Psalm of the Week - Psalm 32:1-5 - April 13, 2014

1 Blessed is the one whose transgressions are forgiven, whose sins are covered.

2 Blessed is the one whose sin the Lord does not count against them and in whose spirit is no deceit.

3 When I kept silent, my bones wasted away through my groaning all day long.

4 For day and night your hand was heavy on me; my strength was sapped as in the heat of summer.

5 Then I acknowledged my sin to you and did not cover up my iniquity. I said, “I will confess my transgressions to the Lord.” And you forgave the guilt of my sin.

Personal Application

Lord, I am blissfully content since you forgave my transgressions. I am happy that your favor includes not counting my sins against me. When I kept quiet about my sins, my unhappiness kept me groaning and ill. My guilt sapped my strength. Then I turned to you and no longer tried to cover up the depths of my wrongdoings. I decided to confess my wrongs to you Lord. When I confessed, you forgave the sin and the guilt was gone. I am blessed.

Blessed - An Acrostic Praise

Blessed because I confessed,"Jesus is Lord."

Loved by the Lord

Enjoying peace

Surrounded by God's love because my

Sins were forgiven

Enfolded by joy

Delivered from sin

Psalm of the Week - Psalm 31:14-20 - Week of April 7, 2014

14 But I trust in you, Lord;
I say, “You are my God.”
15 My times are in your hands;
deliver me from the hands of my enemies,
from those who pursue me.
16 Let your face shine on your servant;
save me in your unfailing love.
17 Let me not be put to shame, Lord,
for I have cried out to you;
but let the wicked be put to shame
and be silent in the realm of the dead.
18 Let their lying lips be silenced,
for with pride and contempt
they speak arrogantly against the righteous.
19 How abundant are the good things
that you have stored up for those who fear you,
that you bestow in the sight of all,
on those who take refuge in you.
20 In the shelter of your presence you hide them
from all human intrigues;
you keep them safe in your dwelling
from accusing tongues.

Personal Application

I know you keep good things stored up for me because I love you, adore you, and stand in awe of you. You will hide me from my enemies. The enemies who lie about me. The enemies who speak as if I am nothing. The enemies who take pride in looking down on me. I know you have good things saved for me and that you will give them to me in the sight of all. Especially those who take refuge in you. I am yours Lord. My life is yours. Let your face shine on me and save me with your unfailing love. I have turned to you, I have spoken to you, I have cried out to you when my enemies have attacked me. I know you will keep me safe and hide me from human intrigues and keep me safe from accusing tongues. Thank-you Father for your unfailing love. 

A Fight Worth Having - Part 4

The videos for this series of posts have been removed from YouTube. My notes include all of the questions and scripture references from Beth's bible study.

My Notes

• Figure out who my real enemy who
• Headship - headship means authority
• I do not want the authority of the enemy in any part of my life
• He has no right to take authority in a believer's life
• You can give him authority by giving him permission
• The enemy starts with the small things in our lives. We do not know we have been robbed.
• The Lord sets a table for you in the presence of your enemy.
• Fight the enemy. Fight for your surrendered ground. Fight for the things that He has no right to take anyway. Learn to fight with focus.

Point#1 Fight For and Not With

• Stop expending so much energy fighting with instead of for.
• Evaluate your fight. 
• Is it worth having?

Point #2 Keep Our Heads

Point #3 Lose Our Pride

1 What causes fights and quarrels among you? Don’t they come from your desires that battle within you? 2 You desire but do not have, so you kill. You covet but you cannot get what you want, so you quarrel and fight. You do not have because you do not ask God. 

James 4:1-2 NIV

• We are mad at some people because we want something from them. 
• They are refusing to be a god in our life.
• We have real and valid desires in life, but flesh and blood cannot fill the cavern inside us.

Building 429 - A Christian Rock Band

Building 429 took their name from Ephesians 4:29.



Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up



I first heard this band on the Pandora station, Christian Rock Radio. I think you will love them as much as I do.

A Fight Worth Having - Part 3

The videos for this series of posts have been removed from YouTube. My notes include all of the questions and scripture references from Beth's bible study.

Week 3

2 Timothy 4:5

But you, keep your head in all situations, endure hardship, do the work of an evangelist, discharge all the duties of your ministry.

Keep our heads -we are losing our heads in our conflicts
we are wounded of heart and fighting our battles with our wounded hearts hemorrhaging all over the place.
We want to fight with heart, but when our heart is wounded
Fighting out of a wounded heart hurts everyone - everyone is going to get bloodied
Fighting with wounded emotions will wound everyone around us.

Psalm 73:21-22

21 When my heart was grieved and my spirit embittered,
22 I was senseless and ignorant; I was a brute beast before you

Embarrassed yourself in a fight
Lost our head and fought with our bloodied hearts
We can't always be sure that what we feel is true
We have to keep our heads

Ephesians 6:10-12

10 Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. 
11 Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. 
12 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.

We cannot judge another persons heart
Only God can shed light and insight

1 Cor. 9:26

26 Therefore I do not run like someone running aimlessly; I do not fight like a boxer beating the air. 

Sometimes we are just mad and throwing punches
Figure out who your enemy is