Plan Be
Do Yourself a Favor ~ BE Excellent in Faith and Favor
"And Jesus grew in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and Man. Luke 2:52 We are so quick to criticize and condemn. We are often so hard on ourselves and others, our society. DIVINE favor means God is smiling down on us in His infinite grace. He is smiling down on you. Do yourself and others a favor and learn what the Bible says about the favor of the Lord. It occurs overs 100 times, most often in the Old Testament, as it is expressing the attitude of God towards His people. Favor comes from the Latin root words "good will, inclination, kindness." So, if we look favorably on a subject, it means we are in agreement. We vote in favor of something. We are a fan of a certain sports team. We have a favorite brand of clothing. A "fan"= The favor of God implies His gracious, loving regard for us. God is OUR "fan" - Jesus roots for us! He is our friend. He is on our side, enthusiastic for our welfare and wellbeing. In the Bible, the word favor is related to the concept of grace ~ 'the unmerited favor of God toward mankind." Do yourself and favor and be like Jesus, by growing in the wisdom and stature of Jesus, BE Excellent, to stay in favor with God and Man. How? 1). Desire the favor of the Lord on your life, asking God daily to refresh you! 2). Desire the favor of the Lord on other's lives. 3). Dig into the Bible to read and reflect on the verses in the Bible about God's favor. Back in 1872, a preacher named James D. Demarest preached a sermon from Psalm 106:4 (look it up!) for which he said: "God never had anting else but favor (for His people); He loved them from everlasting; his heart, his affections were eternally fixed upon them... And when God's favor is revealed, it melts the heart into humility, love and gratitude. He (David) did not merely want a man's favor and man's help and deliverance, but he wanted something connected with God, something that comes immediately from him. HE WANTED GOD'S FAVOR." The favor of God means the companionship of God. Take a moment to consider as you read this....the Lord is beside you, right there, encouraging you with the truth of Scripture, aware of what the next moment holds. Jesus is going before you, coming behind you, hovering around you, even to the end of the world. Faith is BELIEVING! Believe in God's favor and SEEK it now and always. "40-Days of Excellence" Journal CHALLENGE We invite you on a quest to dig deeper and learn about the meaning of the death and resurrection of Friend Jesus. Over the next 40 days (of this Lenten season), join us in this Journal Challenge. You want to "give something up" (we recommend noise in your life: social media, limited news time, etc.). Instead of focusing on what you can't have, let's focus on what we CAN HAVE walking with Jesus through the prophets and disciples through the books of Matthew, Mark, Luke and John. Here is What To Do 1) Start by scheduling quiet time into your schedule every day for 40 days. 2) Get a Journal and entitle it: "40 Days of Excellence" 3) Get your Bible out (or use the YouVersion Bible app) and write out the questions and scripture mentioned in the our blogs, (you can go back and review the blog posts from February 15 on). There is a lot - just do what you can. Focus on Thee Goal and Thee Prize. 4) Around Day 30, journal what the characteristics of BEcoming an EXCELLENT Christian can look like in your life. We promise you, this will be one of the most enriching studies you can do. BE dedicated, set boundaries, and you will discover EXCELLENCE in God, Friend Jesus and in yourself as a Christian. Please Note: If you are joining us well into the 40 Day Challenge, like God, we will meet you where you are at! No stress. No worries. We're just happy you are coming along for the journey. xo ————————————-- PRAYER Dear Jesus, This is exciting to start the journey on discovering Excellence in You. Help me to organize my schedule around You. I am dedicating myself to you over the next 40 days. I will settle my mind, breathe deeper and slower and absorb the words from Scripture. I understand you have chosen certain people to represent you well, like Paul. Therefore I will read, listen and meditate on those Words. Keep me focused on Thee Goal of knowing You better. Guide me to the ultimate prize -- being in heaven with You! And, lead me as I lead my co-workers in Christ-like behaviors, choices, and actions. Help me to press on forward, and not look back. Everyday, I look forward to our time together, journaling and meditating on your wise, peaceful ways. Help me to be more like You in this world and to love on others as You and Thee Heavenly Father love on us. In Your Loving and Most Excellent Name, Jesus, Amen. ————————————-- INVITATION We would love to walk you through this study with your Bible Study Group. To schedule a virtual or Southern California Bible Study, email us at: [email protected] References 1) Dr. David Jeremiah ~ Finding Favor with God 2) Author: Sandi Hanscom Be Designed to Be
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