Posts with the tag “spiritual”

A Hardened Heart
by Curt Dodd on December 21st, 2024
But because of your hard and impenitent heart you are storing up wrath for yourself on the day of wrath when God's righteous judgment will be revealed.  (Romans 2:5)    Scripture tells us that in the end times, many people’s hearts will be hardened toward the Lord. What does it mean to have a hardened heart? We will look at that today and identify the signs for those who might be on the path of a ...  Read More
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Grace Has Appeared
by Curt Dodd on December 11th, 2024
For the grace of God has appeared that offers salvation to all people.  (Titus 2:11)  I am a sportsman. Since my early years, I have always enjoyed the outdoors, especially hunting and fishing. It might be a surprise to many, but the anticipation of seeing an animal move through the woods or waiting for a fish to take a lure, is exhilarating to many of us. Even though you were expecting and waitin...  Read More
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It Is as You Will 
by Curt Dodd on December 7th, 2024
“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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Learning from Failure
by Curt Dodd on November 16th, 2024
My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.  (Psalm 73:26)  We looked at how we set ourselves up for failure without realizing it. Today, we will continue our conversation on failure, and learn how we can handle failure in a positive way.   1. Own it. When you fail, own it and embrace it. Don't make excuses for it; just own it. Personal failure and s...  Read More
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Honor Your Spiritual Heritage
by Curt Dodd on October 14th, 2024
Remember your leaders, who spoke the word of God to you. Consider the outcome of their way of life and imitate their faith. – Hebrews 13:7I believe it is incredibly important to honor those who have led us spiritually and helped point us to Jesus throughout our lives.Sometimes, the new generation looks back at the old generation and says, “Thanks, but no thanks. I am doing it my way.” Over time, t...  Read More
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Tough Times Are Guaranteed
by Curt Dodd on September 8th, 2024
“In this world, you will have trouble.†Then He said, “But take heart. I have overcome the world.†- John 16:33God will often use disasters to get our attention. He might use finances, relationships, and our own physical health to get our attention. But remember, He always has a purpose. We can learn some deep spiritual truths while going through tough times.Because of this truth, I want y...  Read More
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Where Are You in Your Faith Journey?
by Curt Dodd on September 2nd, 2024
And without faith it is impossible to please him, for whoever would draw near to God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him. (Hebrews 11:6)In the second and third chapters of Revelation, John describes each of the seven churches mentioned in this book of the Bible. The members of each church were in very different places in their faith. It is important that we see where...  Read More
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Jesus Cares about You
by Curt Dodd on July 19th, 2024
 Jesus entered Jericho and was passing through.  A man was there by the name of Zacchaeus; he was a chief tax collector and was wealthy.  He wanted to see who Jesus was, but because he was short, he could not see over the crowd.  So he ran ahead and climbed a sycamore-fig tree to see him, since Jesus was coming that way. When Jesus reached the spot, he looked up and said to him, “Zacchaeus, come d...  Read More
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Craving Spiritual Milk
by Curt Dodd on June 22nd, 2024
"Like newborn babies, crave pure spiritual milk, so that by it you may grow up in your salvation, now that you have tasted that the Lord is good." (1 Peter 2:2-3)  As we look at this Scripture passage, we see there is an analogy of being a child, and having a desire for spiritual milk. The Scripture says, “Like newborn babies.” There is an interesting word used here, “brephos.” This Greek word was...  Read More
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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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Craving Spiritual Milk
by Curt Dodd on May 22nd, 2024
Like newborn babies, crave pure spiritual milk, so that by it you may grow up in your salvation, now that you have tasted that the Lord is good. (1 Peter 2:2-3)  As we look at this Scripture passage, we see there is an analogy of being a child, and having a desire for spiritual milk. The Scripture says, “Like newborn babies.” There is an interesting word used here, “brephos.” This Greek word was o...  Read More
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Are You Confessed Up To Date?
