Posts with the tag “believe”

Are You Encouraging Others?
by Curt Dodd on April 2nd, 2024
Therefore encourage one another and build one another up, just as you are doing. – 1 Thessalonians 5:11  William Barclay, a devotional commentator, once said, “One of the highest of human duties is the duty of encouragement. It is easy to pour cold water on enthusiasm. It is easy to discourage others. The world is full of discouragers. We have a Christian duty to encourage one another.”   This is ...  Read More
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Every Knee Will Bow
by Curt Dodd on March 21st, 2024
At the name of Jesus, every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue acknowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. (Philippians 2:10-11)  Scripture is very clear that a day will come when every single person on this planet will bow down to Jesus and declare that He is Lord over everything. This means every Muslim, every Jew, every Buddh...  Read More
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Jesus Is The Only Way
by Curt Dodd on February 19th, 2024
Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” – John 14:6Do you know why the Jews wanted to crucify Jesus, to kill Him? It was because they accused Jesus of blasphemy. He used the name of God to describe who He was.When you say, “I believe in God,” you are saying, “I believe in Jesus.” When you say, “I believe in Jesus,” you are saying, “I...  Read More
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Jesus Understands Your Pain
by Curt Dodd on January 12th, 2024
Therefore, since we have a great high priest who has ascended into heaven, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold firmly to the faith we profess. For we do not have a high priest who is unable to empathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are – yet he did not sin. (Hebrews 4:14-15) When you are going through a difficult time, it is easy to think that no...  Read More
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Salvation Is Simple
by Curt Dodd on January 9th, 2024
One of the criminals who hung there hurled insults at him: “Aren’t you the Messiah? Save yourself and us!” But the other criminal rebuked him. “Don’t you fear God,” he said, “since you are under the same sentence?  We are punished justly, for we are getting what our deeds deserve. But this man has done nothing wrong.” Then he said, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.” Jesus answer...  Read More
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Are You Encouraging Others?
by Curt Dodd on January 7th, 2024
Therefore encourage one another and build one another up, just as you are doing. – 1 Thessalonians 5:11William Barclay, a devotional commentator, once said, “One of the highest of human duties is the duty of encouragement. It is easy to pour cold water on enthusiasm. It is easy to discourage others. The world is full of discouragers. We have a Christian duty to encourage one another.”This is what ...  Read More
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False Prophets
by Curt Dodd on January 5th, 2024
But there were also false prophets among the people, just as there will be false teachers among you. They will secretly introduce destructive heresies, even denying the sovereign Lord who bought them -- bringing swift destruction on themselves. Many will follow their depraved conduct and will bring the way of truth into disrepute. In their greed these teachers will exploit you with fabricated stor...  Read More
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God, Fix It 
by Curt Dodd on December 29th, 2023
Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows.  (Galatians 6:7)    When your heart gets heavy and there is pain in your life, we pray, “Oh God, take away the pain. Take away the pain, now.”     Sometimes, the answer to that prayer is different from how we want it. I really believe there are people who are reading this today, who are going through a desperate situation. They ar...  Read More
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Praying Instead of Worrying 
by Curt Dodd on December 28th, 2023
Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.  (Philippians 4:6-7)    As I watch our country vibrate with all kinds of decisions that are being made and look at what is happening globally, I am heavy at...  Read More
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Wisdom in the Bible
by Curt Dodd on December 24th, 2023
If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him.  (James 1:5)The Bible makes it very clear that if we ask for wisdom, the Lord will grant us wisdom. This is one of my favorite promises in all of Scripture. When we pray for wisdom, we can’t just expect God to grant us wisdom. We need to do our part. The best way for us to gain wisd...  Read More
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Hope Through God
by Curt Dodd on December 16th, 2023
Cast your cares on the Lord and He will sustain you; He will never let the righteous be shaken.   (Psalm 55:22)  It has been said, “A person can live a few days without water, a few minutes without air, but not a moment without hope.” Beyond the circumstances, crises and burdens of life, some people believe there is something better just ahead. Hope is something nearly everyone relies on to push t...  Read More
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The Cost of Following Christ
by Curt Dodd on December 12th, 2023
For it has been granted to you on behalf of Christ not only to believe in him, but also to suffer for him.   (Philippians 1:29)  We certainly love the idea of believing in Christ, receiving eternal life and having our sins forgiven. We long to experience cleansing, both positionally and mentally. It is hard to comprehend forgiveness from God’s perspective. From our viewpoint, we see ourselves with...  Read More
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Did God Really Say That? 
