obedience

"Spiritual growth is a question of obedience... turn away for one second from obedience & instantly darkness & death are at work."

control your imagination

"You are thinking that controlling your imagination does not depend on yourself... but it depends very much on yourself. When you cut off all the restless & unprofitable thoughts that you can control, you will greatly reduce all those thoughts which are involuntary. God will guard your imagination if you do your part in not encouraging your wayward thoughts."

here and now

"To speak of God as the 'living God' is to make the claim that God is actively present, here and now."

apply it spiritually

"It isn't the mountain ahead that wears you out; it's the grain of sand in your shoe."

imitate His son

"I'm taking a lifetime class in the art of being Christlike. By studying God's Word, He teaches me to imitate His son."

learn to set aside

"Learn to set aside what you see and hear in order to see and hear what God would pour out upon you from His lovingkindness."

sowing seeds

"The things we do today--sowing seeds, or sharing simple truths of God--people will someday refer to as the first things that prompted them to think of Him."

take it to the Lord in prayer!

"What a friend we have in Jesus,
All our sins and griefs to bear!
What a privilege to carry
Everything to God in prayer!
O what peace we often forfeit,
O what needless pain we bear,
All because we do not carry
Everything to God in prayer!

"Have we trials and temptations?
Is there trouble any where?
We should never be discouraged:
Take it to the Lord in prayer!
Can we find a friend so faithful
Who will all our sorrows share?
Jesus knows our every weakness:
Take it to the Lord in prayer.

"Are we weak and heavy laden
Cumbered with a load of care?
Precious Savior, still our Refuge
Take it to the Lord in prayer.
Do thy friends despise, forsake thee?
Take it to the Lord in prayer!
In His arms He'll care and shield thee,
Thou wil lfind a solace there."

abiding in Christ

"Pray urgently and fervently for a yearning, aching realization of your need for God- how dark and meaningless everything in life is without Him: how bright and full and purposeful everything is with Him. Christ has in God's love opened and illuminated the way to God and to life and this is perfect obedience. We cannot achieve this of ourselves, but we can be covered by that of Christ, IF we enter into and abide in Christ. Entry into Christ is by knowledge, belief, and baptism. Abiding in Christ is by total dedication to learning and developing and obedience, and putting all we have and are into his service. We find no other way to life promised in the scriptures. Any who promise or expect an easier one is deceiving and being deceived."

virtuous woman

"A virtuous woman is...
Devoted to her family
Delighted in her work
Discreet with men
Diligent in her labor
Dressed with care
Dedicated to godly speech
Dependent on God."

"We are his sheep"

"Attributes of a natural lamb: harmless, innocent, devoted alligence to master, guile-less, compliant, willing, loving, bounding with energy"

to teach us

"There is nothing that He [God] allows to happen that can't teach us something in the end -- whether it is our dependence upon Him, or to teach us patience or to be content or whatever... I think that we need to be very careful what we say even when we are in the throes of exasperation or despair."

trouble clears the spiritual eye

"There is nothing like trouble for clearing the spiritual eye, for weakening all carnal affinities, and leading the mind to seek God, and to rest on His word, and to build on His promises-- Nothing like trouble like helping us to see the emptiness of this life at its best, and the enduring reality and glory of that which is to come."

priorities

"Your priorities determine your progress."

Applying I Corinthians to today's ecclesia

"Now this I say, that everyone of you saith, I am of Paul [insert a well-known/respected brother]; and I of Apollos [insert a well-known/respected brother]; and I of Cephas [insert a well-known/respected brother]; and I of Christ. Is Christ divided? was Paul crucified for you? or were ye baptized in the name of Paul?" I Corinthians 1:12-13

"The flesh/mortal people should not cause divisions. The ecclesia is supposed to remove false teachers and if there are true teachers then they speak Christ's words, not their own. A brother can only be with Christ or against him, for he cannot be divided. The ecclesia is either permitting false teachers or causing strife in vain."

in every part with praise

"Fill thou my life, O Lord my God,
In every part with praise,
That my whole being may proclaim
Thy being and Thy ways.
Not for the lips of praise alone,
Nor even the praising heart,
I ask, but for a life made up
Of praise in every part."

Always There

"When I'm less than I should be
And I just can't face the day
When darkness falls around me
And I just can't find my way
When my eyes don't clearly see
And I stumble through it all
You I lean upon, You keep me strong

You are there when I most need You
You are there so constantly
You come shining through, You always do
You are always there for me

When life brings me to my knees
When my back's against the wall
You are standing there right with me
Just to keep me standing tall
Though a burden I may be
You don't weary, You don't rest
You are reaching out to carry me
And I know I'm very blessed

There when I most need You
There so constantly
You come shining through, You always do
You are always there for me"

we determine our destiny

"By our wisdom or folly, day by day, we ourselves determine our own destiny."

marriage

"Marriage is not to be 'enterprised lightly or wantonly to satisfy man's carnal lusts and appetites, but reverently, discreetly, soberly, and in fear of God, duly considering the causes for which matrimony was ordained.'"
"Reverence is profound respect mingled with awe; discretion is discernment or good judgment; advisedly is to carefully consider; and soberly is to be well-balanced, unaffected by passion, excitement, or prejudice."

humility

"Humility is the mark of all the faithful."

rather

"Lord, grant that I may seek rather
to comfort--than to be comforted;
to understand--than to be understood;
to love--than to be loved."