Pastor Stephen Dedman

Tag: salvation

Be Encouraged

Encouragement

“Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort those who are in any trouble, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God. “
II Corinthians 1:3-4

Do you put a smile on other people’s faces? Better yet, do you know someone that needs to be comforted today? 

We all need to be encouraged. The entire world needs to be comforted. But who is going to do it?

In today’s Scripture, Paul says that just as we are comforted we should also comfort others. So let me encourage you to be an encourager. 

That was Paul’s point that he was getting across to the church at Corinth. The world needs to see that Christians are people who are encouraged by God and through His word and through His Spirit.

The best way to encourage others is to be positive and uplifting. We love being around people who uplift us and make us feel great. We love to surround ourselves with people who bring out the best in us. 

So let’s be that person that we love to be around. We need to be the person who instills positive beliefs into other people. The only way to do that is to be encouraged yourself.

Here is the thing… when we are encouraged, we can encourage others. When we are positive we can instill positive motivation into others. We have to feed ourselves first and then we can give what we have to others. This is why it is important for us to stay in the Word of God and meditate on it. 

Today, there is going to be someone close to you that needs to be encouraged. God is entrusting you to be the one to share a positive influence of Christian belief. 

Take God’s promises to heart and live them out through your words and actions. Motivate others to focus on what is true from God. His promises will endure forever and His words lead to life everlasting.

Pray

Lord, instill into me the courage and joy that I need today. Out of the abundance that You have given me, I will give to others. Let others see You in me.

Be Sure To Rest

Encouragement

And He (Jesus) said to them, “Come aside by yourselves to a deserted place and rest a while.”
Mark 6:31a

Life can get very busy, very quickly. We must take time to breathe and catch up on some much needed rest and relaxation. If not it will lead to an overload of stress.

God rested. He rested on the seventh day of creation week. He set an example of how we should take a break from our busy schedule and take a look back at what has been accomplished. God rested because He knew we needed rest. 

Without a break every once in a while, you can become overwhelmed and burned out. The demands on our time come at us from every direction. We must always remember to take time for our family and relationships that get pushed to the side when we are too busy.

Today might be a good day to be still and listen to God. Even in ministry work, we can become so busy that we push God to the side in order to deal with the activities of serving others. God wants us to take a break and spend some time with Him. 

When our priorities are in order we live a more peaceful life. Spending time with God needs to be our top priority and then we can focus on our relationships with others. 

Pray

Lord, give me a day of rest and relaxation. Help me to prioritize my time with You and increasing my knowledge of You. Bless my time that I can spend with people who matter most to me.

Is Jesus On Your Mind?

Encouragement

Therefore gird up the loins of your mind, be sober, and rest your hope fully upon the grace that is to be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ;
I Peter 1:13

Is your mind disciplined? Do you have complete control over your mind? Furthermore, is your mind at peace with God?

The meditation of God’s word allows our mind to be controlled by the Spirit of God. Some of God’s most effective servants were disciplined in their minds with the word of God. They were spiritually controlled in their service to God. Maybe you remember Joshua’s command to meditate on the Word of God, day and night.

Sadly, many Christians today do not use their minds for the service of God. We fill our minds with secular music and entertainment of pleasure and are under control of the media. As Peter states in today’s verse, gird up the loins of your mind, be sober, and rest your hope fully upon the grace of Jesus Christ. 

Paul encouraged Believers to strengthen their minds and be mature in understanding matters of righteous living (1 Corinthians 14:20). Don’t allow others to do your thinking for you, especially Hollywood and mass media. Allow the word of God to control your mind and lead you into spiritual service for God. 

Pray

Lord, I seek Your instructions and commands to control my heart and thinking. Allow me to resist the temptation to be controlled by secular mentality. Speak Your truth into my life.