by Curt Dodd on December 9th, 2023
 Now the serpent was more crafty than any of the wild animals the Lord God had made. He said to the woman, “Did God really say, ‘You must not eat from any tree in the garden’?” The woman said to the serpent, “We may eat fruit from the trees in the garden, but God did say, ‘You must not eat fruit from the tree that is in the middle of the garden, and you must not touch it, or you will die.’” “You w...  Read More
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The Responsibility Of A Christian Parent
by Curt Dodd on December 3rd, 2023
Train up a child in the way he should go; even when he is old he will not depart from it. – Proverbs 22:6The greatest responsibility parents have is to pass on the faith to their children. It is first the parents’ job, not the church's job, to disciple children and teach them how to follow Jesus. The church is there to help, yes. But first and foremost, it is our job as parents to pass the faith a...  Read More
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Fearless Confidence
by Curt Dodd on October 16th, 2023
For it is better, if it is God’s will, to suffer for doing good than for doing evil. For Christ also suffered once for sins, the righteous for the unrighteous, to bring you to God. He was put to death in the body but made alive in the Spirit. After being made alive, he went and made proclamation to the imprisoned spirits— to those who were disobedient long ago when God waited patiently in the days...  Read More
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We Are Called To Love
by Curt Dodd on September 11th, 2023
Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins. – 1 Peter 4:8I love what Charles Swindoll said years ago in one of his books. He said three little girls came together and formed a club in their treehouse. They decided to write the rules for behavior. Here they are: “Number one, no one should act too big. Number two, no one should act too small. Number three, everyo...  Read More
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Plans Yet Unrealized
by Curt Dodd on August 26th, 2023
“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.” (Jeremiah 29:11)  I remember the first time I read this verse in college. Clueless about the next steps for my life, it was completely refreshing to know that He had my life all mapped out. I just wanted a hint at what the first step should be. Too often, I fre...  Read More
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It Will All Pan Out In The End
by Curt Dodd on August 6th, 2023
But about that day or hour no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father. (Matthew 24:36)  When I was in college, I went to a Christian college that required that you take at least nine hours of Bible. At that particular time in my life, I wasn't really interested in the Bible. I had gone to Sunday School and I was majoring in music and speech. Because of my backgro...  Read More
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4 Mentalities Around Reading God’s Word
by Curt Dodd on July 10th, 2023
All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work. - 2 Timothy 3:16-17Reading the Word of God is something we all need to be making a priority as followers of Jesus. God uses His Word to speak to us, to teach us, to guide us, and to give us wisdom. Like we said yest...  Read More
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Looking for Hope
by Curt Dodd on May 30th, 2023
“The Lord is my portion,” says my soul, “therefore I will hope in him.” (Lamentations 3:24)  Is there hope? Why do you attend church? Why do you watch preachers on television? Do you go to church on Sunday to show off your newest outfit? Do you tune into a sermon out of obligation, or to fulfill some expectation? My guess would be that these aren’t the reasons you come to church or watch church on...  Read More
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Stay in Love with Jesus
by Curt Dodd on May 24th, 2023
“Judge not, that you be not judged. For with the judgment you pronounce you will be judged, and with the measure you use it will be measured to you. Why do you see the speck that is in your brother's eye, but do not notice the log that is in your own eye? Or how can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when there is the log in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take th...  Read More
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Pray, Just Pray!
