2 Timothy 3:16-17

Three Benefits of Telling Others About Your Dream

CURRENT TEACHING SERIES God's Dream For Your Life

Three Benefits of Telling Others About Your Dream By Rick Warren — Apr 29, 2015 “I reckon my own life to be worth nothing to me; I only want to complete my mission and finish the work that the Lord Jesus gave me to do.” (Acts 20:24a GNT) When you get your dream from God, you should make it public and announce it to other people. Just by telling other people, you’re making a statement of faith, and other people will want to come along to be a part of it. You visualize the dream first, and then you verbalize the dream by saying, “This is what I believe God wants to do in my life.” On March 30, 1980, during the first sermon I gave at Saddleback Church, I stood before 60 people and read the Saddleback dream. It included a statement of faith that Saddleback would become a church where the hurting can find acceptance and encouragement, where we would one day welcome 20,000 members into the fellowship of God’s family as we equipped them for effective ministry, where we would send out members by the thousands on mission projects to every continent and start at least one new daughter church a year, and where we would worship and minister on a campus of at least 50 acres. I was confident in verbalizing these dreams for Saddleback Church, and I knew, in faith, they would become reality. Why? Because they were inspired by God. That doesn’t mean I wasn’t scared to death! But I knew the fear of failure would keep me from doing what God wanted me to do. Three benefits of telling others about your dream: It gets you started. Once you’ve announced it, you’re accountable to try and get moving. It attracts other people’s support. The moment I stated my dream, other people wanted to get in on it. A dream from God will attract people that you don’t even know yet to help you. It releases God’s power. Because of your faith, you step out of the boat and start walking on water. God will hold you up! “I reckon my own life to be worth nothing to me; I only want to complete my mission and finish the work that the Lord Jesus gave me to do” (Acts 20:24a GNT). PLAY today’s audio teaching from Pastor Rick. Talk It Over What fears keep you from sharing with others God’s dream for your life? Who can you share your dream with? How do you need others to encourage you as you discover and pursue God’s dream for your life? Who are the people in your life who will do this for you? Offer Continually TODAY'S SCRIPTURE: "Therefore, let us offer through Jesus a continual sacrifice of praise to God, proclaiming our allegiance to his name." Hebrews 13:15, NLT TODAY'S WORD: Praise is more than just singing songs in church on Sunday. Praise is an attitude of the heart. Praise can manifest many different ways. Every day, your words, your actions and your example are all ways you give God praise. How do your actions give God praise? When you obey His Word, when you continually follow His commands — even when it’s uncomfortable, even when you don’t feel like it, even when you are tired — that’s offering a sacrifice of praise to Him.  Remember, praise is a powerful weapon. Many times in the Old Testament, when God’s people would go into battle, they would send the worshipers out first. That's because praise precedes the victory! Prepare the way for continual victory by offering Him continual praise! PRAYER FOR TODAY: Father, I choose to offer You continual praise. I choose to follow Your Word so that You may be glorified through me. Thank You for leading me into victory in every area of my life in Jesus’ name! Amen. PS. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=98BWdlAk3Lc

The Truth =)

♥ In search for historical figures =)

The Holy Bible was written by several apostles and a proof that these authors were indeed existed. 

