so beautiful =)

Goal =)

Change Requires the Holy Spirit

Nov 2, 2014 Change Requires the Holy Spirit by Rick Warren “Since you have heard about Jesus and have learned the truth that comes from him, throw off your old sinful nature and your former way of life, which is corrupted by lust and deception. Instead, let the Spirit renew your thoughts and attitudes. Put on your new nature, created to be like God — truly righteous and holy.” (Ephesians 4:21-24 NLT) You need more power than just willpower in your life. You need God’s power in your life. The “fruit of the Spirit” are the qualities that God puts in your life when the Holy Spirit lives through you. They are love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. How does God produce the fruit in your life? Not by willpower. You don’t go out and say, “I’m going to be a more patient person!” That doesn’t work. The Holy Spirit has to grow it on the inside. You try to say, “I’m going to be more patient. I’m going to be more loving.” It’s like tying some oranges on a eucalyptus tree and calling it an orange tree. It doesn’t work that way. Fruit can only come from the inside — his Spirit living through you. How does the Holy Spirit work in your life? The answer is gradually: “And the Lord — who is the Spirit — makes us more and more like him as we are changed into his glorious image” (2 Corinthians 3:18 NLT emphasis mine). When God wants to make a mushroom, he takes six hours. When God wants to make an oak tree, he takes 60 years. The question is: Do you want your life to be a mushroom or an oak tree? You didn’t collect your hurts, habits, and hang-ups overnight. It took you a long time to get as messed up as you are! Someone approached me once and said, “Pastor Rick, I need you to solve my marriage problem.” I said, “How long have you been married?” Fifteen years. “How long have you had this problem?” Ten years. And you want a five-second answer? It isn’t going to happen! You’ve got to peel that onion one layer at a time. The Holy Spirit works within us to become gradually more and more like him. Your character is the sum total of your habits. Your responsibility is to develop new habits to change. Talk About It What new habits do you want to develop so that the Holy Spirit can continually work in your life to make you more like Christ? Ask your small group or accountability partner to pray for you as you work to develop these new habits. Decide Ahead of Time TODAY'S SCRIPTURE: Give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus. 1 Thessalonians 5:18, NIV TODAY'S WORD: Have you ever said to yourself, “I’d be happy if…”? Maybe you’re thinking, “I’d be happy if my spouse treated me better.” “I’d be happy if my boss moved to another planet.” “I’d be happy if I didn’t have to sit in traffic every day.” If you are thinking those thoughts, then you are allowing what you can’t control to sour your life. You have to change your approach.  At the first part of the day, before you get out of bed, make the decision that no matter what comes your way, you are not going to get upset. No matter what somebody says, you’re not going to be offended. No matter what interruption or delay, you’re not going to be sour. The key is to decide ahead of time. Then when life happens, when traffic is worse than normal, when your children forget their homework at school, or when your plans don’t work out, it’s no big deal. You’ve already decided that “this is the day the Lord has made.”  Friend, don’t wait until you’re in the heat of the battle. Make up your mind to rejoice no matter what happens. Decide ahead of time to give Him praise in all things so you can move forward in the joy and peace that He has prepared for you! PRAYER FOR TODAY: Father, today I choose to rejoice in You. In all things, at all times, in every circumstance I will praise You. I release what I cannot control. I submit myself to You and thank You for the victory in every area of my life in Jesus’ name. Amen. PS https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pptouSVhEB4

Proverbs 3:9

Change Requires New Thinking

Change Requires New Thinking

BY RICK WARREN — NOVEMBER 1, 2014

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“Since you have heard about Jesus and have learned the truth that comes from him, throw off your old sinful nature and your former way of life, which is corrupted by lust and deception. Instead, let the Spirit renew your thoughts and attitudes. Put on your new nature, created to be like God — truly righteous and holy.” (Ephesians 4:21-24 NLT)

Change in your life requires new thinking. The battle to change the defects in your life is always a mental battle. It starts in the mind, and it’s won or lost there.

Ephesians 4:23 says, “Let the Spirit renew your thoughts and attitudes” (NLT). You’re not going to change until your thoughts and attitude change. This is why a daily quiet time is important. The time you spend intentionally studying God’s Word and in prayer is the spiritual renewal in your mind. If you’re not doing that, you’re not going to have the power to change. 

Do you know what the theological term for “change of mind” is? It is the word “repentance.” To repent literally means to change your mind.

The word “repent” is actually a Greek word — metanoia. Metanoia means to change your mind — to turn from death to life, sin to forgiveness, guilt to peace of mind, Hell to Heaven, my way to God’s way. The most positive change in your life will be when you repent of your sin and turn from regret to peace of mind and forgiveness.

You have to learn to think in new ways about your defects. Defects are often strengths being misused. That’s a new way of thinking. You probably never thought of that, but that’s repentance! That’s a change of mind. Your defects are often the strengths God gave you being misused.

You have to change the way you think. Philippians 2:5 says, “You must have the same attitude that Christ Jesus had.” 

God wants you to learn to think like Jesus. How do you do that? Again, it’s a choice. You’ve got to make a choice and say, “Lord, how would Jesus think about this?” The more you fill your mind with the Word of God, the easier that’s going to be.

