♥ MY LOVE WILL SEE YOU THROUGH =)

Generosity Leads to Joy

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CURRENT TEACHING SERIES Leaving a Lasting Legacy

Generosity Leads to Joy By Rick Warren — Aug 30, 2015 “There is more happiness in giving than in receiving.” (Acts 20:35b TEV) You make a living by what you get. You leave a legacy by what you give. Jesus said in Acts 20:35, “There is more happiness in giving than in receiving” (TEV). I’ve always loved that verse because it’s so honest. Does Jesus say there’s no happiness in receiving? No. There is happiness in receiving. But Jesus says there’s more happiness in giving. That’s the exact opposite of the way the world thinks. Most of the world thinks there’s more happiness in getting. But Jesus does not think like the world. He knows that you are most like him when you are giving, and that produces joy. When people visit Saddleback Church, they notice that it’s a joyful church. Do you know why? Because it’s a generous church. People love to give! And when we’re generous, it results in joy. It feels good to give. Do you want your family to be more joyful? Then be more generous as a family. Do you want to be a more joyful person? Then be more generous as a person. PLAY today’s audio teaching from Pastor Rick>> Talk It Over When was a time you were happier to give something than receive it? What are some other characteristics of a joyful person? How can you be more generous as a family? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tCZua8x6Qqw Today’s Scripture “Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me...” (Psalm 23:4, ESV) SHARE WITH YOUR FRIENDS Keep Walking Through Everyone faces challenges and difficulties in life. If you are going through a valley today, know that you are not alone. God is with you! He is working behind the scenes on your behalf, and He will carry you through. Remember, your challenges didn’t come to stay; they came to pass. Don’t get stuck in the valley by allowing your setbacks to become the focus of your life. Jesus endured the pain of the cross for the joy that was set before Him, and when you focus on your victory, you will be able to keep walking through your valley, too! Shake off bitterness and self-pity today and be determined to press forward. With God on your side, no weapon formed against you shall prosper. As you keep an attitude of faith and expectancy, your challenges will become easier, and you will move forward and live the life of victory God has in store for you. A Prayer for Today “Father, thank You for Your faithfulness to me. Thank You for giving me strength during the difficult times. I trust that You are with me today, and I choose to focus on the victory You have in store in Jesus’ name. Amen.”

♥ SHE (Lyrics) - ELVIS COSTELLO

You Can Choose How God Will Bless Your Life

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CURRENT TEACHING SERIES Leaving a Lasting Legacy

You Can Choose How God Will Bless Your Life By Rick Warren — Aug 29, 2015 “Give, and you will receive. Your gift will return to you in full — pressed down, shaken together to make room for more, running over, and poured into your lap. The amount you give will determine the amount you get back.” (Luke 6:38 NLT, second edition) Generosity determines the blessings in your life. Proverbs 22:9 says, “Blessed are those who are generous” (NLT, second edition). I’ve seen that time after time in my own life and in the lives of others. Tom Holladay, a pastor at Saddleback Church, says that the time he and his wife saw most in their married life how God blesses them through generosity was when they lost it all. Years ago a levy near their house broke, and nine feet of water flooded their house. Everything was lost. All they had left was the car they were driving and the clothes on their backs. Tom says: “We had more than tithed all of our lives. I’m a pastor. I wasn’t going to challenge other people to follow Jesus in a way that I wasn’t going to follow Jesus. So why would God let that happen to us? “Over the several months after our house flooded, we saw God bless our lives in ways that we’d never seen before. Even through their own difficulties, people from all over the country came in and rebuilt our house and supplied all the things we had lost. Before I was on staff as a pastor at Saddleback, people from that church took up an offering for me to buy books for my pastor’s library. Now every time I go look in my library, I see the books bought by Saddleback Church because they loved me before I came. That’s a blessing I wouldn’t have had otherwise. God blesses us in the ups and downs of life through our generosity.” Jesus said in Luke 6:38, “Give, and you will receive. Your gift will return to you in full — pressed down, shaken together to make room for more, running over, and poured into your lap. The amount you give will determine the amount you get back.” God’s saying you get to choose. You get to choose how he will bless your life. As you give, you will receive. PLAY today’s audio teaching from Pastor Rick>> Talk It Over Think of a time in your life when you were in need. Did you think about giving during that time? Why or why not? How have you seen God bless your life because you were generous? What is one way you can be more generous today? Today’s Scripture “Blessed is the man who makes the Lord his trust...” (Psalm 40:4, ESV) SHARE WITH YOUR FRIENDS Choose to Trust Trusting in the Lord is a decision we make just like we would choose anything else in life. You chose what to wear today, you probably chose what you would have for breakfast, and you can choose to trust God today, too! When you choose to trust God, there is a peace that settles on the inside of your heart. There are blessings in store for you when you trust Him. No matter what you are facing in life today, have faith that God will come through for you. Trust that His Word is always true. In Psalm 32, David calls God his “hiding place.” In other words, not only can you choose to trust God in the midst of your difficulty, you can actually hide in Him and find rest for your soul. When the circumstances of life seem overwhelming, choose to trust that God is ordering your steps. Find security in Him knowing that He’s making your crooked places straight and leading you into the everlasting life He has prepared for you! A Prayer for Today “Father, today I choose to put my trust in You. I know that You are a good and faithful God, and I trust that You have my best interest at heart. Help me stay focused on Your goodness today in Jesus’ name. Amen.” ​PS ​ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RzqpkMJxyss

