The Church Within You!

When it comes to choosing a leader . There are plenty of good leaders around—don't be afraid to follow them. However, regarding the blind guides that Jesus spoke of in the Book of Matthew 15:13,14, avoid them at all costs. "If a blind man leads a blind man, both will fall into a pit." A leader should have a teachable spirit, with a servant's heart, and not a they-are-always-right...

Are you tired of living in defeat? Then bathe your mind each day in God's Word, and allow it to flow over you, and within you. Allow His Word to wash away everything that tells you what you cannot do. Remember in the Word of God in the Book of Philippians chapter 4 that speaks to your heart, "I can do all things through Him who strengthens me." 2 Corinthians 12:9 But He said to me, &...

Your Harvest Is On The Way. God's rule is like a man who casts seed upon the soil. After sowing he goes to bed at night and gets up by day. A farmer learns patience, for how seeds sprout he does not know. Our faith is believing in God, trusting Him beyond seeing. By faith, the farmer plants his seeds. By faith, you ask of God. The farmer knows not the crop he will yield but he hopes for the be...

"It's easy to say, The LORD is my Shepherd, but do you truly believe in your own words? Let's put it to a small test. Whenever you find yourself in a bit of trouble, or if an issue arises at home, to whom do you reach out first? Think about it. It's probably a friend, the last thing to come to mind is prayer . We forget that all-important verse, "The LORD is my Shepherd, I sh...

Concerning the Holy Spirit's activity in helping the believer in prayer: The child of God has two divine intercessors. Christ intercedes for the believer in heaven (Ro. 8:34) and the Holy Spirit intercedes within the believer on earth. The spiritual desires and yearnings of believers find their source in the Holy Spirit, who dwells within our hearts. The Spirit Himself sighs, groans, and suffe...

How can you pray without saying a word? We are all familiar with the power of unspoken communication. You may recall when all it took was just one look from your Parent and you knew to straighten up if you were acting out. The look in those eyes was an unspoken communication that warned you to cease all actions, now! Prayer works that way too. When we think about God, it's prayer, that silent...

By definition, a disciple is someone who never ceases to learn. He or she makes the most of the hundred billion brain cells God has loaned to them. We should always continue seeking, asking, and knocking gathering as much information as possible about our Heavenly Father. Examine what God has made; “And God made the firmament and divided the waters which were under the firmament from the waters wh...

God will speak to you — all you have to do is listen. You learn to hear from God by making time to hear from Him! Sometimes we have to turn the world off, get into our quiet space, and focus on Him. Trust Him to provide you with His answer to your question. Trust Him to lead you or to guide you to the right path. God will speak to you—if you will listen. Blessings, Presiding Elder Barbara Hayes TW...

Paul uses the conditional clause, "if our earthly house ... were dissolved," because he knows that Christ could return soon, in which case he would not experience death; rather, his body would be immediately transformed. The "building of God, a house not made with hands , eternal in the heavens" likely refers either to a temporary body prepared for the believer in heaven while...

BLENDING 2 FAMILIES INTO 1. Unfortunately, all marriages do not make it to the death-do-you-part ending. There’s not ( I don’t believe ) a couple that, from the beginning of their engagement to their wedding day, expects their marriage to be one of the ones that fail. Unfortunately, all marriages do not make it to the death-do-you-part ending and yours was one of them! However, fate shines its lig...

A prayer for help when feeling despondent. Heman is a man identified in 1 Kings 4:31 as a gifted wise man and in 1 Chronicles 15:16-19 as one of the musically gifted Levites who ministered in worship during the time of David. Even amid despair, Heman confesses his faith in God's saving goodness. Heman's life had not been an easy one and now it had grown even more difficult, and he felt tha...

No Reward For You if in your giving, you have to shout it from the rooftops. Each of you should give what you have decided in your heart to give to one in need, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. In your giving do not be like the Pharisees who did their giving to gain favor or to be seen by others. You know how some people are, they feel they have run and tell eve...

