Step 1 For a Successful Life in 2017: Define your priorities.

What are your main three priorities in your life? What three things do you do with the majority of your time? Do your priorities match up with where you’re spending your time? If so, awesome. If not, you’ll need to work extra hard to be intentional about spending more time on your priorities, and getting rid of the junk that prevents you from doing what’s important to you. Really think about how you want to spend your life – you will likely only feel successful if you spend your time on what matters most to you.

For more truth about life, see...   www.truthatlife.com

A message from me to my kids.... What I want for Christmas

What do I want for Christmas? I want you. I want you to keep coming around, someday when you have your own - I want you to bring your kids around, I want you to ask me questions, ask my advice, tell me your problems, ask for my opinion, ask for my help. I want you to come over and rant about your problems, rant about life, whatever. Tell me about your job, your worries, your spouse & your kids (when you have them). I want you to continue sharing your life with me. Come over and laugh with me, or laugh at me, I don't care. Hearing you laugh is music to me. I spent the better part of my life raising you - now, give me time to sit back and admire my work, God's work, we're both I'm pretty proud of it. Raid my refrigerator, help yourself, I really don't mind. In fact, I wouldn't want it any other way. What do I want for Christmas? I want another year of you.

Part 1: Maxed Out

Our lives are maxed out.  This is especially true around the holidays.  And the busier we become, often the things we fail at first are the most important.  When we get too busy, bad things happen.  Is this the best way to live?  Jesus says "no."

What if the secret to a successful and fulfilling life is not doing more things, but doing more RIGHT things?

Where are you at?  Are you feeling maxed out?  Jesus has some answers.  There are some intentional things we can do to be more fulfilled and less maxed out.

Do you have margin in your life?  Downtime to reflect and dream?  Do you have spiritual margin - time to pray and meditate on God's Word?

Let's look at Mary and Martha...

“As Jesus and his disciples were on their way, he came to a village where a woman named Martha opened her home to him. She had a sister called Mary, who sat at the Lord’s feet listening to what he said. But Martha was distracted by all the preparations that had to be made. She came to him and asked, “Lord, don’t you care that my sister has left me to do the work by myself? Tell her to help me!” “Martha, Martha,” the Lord answered, “you are worried and upset about many things, but few things are needed—or indeed only one. Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her.””
‭‭Luke‬ ‭10:38-42‬ ‭

As the busyness in our lives increases, internal stress in our lives also increases, and our relational intimacy decreases!  WOW. Did you read that?  Think about it!

Martha was stressed and her relationships suffered greatly - with her sister and her God.

Jesus said Mary CHOSE the better way.  You have to intentionally build margin in your life.  We need to CHOOSE a fulfilled life, not a filled life.  Fulfilled lives are relational lives.  Why am I cursed with an ENTJ personality?

Ask your self the following questions:
Do I often feel stressed and maxed out?
Is my relationship with Jesus stressed?
Is my relationship with family stressed?
Is my relational intimacy with either lacking?
What am I continuing to hold onto things instead of dropping things that I need to let go of?

Dear God, please show me how to build margin in my life!  

For more truth about life, see...   www.truthatlife.com

Part 3: Politics & Flannel Graph Faith (the stories you learned in Sunday School seen in a new way)

“Then a new king, to whom Joseph meant nothing, came to power in Egypt. “Look,” he said to his people, “the Israelites have become far too numerous for us. Come, we must deal shrewdly with them or they will become even more numerous and, if war breaks out, will join our enemies, fight against us and leave the country.””
‭‭Exodus‬ ‭1:8-10‬ ‭

Given enough time (200 years) new leaders forget what was important to the original leaders.  Leaders driven by fear make very bad decisions!

The most common command in the Bible is to not fear.  It causes us to act the opposite way God desires us to act.
“There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love.”
‭‭1 John‬ ‭4:18‬ ‭

Things started going VERY BADLY for Israel.....
“So they put slave masters over them to oppress them with forced labor, and they built Pithom and Rameses as store cities for Pharaoh. But the more they were oppressed, the more they multiplied and spread; so the Egyptians came to dread the Israelites and worked them ruthlessly. They made their lives bitter with harsh labor in brick and mortar and with all kinds of work in the fields; in all their harsh labor the Egyptians worked them ruthlessly.”
‭‭Exodus‬ ‭1:11-14‬ ‭

In Genesis 15:13, God told Abraham this would happen.  But He had a plan.  It felt awful to the people at the time, but it was all for the best.  It helped Israel to put their faith in God and not in the nation of Egypt.  Just like in America today.  So we freak out and worry about who will be elected.