Talk About It

• How are the things that you fill your mind with hurting or helping you change your defects?
• What changes will you make today in your schedule, relationships, or attitude that will affect the spiritual renewal of your mind?https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z2A95BwGbYo

Give Your Faith a Target

TODAY'S SCRIPTURE:

Faith is the confidence that what we hope for will actually happen; it gives us assurance about things we cannot see.
Hebrews 11:1, NLT

TODAY'S WORD:

So many people today are depressed and discouraged simply because they only focus on their present circumstances. They’re constantly dwelling on their problems, what they don’t have, and what’s wrong with them. They don’t realize it, but they’re allowing the enemy to steal their hope. This negative frame of mind is what keeps people from moving forward in life.

Understand today that faith is confidence and assurance about the things we hope for according to the promises of God. Like an arrow, your faith points to the target of hope. If you don’t have hope, that arrow of faith will just drop to the ground. It won’t accomplish anything. But when you keep your hopes up, when you keep expecting and believing, it’s as if that target gets larger and larger—easier to hit!

Choose today to live with an attitude of expectancy. Get your hopes up! Start by taking captive any negative thoughts you may have one at a time. As you focus on God’s goodness and faithfulness, you’ll feel that hope inside you growing. You’ll give your faith a target, and you’ll move confidently into the blessings and peace the Lord has in store for you!

PRAYER FOR TODAY:

Father, today I surrender every thought to You. I choose to release my cares and concerns so I can focus on Your goodness in my life. Thank You for the gift of faith to see the impossible become possible as I continue to place my hope and confidence in You in Jesus’ name, Amen.

Cooking for Love =)

Change Requires Making Choices

Change Requires Making Choices

BY RICK WARREN — OCTOBER 31, 2014

884

“Since you have heard about Jesus and have learned the truth that comes from him, throw off your old sinful nature and your former way of life, which is corrupted by lust and deception. Instead, let the Spirit renew your thoughts and attitudes. Put on your new nature, created to be like God — truly righteous and holy.” (Ephesians 4:21-24 NLT)

It’s not enough to want to change. It’s not enough to desire to change. It’s not even enough to say, “I have a dream of changing.” Dreams are worthless unless you wake up and actually act on them. You’re not going to change the defects in your life until you choose to change.

How are you going to be different in six months? Are you going to be emotionally stronger? Are you going to be mentally sharper? Are you going to be physically healthier? Are you going to be spiritually deeper?

It isn’t going to happen automatically. You aren’t just going to get healthier by accident in any category of your life. A lot of times we think we’re waiting on God to change us. You’re not waiting on God. God is waiting on you.

There is no growth in your life without change. And there is no change without loss. You’ve got to let go of some old stuff. And there is no loss without pain.

Some of you are stuck right now because you haven’t learned how to let go. That’s a choice. Ephesians 4:22 says, “Throw off your old sinful nature and your former way of life, which is corrupted by lust and deception” (NLT).

You might say that your defects are biological or sociological. Some of them are from your circumstances or your chromosomes. But it doesn’t really matter where they come from. You need to deal with it. Genetics explains your inclinations, but it doesn’t excuse your sin.

Here’s the good news: Once you become a believer, you have a new power in you that is greater than those old tendencies. That power is the Holy Spirit.

Philippians 2:12-13 says, “Continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you to will and to act in order to fulfill his good purpose”(NIV).

Does that mean you are supposed to be afraid of God? Of course not! Be afraid that you’ll miss God’s best and waste your life. Be afraid that you will go your entire life and never know God’s purpose.

The secret to changing your life is not willpower. It’s God giving you the will and the power through the Holy Spirit to do what needs to be done.

Talk About It

• What do you think it means to “work out” your salvation?
• How have you experienced the Holy Spirit’s power in your life?

PS... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-AQL8Zk2sOk

Close the Door on Fear TODAY’S SCRIPTURE “Do not give the Devil an opportunity to work.” (Ephesians 4:27, ISV) TODAY’S WORD from Joel and Victoria So many people today are living with less than God’s best because they’ve allowed fear to creep in and take root in their lives. Fear is the greatest weapon the enemy uses to try to hold us back. Fear is not from God. Scripture tells us that fear brings torment. It’s designed to paralyze us and keep us from God’s blessings. The good news is that God is greater than fear. His power in you is greater than any power that comes against you. But in order to walk in His power, you have to close the door on the enemy. See, the enemy can’t have access to your life unless you open a door and give him access. That’s why we have to be careful what we watch, what we listen to, what we read and what we say. When we open ourselves to fear, we give the enemy opportunity. If you’ve allowed fear to steal from you in any area of life, today you can be free — you can be finished with fear. Conquering the enemy starts by making the choice to close the door on fear by receiving God’s love and meditating on His promises. Receive His truth and speak His truth. Let Him set you free and lead you into victory as you close the door on fear. A PRAYER FOR TODAY Father, I come to You in faith declaring that I am finished with fear. Thank You for giving me a spirit of power, love and a sound mind. Fill me with Your peace and joy today as I worship You and move forward in victory in Jesus’ name. Amen.