What Would People Say Your Priorities Are

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CURRENT TEACHING SERIES Leaving a Lasting Legacy   What Would People Say Your Priorities Are By Rick Warren — Aug 28, 2015 “Where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” (Matthew 6:21 NIV) The Bible says, “Where your treasure is, there your heart will be also” (Matthew 6:21 NIV). So where is your heart today? It’s simple, really. It’s wherever you put your money. Some of you, your heart is in your home, because that’s where you put your money. Maybe your heart’s in your boat. Or your cabin. Or that car you love. Wherever you put your money, that’s where your heart is going to go. Do you want to get interested in the Coca-Cola Company? Buy some stock. The moment you buy some stock, you’re going to be very interested in the stock price of Coca-Cola. If your treasure is not there, you couldn’t care less about Coca-Cola stock. Where you put your money and your time reveals your priorities. You can say you love Jesus, but if you don’t spend any time with him, then you don’t love him as much as you think you do. You say you love your kids, but do you spend time with your kids? No? Then you don’t really love them the way you think you do. You can say you love to be in shape, but do you work out? No? Then you don’t really love being in shape. The point is, it’s not about what you say. Here’s how you know what’s really important to people: Look at their calendar, and look at their bank statement. The way we spend our time and the way we spend our money says what’s really important to us. You can say, “This is really important to me,” but if you don’t spend time on it and you don’t spend money on it, your heart isn’t really there. When you give to God, guess where your heart goes? It goes toward God. It draws you closer. It’s an act of worship. Where is your treasure? PLAY today’s audio teaching from Pastor Rick>> Talk It Over What would people say your priorities are if they looked at your bank statement? How does an eternal perspective help you re-prioritize your spending and giving? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=40qvAQe8oug Why is giving your time and money to God an act of worship? Today’s Scripture

“...my soul takes refuge in You...” (Psalm 57:1, NASB)

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Confidence in Him

Confidence is strength that comes from knowing that God has chosen you and equipped you for everything in life today. It doesn’t matter what you may be facing, you can find confidence in God. Know this, for every challenge, God has a solution. He wants to turn your obstacle into an opportunity. He wants to bring you out stronger than before. He wants to take you to higher places and let your soul find refuge and shelter in Him. When your confidence is in God, you can rest in the midst of the storms of life. Take a step of faith today and begin to thank Him for working in your life. Thank Him for the confidence that He has promised you. Remember, God is at work on your behalf. He will fill your heart with His peace, confidence and power to move forward into the abundant life He has for you!

A Prayer for Today

“Father, I come to You today with an open and humble heart. I give You my concerns and worries and ask You to fill me with Your peace and confidence today in Jesus’ name. Amen.”