by Curt Dodd on May 20th, 2023
And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord’s people.  Pray also for me, that whenever I speak, words may be given me so that I will fearlessly make known the mystery of the gospel,  for which I am an ambassador in chains. Pray that I may declare it fearlessly, as I should. (Ephesians 6:18-2...  Read More
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Defeating Depression
by Curt Dodd on March 19th, 2023
The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately sick; who can understand it? (Jeremiah 17:9)When you allow feelings to become your reality, that's when you know you are headed for depression. Many of us are ruled by our feelings and what we are thinking on the inside. For example, “I feel like a failure, so I must be a failure.” Or the mentality that says, “I am afraid right now. I don't ...  Read More
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Be Ready for the End 
by Curt Dodd on March 11th, 2023
Because, if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. (Romans 10:9)    Whether we admit it or not, the end times are not very far away. Jesus is coming back soon and we need to be prepared.     We might not be here when the events of the end times arrive. This is the pathway that will unfold during the Great Tribu...  Read More
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Salvation Is Simple
by Curt Dodd on March 9th, 2023
One of the criminals who hung there hurled insults at him: “Aren’t you the Messiah? Save yourself and us!” But the other criminal rebuked him. “Don’t you fear God,” he said, “since you are under the same sentence?  We are punished justly, for we are getting what our deeds deserve. But this man has done nothing wrong.” Then he said, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.” Jesus answer...  Read More
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Facing the Truth
by Curt Dodd on February 13th, 2023
A person may think their own ways are right,  but the Lord weighs the heart. (Proverbs 21:2) Chuck Colson wrote a book, Born Again. He got saved in the middle of the Watergate fiasco and served time in prison. God saved him and put him on a path to being a blessing to many people. Chuck Colson founded Prison Fellowship, a prison ministry that touched the lives of thousands of prisoners. One of my ...  Read More
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Listening Instead of Talking
by Curt Dodd on January 22nd, 2023
The apostles and the believers throughout Judea heard that the Gentiles also had received the word of God. So when Peter went up to Jerusalem, the circumcised believers criticized him.  (Acts 11:1-2)Conflict is an inevitable and unavoidable part of life. There is no way you can live on this planet and not face conflict. It’s just not possible. Believe it or not, there is actually a positive side t...  Read More
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Wisdom in the Bible
by Curt Dodd on December 24th, 2022
If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him.  (James 1:5)The Bible makes it very clear that if we ask for wisdom, the Lord will grant us wisdom. This is one of my favorite promises in all of Scripture. When we pray for wisdom, we can’t just expect God to grant us wisdom. We need to do our part. The best way for us to gain wisd...  Read More
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Fighting Temptation
by Curt Dodd on November 27th, 2022
No temptation has overtaken you except what is common to mankind. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can endure it. (1 Corinthians 10:13)There is a war going on inside of us all the time. We are constantly being tempted by the things of this world. We need to realize that this is just pa...  Read More
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Avoiding Trouble
by Curt Dodd on November 24th, 2022
Do not let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God; trust also in me.  (John 14:1)Do you realize that trouble is simply part of life? You can't avoid it. It is crucial to understand that through Christ we can overcome the trouble, regardless of what it is.  Jesus told us,  “If the world hates you, keep in mind that it hated me first.” (John 15:18)People will not always line up with what you believe ...  Read More
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Protection from Evil
by Curt Dodd on October 8th, 2022
But the Lord is faithful, and he will strengthen you and protect you from the evil one. (2 Thessalonians 3:3)We must cling to many promises in the Word of God. One of those promises is that the Lord will guard you from the evil one and protect you. When the winds of adversity and temptation come into your life, God will be faithful. He has given you everything you need to endure and deal with what...  Read More
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Open the Gates
by Curt Dodd on September 11th, 2022
For where two or three are gathered in my name, there am I among them. (Matthew 18:20) I had a wonderful worship experience in Nairobi, Kenya. I haven’t been in a worship service like this one where I saw God's Spirit move mightily since the early seventies. Maybe it was because they sang for over an hour nonstop, with no break. They worshiped extravagantly before the Lord with pure joy. These peo...  Read More
