Posts with the tag “focus”

Celebrating God’s Forgiveness
by Curt Dodd on May 27th, 2024
Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you. – Ephesians 4:32When you’re struggling with forgiving someone who hurt you, one of the best things you can do is practice celebrating God's forgiveness to you. Don't focus on the person who did the offending. Instead, focus on how gracious God has been to you. Even though you deserved the death penalty, He ...  Read More
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Handling Stress
by Curt Dodd on January 31st, 2024
Very early in the morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house and went off to a solitary place, where he prayed. Simon and his companions went to look for him, and when they found him, they exclaimed: “Everyone is looking for you!” Jesus replied, “Let us go somewhere else -- to the nearby villages -- so I can preach there also. That is why I have come.” So he traveled throughout...  Read More
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Communing With God
by Curt Dodd on December 31st, 2023
Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you. – James 4:8Many Christians today tend to focus on the externals rather than the internals of our spiritual lives. We get things upside down and that creates much confusion and frustration because we tend to focus more on serving God than communing with Him.If there is no intimacy with the Lord in your life, then the purpose of God in and through your...  Read More
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Jesus Is the Messiah
by Curt Dodd on December 25th, 2023
And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him.  (Hebrews 11:6) One of the greatest debates in human history has been whether or not Jesus is the Messiah. The word “Messiah” means “anointed one.” It is the description of the individual who the Jews were expecting to usher in the redempti...  Read More
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Gifts from the Spirit
by Curt Dodd on December 13th, 2023
So Christ himself gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the pastors and teachers, to equip his people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ.  (Ephesians 4:11-13)  When the Holy Spirit came, He brought gifts f...  Read More
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Setups for Failure
by Curt Dodd on November 15th, 2023
Jesus replied, “Where I am going, you cannot follow now, but you will follow later.” Peter asked, “Lord, why can’t I follow you now? I will lay down my life for you.” Then Jesus answered, “Will you really lay down your life for me? Very truly I tell you, before the rooster crows, you will disown me three times!”  (John 13:36-38)  As followers of Jesus, we are not excluded from experiencing failure...  Read More
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Distraction-Free Time 
by Curt Dodd on October 27th, 2023
But when you pray, go into your room and shut the door and pray to your Father who is in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you. (Matthew 6:6)    The world we live in is filled with distractions. Everywhere we look, something or someone is begging for our attention. Our phones are constantly buzzing. The TV is chattering in the background. Our desks at work are covered in “To-D...  Read More
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Jesus Is The Authority
by Curt Dodd on August 27th, 2023
“I am the Alpha and the Omega,” says the Lord God, “who is, and who was, and who is to come, the Almighty.” (Revelation 1:8)  There are four characteristics or descriptors of Jesus we need to focus on in today’s key verse so that we can better understand the authority Jesus has in our lives and in our world today.   Alpha and Omega In verse eight, the Lord describes Himself as the “Alpha and the O...  Read More
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Are You Ready?
by Curt Dodd on August 7th, 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)  Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. (Matthew 7:21)  Let me ask you a question, “If Jesus came today, are you ready?” If Jesus came today before ...  Read More
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Qualities of a Church
by Curt Dodd on May 6th, 2023
Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God. (Colossians 3:16)    Yesterday, we discussed three qualities that are important to look for in a church home. Today, we will continue that list and discuss a few more important qualities to consider when looking for a...  Read More
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Who Is Jesus?
by Curt Dodd on April 2nd, 2023
When Jesus came to the region of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, “Who do people say the Son of Man is?” They replied, “Some say John the Baptist; others say Elijah; and still others, Jeremiah or one of the prophets.” “But what about you?” he asked. “Who do you say I am?” Simon Peter answered, “You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God.” Jesus replied, “Blessed are you, Simon son of...  Read More
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Focus Like an Archer
by Curt Dodd on January 3rd, 2023
But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.  (Matthew 6:33)I am a traditional archer. This means that I use a plain wooden bow, not one of those compound bows (with training wheels), nor crossbows. I use a conventional wooden long bow to shoot targets and hunt. Right now, I am hunting and shooting with a bow that I made myself out of Osage wo...  Read More
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Distraction-Free Time
by Curt Dodd on October 27th, 2022
But when you pray, go into your room and shut the door and pray to your Father who is in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you. (Matthew 6:6) The world we live in is filled with distractions. Everywhere we look, something or someone is begging for our attention. Our phones are constantly buzzing. The TV is chattering in the background. Our desks at work are covered in “To-Do” ...  Read More
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It’s All About Jesus
by Curt Dodd on September 3rd, 2022
For they all seek their own interests, not those of Jesus Christ. (Philippians 2:21) I accepted Jesus as my Lord and Savior when I was 12 years old. The moment I turned from sin and placed my faith in Jesus Christ, I rode my bicycle home singing and praising God. Filled with joy, I made up words to a new song. (I wish I had written the words down because I thought they were pretty good at the time...  Read More
