The Abundant Life Blueprint

All throughout the Old Testament there is a pattern that kings became established and then they became strong. In a similar way I believe we must become established in the New Covenant and then grow strong. This is a progression God takes us through. But in 2 Chronicles 12:1 it says that after Solomon's son   Rehoboam’s position as king was established and he had become strong, he and all Isr...

Isaiah chapter 53 gives us many insights into what Jesus has done for us. Verse 2 says he had no beauty or majesty to attract us to him, nothing in his appearance that we should desire him. Something I feel like God has been showing me is that just like Jesus became sin so that we could become righteous, and he became poor so that we might be rich, he set aside his beauty and majesty so that he co...

In Colossians 1:9-14 is a prayer that the apostle Paul says he keeps praying. This prayer must be important if he keeps praying it, and part of the prayer is that the people would be strengthened with power so that they would have great endurance. Notice it is being strengthened with power that leads to having great endurance and patience.  Here is the prayer... 9 For this reason, since the d...

Lately I have been thinking about how our bodies grow healthier through resistance training. Through resistance training we teach our body to stay in position and overcome higher levels resistance. And I think we not only need to do resistance training physically but also spiritually. James 4:7 tells us...  Submit yourselves, then to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Today's c...

The other day I was thinking about what is often called the point of contact. While thinking about this my kids had left a book on the floor by Oral Roberts called How to Find your Point of Contact with God.  Points of contact are physical things that we do or say that help us release all that God put within us out into the world. As an example, there was a time when I was piling up debt on a...

Here is this week's Yearly Cycle Update.   About a year ago I started something new. My wife and I had discussed getting into real estate, but I told her I wasn't that interested unless it was for buying real estate for Abundant Life Training Centers. After this conversation I felt a nudge from God to reach out to a former client of mine in the gym who was a good friend and had done well in r...

Something I have been doing for several months is writing filters at the top of my journal every night. These filters are short phrases or sentences that help me keep important things top of mind and to navigate or make decisions by on a daily basis.  At the top of my journal I use 4 layers of filters to help me stay in rhythm with God. Here are the 4 layers I use... 1) The big picture vision...

The other day I was thinking about the concept of being a fiduciary. A fiduciary is a person that acts on behalf of another person or persons, putting their clients' interests ahead of their own, with a duty to preserve good faith and trust. A fiduciary needs to be obedient by following the instructions and will of the person they are representing. They must also be faithful, trustworthy, tra...

Lately I have been thinking about Hebrews 4 which tells us to labor or make every effort to enter God's rest. Laboring to enter His rest seems like a contradiction, but I have learned that in areas where we struggle it definitely takes labor to enter into His rest. It can often seem like we pray about something we want to change, but then it takes some serious effort to learn how to completely tur...

Sometimes when we are facing issues or problems it can be easy to forget that we have God with us. Jesus said as often as we take communion to "remember him." Communion is a very powerful way to keep remembering him so that when we face issues and problems we don't forget.  In Matthew 16:8-10 Jesus had just fed the multitudes with a tiny bit of food by giving us an example of communion as he...

The other day we did the communion meditation on   No Good Thing Does God Withhold , and we discussed how God is not withholding things from us, but we do have an enemy who is trying to steal from us and delay what God is sending our way. As I was thinking about this I realized that withholding is a symptom of us being out of position. When we are not walking in the light it can feel like God...

Recently my daughter and I were talking about how stagnant water invites bugs, mold, algae, and more to show up. Water needs to flow to be clean and healthy. As I was thinking about this some verses came to mind about how God's voice is like the roar of rushing waters. His voice is not like stagnant water but like the roar of rushing water.  Here are some verses to meditate on today... Psalm...

Here is July's message with some action steps for the month.  I view every month like an opportunity for a fresh start.  Here is a short summary of what we go through in the video... What went well over the last month and what were ways you saw God showing up? What did you learn over the last month? Examining the fruit from our lives in all of the different areas... Pick the one area tha...

1 Corinthians 14:1-5 says... Follow the way of love and eagerly desire gifts of the Spirit, especially prophecy. For anyone who speaks in a tongue does not speak to people but to God. Indeed, no one understands them; they utter mysteries by the Spirit. But the one who prophesies speaks to people for their strengthening, encouraging and comfort. Anyone who speaks in a tongue edifies themselves, but...

Here is this week's Yearly Cycle Update. This is a time of year when light is increasing as we move into the summer. I view July as vision expansion month. It is a time when God seems to give us increased light on his plan for our lives and expand the vision. But we need to stay synced up and coordinated with him on this plan as the vision increases.  I have a smartwatch that does things like...

The other day during a conversation I had someone speak to me in a tone that wasn't very nice. My initial reaction probably wasn't the best, but then I repented, apologized, and humbled myself in order to make the relationship right.  After it was over, I felt like God was telling me... You just heaped burning coals on their head.  Proverbs 25:21-22 and Romans 12:20 say, "If your enemy i...

When I had my personal training gym, I used to always tell my trainers... A lot of people workout, but   very few people train . I would have to constantly remind my trainers of this whenever they had new clients, because new clients would often come in talking about how much they worked out, but usually when it came time to train, they were not prepared.  Training is different. It means...

Recently I felt like some things I had been praying about were being withheld. So, I began to seek God about what was happening. I asked him for understanding of the situation and what was really going on. Was God the one withholding things or what was happening? It didn't take long; within about 24 hours he began to give me understanding of what was really going on. It wasn't him withholding, tha...

One of the concepts we have discussed with our partners is not letting anyone wrong you or steal from you. Instead, turn it around by forgiving and giving to them and giving cheerfully. Cheerful giving is connected with God making all grace abound to us.  2 Corinthians 9:6-8 says...  The point is this: whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows bountifully will als...

In John 16:33 NKJ Jesus said, “I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart(be of good cheer) ! I have overcome the world.” The Amplified version says, "I have told you these things, so that in Me you may have [perfect] peace. In the world you have tribulation and distress and suffering, but be courageous [be confident, be unda...

Over the last year I have done quite a bit of real estate work and recently we have come across several properties that have natural springs as their water source, which reminded me of several Bible verses about springs of water. Here are a few verses to meditate on today. Psalm 107:33-35   He turned rivers into a desert, flowing springs into thirsty ground, 34 and fruitful land into a salt w...

Toward the end of Ephesians 4 there is a subtitle that says... Instructions for Christian Living, and the paragraphs that follow lay out very simple instructions for us. Today we are taking communion over this passage of scripture and asking God for help to walk this out.  Here is Ephesians 4:17-32 So I tell you this, and insist on it in the Lord, that you must no longer live as the Gentiles...

Here is this week's Yearly Cycle Update. I view this time of year as a reminder to grow in trust. God is building a body or community, and in his body, trust is the glue that holds everything together. For each of us to be doing the special work he has assigned to us means trusting in God, becoming trustworthy ourselves, and finding people around us we can trust. When we lack trust, it doesn't all...

A few years ago I had a lot of pressure on me so I started journaling at night before bed as a way to navigate through that time. My goal was to journal for 40 days in a row, because prior to that time I had always struggled to journal consistently. I found that journaling before bed was what worked best for me, and since I was shooting for 40 days I kept a record of what day I was on in each jour...

In Matthew 26:40-43 Jesus had asked his disciples to keep watch and pray with him while he was in the garden under the pressure of preparing for the cross. But when he returned to his   disciples, he found them sleeping. “Couldn’t you men keep watch with me for one hour?” he asked Peter. 41 “Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation. The spirit is willing, but the flesh is...