“Let everyone be subject to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which God has established. The authorities that exist have been established by God.”
‭‭Romans‬ ‭13:1‬ ‭

God is always in charge.  Your faith cannot depend on your circumstances.

““When you are helping the Hebrew women during childbirth on the delivery stool, if you see that the baby is a boy, kill him; but if it is a girl, let her live.””
‭‭Exodus‬ ‭1:16‬ ‭

Sounds horrible, disgusting, unthinkable.  Right?  Inconceivable?  Yet Americans do it to 1,000,000 boy and girls every year.  It's called abortion.  To date, since Roe v Wade, Americans have killed over 50,000,000 children.  Makes Hitler, Stalin, and Castro not such bad guys in comparison!

Pharaoh's command did not work, so he comes up with another (worse) idea:
“The midwives, however, feared God and did not do what the king of Egypt had told them to do; they let the boys live. Then the king of Egypt summoned the midwives and asked them, “Why have you done this? Why have you let the boys live?” The midwives answered Pharaoh, “Hebrew women are not like Egyptian women; they are vigorous and give birth before the midwives arrive.” So God was kind to the midwives and the people increased and became even more numerous. And because the midwives feared God, he gave them families of their own. Then Pharaoh gave this order to all his people: “Every Hebrew boy that is born you must throw into the Nile, but let every girl live.””
‭‭Exodus‬ ‭1:17-22‬ ‭

One family prayed for a daughter so they would not experience this horrible tragedy.  But God gave them a son.  What would they do?

“and she became pregnant and gave birth to a son. When she saw that he was a fine child, she hid him for three months. But when she could hide him no longer, she got a papyrus basket for him and coated it with tar and pitch. Then she placed the child in it and put it among the reeds along the bank of the Nile. His sister stood at a distance to see what would happen to him.”
‭‭Exodus‬ ‭2:2-4‬ ‭

What a horrible situation, now what?  Read on - in the midst of all the horrible evil and chaos, God was still in control!

“Then Pharaoh’s daughter went down to the Nile to bathe, and her attendants were walking along the riverbank. She saw the basket among the reeds and sent her female slave to get it. She opened it and saw the baby. He was crying, and she felt sorry for him. “This is one of the Hebrew babies,” she said. Then his sister asked Pharaoh’s daughter, “Shall I go and get one of the Hebrew women to nurse the baby for you?””
‭‭Exodus‬ ‭2:5-7‬ ‭

What a brave little girl and what a cool idea.  Who will she go get?

““Yes, go,” she answered. So the girl went and got the baby’s mother. Pharaoh’s daughter said to her, “Take this baby and nurse him for me, and I will pay you.” So the woman took the baby and nursed him. When the child grew older, she took him to Pharaoh’s daughter and he became her son. She named him Moses, saying, “I drew him out of the water.””
‭‭Exodus‬ ‭2:8-10‬ ‭

So God took Pharaoh's commandment and defied it, orchestrated a plan in which his own daughter in his own house would raise one of the Hebrews as the prince of Egypt!!! Moses will eventually be the savior of his people, used by God to deliver His people.  He is a foreshadowing of Jesus, the one true Savior.

What about you?  What have you placed your faith in?  God or your bank account or your nation.  Who or what is your functional savior?  Your reaction to the outcome of the election will answer that question.

Prepare your heart and your mind now.  Victory or defeat, your way or your opponent's, how will you respond?  What have you put your trust in?

Regardless, God is in control.  Your past is your past and it will not change.  In many cases, you cannot change your circumstances.  But like God drew Moses out of the Nike, God can draw you out of your circumstances.

It doesn't matter if Clinton is president or Trump is president, as long as God is in control!  Our joy, freedom, and salvation is only in Jesus Christ!  Praise be to God for what He is about to do!!!  