Have a Conversation with Your Creator

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CURRENT TEACHING SERIES Essentials For Living

Have a Conversation with Your Creator By Rick Warren — Aug 27, 2015 “I love the Lord because he hears my voice and my prayer for mercy. Because he bends down to listen, I will pray as long as I have breath!” (Psalm 116:1-2 NLT, second edition) It took me a while, but I finally figured out that this marriage thing is about communication. I discovered that on the days that I had deep, soul-communication with my wife Kay — not “Hi. How are you? I love you. See you later” — that’s when our relationship would grow. And on those days when we have little or no communication, our relationship decays. A relationship is never standing still. It’s either growing or decaying. The same is true with God. On the days when you have deep, significant talks with God, your relationship grows. On the days when you have little or no conversation with God, your relationship decays. It’s that simple. When you really love somebody, you don’t just want to spend time with him. You want to talk with him. Remember when you first fell in love as a teenager and your parents got upset because you were always on the phone? You talked and talked and talked because you were getting to know that person. Communication is how you get to know others. What do you talk about if you want to express love to God? Anything that you’d talk to your best friend about: your hopes, your fears, your dreams, your anxieties, the things you’re embarrassed about, the things you’re proud of, the things you’re ashamed of, your goals, your ambitions, your hurts, your cares — every part of your life. The Bible says in Psalm 116:1-2, “I love the Lord because he hears my voice and my prayer for mercy. Because he bends down to listen, I will pray as long as I have breath!” (NLT, second edition) If you don’t feel close to God because your Christian life has become routine, dull, joyless, and lifeless, there’s a simple remedy: Start talking to God again. Prayer is not some duty that you have to do. It’s a privilege that you get to do. You get to talk to the Creator of the universe! He’s waiting on you to have a conversation with him so that your relationship can grow. PLAY today’s audio teaching from Pastor Rick>> Talk It Over How often do you talk to your best friend? Is it more or less often than you talk to God? Have you ever tried praying Scripture to God? Why do you think it’s important? If prayer is a conversation, how have you responded to what God has been saying to you? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ivesRYcIPsQ   In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. --John 1:1     What does “the Word was God” in today’s verse mean? It means “face to face with God.” It describes the most intimate kind of communion and union. Christ left the intimacy and “face-to-faceness” with God… He left the glory of heaven and the majesty of God’s presence… and came to earth. Think about that for a moment. Jesus left heaven to be born in a stable… to walk among men on the dirty streets of Galilee. He lived and died and rose again as a human being. Isn’t it amazing that God would walk among us? But why would He do this? He did it because He loves you and me… and He wants you and me to come into a personal relationship with Him. But because we are separated from God by our sin, we can't know God or experience God or get near to God in His absolute holiness. So God came near. He came down in the person of Jesus Christ and paid the price for our sin by dying on the cross. So let me ask you, how have you responded to Jesus Christ in your life? If you’ve accepted Him your personal Lord and Savior, I praise God that you’ve made the best decision you will ever make. But if you haven’t made this decision, what’s stopping you from accepting God’s free gift of eternal life right now? God came to earth in the person of Jesus Christ and paid the price for our sin by dying on the cross.

Can You Worship God More Than Just at Church?

CURRENT TEACHING SERIES Essentials For Living

Can You Worship God More Than Just at Church? By Rick Warren — Aug 26, 2015 “Sing out your thanks to him; sing praises to our God.” (Psalm 147:7 TLB) You’ve probably noticed that music and love go together, because music comes from the heart. It’s not something you do intellectually. It’s something that comes out of your soul, your emotions. There are many love songs in the world. In fact there are radio stations that are dedicated entirely to the love song format. But did you know that more songs have been written about Jesus Christ than any other topic in the world? Christianity is a singing faith. Why? Because it’s not about religion. It’s about a love affair. It’s about a relationship with God, who loves you so much that he sent his Son to die for you and who wants you to love him back. Psalm 147:7 says, “Sing out your thanks to him; sing praises to our God” (TLB). Nothing will make you more aware of God’s love and presence in your life than singing and praise. You may be thinking, “But you don’t understand. I can’t sing.” The Bible says to make a joyful noise. I know you can do that because probably when you go to a sports game or when somebody’s getting married, you make a joyful noise. So just let it out! You don’t have to hit the right note. You just have to make a joyful noise. Can you worship God more than just at church? Yes, because worship is simply expressing your love to God. That means you can worship in the shower. You can worship in your backyard mowing the lawn. You can worship washing dishes. You can worship driving to work and making a deal or on the golf course. You can express your love to God anywhere and everywhere. And that means you can sing everywhere. PLAY today’s audio teaching from Pastor Rick>> Talk It Over What are you thinking about when you sing during worship at church? Where is your focus? How often do you sing your thanks and love to God? Daily? Regularly? Occasionally? Rarely? What is something in your life you can replace with singing or listening to worship music so that you remember to worship more often?   Turn to me and be saved, all the ends of the earth! For I am God, and there is no other.      --Isaiah 45:22     It doesn’t matter who you are, what you’ve done, or where you’ve been, no one is too far gone for Jesus. I think that statement’s important enough that it’s worth repeating: No one is too far gone for Jesus.  No one!  And there’s no better evidence of this than the woman that Jesus met at the well. When Jesus meets this woman she has been used and abused.  She has been divorced five times and was living with her boyfriend.  She was a mess!  At least, she was a mess to the people around her.  Even so, Christ reached out to her with the living water of eternal life.  And her life was transformed instantly and eternally! This woman…a woman who had been ravaged by regrets and failures and brokenness…this wasted, burned out woman…was made brand new because of the power of Jesus Christ which began to change her!  She wasn’t too far gone for the Lord Jesus! And the application in your life and my life is clear.  No one around us…no matter how wasted, burned out, or strung out they may seem…is too far gone for Jesus Christ. And you know what else?  Neither are you! In John 4:13, Jesus says, “Whoever drinks of the water that I will give him will never be thirsty forever.  The water that I will give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life.” Jesus says whoever drinks of the water that He gives will have eternal life!  Like I said before, it doesn’t matter who you are, what you’ve done, or where you’ve been.  None of us is ever too far gone for Jesus Christ. It’s my prayer that no matter what your past may hold, you will turn to God today! No one on this Earth is too far gone for Jesus.

