You have a choice to make. You will be either a world-class Christian or a worldy Christian. Worldly Christians look to God primarily for personal fulfillment. They are saved, but self-centered. Their prayers focus on their own needs, blessings, and happiness. It's a "me first" faith. How can God make my life more comfortable? They want
If you really want to invest in your marriage, offer to join your spouse on an outing of their choice--and go cheerfully. Make no demands. Accept no reciprocal agreement. Whether that means whooping it up at a ball game or spending a few hours at a craft mall, this should be a "no strings attached" exercise done simply for fun. Don't stand in the shadows tapp
A good marriage demands reliance upon one another and a mutual effort to satisfy one another's needs. However, even the most devoted couples aren't capable of meeting each other's needs completely. Surround yourself with a safety net of relationships--close friends and extended family--in order to stay emotionally healthy. Making your spouse exclusively respo
When you became a believer, you also became God's messenger. God wants to speak to the world through you. You may feel you don't have anything to share, but that's the Devil trying to keep you silent. You have a storehouse of experiences that God wants to use to bring others into His family. Your life message has four parts to it: 1) Your testimony
Don't hold back. Let your mate hear complimentary words from your lips every day. Rather than criticism, use your words to praise and build confidence. Point out the physical attributes you find attractive. In addition, continually remind your spouse of the many reasons you are sure you married the right person. Toss aside any misgivings you might have about
God is at work in the world, and He wants you to join Him. This assignment is called your mission . God wants you to have both a ministry in the Body of Christ and a mission in the world. Your ministry is your service to believers , and your mission is your service to unbelievers . Fulfilling your mission in the world is God's fifth purpose for your
You will never find time for anything. If you want time, you must make time. A woman gave her husband a note he was to read as he left the office one day. He was to open the glove box of his car and read these instructions:"Pull out of your office parking lot and go three miles south. Turn left. Go 4.3 miles. Turn right...." and so on. Her husband was delight
God loves to use weak people. Everyone has weaknesses. In fact, you have a bundle of flaws and imperfections. The more important issue is what you do with them. Usually we deny our weaknesses, defend them, excuse them, hide them, and resent them. This prevents God from using them the way He desires. God has a different perspective on your weaknesses. H
In our instant-everything society, it's easy to want to fix our spouse's problems immediately in order to ease their anxiety. It's a temptation to try to come up with a one-step, easy fix. Often what our mates need the most is not a pat answer but a shoulder to lean on. Remind yourself that you are an invaluable help by simply listening. Many times people hav
Service starts in your mind. God is always more interested in why we do something than in what we do. Attitudes count more than achievements. Real servants serve God with a mindset of five attitudes, Servants think more about others than about themselves. This is true humility: not thinking less of ourselves, but thinking of ourselves less</I
Teaching your mate new health habits can be difficult. For some reason, many people resist that type of interaction with their mate. However, it's too important to simply ignore. Consider buying a family health-club membership as a Christmas gift this year. Gently remind your spouse when it's time for a checkup, and be willing to go along for moral support, if necessa
We serve God by serving others. God determines your greatness by how many people you serve, not how many people serve you. While knowing your shape is important for serving God, having the heart of a servant is even more important. Remember, God shaped you for service, not for self-centeredness. God often tests our hearts by asking us to serve in
Even if you and your spouse fuss in apparent lighthearted fun, save the feuding for behind closed doors. When you constantly pick at one another in public, those observing you may begin to wonder how you treat each other when no one else is around. Another faux pas is contradicting your spouse in public. When you do this in front of tothers, your audience be
God deserves your best. He shaped you for a purpose, and He expects you to make the most of what you have been given. He doesn't want you to worry about or covet abilities you don't have. Instead He wants you to focus on talents He has given you to use. The best use of your life is to serve God out of your shape. To do this you must discover your shape, learn to
Whatever anxiety you harbor--whether wildly irrational or distinctly possible--your first step s to bring it into the light. Trust your spouse enough to share your most secret worry. Through the simple act of admitting your innermost anxiety, you begin to break the stranglehold it has on you. Let your spouse comfort you and tell you everything will be all ri
Only you can be you. God designed each of us so there would be no duplication in the world. No one has the exact same mix of factors that make you unique. That means no one else on earth will ever be able to play the role God planned for you. If you don't make your unique contribution to the Body of Christ, it won't be made. APPLYING YOUR ABILITIES
As divorce and discord prevail in many American homes, perhaps the time has come for happily married couples to exhibit a little PDA (Public Display of Affection). Rarely do we see spouses express genuine love and wholesome affection in public. Our world needs a few sweet reminders that true love within marriage can--and still does--last a lifetime. Take prid
God formed every creature on this planet with a special area of expertise. Each has a particular role to play, based on the way they were shaped by God. Before God created you, He decided what role He wanted you to play on earth. He planned exactly how He wanted you to serve Him, and then He shaped you for those tasks. You are the way you are because you wer
Do you constantly work late? Do you put in long hours of overtime and drag yourself home each night exhausted? When you go out for dinner with your spouse, are your thoughts on the office rather than on the conversation? In subtle and not-so-subtle ways, your job may usurp your mate's rightful place you priorities. The balancing act between vocation and family often p
If an admin says something, don't fight it. You don't have to respond at all if you don't want to. But, admins are only saying things to help. If all we get is backlash for that help, we will just quit saying things since it's not worth the grief. Thanks for everything you do, Karma...and keep up th
Today's chapter begins the segment on Purpose #4: You Were Shaped For Serving God You were put on earth to make a contribution. God designed you to make a difference with your life. You were created to add to life on earth, not just take from it. This is God's fourth purpose for your life, and it is called your "ministry" or service. You were crea
Your parents may feel that your mate doesn't quite live up to the high expectations they held for you. Your friends may view the one you married as an intruder. But when you consistently highlight the positive attributes of the love of your life, your praise should eventually wear down even the most stubborn skeptic. Seize every opportunity to point out the m
Your country was founded on Christian beliefs. Don't they realise that removing Him from everyday life will weaken the foundation on which your country was created? This is a common misconception about our country, even by those who live here. In truth, America was founded for religious freedom....to e
Well, I have good news for everyone....this story is NOT true. According to snopes.com: Claim: A new can design for Pepsi includes the text of the Pledge of Allegiance with the words "under God" omitted. Status: False. Origins: Although there once was some truth to the item quoted above, the information it contains is long outdated and never had anything to do with Pepsi or Coca-Cola. Neither sod
Yeah, that's a good point...I guess it was a little narrow-minded.
JoeUser Forums