For more truth about life, see...   www.truthatlife.com

Part 2: Flannel Graph Faith (the stories you learned in Sunday School seen in a new way)

Joseph & the Baker and Cupbearer
“Some time later, the cupbearer and the baker of the king of Egypt offended their master, the king of Egypt. Pharaoh was angry with his two officials, the chief cupbearer and the chief baker, and put them in custody in the house of the captain of the guard, in the same prison where Joseph was confined. The captain of the guard assigned them to Joseph, and he attended them. After they had been in custody for some time, each of the two men—the cupbearer and the baker of the king of Egypt, who were being held in prison—had a dream the same night, and each dream had a meaning of its own. When Joseph came to them the next morning, he saw that they were dejected. So he asked Pharaoh’s officials who were in custody with him in his master’s house, “Why do you look so sad today?” “We both had dreams,” they answered, “but there is no one to interpret them.” Then Joseph said to them, “Do not interpretations belong to God? Tell me your dreams.” So the chief cupbearer told Joseph his dream. He said to him, “In my dream I saw a vine in front of me, and on the vine were three branches. As soon as it budded, it blossomed, and its clusters ripened into grapes. Pharaoh’s cup was in my hand, and I took the grapes, squeezed them into Pharaoh’s cup and put the cup in his hand.” “This is what it means,” Joseph said to him. “The three branches are three days. Within three days Pharaoh will lift up your head and restore you to your position, and you will put Pharaoh’s cup in his hand, just as you used to do when you were his cupbearer. But when all goes well with you, remember me and show me kindness; mention me to Pharaoh and get me out of this prison. I was forcibly carried off from the land of the Hebrews, and even here I have done nothing to deserve being put in a dungeon.” When the chief baker saw that Joseph had given a favorable interpretation, he said to Joseph, “I too had a dream: On my head were three baskets of bread. In the top basket were all kinds of baked goods for Pharaoh, but the birds were eating them out of the basket on my head.” “This is what it means,” Joseph said. “The three baskets are three days. Within three days Pharaoh will lift off your head and impale your body on a pole. And the birds will eat away your flesh.” Now the third day was Pharaoh’s birthday, and he gave a feast for all his officials. He lifted up the heads of the chief cupbearer and the chief baker in the presence of his officials: He restored the chief cupbearer to his position, so that he once again put the cup into Pharaoh’s hand— but he impaled the chief baker, just as Joseph had said to them in his interpretation. (And you thought Hilary Clinton and Donald Trump would be crappy leaders of our nation - it could be worse!).   The chief cupbearer, however, did not remember Joseph; he forgot him.”
‭‭Genesis‬ ‭40:1-23‬ ‭

Joseph has endured years of injustice, and now this.  Surely now he is ready to "curse God and die!"

“When two full years had passed, (what?  Are you kidding me?  TWO FREAKING YEARS!?!) Pharaoh had a dream: He was standing by the Nile, when out of the river there came up seven cows, sleek and fat, and they grazed among the reeds. After them, seven other cows, ugly and gaunt, came up out of the Nile and stood beside those on the riverbank. And the cows that were ugly and gaunt ate up the seven sleek, fat cows. Then Pharaoh woke up. He fell asleep again and had a second dream: Seven heads of grain, healthy and good, were growing on a single stalk. After them, seven other heads of grain sprouted—thin and scorched by the east wind. The thin heads of grain swallowed up the seven healthy, full heads. Then Pharaoh woke up; it had been a dream. In the morning his mind was troubled, so he sent for all the magicians and wise men of Egypt. Pharaoh told them his dreams, but no one could interpret them for him. Then the chief cupbearer said to Pharaoh, “Today I am reminded of my shortcomings. (It's about time!). Pharaoh was once angry with his servants, and he imprisoned me and the chief baker in the house of the captain of the guard. Each of us had a dream the same night, and each dream had a meaning of its own. Now a young Hebrew was there with us, a servant of the captain of the guard. We told him our dreams, and he interpreted them for us, giving each man the interpretation of his dream. And things turned out exactly as he interpreted them to us: I was restored to my position, and the other man was impaled.””
‭‭Genesis‬ ‭41:1-13‬ ‭

“So Pharaoh sent for Joseph, and he was quickly brought from the dungeon. When he had shaved and changed his clothes, he came before Pharaoh. Pharaoh said to Joseph, “I had a dream, and no one can interpret it. But I have heard it said of you that when you hear a dream you can interpret it.” “I cannot do it,” Joseph replied to Pharaoh. (Seriously, this does not seem like a good opening statement for Joseph to make to a man who kills men in a heartbeat - impales them on a pole - turns them into shish-kabobs),

