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Showing posts from May, 2010

The Subtle Faces of Pride in marriage

Our most dangerous problem in marriage we may not even see. Pride is the underlying cause of all marriage problems -- big and small. Its easy to see our spouse's shortcomings and be blind to our own. One test of spiritual pride is how little mercy we show our spouse. Pride devalues our marriage and makes us feel entitled to more. Pride is the equivalent of despising God and His Word. To defeat pride: 1. We must humble ourselves before God and our spouse. 2. We need to ask God to show us the true condition of our heart. 3. We need to ask Christ to empty our heart of all but love. "Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus...He humbled Himself." Philippians 2:5, 8 From Marriage Minutes Bob and Cheryl Moeller Thursday, May 27, 2010 Rodney Holmstrom, CR FBC NW Arkansas Ministry Leader State Representative NW Arkansas

Optimistic or Pessimistic

How do you view the things in your life? With optimism or pessimism? Is your glass half full or half empty? When something happens to you, do you immediately look for the good or are the first words that come out of your mouth, “ I knew if anything would go wrong it would happen to me.” When your thoughts are controlled by a negative pessimistic view point it is hard to see the good in any situation. You imagine the worst possible outcome in everything and hold it as an expectation. There is evidence to support your belief that things will go wrong, because you are choosing to think they will. Where is your hope and where does your joy come from? Words that come to my mind are, bleak, gloomy, cynical, hopeless and downhearted. Feelings may be, “ what is the use, nothing good never happens anyway, or what next?” Hebrews 10:35 -- Therefore do not cast away your confidence which is your great reward.” Being pessimistic is counter productive to a faith filled life. It is like

Why You Need Jesus in your Marriage

Why You Need Jesus in your Marriage The biggest mistake a couple can make is to do marriage without Jesus. Why is it important Jesus Christ be at the center of your marriage each day? 1. Your ability to forgive will eventually wear out. 2. Your willingness to show patience will reach its limit. 3. Your desire to live unselfishly will come to an end. 4. Your strength to resist temptation will finally be overwhelmed. 5. Your capacity to show love will eventually go no further. 6. Your power will come from a small flashlight, when it could be coming from a Resouce the size of the universe. From "Marriage Minutes" Bob and Cheryl Moeller Thursday, May 13, 2010 CR at Fellowship Bible Church in Rogers Arkansas. Contact us at: http://celebraterecovery.fellowshipnwa.org/ Rodney Holmstrom

Irritated?

Have you ever got into poison ivy? I found out that there are more than one type of poison ivy and it grows year round. It climbs, creeps, grows on bushes, and it even grows at the beach. When you get into a mess of poison ivy it can be one of the most irritating things. It can burn and sting, and the itch is unbearable. It can ooze and spread -- which is so irritating. Can you think back on times where you were just so irritated? Irritated by events in your life, other people, with yourself or things just not being fair? How did you deal with that feeling of irritation? It usually starts out as something small -- you may have taken issue with something that was said to you. Maybe you over thought something, felt misunderstood, a little annoyed, frustrated and impatient because things are not going your way. Maybe you have allowed someone to make you feel badly about yourself. That is where it begins. It is what you do with that irritated state of mind that will c

How is your marriage?

Love Should be the Last Thing Standing in Our Lives When the great Chicago fire of 1871 swept through the city it annihilated everything in its path. More than 18,000 buildings were destroyed. One hundred thousand people were left homeless. A four square mile of area of downtown Chicago was in ashes. Saddest of all, at least 1,000 people perished in the inferno. A few days after the firestorm subsided, an intriguing picture was published in the newspapers. In the midst of the four square mile area of devastation, one lone house stood untouched by the blaze. It had survived the nation's worst fire of the century. Christ's love is much like that lone house. When the firestorm of family problems, financial setbacks, job loss, even disease and death has swept through your marriage, love will still stand. That indestructible love survived the whip of roman soldiers, the taunting of the crowd, and the painful cross of Calvary, and that love emerged triumphant from the tomb on Easter

Who wants to suffer?

It seems like this week, everyone has experienced sorrow and suffering of some kind. It has been interesting to hear some of their stories and how they have dealt with their suffering. I Corn. 1:3-4: Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforted us in all our troubles, so we can comfort those in trouble with the comfort we ourselves have received from God. How do you view suffering? One thing I know, sorrow and suffering go together. Distress, pain, unhappiness, affliction, displeasure, are just a few. I know that a little suffering is good for the soul, but somebody is trying to make a saint out of me. (Just kidding). God knows and sees our sufferings. Sometimes our suffering is self inflicted, or caused by others, or comes to us through disease or other circumstances. I don’t know about you, but I don’t like to suffer. I want to be comfortable--I want things to go smooth and to be easy