Greater Things

Have you ever met people who suck the energy out of others as soon as they open their mouths? Or people who would provoke a situation until it becomes more hostile than necessary? Those individuals fail to see the value in speaking life to others. Speaking life simply means to speak out of a pure motive, with the intention of benefitting the hearer of your words. The Bible says, [O]ut of the overflow of the heart, the mouth speaks (Luke 6:45). This means that the words we... say are clear reflections of our hearts. If we speak poison or hostility, it is a pretty good indicator that our hearts are full of bitterness. If we speak with honesty and gentleness, it indicates that we have godly and wise hearts. To speak life, you must be wise. Those who are dead set on foolishness will refuse to see the value of wisdom. To truly be wise, you’ve got to develop a deep respect for the Lordor, as the Bible calls it, The fear of the Lord (Proverbs 1:7). The book of Proverbs is perhaps one of the best books to teach wisdom, so we will explore it in depth. Proverbs 15:33 says, The fear of the Lord teaches wisdom; humility precedes honor. Indeed, there are no shortcuts to speaking life. We can fake our kindness and gild our words with gold, but our vain efforts will eventually fall through if we don’t match our words with what’s really in our hearts. To sustain a lifestyle of speaking life unto others, we must always start with the heart. It’s a sobering fact that our words reflect who we are. Jesus put it this way: A good man brings good things out of the good stored up in his heart, and an evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in his heart. For the mouth speaks what the heart is full of (Luke 6:45). Clearly, ours is not simply a word problem; ours is a heart problem. Our words reveal what is going on in our hearts! We use thousands of words every daysome suggest as many as ten thousand! The Bible teaches us that words are not neutral. Words carry weight and have significant power. I’m guessing you can still remember certain words that were spoken to you years ago. Some of those words were undoubtedly painful, but maybe others were positively powerful. Words can make or break a marriage; they can make or break a child. Harsh, sarcastic, and controlling words can do indescribable damage. But gentle, kind, and encouraging words can strengthen and protect a family. Speak life into your marriage. Tell your spouse you love them. Express your appreciation to him or her. Encourage them. Guard your lips from harsh or critical words. Speak life into your children. Tell them often that you love them. Let them know the traits you appreciate that make them unique. Avoid harsh and critical words. Encourage your kids, and pray for them. And ask God to change your heart so He changes your words. Pray that you would be cautious with not only what you say, but how you say it. #SpeakLife

What is in a name? Some names are common. I know 3 people with my name, Curtis. But they don't have my SIGNATURE. My signature has POWER. So does yours. If you own a car, a house, or anything else, you had to SIGN for it. It wasn't LEGAL without your signature. Today we have what is called Identity Theft. Some "busy" business people rubber stamp their signature on checks and letters. If someone steals your stamp or signs your name we call that FORGERY.... Many Christians commit spiritual forgery. In some cultures, Jesus is a common boy's name. THEIR name has no power. Many Christians tag "In the name of Jesus" onto the end of a prayer, THINKING that gives the prayer, power. The PHRASE, in the name of Jesus, has no power. It is THE name that gives the phrase power. Jesus THE CHRIST is the NAME above all names. Every other person with the name Jesus, have no power, and saying Jesus in itself has no power. Unbelievers USE the name Jesus or Jesus Christ all the time without power. Taging your prayer with "In the name of Jesus" is USING it in VAIN. Both prayer and the name above all names are serious things. Prayer is a LEGAL COVENANT. The name of Jesus is HIS signature of approval upon that legal action. You shouldn't tolerate identity theft and Heaven doesn't authorize it. You don't sign your name to just everything. Prayer is not something that we should do hap heartedly. We should never pray out of duty, as something we "should" do. It is not wrong to place "In the name of Jesus" on the end of our prayers, but before we ask for God's approval (by placing "In the name of Jesus") on our prayer we should ask ourselves if all of Heaven should enforce our prayer. We call spouting of the name of Jesus as using His name in vain. It has no power and God calls it sin because it puts all of Heaven on alert. Speaking the Word of God and prayer give Angels marching orders. So His name spoken out of His authority calls them to attention WITHOUT an assignment, therefore making it a vain action. See more

The early church turned the world upside down. The gospel they preached pulled people into a compelling, inclusive narrative. It subverted the cultural norms of their day. It dignified women. It bridged the economic and social divides. It reached royalty and outcasts. Surprisingly, these early Christians weren’t even called Christians. In fact, that term only appears in the Bible a grand total of three times. The writers of the New Testament had a different word for describi...ng those who had placed their faith in Jesus: Saints. Saints are the people of the future. They are those who reach into the realities of God’s coming Kingdom and bring it into the present. They live with a sense of wonder in a wandering world. They paint the gray of this world with the exploding colors of the new creation. And if you’ve placed your faith in Jesus, you, my friend, are a saint too, and it is time to reach your world for Christ.

The enemy comes to KILL... stop the life. Jesus came to bring back LIFE to EVERYTHING that has died in your life. Jesus IS the RESURRECTION of every dream, every financial disaster, every dead thing in your life.

Some people never get a harvest because their tongues keep digging up their seeds. We may say we "know" the Word of God but until we walk it out we don't truly know it.

Leading a child to Christ is one of the most exciting things you will ever do. It can also be intimidating. Remember that, while God has called you to share this message, it’s the work of the Holy Spirit that leads a child to give his or her life to Christ. Don’t give into your fears. Pray first. Then, invite the Holy Spirit to work with you as you share. 1. Be Conversational... When counseling one-on-one with a child, be conversational. Ask open-ended questions, then listen closely to the child’s reply. Questions to ask a child might include: Who is Jesus? What is sin? What is a Christian? Why do you want to become a Christian? How do you feel? (Sometimes the feelings we have are God’s way of speaking to us.) What has led you to start thinking about becoming a Christian? How long have you wanted to be a Christian? 2. Use the Bible During the conversation, show the child verses in the Bible. Slowly explain the following verse to the child. Verses you may need: 1 John 4:10 (God loves you) Romans 6:23 (sin separates us from God) Romans 5:8 (Christ died for us) Romans 3:23 (everyone sins) 1 John 1:9 (confess and ask for forgiveness for sin) Acts 16:31 (Believe and be saved) Romans 10:9 (follow Jesus). Use language that children can understand to describe what each verse means. Avoid using abstract concepts. For example, instead of saying giving your heart to Christ, say Give your whole selfyour actions and your thoughtsto Christ. 3. Avoid Pressure Ask the question, then listen. Avoid pressuring the child to make a decision. 4. Follow-up After counseling with the child, follow up with one or both parents or a church leader. Let them know about your conversation. Also, follow-up with the child within the week. Ask if he or she has any new questions.