Believe 30: HUMILITY

Believe 30:  HUMILITY

Objective:  To have humility.

Preparing for the Lesson:

Be in prayer as you read the following:  Philippians 2:3-4, Philippians 2:6-8, Proverbs 15:33, Luke 14:11, Proverbs 11:2, James 3:13, Numbers 12:3, Acts 7, Acts 8:3,Acts 9:1-9, Romans 12:3, Acts 17:28, 1 Corinthians 10:24, Matthew 6:33, Proverbs 22:4, 1 Peter 5:5, Philippians 2:9 and James 4:10.  I suggest that you read the scriptures in your version of the Bible and then read the same scriptures in another version of the Bible.

The Journey of BELIEVE 30:  Humility

My Thoughts:

• The difference between blessed and success is that the doer is different.  Success is what I do, what I accomplish, what I achieve.  But blessed is what God does and gives to me.  God sees things quite differently than we.  (Rev. James D. Douthwaite 2008-2016)

What are your thoughts?  I would love it if you would post your thoughts in the comments section.

Closing Prayer:

Heavenly Father, Please help me to love You above everything else and my neighbor as myself.  Show me the things I can do to prove my love for You and my neighbor.  In Jesus' name, Amen. 

Believe 29: GENTLENESS

Believe 29:  GENTLENESS

Objective:  To learn to be a gentle Christian.

Preparing for the Lesson:

Be in prayer as you read the following:  Philippians 4:5, Galatians 5:22, Proverbs 15:1 and Matthew 11:28-30.  I suggest that you read the scriptures in your version of the Bible and then read the same scriptures in another version of the Bible.

The Journey of BELIEVE 29:  Gentleness

My Thoughts:

• If we are not gentle in our treatment of others,do we expect Him to be gentle in His treatment of us?  (Mark A. Copeland 2015)
• Gentleness can contribute much to the comfort of life and peace of society, by reducing friction between people. (Mark A. Copeland 2015)
• Gentleness can contribute to promoting the gospel of Christ.  (Mark A. Copeland 2015)

Closing Prayer:

Heavenly Father, Thank You that I do not have to be afraid of growing older because I know that You will still be with me when I  am old and that You will make me strong.  In Jesus' name, Amen.

Believe 28: FAITHFULNESS

Believe 28:  FAITHFULNESS

Objective:  Ask God to help you build a trustworthy reputation for yourself.

Preparing for the Lesson:

Be in prayer as you read the following:  Proverbs 3:3-4, Psalm 98:2-3, Luke 2:52 and Matthew 25:21.  I suggest that you read the scriptures in your version of the Bible and then read the same in another version of the Bible.

The Journey of BELIEVE 28:  Faithfulness

My Thoughts:

• God does not require us to be successful only that we be faithful.
• If we are faithful to God and what He asks of us, material success does not matter who love God, who are called according to His purpose.  (Romans 8:28)

What are your thoughts?  I would love it if you would post your thoughts in the comments section.

Closing Prayer:

Heavenly Father, I praise You for Your goodness!  Thank You for abundantly providing for all my needs and for caring for our country.  In Jesus' name, Amen.

Believe 27: KINDNESS/GOODNESS

Believe 27:  KINDNESS/GOODNESS

Objective:  Ask God to help each of us do something for others without strings attached.

Preparing for the Lesson:

Be in prayer as you read the following:  1 Thessalonians 5:15, Matthew 19:17, Luke 6:45, Galatians 5:22-23, Proverbs 26:23-25, Matthew 5:39, 1 Thessalonians 5:15, Romans 12:19-21,Galatians 6:1, Ephesians 4:15, Proverbs 27:6, Psalm 34:8 and 2 Thessalonians 1:11.  I suggest that you read the scriptures in your version of the Bible and then read the same scriptures in another version of the Bible.''

The Journey of BELIEVE 27:  Kindness/Goodness

My Thoughts:

• The difference between kindness and goodness is that kindness is more about our attitude and goodness is more about the things we do for others.  Kindness is in your heart but you have to show it.  Goodness is Godness.
• Remember:  The Gifts of the Spirit are given but the fruits of the Spirit are developed.

