OUTLINE:

The Beauty of Submission - blog 3/13/20
When believers submit to one another, we are revealing the fruit of the Spirit, being “filled” with Him (Eph 5:18). When we abide in this godly submissiveness, we perform acts of obedience, which pleases the Lord.

The Beauty of Submission - blog 3/13/20
The beauty of submission is that it is a privilege of ours to abide in, bringing glory to God. It also reveals our love for our Lord. With Christ’s perspective on the matter, we are set free.

For your OWN sake…
Please don’t take acts of grace for granted. We are entitled to nothing. For example, God gave you this message, but He didn’t have to. Furthermore, certain people are involved in keeping this ministry afloat - God is pleased because they do so “out of reverence for Christ” (Eph 5:21).

Ro 9:21
Has the potter no right over the clay, to make out of the same lump one vessel for honorable use and another for dishonorable use?

For your OWN sake…
Please don’t take acts of grace for granted. We are entitled to nothing. For example, God gave you this message, but He didn’t have to. Furthermore, certain people are involved in keeping this ministry afloat - God is pleased because they do so “out of reverence for Christ” (Eph 5:21).

Is 55:11
so shall my word be that goes out from my mouth;
it shall not return to me empty,
 but it shall accomplish that which I purpose,
and shall succeed in the thing for which I sent it.

We don’t just “imagine” grace, we experience it!

The Stress Experiment - blog 4/3/20
We humans have a primitive fault. We often prefer routine over health. We fear things that alter our lifestyle. We suffer daily as a result. We stress out because, deep down, when faced with the opportunity to change, we somehow find a reason to reject the idea. So, we wallow in what can only be called self-induced misery.

“do not be anxious”
from merimnao - is "an old verb for worry and anxiety – literally, to be divided, distracted”; to be over-anxious; distracted. This is a command. It’s a sin to disobey a command.

Obedience Is a Grace Gift
Our ability to obey the commands in the Bible is given to us by the grace of God. For example, “do not be anxious”, is a command that we can obey by grace. We cannot defeat fear by force of will. We must depend wholly on the Word and the Spirit for deliverance.

Ps 118:6
The LORD is on my side; I will not fear.
What can man do to me?

Pr 29:25
The fear of man lays a snare,
but whoever trusts in the LORD is safe.
If you want deliverance from fear, then OBEY the Word of God!

Pr 4:7 [Amplified]
“The beginning of wisdom is: Get [skillful and godly] wisdom [it is preeminent]! And with all your acquiring, get understanding [actively seek spiritual discernment, mature comprehension, and logical interpretation].

Pr 9:10 [Amplified]
The [reverent] fear of the Lord [that is, worshiping Him and regarding Him as truly awesome] is the beginning and the preeminent part of wisdom [its starting point and its essence], And the knowledge of the Holy One is understanding and spiritual insight.

Obedience Is a Grace Gift
Our ability to obey the commands in the Bible is given to us by the grace of God. For example, “do not be anxious”, is a command that we can obey by grace. We cannot defeat fear by force of will. We must depend wholly on the Word and the Spirit for deliverance.

God is in control.