by Curt Dodd on April 5th, 2024
Therefore, confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working. – James 5:16  When I was in my first year of seminary, a missionary named Bertha Smith spoke to a class I was in. She was a godly woman who had given her life for ministry. As she stood before our class, she looked through her glasses at u...  Read More
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Abiding and Resting
by Curt Dodd on March 29th, 2024
Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light. (Matthew 11:28-30)  If you are going through difficult times in your life right now, you need to learn the spiritual practice of abiding. What does it mean to abide?...  Read More
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Are You Confessed Up To Date?
by Curt Dodd on January 21st, 2024
Therefore, confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working. – James 5:16When I was in my first year of seminary, a missionary named Bertha Smith spoke to a class I was in. She was a godly woman who had given her life for ministry. As she stood before our class, she looked through her glasses at us ...  Read More
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The Holy Spirit
by Curt Dodd on December 2nd, 2023
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 ...  Read More
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What Are Feeling You Anxious About?
by Curt Dodd on November 19th, 2023
Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you. – 1 Peter 5:7If you want to destroy the curse of anxiety, you need to unmask the spiritual problem in your life. When we experience anxiety, we are ultimately dealing with a spiritual problem. Now don’t get me wrong. Anxiety does have physical repercussions, but at its root, it is a spiritual problem. Do you know what that problem is? It is be...  Read More
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Learning from Failure
by Curt Dodd on November 16th, 2023
My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.  (Psalm 73:26)  We looked at how we set ourselves up for failure without realizing it. Today, we will continue our conversation on failure, and learn how we can handle failure in a positive way.   1. Own it. When you fail, own it and embrace it. Don't make excuses for it; just own it. Personal failure and s...  Read More
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Replacing God
by Curt Dodd on September 7th, 2023
For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith -- and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God -- not by works, so that no one can boast. (Ephesians 2:8-9)  One of the tragedies that we see in our nation every day is that we have forgotten the Lord and have replaced Him with our activity. Think about that for a moment. Many people want to do the activities of religion, rather than...  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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Dealing with Depression
by Curt Dodd on August 8th, 2023
Then he lay down under the bush and fell asleep. All at once an angel touched him and said, “Get up and eat.” He looked around, and there by his head was some bread baked over hot coals, and a jar of water. He ate and drank and then lay down again. (1 Kings 19:5-6)  The Bible exposes a real-life issue as we read about Elijah’s journey. Then he lay down under the bush and fell asleep.  The number o...  Read More
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Just Share
by Curt Dodd on July 14th, 2023
“For the Holy Spirit will teach you at that time what you should say.” (Luke 12:12)  I love the story of D.L. Moody. It all began in 1858 when D.L. Moody was a shoe clerk in Boston. At the time, he was involved in a Bible study class, and he had a Bible teacher by the name of Kimball.   Because he was broken over the spiritual condition of his students, Kimball showed up one day in the back room o...  Read More
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Abiding and Resting
by Curt Dodd on June 29th, 2023
Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light. (Matthew 11:28-30)  If you are going through difficult times in your life right now, you need to learn the spiritual practice of abiding. What does it mean to abide?...  Read More
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Go All in for Christ
by Curt Dodd on June 28th, 2023
Because you are lukewarm, neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of my mouth. (Revelation 3:16)  It saddens me that many believers just sit back and say, “I like the information.” They just sit there like bumps on a log. They hear the Word of God, and they identify themselves as disciples of Christ. They don't apply the Word of God to their lives. They live just like the Laodicean Church. The L...  Read More
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Out of Alignment
by Curt Dodd on January 20th, 2023
You adulterous people, don’t you know that friendship with the world means enmity against God? Therefore, anyone who chooses to be a friend of the world becomes an enemy of God…Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Come near to God and he will come near to you. Wash your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded.   (James 4:4, 7-8) When w...  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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Your Training Manual
by Curt Dodd on October 9th, 2022
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 3:16-17)Let me ask some questions. Wouldn’t it be great if you had a handheld device that could show you where you are in life right now? Would you like to know where your life is headed? Wouldn't it be w...  Read More
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Replacing God
by Curt Dodd on September 7th, 2022
For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith -- and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God -- not by works, so that no one can boast. (Ephesians 2:8-9)One of the tragedies that we see in our nation every day is that we have forgotten the Lord and have replaced Him with our activity. Think about that for a moment. Many people want to do the activities of religion, rather than a...  Read More
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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