Posts with the tag “relationship”
A Heart of Repentance
by Curt Dodd on May 14th, 2025
If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness. (1 John 1:8-9) As a follower of Jesus, there are many ways you can sense the Holy Spirit. One of those ways is when you are convicted of your sins. The moment you gave your life to Christ, He forgave al... Read More
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God Draws Us to Himself
by Curt Dodd on March 28th, 2025
“No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws them, and I will raise them up at the last day.” (John 6:44) Regardless of where you are in your walk with the Lord, God is always drawing you closer. He wants to have a strong, intimate, and personal relationship with you. He is very intentional when it comes to drawing us near to Him. These are four ways God draws us closer to Him: God... Read More
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Jesus Intercedes for You
by Curt Dodd on March 6th, 2025
Who then is the one who condemns? No one. Christ Jesus who died – more than that, who was raised to life – is at the right hand of God and is also interceding for us. (Romans 8:34) Take a moment to think about the last time someone said, “I’m praying for you.” How did you feel when you heard those words? For me, hearing that someone is praying for me is very encouraging. It is a wonderful thing w... Read More
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A Personal Answer
by Curt Dodd on February 18th, 2025
“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.” – Matthew 16:15-16 When Jesus asked Simon Peter, “Who do you say I am?” Simon Peter gave a personal answer. When he said, “You are the Christ, the Son of the Living God,” he was saying it very personally. He was saying, “As far as I'm concerned, regardless of what any of ... Read More
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Surrender Your Life to Christ
by Curt Dodd on January 25th, 2025
Jesus said, “Do not hold on to me, for I have not yet ascended to the Father. Go instead to my brothers and tell them, ‘I am ascending to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.’” Mary Magdalene went to the disciples with the news: “I have seen the Lord!” And she told them that he had said these things to her. (John 20:17-18) The resurrection experience that these women had was very po... Read More
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A Heart Of Repentance
by Curt Dodd on January 16th, 2025
“If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.” - 1 John 1:8-9 As we talked about last week, there are many ways you can sense the Holy Spirit as a follower of Jesus. One of those ways is when you are convicted of your sins. The moment you gave y... Read More
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The Power To Restore
by Curt Dodd on January 13th, 2025
Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you. – Ephesians 4:32Going out of your way to reinstate someone who hurt you is a tall order, but that is exactly what Jesus did. And this is just the opposite of what our culture teaches. Our culture says, “If someone hurt you, maligned you, damaged you or your reputation, destroy them, reject them, and ... Read More
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Praying with Power
by Curt Dodd on January 8th, 2025
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 Yesterday, we started a discussion about what it looks like to pray in alignment with the will and heart of God. If you missed yesterday’s devotiona... Read More
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Persevering
by Curt Dodd on October 16th, 2024
Being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus. (Philippians 1:6)Not only so, but we also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy ... 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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Quiet Time Relieves Stress
by Curt Dodd on September 12th, 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 throughou... Read More
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Jesus Understands Your Pain
by Curt Dodd on July 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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A Personal Answer
by Curt Dodd on June 18th, 2024
“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.” – Matthew 16:15-16 When Jesus asked Simon Peter, “Who do you say I am?” Simon Peter gave a personal answer. When he said, “You are the Christ, the Son of the Living God,” he was saying it very personally. He was saying, “As far as I'm concerned, regardless of what any of ... Read More
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A Childlike Faith
by Curt Dodd on June 14th, 2024
He called a little child to him and placed the child among them. And he said: “Truly I tell you, unless you change and become like little children, you will never entre the kingdom of heaven. Therefore, whoever takes the lowly position of this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.” (Matthew 18:2-4) In Matthew’s account of Jesus’ life and ministry, he tells this simple yet impactful stor... Read More
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Experiencing Grace
by Curt Dodd on April 21st, 2024
Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you. – James 4:8Experiencing grace is not always a grand, emotionally charged event. Rather, it is a profound spiritual encounter with God, orchestrated in His perfect timing and manner. When we are open to hearing the message of the gospel preached clearly, the Spirit of God begins a transformative work within us. It's as if He gently nudges our hearts, ... Read More
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A Heart Of Repentance
by Curt Dodd on April 16th, 2024
“If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.” - 1 John 1:8-9 As we talked about last week, there are many ways you can sense the Holy Spirit as a follower of Jesus. One of those ways is when you are convicted of your sins. The moment you gave y... Read More
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Committing Others To Christ
by Curt Dodd on April 3rd, 2024
From Attalia they sailed back to Antioch, where they had been committed to the grace of God for the work they had now completed. On arriving there, they gathered the church together and reported all that God had done through them and how he had opened a door of faith to the Gentiles. – Acts 14:26-27 As I was praying this morning, the Holy Spirit reminded me of the people who have kids or family m... Read More
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God Gives Free Will
by Curt Dodd on March 26th, 2024
