Don't build our house on a career. Don't build our house on a thrill. Don't build our house on a talent. Don't build our house on one solitary earthly relationship. Don't pursue things that don't last. Build our house on the only thing that can last: Faith.

Do we have faith? If we have faith, then we have what it takes to tackle our problems before they tackle us. If we have that confident hope, then we will know how to handle whatever life brings us.

One thing no one can take away… Continue

Guardians Tag Ministry

Gratitude comes from having the right perspective. It's being able to look at what we have and being thankful for that, rather than longing for what we don't have.



Do we know why we should feel grateful? We are a part of God's plan, we are touched by God's tenderness, and we are a victor in G od's victory. What greater blessing could there be?



It's incredible that anyone could look at the kindness of God, the faithfulness of God, and the goodness of God and not feel any… Continue

Here's a suggestion: We should all wear antennas to work, to church, to school. Antennas that pick on people who seem out of place, loneliness shows. Why not be the one to approach these folks and extend friendship to them? Maybe we think the last thing we need is another friend. But friendliness...hospitality...is a virtue that brings as much joy to the giver as to the receiver.

When we extend hospitality to others, we're not trying to impress people, we're trying to reflect God to them.… Continue

The same God that gave us commandments such as "Do not commit adultery, do not murder" said, "Do not worry." It's a violation of our relationship to God to question His authority by worrying.

Has any good ever come out of any worrying that we've ever done? Worry only compartmentalizes us andmakes us unable to do what we set out to do. If we are worried about a problem, what we need to do is simply trust the Lord and do good.

The word worry comes from a word that means "to divide."… Continue

Psalm 27 & Psalm 28

David sought to be close to God. He asked God for instruction and waited patiently for God to act. God sustained, protected, helped, and taught him.

Recognize that only God can assist when we stand helpless.

Waiting certainly plays an enormous role in the unfolding story of God's relationship to man. It is God's oft-repeated way of teaching us that His power is real and that He can answer our prayers without interference and manipulation from us.

But… Continue

LAY ASIDE EVERY WEIGHT



So how do we run our race in such a way that God's plan will be fulfilled in our lives and Heaven will rejoice? Hebrews 12:1 "Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us."

Think about the way a runner dresses in an actual Olympic race. He doesn't run with an overcoat on, does he? And he… Continue

Beginning in Mark 5:25 is the story of the woman with an issue of blood. She didn't have this flow of blood for ten minutes. No, she had been sick with this flow of blood for twelve, long years, this woman had been putting up with this mess. The Scriptures in verse 26 puts it this way. "And who had endured much suffering under [the hands of] many physicans and had spent all that she had, and was no better but instead grew worse."

It goes on to… Continue

Sometimes we don't know how to wait, or we don't wait too well. Paul and Silas knew how to wait well. In Acts 16:22, the Scriptures tell us that a crowd attacked them and that the rulers tore off their clothes and commanded that they be beaten with rods and struck with many blows. Afterward, they were thrown into prison, and the jailer was charged to keep them safely.

So there they were sitting in this prison all beaten up with their clothes torn off of them. Verse 24 tells us that the… Continue

Acts 1:13 "And when they had entered [the city], they mounted [the stairs] to the upper room where they were [indefinitely] staying....Peter and John and James and Andrew; Philip and Thomas, Bartholomew and Matthew; James son of Alphaeus and Simon the Zealot, and Judas [son] of James.

All of these with their minds in full agreement devoted themselves steadfastly to prayer, [waiting together] with the women and Mary the mother of Jesus, and with His brothers. Amplified



The key… Continue

In Acts 1:8, Jesus told His disciples:



"But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you; and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth."



In other words, He was saying, "Wait and you'll receive the power that comes from on high when the Holy Spirit comes upon you. Don't you try to go out and do mighty works until you've received that power." And they knew that if they… Continue

Sometimes we assume that just because we are baptized in the Holy Spirit, we have the power to do something we see that needs to be done, and we think we should do it. We do have that power available to us, but what we think should be done may not be what God wants at that time. Instead, we need to learn how to wait on God in each instance for the power of the Holy Spirit. When we wait on God, His anointing is released because we honor Him by waiting and refusing to move without Him.

It is… Continue

Psalm 23:1-3; Mark 6:30-32 Did we ever think about how much time we spend talking? In what we like to call our "quiet time" with God, we usually fill in any silence with our prayers. But do we ever practice just being "still?"

God said, "Be stil, and know that I am God. When Jesus noticed that the disciples were so busy that they didn't even have time to eat, He told them, "Come aside by yourselves to a deserted place and rest a while." when we leave distractions of life behind, we can… Continue

I believe that many of us go through life sucking on pacifiers. Oh, we don't see them because they're in our bank. Or they're parked in our garage. Or we live in them.



Let's not put our hope into things that change, relationships, money, talents, beauty, even health. We need to set our sights on the one thing that can never change: trust in our heavenly Father.



God loves those who need Him most, who rely on Him, depend on Him, and trust Him in everything. Little He cares… Continue

It's tough enough trying to create a life of serenity when dealing with our own mental tendencies, issues, real-life problems, habits, and the contradictions and complexities of life. But when we feel compelled to deal with other people's issues, our goal of becoming more peaceful becomes all but impossible.

How often do we find ourselves saying things like, "I wouldn't do that if I were her," or "I can't believe he did that," or "What is she thinking about?" How often are we frustrated,… Continue

The quality of patience goes a long way toward our goal of creating a more peaceful and loving self. The more patient we are, the more accepting we will be of what is, rather than insisting that life be exactly as we would like it to be. Without patience, life is extremely frustrating. We are easily annoyed, bothered, and irritated. Patience adds a dimension of ease and acceptance to our life. It's essential for inner peace.

Becoming more patient involves opening our heart to the present… Continue

To a large degree, the measure of our peace of mind is determined by how much we are able to live in the present moment. Irrespective of what happened yesterday or last year, and what may or may not happen tomorrow, the present moment is where we are always!

Without question, many of us have mastered the neurotic art of spending much of our lives worrying about a variety of things all at once. We allow past problems and future concerns to dominate our present moments, so much so that we… Continue