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Kingdom abandoned abandoning abandon ability abondoned abundant acceptable acceptance accepted accepting accept accomplishment accomplish accordance accountable acknowledge actions activity addiction admitting admit adoration advancing advice affection affirmation afraid aligned aligning align alive allowedd allowed allowing allow almighty altered amazing amount anxiety anxious appeared appearing apply approaching approach argument arrogant assurance assures assure attend attention attentive attitude audience authority banished baptized beaituful behaviors behavior beieve beliefs belief believed believeibng believerrs believers believer believes believe believing belong benefits biblical blend blessed blesses blessings blessing bless blossomed bond borrowed brokenhearted burdens burden burial buried capable captivated careful cares care caring carving celebrate challenges chance change changing charges charge choose choosing churches church claiming clarity climate combat comfortable comforting comfort commanded commandment commands command commitment committed commit communicate communicating communion community companionship companion compared comparing comparisons compassion competition complete complicated compliment comprehend compromised compromise concerned concerning concerns concern conclude confessed confess confidence confident conflicts conflict confrontation confronting confused confusion connected connection connect conquered consider consistent contact contentment content context contradict control conversation convicting conviction convict convinced convince corrected correcting courageous cover created create creation critical crucial crucified crucifixation crucify culture cure curiosity customers daily death decided decide declaration dedicated defend deflection deliberate delivers denomination denying departure depression describe description deserved deserves deserve desie designed desired desires desire desiring despite desrtuction destination destiny destruction determine devastated develop devoted devotional devotion dictates dictate difference different difficult directing direction directly direct disappeared disappoint disciples disciple disconenct discouraged discovered discover discuss display disruptions distance dividend educated education effort eliminated 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 equation equip eternal eternity ethical evaluate everlasting evil example excited excitement exciting excluded expand expectations expectation expected experiences expression express extended faithfully faithfulness faithful faith family famous favor fearful fear feelings feeling fellowship finisher finish fire focused focusing focus followed followers follower following follow fooled forgave forgiveness forgiven forgive forgiving fortunate forward foundation founders freedom free freidnships fresh friendship friends frustrated fulfilled fulfillment fullness future gathering gave generation generosity generous genuine 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 grope growing growth grow guidance guided guides guiding guilty guilt handling happiness happy hardship healed healing health heal hearing heartbreak hearts heart heaven help hesitate holy honest honorably honored honoring honors honor hoped hopefulness hopeful hopeless hopes hope hoping horror humanity humbly identified identifies identify identity ignited ignorant ignore imagine immature impacted impactful impact impatient importance important impossible including inevitable influence information inherent innocent inspiration inspired inspires instance instant intended intensity intentional intentions interceding interesting interest interpretations intimately intimate intrude investment invitation invite itimacy jogging journey joyful joy justifying knowing knowledge known laborers labor leadership leaders leader leading lead leaning learning learn legacy lonely longing lordship loved loves love loving manipulate marriage married mature mediator meditate meditation membership members memeber memorable memory merciful mercy message mindful minds minister ministry miracles miracle miraculous missing mission moment motive moun notice nourished nourishment obedience obedient obey obligation observer observe offering operate opinions opportunities opportunity oppressed outcome overcome overcoming overpowered overpower overwhelmed overwhelming ownership painful parenting partnership passage passing passion pastors path patient peace peae perception perfectly perfect perform perishing perish persecuted perseverance personally personal perspective persuade plan pleasing political pondering positioned position possibility powerful power praised praises praiseworthy praise praising prayed prayerful prayers prayer praying pray preached preachers preacher preaching preach prepared prepare presence present preserves pressure prevent pride primary principle proactive probelm problem process proclaim produce productive promised promises promise promote prophicies prosperous prosper protecting protection protect proud proved prove provides provide providing provision purify purity purposes purpose pursuing raises raise realized realize realizing reassured rebelling rebellion receive recieved recover recuperation redeems redeem redemption redemptive referring reflection refuse reignite rejected relationships relationship religion religious remedy remember remembrance reminds renewal renewing repeated repentance repent represent resisted resisting resist resolution respect responsibility rest resurrection retreat return revealing reveals righteous ritual royalty running sacrifice safest safe salvation satisfied satisfies satisfy saved save saving scriptual scripture secured security seeking seek selfish sensitive seperated seperate seperation sermon servants servant served server serve service serving shame shaping share sharing showed significance silence silent sinful sinless sinners sinner sin solve soul speaking speak spiraling spirirt spiritually spiritual spirit spread srve stability standards standing strengthen strength stressed stressful stress strong struggles struggle struggling submit substain successful success suffering supply supported supportive support surrendered surrender surrounding surround survived talents teachable teachers teaches teachings teaching teach tears temptaions temptation tempted testify thoughtful thoughts through thrown together tolerance tradition transformed translation treat trouble troubling true truly trusted trusting trustworthy trust truth trutyh unbelievers uncomfortable understand unshamed utilize validation valuable values value verbally victory violated vulnerable waiting wants watchful willingly willing wisdom wise witnessed witness wonderful wondering wonder worried worrying worry worshipping worship worthy wrath