The Lord God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to work it and take care of it. And the Lord God commanded the man, “You are free to eat from any tree in the garden; but you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for when you eat from it you will certainly die.” (Genesis 2:15-17) From the very beginning, God has given all of humanity free will to make our own dec... Read More
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Be Still
by Curt Dodd on March 14th, 2024
“Be still and know that I am God.” (Psalm 46:10) Finding peace and quiet in the midst of our crazy and sometimes chaotic lives can seem nearly impossible. Between school, work, church, family, friends, hobbies, and errands; it is difficult to make time for a full eight hours of sleep, much less make time to be still while you are awake. We tend to think that if we are not moving or doing something... Read More
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Don’t Miss Out
by Curt Dodd on February 3rd, 2024
He was in the world, and though the world was made through him, the world did not recognize him. He came to that which was his own, but his own did not receive him. Yet to all who did receive him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God – children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband’s will, but born of God. (John 1:10-13) When Jesu... Read More
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Jesus Intercedes for You
by Curt Dodd on January 6th, 2024
Who then is the one who condemns? No one. Christ Jesus who died – more than that, who was raised to life – is at the right hand of God and is also interceding for us. (Romans 8:34) Take a moment to think about the last time someone said, “I’m praying for you.” How did you feel when you heard those words? For me, hearing that someone is praying for me is very encouraging. It is a wonderful thing w... Read More
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It Is as You Will
by Curt Dodd on December 7th, 2023
“For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me and for the gospel will save it.” (Mark 8:35) Years ago, a little boy had captured a small, helpless bird. He went to an old wise man in his village and he put the bird behind his back. He looked at the man and said, “Old man, tell me, Is the bird I hold in my hand, is it alive, or is it dead?” The wise... Read More
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Walking Humbly with God
by Curt Dodd on September 2nd, 2023
He has shown you, O mortal, what is good. And what does the Lord require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God. (Micah 6:8) This verse is very familiar, a verse which we should be applying to our everyday lives. However, we need to take a deeper look at the end of the verse and define what it means to walk humbly with our God. First, the challenge to walk humb... Read More
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Between You and God
by Curt Dodd on August 24th, 2023
Jesus answered. “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” (John 14:6) As believers, we need to understand that our relationship with God is between Him and us. Jesus said it very clearly in this Scripture that your relationship with God is not between a pastor and you, or a priest and you. There is no representative of God, like your mother or ... Read More
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God Provides
by Curt Dodd on May 10th, 2023
And my God will meet all your needs according to the riches of his glory in Christ Jesus. (Philippians 4:19) I grew up in a single-parent family. My mom and dad divorced when I was 10 years old. After they separated, my dad vacated our lives, and I only saw him twice before he passed away, once in the fifth grade and once right before I graduated from high school. Because my dad was absent from ... Read More
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A Personal Answer
by Curt Dodd on March 5th, 2023
“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.” (Matthew 16:15-16)Jesus asked His disciples, “Who do you say I am?” Simon Peter gave a personal answer. When he said, “You are the Christ, the Son of the Living God,” he was saying it very personally. He was saying, “As far as I'm concerned, regardless of what any of these... Read More
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The Holy Spirit
by Curt Dodd on December 2nd, 2022
But the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you. (John 14:26)When you become a follower of Jesus, the Holy Spirit comes to dwell within you and guide you through life. These are several ways the Holy Spirit works in us:1. The Holy Spirit teaches us.God will allow His Spirit to inform you and te... Read More
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Building Men Over MembershipsAre You Encouraging Others?Committing Others To ChristSharing Your StoryFaith Beyond Your FamilyGod’s Purpose In Your PainAligned PrayersPraying with PowerA Defining EncounterA Desire To ServeA Faithful and Helpful FriendRestoring Broken RelationshipsThe Power To RestoreA Guilt-Free LifeA Hand Of BlessingA Heart Of RepentanceAllowing God To Do The ChangingAre You Feeling Stuck?Trust His HeartBe Ready For InterruptionsFull of the Holy SpiritDefeating DepressionPowerful Prayers and a BurdenThe Triumphal EntrySurrender Your Life to ChristGratitude Is The Gateway To ContentmentGratitude Is A Defense Against AnxietyDealing With DoubtFocus On The WordGiving and ServingListening Instead Of Talking
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3 Keys To A Heavenly PerspectiveA Faith Rooted in FactA Faith That Draws or DrivesWhy Support Israel?The Danger Of Being Full Of YourselfLiving Out The Great CommissionMaking SureGod Is All-SufficientGuided By ProblemsJoy In The Midst Of ProblemsRemember Who God IsA Brand New Glimpse Of JesusA Call To God’s ChurchA Childlike FaithA Christ-Honoring EpitaphA Church On FireA Faithful and Helpful FriendA Personal AnswerA Public AnswerBe Sensitive To Your WitnessAwakenings and Quiet TimesCraving Spiritual MilkEmbracing Your Second ChanceSigns Of True RevivalResisting EvilBe DifferentBe AstuteBe Loving
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Witness with Your WordsGod’s Word Is EnoughStay Rooted In The TruthA Call to God’s ChurchFalse ProphetsJesus Intercedes for YouHave You Met Christ?Focus on the GiverEncountering God’s GraceStanding Accountable Before GodBe Ready for the End Jesus Understands Your PainLooking ForwardImmeasurably MoreLiving in DenialYour Salvation MomentWhat Does It Look Like To Be The Church?A Word of BlessingJesus Cares about YouThe PavementWhen You Need Hope The End Is Near Stand on the Word of GodA Gracious GiftCelebrating Through BaptismThe Promise of the Holy SpiritBe Aligned in PrayerI Am InnocentGod Draws Us to HimselfFind Rest in the LordBearing The Burdens Of OthersPrioritizing Your Love For Christ