“but God will give Pharaoh the answer he desires.” Then Pharaoh said to Joseph, “In my dream I was standing on the bank of the Nile, when out of the river there came up seven cows, fat and sleek, and they grazed among the reeds. After them, seven other cows came up—scrawny and very ugly and lean. I had never seen such ugly cows in all the land of Egypt. The lean, ugly cows ate up the seven fat cows that came up first. But even after they ate them, no one could tell that they had done so; they looked just as ugly as before. Then I woke up. “In my dream I saw seven heads of grain, full and good, growing on a single stalk. After them, seven other heads sprouted—withered and thin and scorched by the east wind. The thin heads of grain swallowed up the seven good heads. I told this to the magicians, but none of them could explain it to me.” Then Joseph said to Pharaoh, “The dreams of Pharaoh are one and the same. God has revealed to Pharaoh what he is about to do. The seven good cows are seven years, and the seven good heads of grain are seven years; it is one and the same dream. The seven lean, ugly cows that came up afterward are seven years, and so are the seven worthless heads of grain scorched by the east wind: They are seven years of famine. “It is just as I said to Pharaoh: God has shown Pharaoh what he is about to do. Seven years of great abundance are coming throughout the land of Egypt, but seven years of famine will follow them. Then all the abundance in Egypt will be forgotten, and the famine will ravage the land. The abundance in the land will not be remembered, because the famine that follows it will be so severe. The reason the dream was given to Pharaoh in two forms is that the matter has been firmly decided by God, and God will do it soon. “And now let Pharaoh look for a discerning and wise man and put him in charge of the land of Egypt. Let Pharaoh appoint commissioners over the land to take a fifth of the harvest of Egypt during the seven years of abundance. They should collect all the food of these good years that are coming and store up the grain under the authority of Pharaoh, to be kept in the cities for food. This food should be held in reserve for the country, to be used during the seven years of famine that will come upon Egypt, so that the country may not be ruined by the famine.” The plan seemed good to Pharaoh and to all his officials. So Pharaoh asked them, “Can we find anyone like this man, one in whom is the spirit of God?” Then Pharaoh said to Joseph, “Since God has made all this known to you, there is no one so discerning and wise as you. You shall be in charge of my palace, and all my people are to submit to your orders. Only with respect to the throne will I be greater than you.””
‭‭Genesis‬ ‭41:14-40‬

In a moment, Joseph went from lowly prisoner slave to the 2nd most powerful person in the world.  Wow - think about it!

Now think about this?  What if the cupbearer had remembered Joseph 2 years earlier?  How would that have worked out?  ANSWER: Not as good as it did!

God has perfect timing.  We don't always see it.  Sometimes it seems He takes a lot longer than he ought to.  And sometimes we feel like he has abandoned us.  But he has a plan - and there isn't anything that could possibly be better.

For more truth about life, see...   www.truthatlife.com

Part 1: Flannel Graph Faith (the stories you learned in Sunday School seen in a new way)

The story of Joseph...

How could a group of brothers determine to kill their own flesh and blood?  In today's culture, this could never be the norm.  But is is.  Mothers choose to kill their babies everyday.  4,000,000 of them.

The brothers sold him into slavery to descendants of Ishmael - Muslims.  They hated the Jews, because generations earlier, Abraham made a very bad mistake and had a child who would grow to hate his half-brothers, the Jews.

Joseph's brothers deceived their dad, Jacob, by telling him the found Joseph's bloody coat.  Jacob was called the deceiver. He deceived his father and stole his brother's birthright.  What goes around comes around and results in generational dysfunction.

Joseph later deceived his brothers and pretended not to know them - more deception.  Finally, he became transparent and honest and vulnerable and the devotion ended.

Generational dysfunctions.  We are imprinted by, and impacted upon, our parents and grandparents and what they did.  Will you let it continue or will you bring it to an end?  It is your choice.  You can stop it.  Let it end right here right now.  What dysfynctions in your family need to come to an end?

For more truth about life, see...   www.truthatlife.com

A Change of Pace + A Change of Place = A Change of Perspective

Have you ever confronted the pace in which you have been living?  Consider the following:

— Social media and the pace of life today make it easy to be distracted from our what our real priorities should be.

— Many of us need to get back into important conversations that matter, ones that make a difference in our lives.

— If we don’t set specific goals, in all our life dimensions, and track our progress, we are going to end up someplace we don’t want to be.