What are your thoughts?  I would love it if you would post your thoughts in the comments section.

Closing Prayer:

Heavenly Father, Thank you for the gift of Your grace that compels me to offer my mercy and generosity to other people.  Make me generous in every respect because You are so generous toward me.  In Jesus' name we pray, Amen.

Believe 26: PATIENCE

Believe 26:  PATIENCE

Objective:  To learn how to be patient.

Preparing for the Lesson:

Be in prayer as you read the following:  Proverbs 14:29, Ephesians 4:2, Hebrews 10:35-36, 2 Peter 3:9, Genesis 16:1-2 and Ecclesiastes 7:8.  I suggest that you read the scriptures in your version of the Bible and then read the same scriptures in another version of the Bible.

The Journey of BELIEVE 26:  Patience

My Thoughts:

• Waiting for things to happen is hard to do because we lose our patience because we want things to happen in our time and not in God's time.
• Four steps to developing patience:  Understand the addictive nature of anger, irritation and outrage.  Upgrading our attitude towards discomfort and pain.  Paying attention when the irritation/pain starts.  Self talk.

What are your thoughts:  I would love it if you would post your thoughts in the comments section.

Closing Prayer:

Heavenly Father, I am sorry that it is hard for me to have patience all the time.  Teach me to be patient at all times even when I am under a lot of stress.  In Jesus' name, Amen.

\Believe 25: HOPE

Believe 25:  HOPE

Objective:  To learn how to be resilient in challenging situations.

Preparing for the Lesson:

Be in prayer as you read the following:  Hebrews 6:19-20, Genesis 12:1-4, Hebrews 11:1, Ecclesiastes 1:14, Romans 8:24-25, Hebrews 12:1-2, Colosssians 3:2, Psalm 31:24 and Psalm 33:20-22.

The Journey of BELIEVE 25:  Hope

My Thoughts:

• To develop a greater sense of hope, we need to: Method 1 - Envision Our Life:  Figure out how we want our life to look, compare our ideal vision to our present life, consider whether we have realistic or unrealistic expectations for our lives and set some goals for ourselves.  Method 2 - Developing Hope: Acknowledge our strengths, cultivate supportive relationships, engage in pleasurable activities, get involved with a cause, put ourselves in more diverse situations, keep tract of our thought and feelings in a journal and take care of ourselves.  Method 3 - Dealing with Anxiety and Hopelessness:  Identify symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder, address our anxiety about the future, notice when lack of hope becomes all-pervading hopelessness and consider visiting a mental health professional.  Method 4 - Understanding Hope:  Think about what it means to have hope, realize that we need to work on our attitude every day, learn to challenge our negative thoughts rather than ignore them and recognize that we need to be resilient in challenging situations.

What are your thoughts?  I would love it if you would post your thoughts in the comments section.

Closing Prayer:

Heavenly Father, I praise You because You are the source of my Hope.  Help me to be happy, even in times of suffering, because it will prove the genuineness of my faith.  In Jesus' name we pray.  Amen.

Believe 24: SELF-CONTROL

Believe 24:  SELF-CONTROL

Objective:  To learn self-control.

Preparing for the Lesson:

Be in prayer as you read the following:  Titus 2:11-13, Romans: 8:3-4, John 2:15,John 15:1-27, Ephesians 5:18, Proverbs 16:32, Proverbs 25:28 and John 3:30.  I suggest that you read the scriptures in your version of the Bible and then read the same scriptures in another version of the Bible.

The Journey of BELIEVE 24:  Self-Control

My Thoughts:

• Self-Control is yielding to God's power to do the things we should.
• Our tongues are so difficult to control because we have our own opinions about things and the devil is trying to have us become uncontrolled.

What are your thoughts?  I would love it if you would post your thoughts in the comments section.

Closing Prayer:

Heavenly Father, I am sorry that it is hard for me to have self-control all the time.  Make me calm and peaceful in your presence, like a baby in her mother's arms,with the certain knowledge that you will resolve the issues for me.  Amen