Don’t Waste Your Shape

CURRENT TEACHING SERIES God's Dream For Your Life

Don’t Waste Your Shape By Rick Warren — Apr 28, 2015 “For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.” (Ephesians 2:10 NIV) If you want to know God’s will for your life, you’ve got to look at what you’re good at. Why would God give you certain gifts, abilities, and talents and not expect you to use them? That would be a waste. God gives you Spiritual gifts, Heart/Passions, Abilities, a Personality, and Experiences (SHAPE) that make you unique, and when you take time to figure out how God has shaped you, it gives you direction for where you should go with your life. Ask yourself, “What am I good at? What do I love to do? What is my passion? What turns me on, and what turns me off? What is it that people affirm in me? How can God use those abilities for his Kingdom?” Ephesians 2:10 says, “For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do” (NIV). The word for God’s handiwork in Greek is the poemaword, from which we get the word poem. You are God’s poem. You are a work of art. You are unique. There is nobody like you! But there’s more to life than being unique. God wants you to be unique and effective. He designed you the way he did so you could do good works. Even before you were born, God predesigned a role for you in life. He said, “I’m going to make this person and give him certain gifts, abilities, and talents, and I’m going to allow him to go through certain experiences — some good, some painful, and some educational. I’m going to bring all of these things together, because I want something done in the world that will take that kind of person to do it.” One day you’ll stand before God and he’ll ask, “What did you do with what I gave you?” If you don’t use your experiences and your shape for what God intended, you missed the point. We are saved to serve. It’s called having a ministry — using your talents and gifts to help other people. Fulfillment means being who and what God meant for you to be. The Bible says, “God has given each of you some special abilities; be sure to use them to help each other” (1 Peter 4:10a TLB). Talk It Over If you’ve never done so, take some time today to think about your SHAPE. What are theSpiritual gifts, Heart, Abilities, Personality, and Experiences God has given you that make you uniquely you? How are you using your shape in your current ministry? What is the dream you believe God has given you? How do you think God can use your abilities and experiences to help you accomplish that dream?

Thankful for the Kingdom

TODAY'S SCRIPTURE:

"Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, let us be thankful, and so worship God acceptably with reverence and awe."
Hebrews 12:28, NIV

TODAY'S WORD:

Scripture says that we are receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken! The kingdom is simply God’s system. It’s His way of doing things. The Bible tells us that His kingdom is righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit. In God’s kingdom, when you give, it comes back to you pressed down, shaken together and running over. In God’s kingdom, you can have peace and prosperity in your spirit, soul and body no matter what’s happening around you. If the stock market goes down, God’s kingdom is still strong. If the housing market goes down, God’s kingdom is still strong. If gas prices go up, God’s kingdom is still strong. 

Today, be thankful for God's kingdom. Thank Him for His system of blessing that cannot be shaken. As you keep an attitude of gratitude and walk in His ways, you'll experience His hand of blessing all the days of your life!

PRAYER FOR TODAY:

Father, thank You for Your kingdom! Thank You for Your system to bless my life. I open my heart to You. Please show me Your ways so that I can walk with You all the days of my life in Jesus’ name. Amen.

​PS. ​

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FInBsbSCnWk

♥ A blessing =)

I was having a great conversation with my mother via Skype when suddenly we talked about my little brother and to make the story short, I realized that he has grown a lot from a little boy to a more mature man. I am happy that with his experience working abroad, he can relate now of what I have been going through. It’s not easy to be away from our parents yet we appreciate life to the fullest. Being independent means exercising the power within our jurisdiction and helps us to become more mature and this I see in him. We can decide, choose and do whatever can make us happy as long as it is right, not to hurt anyone and along with it is the consequences of that decision we have. I can say that we almost think of the same thing profoundly when it comes to life. We can discuss everything and knowing that he’s younger than me, I also learn from him in as much as he also learns from me because according to him I think sometimes differently. I am blessed to have a brother like him.  =)

Love,

Ate 

♥ I wish you enough =)

At an airport I overheard a mother and daughter in their last moments together. They had announced her plane's departure and standing near the door, she said to her daughter, "I love you, I wish you enough."
She said, "Mom, our life together has been more than enough. Your love is all I ever needed. I wish you enough, too, Mom."

They kissed good-bye and she left.

She walked over toward the window where I was seated. Standing there I could see she wanted and needed to cry. I tried not to intrude on his
privacy, but she welcomed me in by asking, "Did you ever say good-bye to someone knowing it would be forever?" "

Yes, I have," I replied. Saying that brought back memories I had of expressing my love and appreciation for all my Mom had done for me.
Recognizing that her days were limited, I took the time to tell her face to face how much she meant to me.