— If we don’t set boundaries and rules, we are going to end up spending energy that does not move us in the direction of our goals.

— Consider this quote from Mark Batterson, “A change of pace + a change of place = a change of perspective.”

— By periodically getting away to a new place with a new pace, we have the opportunity to gain a new perspective.

— New perspectives can be life transforming!

When was the last time you experienced a positive, lasting, life transformation?  Perhaps it's time.  Time to get away to a new place, to live life at a different pace - even if only for a little while - to plan for a new direction.  Let the transformation begin!

For more truth about life, see...   www.truthatlife.com

Change

To improve is to change; to perfect is to change often. For more truth about life, see... www.truthatlife.com

Training Camp - Part 3

In the words of Jesus...

“No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws them, and I will raise them up at the last day. It is written in the Prophets: ‘They will all be taught by God.’ Everyone who has heard the Father and learned from him comes to me.”
‭‭John‬ ‭6:44-45‬ ‭

God draws people into Himself.

Hope.  We all need it.  We all search for it.

“Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful. And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds, not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching.”
‭‭Hebrews‬ ‭10:23-25‬

We (Christians) are fulfilling a biblical command God has given us when we go to church: to not abandon the gathering together as saints to worship Him.  Church should be a place of transformational hope.

Every church starts out intending to point people toward Jesus.  Not to construct barriers between us and God.  But for many, that's what happened!

In the words of Casting Crowns:

Jesus Friend of sinners we have strayed so far away.  We cut down people in your name but the sword was never ours to swing.  Jesus friend of sinners the truth's become so hard to see.  The world is on their way to You but they're tripping over me Always looking around but never looking up I'm so double minded.  A plank eyed saint with dirty hands and a heart divided.

Oh Jesus friend of sinners.  Open our eyes to the world at the end of our pointing fingers.  Let our hearts be led by mercy.  Help us reach with open hearts and open doors.  Oh Jesus friend of sinners break our hearts for what breaks yours.

For many, church turns people away.

Grace Community Value #5:  Excellent Environments - we strive to remove all the obstacles that might create barriers to new people seeing Jesus in the existing people in the church.

We (at Grace) use things in the culture to point people to Jesus.  We are never going to change or dilute the truth of Scriptures, but we will constantly seek better ways to point people to Jesus.

We will do anything short of sin to reach people with the truth of Jesus.  The message will always be the same, but the methods will constantly be changing.  There are no sacred cows when reaching people for Jesus.  We shoot them.

Our job as a church is to take out tradition, knock down the barriers, and get out of the way so people can meet and grow closer to Jesus.

For more truth about life, see...   www.truthatlife.com

Training Camp: Part 2

Direction, not intention determines destination.

Value #2:  Salvation is by grace alone, through Christ alone.

Jesus is the only way for people to be brought into a right relationship with God.

“One day Peter and John were going up to the temple at the time of prayer—at three in the afternoon. Now a man who was lame from birth was being carried to the temple gate called Beautiful, where he was put every day to beg from those going into the temple courts. When he saw Peter and John about to enter, he asked them for money. Peter looked straight at him, as did John. Then Peter said, “Look at us!” So the man gave them his attention, expecting to get something from them. Then Peter said, “Silver or gold I do not have, but what I do have I give you. In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, walk.” Taking him by the right hand, he helped him up, and instantly the man’s feet and ankles became strong. He jumped to his feet and began to walk. Then he went with them into the temple courts, walking and jumping, and praising God. When all the people saw him walking and praising God, they recognized him as the same man who used to sit begging at the temple gate called Beautiful, and they were filled with wonder and amazement at what had happened to him.”
‭‭Acts‬ ‭3:1-10‬ ‭

Now Peter has everyone's attention and he does what every good preacher does when he has the attention of a crowd - he preaches a message!

“While the man held on to Peter and John, all the people were astonished and came running to them in the place called Solomon’s Colonnade. When Peter saw this, he said to them: “Fellow Israelites, why does this surprise you? Why do you stare at us as if by our own power or godliness we had made this man walk? The God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, the God of our fathers, has glorified his servant Jesus. You handed him over to be killed, and you disowned him before Pilate, though he had decided to let him go. You disowned the Holy and Righteous One and asked that a murderer be released to you. You killed the author of life, but God raised him from the dead. We are witnesses of this. By faith in the name of Jesus, this man whom you see and know was made strong. It is Jesus’ name and the faith that comes through him that has completely healed him, as you can all see.”
‭‭Acts‬ ‭3:11-16‬ ‭

Horrible news:  "You killed the author of life."  This has to be one of the worst things a person could ever have done.

