesus Christ while we lived. But, while we live, we can still make changes, improvements, updates, even turn our life completely around. Did you wake up this morning? Then you are in a position to make change and impact. Are you breathing? Then you can create influence and praise of God. God…
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Christian Devotional – September 11, 2021
Book of Regrets, Day 8 Life isn’t fair. Read Ecclesiastes 8. We so often see and experience situations where bad things happen to seemingly good people and those people with bad intent seem to have everything work out their way. In reality, while it may seem profoundly unfair to us, God understands and he is the one who determines what “fair” truly is. He is the definition of fair and just. Are we open to recognizing that even when we don’t understand, He does? Life, home, work, none of these are fair. God is fair and the question really becomes whether or not we will trust him, even when it…
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Christian Devotional – September 10, 2021
Book of Regrets, Day 7 Words of wisdom. Read Ecclesiastes 7. God brings us through so many paths in life. We may feel we should be on another path, an easier path, a straighter path. Yet, when we follow Christ, the path may be very crooked and difficult. Are we busy following God or are we busy fighting against his path. We don’t always know why we are on the path we are on. God has a purpose and a plan. Will we trust in his plan?
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Christian Devotional – September 9, 2021
Book of Regrets, Day 6 Where does meaning come from? Read Ecclesiastes 6. When we think about what gives our life meaning, we can go through many things in our mind. However, we often end up thinking that we gain meaning to our life through what we say and how we say it and who we say it to. Yet, our words do not give life meaning. And sometimes, they can distract us from the actual meaning. Solomon had seen many instances where people would talk and talk just to hear themselves talk or to try and sound important. Our words should be measured and used when they are effective…
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Christian Devotional – September 8, 2021
Book of Regrets, Day 5 Guess what? You aren’t God. Read Ecclesiastes 5. Well most of us know that we’re not God and have no issue with that. However, even though we may know we are not God, we act like we are God. We act like we are God of our own life and that we are God of our own decisions and we work under the assumption that other people should be in the business of giving us exactly what we want. As Solomon writes this chapter, he is reminding us that we need to remember our place. We need to remember who we are and where we…