So I knew what this woman was experiencing.
"Forgive me for asking, but why is this a forever good-bye?" I asked.

"I am old and she lives much too far away. I have challenges ahead and the reality is, her next trip back will be for my funeral, " she said.

"When you were saying good-bye I heard you say, 'I wish you enough.' May I ask what that means?" She began to smile. "That's a wish that has been handed down from other generations. My parents used to say it to everyone."

She paused for a moment and looking up as if trying to remember it in detail, she smiled even more. "When we said 'I wish you enough,' we were
wanting the other person to have a life filled with enough good things to sustain them," she continued and then turning toward me she shared the following as if she were reciting it from memory.

"I wish you enough sun to keep your attitude bright.
I wish you enough rain to appreciate the sun more.
I wish you enough happiness to keep your spirit alive.
I wish you enough pain so that the smallest joys in life appear much bigger.
I wish you enough gain to satisfy your wanting.
I wish you enough loss to appreciate all that you possess.
I wish enough "Hello's" to get you through the final "Good-bye.."

Want to Hear God: Get Still and Listen!

CURRENT TEACHING SERIES God's Dream For Your Life

Want to Hear God: Get Still and Listen! By Rick Warren — Apr 27, 2015 “Pause a moment, Job, and listen; consider the wonderful things God does.” (Job 37:14 GNT) You have to be quiet in order to hear God speak. If you want to hear God’s vision, then you’re going to have to turn off the television. You can’t listen to God and the TV at the same time! The reason why God may never speak to you could be because you’re never quiet. Something is always going on in your mind, so while God is trying to get through to you on the telephone of life, he’s getting a busy signal. You’ve got to reserve time alone with God. The Bible says in Job 37:14, “Pause a moment, Job, and listen; consider the wonderful things God does” (GNT). God wants to spend time with you. He says, “Pause, be quiet, get alone, and learn solitude so I can talk with you.” Sometimes as adults we get spiritual wiggles. We cannot get still and be quiet. Is getting God’s dream for your life worth a day of your life? Have you ever taken an entire day and done nothing but be alone with God? Talk to God in prayer. Let God talk to you through the Bible. Relax. Think. Write down the thoughts he puts in your mind. Set some goals. Look through your schedule. Set your priorities. Spend the day saying, “God, where do you want me to go? What direction do you want my feet headed?” God speaks to people who take the time to listen — not just for a day, but also on a regular basis. This is called a quiet time. You think you don’t have time for this? We’re talking about figuring out why you’re here on Earth, so you’ve got to make the time. Talk It Over Do you want to hear God speak to you? What are you willing to do about it? Think about your quiet time. How much time do you spend actually being quiet and waiting on God to speak to you? What are the distractions you need to eliminate so that you can be still and quiet? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JQej67Hd1FI

Lift Your Eyes

TODAY'S SCRIPTURE:

"I will lift up my eyes to the hills. From where does my help come? My help comes from the Lord, who made heaven and earth."
Psalm 121:1-2, ESV

TODAY'S WORD:

What are you looking at today? Not in the natural, but with your spiritual eyes. Are you facing challenges? Don’t just look at your problems day in and day out. Lift up your eyes and look toward heaven. 

In the natural, you will move in the direction that your eyes are looking. The same is true in the spiritual realm. If you are always looking at your problems—meditating on them, feeling sorry for yourself, telling everybody about them — you will become consumed by them. But when you look up, your life will start to move up. 

When you keep your eyes on Jesus, it is a sign of your faith and expectancy. Faith is what gets God's attention. When you have an attitude of faith and expectancy, you open the door for His power in your life. Today, lift up your eyes and your heart and rise up into the victorious life He has prepared for you!