Soft words make hard hearts.  Hard words make soft hearts.

““Now, fellow Israelites, I know that you acted in ignorance, as did your leaders. But this is how God fulfilled what he had foretold through all the prophets, saying that his Messiah would suffer. Repent, then, and turn to God, so that your sins may be wiped out, that times of refreshing may come from the Lord, and that he may send the Messiah, who has been appointed for you—even Jesus. Heaven must receive him until the time comes for God to restore everything, as he promised long ago through his holy prophets.”
‭‭Acts‬ ‭3:17-21‬ ‭

Good news:  Your sins are forgiven if you repent.  God wants to bring you rest and refreshment.

One day a week - rest and know that you are not in control.  God is.  He will take care of you.  Put the work down.

But in the middle of his message, he gets interrupted.....

“The priests and the captain of the temple guard and the Sadducees came up to Peter and John while they were speaking to the people. They were greatly disturbed because the apostles were teaching the people, proclaiming in Jesus the resurrection of the dead. They seized Peter and John and, because it was evening, they put them in jail until the next day. But many who heard the message believed; so the number of men who believed grew to about five thousand.”
‭‭Acts‬ ‭4:1-4‬

Now Peter, who has a history of caving in and backing down, says.....

“The next day the rulers, the elders and the teachers of the law met in Jerusalem. Annas the high priest was there, and so were Caiaphas, John, Alexander and others of the high priest’s family. They had Peter and John brought before them and began to question them: “By what power or what name did you do this?” Then Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, said to them: “Rulers and elders of the people! If we are being called to account today for an act of kindness shown to a man who was lame and are being asked how he was healed, then know this, you and all the people of Israel: It is by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom you crucified but whom God raised from the dead, that this man stands before you healed.”
‭‭Acts‬ ‭4:5-10‬ ‭

Whoa - new boldness.  While is this guy and where does this courage come from.  But that is not enough...

“Jesus is “ ‘the stone you builders rejected, which has become the cornerstone.’ Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to mankind by which we must be saved.””
‭‭Acts‬ ‭4:11-12‬ ‭

Peter was as offensive and politically incorrect as you could possibly be at that time!

Not everyone can accept Jesus.  He is a stumbling block to many.....

“He will be a holy place; for both Israel and Judah he will be a stone that causes people to stumble and a rock that makes them fall. And for the people of Jerusalem he will be a trap and a snare.”
‭‭Isaiah‬ ‭8:14‬ ‭

At Grace, you can belong before you believe.  But you will know what we believe, because we will never hide it and we will never sugar coat it.

“Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.”
‭‭John‬ ‭14:6‬

Now that statement seems so offensive and so unloving, so politically incorrect and so arrogant.....  Unless it's true!

“When they saw the courage of Peter and John and realized that they were unschooled, ordinary men, they were astonished and they took note that these men had been with Jesus. But since they could see the man who had been healed standing there with them, there was nothing they could say. So they ordered them to withdraw from the Sanhedrin and then conferred together. “What are we going to do with these men?” they asked. “Everyone living in Jerusalem knows they have performed a notable sign, and we cannot deny it. But to stop this thing from spreading any further among the people, we must warn them to speak no longer to anyone in this name.” Then they called them in again and commanded them not to speak or teach at all in the name of Jesus. But Peter and John replied, “Which is right in God’s eyes: to listen to you, or to him? You be the judges! As for us, we cannot help speaking about what we have seen and heard.””
‭‭Acts‬ ‭4:13-20‬ ‭

If the cornerstone of your home is not built on the rock of Jesus, it will crash.  Storms will hit you and your family - no doubt about it.

Following Jesus is not a path to buried treasure (health, wealth, and good times),  Jesus IS the buried treasure!

If your identity is in Christ, you are not guaranteed to have smooth sailing, but you ARE guaranteed to get through the storms!  We are human BEINGS designed in the image of Christ, not human DOINGS.

If your cornerstone is in your job or your wealth, your house will crash!

Do you believe the Jesus is the only way?  Do you believe that Jesus is your way?