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Kingdom abandoned abandoning abandon ability acceptable acceptance accepted accepting accomplishment accomplish accountable acknowledge activity addiction admitting admit adoration advancing advice affection afraid aligned aligning align alive allowedd allowed allowing allow almighty altered amazing anxiety anxious appeared apply approach argument assurance assures assure attention attentive attitude authority banished baptized beaituful behavior beieve beliefs belief believed believerrs believers believer believes believe believing belong benefits blend blessed blesses blessings blessing bless bond brokenhearted burdens burden burial buried capable careful cares care caring carving celebrate challenges change changing charges charge churches church clarity climate combat comfortable comfort commanded commandment commands commitment committed communicate communicating communion community companion comparing comparisons compassion competition complete comprehend compromised compromise concerning concerns concern confessed confess confidence confident conflicts conflict confused confusion connected connection connect consistent contact contentment content context contradict control conviction convict convinced convince corrected correcting cover created create creation critical crucial crucified crucifixation crucify culture cure curiosity customers daily decided decide dedicated defend delivers departure depression description deserved deserves deserve desie designed desired desires desire desiring desrtuction destiny devastated develop devotional devotion dictates difference different directing direction directly direct disappeared disciples disciple disconenct discouraged discovered discover discuss display disruptions dividend education effort embrace embracing emotional emotions emotion emplower employer empower encoraged encounter encouraged encouragement encouragers encourages encourage encouraging encouragment endured endure energy engaged engagement engage engaging enjoyed enjoys enjoy enouragements enslaved ensure equip eternal eternity ethical evaluate everlasting evil example excited excitement expand expected experiences express extended faithfully faithfulness faithful faith family famous favor fearful fear feelings feeling fellowship finish focused focusing focus followed followers follower following follow forgave forgiveness forgiven forgive forgiving fortunate foundation founders freedom free fresh friendship friends fulfilled fulfillment fullness future gathering gave generation generosity generous gifts gift given givers giver give giving glady glad glimpse glorfiy glorified glorify glorious glory godly goodness gospel goverment grace gracious grateful gratitude grave gravity grieve growing growth grow guidance guided guides guiding guilty guilt handling happy hardship healed healing health heal hearing heartbreak hearts heart heaven help hesitate holy honest honored honoring honors honor hopefulness hopeful hopeless hopes hope hoping horror humanity humbly identified identify ignore impacted impactful impact importance important influence information inherent innocent inspiration inspired inspires instance instant intentional interest intimately intrude investment invitation invite itimacy journey joy justifying knowing knowledge known laborers leadership leaders leader leading lead leaning learning learn legacy lonely longing lordship loved loves love loving manipulate marriage married mature meditate meditation members memeber memorable memory merciful mercy message minds minister ministry miracles miracle missing mission moment motive moun notice nourished nourishment obedience obedient obey obligation observer offering operate opinions opportunities opportunity oppressed outcome overcome overcoming overpowered overwhelmed overwhelming ownership parenting passage passing passion pastors patient peace peae perfectly perfect perform persecuted personal plan pleasing pondering powerful power praised praises praiseworthy praise praising prayed prayerful prayers prayer praying pray preached preachers preacher preaching preach prepared prepare presence pressure prevent pride primary principle probelm problem process proclaim produce productive promised promises promise promote prosperous prosper protecting protect proud proved prove provides provide purify purity purposes purpose pursuing raise realized realize realizing rebelling receive recieved recover recuperation redeems redemption reflection refuse reignite rejected relationships relationship religion religious remedy remember remembrance reminds renewal repentance repent resist resolution respect responsibility resurrection retreat return reveals righteous royalty running sacrifice safest safe salvation satisfied satisfies satisfy saved save saving scriptual scripture secured security seeking seek selfish seperate seperation sermon servants servant served server serve service serving shame share sharing showed significance silent sinful sinless sinners sinner sin solve soul speak spirirt spiritually spiritual spirit spread srve stability standing strength stressed stressful stress strong struggles struggle struggling submit substain success suffering supported supportive support surrendered surrender surrounding surround talents teachable teachers teaches teachings teach tears temptation tempted thoughtful thoughts together tolerance tradition treat trouble troubling true truly trusted trusting trustworthy trust truth trutyh unbelievers understand unshamed validation valuable values value verbally victory violated vulnerable wants willingly willing wisdom wise witnessed witness wonderful wonder worried worrying worry worshipping worship wrath