PRAYER FOR TODAY:

Father, today I lift my eyes to You. You are my help. Thank You for showing me Your salvation and deliverance as I keep my focus on You. I bless You today in Jesus’ name. Amen.

Happy Feet =)

How Do You Get God’s Dream for Your Life?

CURRENT TEACHING SERIES God's Dream For Your Life

How Do You Get God’s Dream for Your Life? By Rick Warren — Apr 26, 2015 “Offer yourselves as a living sacrifice to God, dedicated to his service and pleasing to him …. Do not conform yourselves to the standards of this world, but let God transform you inwardly by a complete change of your mind. Then you will be able to know the will of God, what is good and is pleasing to him and is perfect.” (Romans 12:1-2 GNT) I’ve come to the conclusion there is no such thing as great people. There are only ordinary people committed to great dreams. When you commit yourself to a great dream, it draws something out of you and helps you become larger than you would become any other way. Jeremiah 29:11 says, “‘For I know the plans I have for you,’ declares the LORD, ‘plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future’” (NIV). God’s dream for you is personal. Only you can fulfill the purpose God has planned for you. His dream for you is positive. It will give you hope! How do you get God’s dream for your life? You’ve got to be willing to dedicate your life to God, committing in advance to do whatever he tells you to do. “Offer yourselves as a living sacrifice to God, dedicated to his service and pleasing to him …. Do not conform yourselves to the standards of this world, but let God transform you inwardly by a complete change of your mind. Then you will be able to know the will of God, what is good and is pleasing to him and is perfect” (Romans 12:1-2 GNT). Most people miss God’s dream because they’re not looking at God; they’re watching what everybody else does. If you’re trying to imitate somebody else, you’re going to be a carbon copy instead of who God made you to be. You need to be more concerned with God’s dream for your life than the American dream. The American dream and God’s dream are two very different issues. The American dream used to be pretty affordable and pretty simple. Today, the American dream is all-consuming. It usually takes both the husband and the wife to even try to keep up. This rat race becomes your total focus. If you want to get serious about discovering God’s dream for your life, you have to decide not to settle for the American dream. Will you choose the good life or God’s life? Materialism or ministry? The rat race or God’s race? “Let us strip off anything that slows us down or holds us back … and let us run with patience the particular race that God has set before us” (Hebrews 12:1 TLB). Commit yourself to God’s dream for your life, and don’t worry about being like everybody else. PLAY today’s audio teaching from Pastor Rick. Talk It Over Why can you trust that God’s dream is something you will want to do? How does your life reflect that you are chasing God’s dream and not the American dream, or vice versa? What do you need to say to God today in prayer about the dream he has for you? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RZGqKqciv8EWhat do you need to surrender? What do you need to confess? Your Appointed Time TODAY'S SCRIPTURE: "For the vision is yet for an appointed time...though it tarry, wait for it..." Habakkuk 2:3, KJV TODAY'S WORD: God has an appointed time to fulfill the visions, dreams and desires in your heart. Just because it has taken a long time or because you've tried and failed doesn't mean that it's not going to happen. Don't give up on those dreams! Don't be complacent about pursuing what God has placed in your heart. Our God is a faithful God. No matter how long it's been, no matter how impossible things looks, if you'll stay in faith, your appointed time is coming.  Remember, every dream that's in your heart, every promise that has taken root, God put it there. Not only that, but He has every intention of bringing it to pass. Hold on to that vision today and declare, "My time is coming. God is working behind the scenes on my behalf. I will fulfill my destiny!" As you hold on to your vision and speak life over your dreams, you'll see them begin to take shape. You'll see your faith grow; you'll see your hope strengthen, and you'll see yourself step into the appointed time God has for you! PRAYER FOR TODAY: Father, thank You for setting an appointed time for me. I ask that You ignite my heart with Your holy fire so that I can pursue Your perfect plan for my life. Make my thoughts and words agreeable to Your will in Jesus' name. Amen.