For more truth about life, see...   www.truthatlife.com

STUDENT VOCATIONAL CALLING WORKSHOP IN DETROIT TONIGHT!!!

Please note, there is a minor error in the address for tonight's meeting! The meeting will take place at the same street address, but in Auburn Hills, Michigan.....

Help Your Teen Identify their Life Calling, Career, & College Monday, August 15th at 7:00pm Homeschool Connections Office, 2685 Lapeer Rd. Suite #105 Lake Orion, Michigan 48326 (It's acress Zelma Street from Hoops Bar & Grill. Please park in their lot) Tuesday, August 16th at 7:00pm Five Points Church 3411 Walton Blvd. Auburn Hills, MI  48326 This is a FREE informational session.

Join us for this FREE informational Session Please use the LINK below to RSVP!! https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSe2WW7oy3s_dsfDjOQx32QZ2ApOmQXuKd_FdbGL6tazSgINrw/viewform?c=0&w=1 Help Your Teen Identify Their Life Calling, Career, & College presented by Larry Bates & Curtis Songer of Truth@Life Transformation Coaching & Consulting These sessions are of tremendous value in helping your teen:             Identify their life purpose             See how that maps to their career calling             Improve their confidence and self-esteem,             And help them become better life-long decision makers.  Parents who have attended these sessions say the program has saved them over $30,000 per child in tuition!  Come and see how. This information session is Ideal for student finishing 8th grade through college. Invite anyone you may know who may be one of the following situations: 1.  You have many talents & are not sure what to do with them.  2.  You are stressed about feeling a lack of direction and purpose.  3.  School aptitude test suggests you to go into a career that does not interest you. 4.  You are headed to college in the next year, but don't know what to major in. 5.  You are already at college and are considering changing your major. 6.  You have graduated from college and think you may have made a mistake. 7.  You are just starting out and need guidance in getting started in your career.  Many Homeschool Connections families have found Mr. Songer's program very helpful for their students. He understands and works with many homeschooling teens as well as teens from public and private schools. He is also a professor at a Christian College in Pennsylvania and understands the college acceptance process very well. Through Truth@ Life, he has helped over 100 students determine their degree, choose their college and find their life pathway. Curtis and Larry also help adults who are contemplating their Life Calling and Purpose so feel free to come and join us for your own information as well!  Call or email Mr. Songer for more information: Presented by Curtis Songer Principal, Truth@Life Transformation Coaching & Consulting curtis.songer@gmail.com www.truthatlife.com 248-396-6255

Dream BIG Dreams

Successful people dream BIG dreams...in a pragmatic way. For more truth about life, see... http://www.truthatlife.com/

Training Camp (part 1)

It's that time again, time for football!  Can I get an amen?  AMEN!!!

The minute you step onto the field, your teammates know if you are ready, if you went to training camp!  You have to go to training in order to be prepared.  You have to be prepared in order to win.

Have you been winning or have you been losing?  Maybe your life has been tough.  Maybe you lost last season.  Maybe you don't want next season to look like the last season.  For that to come true, you have to go to training camp!

To go to training camp, you first have to be united with Christ.  You have to believe in Him as your Savior.

“And in him you too are being built together to become a dwelling in which God lives by his Spirit.”
‭‭Ephesians‬ ‭2:22‬ ‭

We are not fighting against each other - certainly not against your own team mates.

“Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand.”
‭‭Ephesians‬ ‭6:10-13‬ ‭

You have to go to training camp.


“Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.”
‭‭Ephesians‬ ‭6:14-17‬ ‭

To have a helmet of salvation means you have to first have a relationship with God.

To take up the shield of faith, you have to believe the Bible is God's Word.  And you have to spend time in the Word.  Study it, memorize it, believe it, and apply it.

At Grace, we believe in and proclaim God's Word - no matter what!  We are under the authority of the truth of God's Word.

When you out you life under the authority of God's Word and practice it's principles, you will live a better life - not an easier life - a better life.

It makes you a better spouse, parent, friend, employee, neighbor, citizen, healthier, & humble.  It makes me better physically, mentally, and spiritually.

Follow Jesus + Read the Bible = Better Life

The Bible is a place, a foundation, to stand on.  It protects us and shelters us.  The question is not IF you will have hard times.  The question is what will you do WHEN you have hard times?

To make next season better than last season, you have to make the Bible part of your everyday life, You have to go to training camp!

For more truth about life, see...   www.truthatlife.com