Why Do You Think You Don’t Have Time?

CURRENT TEACHING SERIES Essentials For Living

Why Do You Think You Don’t Have Time? By Rick Warren — Aug 25, 2015 “May the God of peace … equip you with all you need for doing his will.” (Hebrews 13:21 TLB) This principle of “use it or lose it” is universal. If you don’t exercise, your muscles get smaller. If you don’t invest your money, you’re going to lose it. If you don’t learn to use your mind, it will get duller and duller as you get older. If you have a talent and you refuse to practice, you’ll lose that talent. The opposite is also true. If you do use it, you get even more of it. So if you use your muscles, they get bigger. If you take a little bit of money and invest it, it gets bigger. It multiplies! Hebrews 13:21 says, “May the God of peace … equip you with all you need for doing his will” (TLB). What do you need more of in your life? How about more energy? How about time? How about money? How about talent? Here’s the secret: Whatever you need more of, take the little you’ve got and start using it to serve other people unselfishly, and God will multiply it. You say, “I don’t have time to serve other people. I don’t have time to minister. I already don’t have time to get all the things done I need to. How could I add anything else?” Why do you think you don’t have time? Because God never meant for you to spend all your time on yourself! Why would God give you more time if you’re just going to spend it on you? It’s like the principle of tithing, where the first 10 percent of all you make goes back to God. Why? Because when you give that 10 percent back to God, God takes the other 90 percent and makes it stretch further than it would have if you kept 100 percent yourself. That’s true with your time. That’s true with your talent. That’s true with anything in life. If you don’t use it, you lose it. And the way you get more is by investing what little you’ve got. Watch and see how God will give you everything you need and more for doing his will when you use your time, money, and talent for him. PLAY today’s audio teaching from Pastor Rick >> Talk It Over How have you seen God multiply your time, money, or talent when you invest it in what really matters? What are your talents? How can you use them to serve others? What is one way you can use your time to serve others? What will you have to change about your schedule in order to make it happen? Today’s Scripture “Praise the LORD, my soul, and forget not all his benefits.” (Psalm 103:2, NIV) SHARE WITH YOUR FRIENDS Forget Not His Benefits God has given us many benefits today! He’s given us so much to be thankful for. When you meditate on His goodness, faithfulness and blessings in your life, it will change you on the inside. When you focus on the fact that He saved you and set you free, the challenges and obstacles in your life will begin to fade away. Psalm 103 goes on to say that “He crowns you with love and compassion and satisfies your desires with good things so that your youth is renewed.” No matter what you may be facing today, forget not His benefits! God wants to satisfy you with good things. If you need healing today, healing is a benefit. If you’ve made mistakes in your life, forgiveness is a benefit. If you feel tired and overwhelmed, strength is a benefit. As you turn your thoughts toward the Father today, He will strengthen and empower you to live as an overcomer in every area of your life! A Prayer for Today “Father, thank You for Your blessings and benefits in my life. I choose to focus on Your goodness and believe You have so much more in store for me. I honor You today in all that I do in Jesus’ name. Amen.”