From Dream to Deliverance

CURRENT TEACHING SERIES God's Dream For Your Life

From Dream to Deliverance By Rick Warren — Apr 25, 2015 “God … is able to do far more than we would ever dare to ask or even dream of — infinitely beyond our highest prayers, desires, thoughts, or hopes.” (Ephesians 3:20b TLB) If you want your faith to grow so you can claim God’s promise in Mark 9:23 — “Everything is possible for the person who has faith” (GNT) — then you must first understand that God takes you through six phases of faith. Phase 1: Dream What is the dream God has given you? If you don’t have a dream you’re working toward, you just exist. You need to start praying, “God, give me your dream.” You’re here on Earth for a purpose. When you discover that purpose, you’ll discover the dream God wants you to go after. “God … is able to do far more than we would ever dare to ask or even dream of — infinitely beyond our highest prayers, desires, thoughts, or hopes” (Ephesians 3:20b TLB). Phase 2: Decision Maybe you have a dream from God, but you’ve not yet made a decision to go after it. God’s word for you in phase 2 is, “Go for it!” You may need to make the decision to give your life to Christ or be baptized or join a church or get involved in ministry. “If you are like that, unable to make up your mind and undecided in all you do, you must not think that you will receive anything from the Lord” (James 1:7-8 GNT). Phase 3: Delay When things don’t happen on our timetable, we tend to run ahead of God and create detours to make it happen. Do not detour! You may end up making the wrong decision. You’re in God’s waiting room. Wait for God to work his hand. God says in Habakkuk 2:3, “But these things I plan won’t happen right away.  Slowly, steadily, surely, the time approaches when the vision will be fulfilled” (TLB). Phase 4: Difficulty What difficulties have you faced waiting for your dream to be fulfilled? You’ll go through many tests in life, but God knows what you’re going through. He’s watching, and he hasn’t forgotten you. “Even though you are temporarily harassed by all kinds of trials and temptations. This is no accident — it happens to prove your faith, which is infinitely more valuable than gold” (1 Peter 1:6-7 Phillips). Phase 5: Dead End Some of you are at your dead end, and you’re ready to give up. But you’re right where God wants you! He is preparing you for deliverance. God’s word for you is, “Hang on! Don’t give up!” “At that time we were completely overwhelmed, the burden was more than we could bear, in fact we told ourselves that this was the end. Yet we now believe that we had this experience of coming to the end of our tether that we might learn to trust, not in ourselves, but in God who can raise the dead” (2 Corinthians 1:8-9). Phase 6: Deliverance Do you expect and trust God to deliver you? He will. But it doesn’t happen overnight. You have to go through all six stages before God brings you to deliverance. “I know that I will live to see the LORD’s goodness in this present life” (Psalm 27:13 GNT). PLAY today’s audio teaching from Pastor Rick. Talk It Over How do you know if a dream is from you or from God? Why do you think God tests you when you are in the “difficulty” phase? What have you learned about yourself and about God when you have been delayed in your dream?https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3s0KYTQb5UQ A Door of Opportunity TODAY'S SCRIPTURE: "Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things." Colossians 3:2, NIV TODAY'S WORD: God is ready to present you with new opportunities! He wants to open new doors before you. It doesn't matter what's happening in the world around you, God's Word remains true!  In an instant, God can bring the right people into your life, the right opportunities, and the right resources to take you to a whole new level. But in order to go to a higher level, you have to have a higher way of thinking. You can't allow worry and fear to fill your thoughts because fear actually blocks the door of God's blessing. Instead, fill your mind with the Word of God. Let His truth empower you because His ways are always higher than our ways, and even now He is working behind the scenes on your behalf to open a door of opportunity! PRAYER FOR TODAY: Father, thank You for opening doors for me that no one can close! I believe that You are faithful, and You are a rewarder of those who seek after You. Fill me with Your peace and joy today as I seek You and look for the door of opportunity in Jesus’ name. Amen.