God has created us with the capacity to keep learning until the day we die, which is something we shouldn't take for granted. Learning isn't an indulgence; it's a stewardship matter. The true litmus test of spiritual maturity isn't the quantity you know. It's knowing the quantity you don't know. Loving God with all your mind means managing your mind and making the most of i...

A control freak is a person who feels an obsessive need to exercise control over themselves and others and to take command of any situation. A control freak can also be considered as a person who tries to make others do things the way that they want them done, even if the other person prefers to do it another way. Correct measures would mean stopping to consider how another feels or how your contr...

Refuse to allow your past to rob you of your future. It's a new year and all the bad baggage of yesteryear is behind you. Some things happened back then that cannot be healed therefore let them stay right where they belong, in the past. We need to step afresh into the new year with a new bounce in our steps and no longer allow those old ghosts to haunt us. Remember what Patty song, "a new...

Luke 18:1, the Bible tells us that Jesus "spake a parable unto them to this end, that men ought always to pray, and not to faint." The key point that Jesus emphasizes in this verse is that we ought to always pray. There is no reason why we should ever cease from praying. Keep a prayer in your heart. Blessings, Elder Barbara Hayes 2PM Saturday Prayer Warriors

Bible prayers are powerful.  They put things into perspective. When we pray let us first put our trust in the words in which we cry out to the LORD as we pray. For example, when that widow went before the unjust Judge in the Book of Luke, her plea was to the point; “Grant me justice against my adversary.”  Coming before the LORD in prayer, make your petition known (we know that God already knows t...

Do not allow anyone to discourage your dreams. Folks try to inject "a dose of reality" into your life by telling you what's best for you. How many did not apply to a college or for a particular job, because someone said they wouldn't make it or they would not hire you? We need more people around us who will encourage, inspire, or speak to the heart, "I believe you can"...

"I won't believe it unless I see..." We've all heard or read about Thomas (nicknamed the Twin) in the Bible from John 20:25, well we may have heard or read this scripture, but it does not mean we have to be like him. I recall the late Rev. James Cleveland singing the song about faith, "Where is your faith in God"? This is what we could ask all the doubters. Elisabeth El...

God loved the world. John 3:16-17  says, "For God so loved the world that He gave His One and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life. God loved the world of people, and His love was not merely sentimental. For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through Him. Blessings, Presiding Elder Barbara Hayes FLSB | T...

This four-part episode is a good example of how God leads His children. Christ was born of Mary . For a betrothed woman to become pregnant would be considered adultery (Deut. 22:13-21). But Joseph did not punish or divorce Mary when he discovered she was with child, for the LORD had revealed the truth to him. The Flight into Egypt: Herod pretended that he wanted to worship the newborn king when in...

God's thoughts and ways are not those of the natural person. But human minds and hearts can be renewed and transformed by seeking Him (Rom. 12:1-2) ; then our thoughts and ways will begin to conform to His. Our greatest desire should be to live in conformity to the likeness of our LORD that everything we do pleases the God we serve. Blessings, Presiding Elder Barbara Hayes FLSB | Jesus Calling

True humility is not convincing yourself that you are worthless but recognizing God's work in you. It is having God's perspective on who you are and acknowledging His Grace in developing your abilities. "Just As I Am, Without One Plea". So glad that Jesus accepts us, just as we are! Blessings, Presiding Elder Barbara Hayes TWFYT | FLB | LAB

The Bible says "Put no trust in extortion; set no vain hopes on robbery; if riches increase, set not your heart on them." ESV How tragic when God's people today put their trust in their wealth, positions, and human abilities and not in the God who alone can give blessing. Blessings, Presiding Elder Barbara Hayes TWFYT | WSBC

God commissions angels to watch carefully over the lives and interests of the faithful. In the Scripture, there are over three hundred references to angels, described in two words: many and mighty. The Bible says in verse 11 of the 91st chapter of the Book of Psalms "He shall give His angels charge over thee". Let's listen to the reading from 'The Word for You Today' regardin...