Posts with the tag “joy”

Born and Born Again
by Curt Dodd on October 19th, 2024
Jesus replied, “Very truly I tell you, no one can see the kingdom of God unless they are born again.” (John 3:3) Today is my birthday. That’s right. On an early Monday morning, at approximately 2:00 a.m., I entered the world with a pat on the bottom and a scream of shock. Although I don’t remember the event, my mother has recounted it many times, how the event unfolded, often in a crowd of people ...  Read More
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Engaged Giving
by Curt Dodd on October 4th, 2024
Each of you should give what you have decided in your heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. (2 Corinthians 9:7)   Mary therefore took a pound  of expensive ointment made from pure nard, and anointed the feet of Jesus and wiped his feet with her hair. The house was filled with the fragrance of the perfume. (John 12:3)  As followers of Jesus, we are call...  Read More
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Stay Close To Jesus
by Curt Dodd on September 29th, 2024
Keep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have, because God has said, “Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you.” So we say with confidence, “The Lord is my helper; I will not be afraid. What can mere mortals do to me?” - Hebrews 13:5-6If you are a follower of Jesus, the thing that first captivated your heart was to know Christ. Later, the thing that called y...  Read More
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Be Loving
by Curt Dodd on May 28th, 2024
Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins. (1 Peter 4:8)  If we want to live a life that honors God, we need to be loving. This verse makes it clear by saying, “Above all, love each other deeply.” This is easier said than done because many people have personalities that just don’t seem to mesh with ours.   It is easy to be loving in a general sense. “I just lo...  Read More
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Fighting Self-Sufficiency With Prayer
by Curt Dodd on January 22nd, 2024
In that day you will no longer ask me anything. Very truly I tell you, my Father will give you whatever you ask in my name. Until now you have not asked for anything in my name. Ask and you will receive, and your joy will be complete. John 16:23-24.One of the things that keeps us from getting through to God is prayerful inactivity. We think things like, “I got myself into this mess and it's my res...  Read More
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Enjoying Your Work
by Curt Dodd on November 14th, 2023
Moreover, when God gives any man wealth and possessions, and enables him to enjoy them, to accept his lot and be happy in his work -- this is a gift of God.  (Ecclesiastes 5:19)  Do you enjoy what you do for a living? Whether it is in an office at home, on the road, on the jobsite, or on the Internet, do you actually enjoy your work? This is a basic question which must be asked and answered by all...  Read More
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Choose Joy over Worry
by Curt Dodd on September 29th, 2023
Rejoice in the Lord always, I will say it again: Rejoice! Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, 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 minds in Christ Jesus. (Philippians 4:4-7) “Therefore I tell you, do not w...  Read More
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Defeating Anxiety
by Curt Dodd on February 20th, 2023
Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. (Philippians 4:6)Sometimes, when we are struggling with anxiety, we feel very lonely. We think we are all by ourselves. Throughout Scripture, we are reassured that God will never leave us once we give our lives to Christ.The Bible tells us that the Holy Spirit comes to...  Read More
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Yes and No in Scripture
by Curt Dodd on January 2nd, 2023
“I can do all this through him who gives me strength.”  (Philippians 4:13) For many people, their Christian life is all about, “No, don't do that. Don't do this. You had better not do that. That's wrong. You had better watch out. You're on the wrong side.” They don't realize how many Yeses there are in Scripture. When there are Noes, it is to keep us from driving off the road. The Noes  keep us fr...  Read More
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Born and Born Again
by Curt Dodd on October 19th, 2022
Jesus replied, “Very truly I tell you, no one can see the kingdom of God unless they are born again.” (John 3:3)Today is my birthday. That’s right. On an early Monday morning, at approximately 2:00 a.m., I entered the world with a pat on the bottom and a scream of shock. Although I don’t remember the event, my mother has recounted it many times, how the event unfolded, often in a crowd of people (...  Read More
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The Lord Will Provide
by Curt Dodd on October 18th, 2022
So Abraham called that place The Lord Will Provide. And to this day it is said, “On the mountain of the Lord it will be provided.” (Genesis 22:14)This chapter recounts the event which happened on top of Mount Moriah. Abraham, after being instructed to take his son, Isaac and offer him as a sacrifice, journeyed to the mountain with his son and several servants. Climbing the mountain, he took his on...  Read More
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Your Life Is an Example
by Curt Dodd on September 30th, 2022
But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. Against such things there is no law. (Galatians 5:22-23)Experiencing difficulty, pain, and heartbreak are guaranteed while we are on this earth. There is just no way around it. In one of Jesus’ conversations with His disciples near the end of His ministry, He confirmed this tr...  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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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 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 brokenhearted burdens burden burial buried capable careful cares care caring carving celebrate challenges chance change changing charges charge churches church claiming clarity climate combat comfortable comforting comfort commanded commandment commands command commitment committed communicate communicating communion community companionship companion compared comparing comparisons compassion competition complete complicated compliment comprehend compromised compromise concerned concerning concerns concern confessed confess confidence confident conflicts conflict confrontation confronting confused confusion connected connection connect 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 desrtuction destiny determine devastated develop 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 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 identify identity ignited ignorant ignore imagine immature impacted impactful impact impatient importance important 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 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 patient peace peae perception perfectly perfect perform perishing perish persecuted perseverance personally personal perspective 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 pressure prevent pride primary principle probelm problem process proclaim produce productive promised promises promise promote 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 repeated repentance repent represent resisted resisting resist resolution respect responsibility rest resurrection retreat return 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 teach tears temptation tempted testify thoughtful thoughts through thrown together tolerance tradition 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