Podcasts!

I love podcasts! I am able to hear all my favorite teachers from Living Word still even though we attend a new church here in Faribault. I am also able to listen to Scott and Amanda Hodge's teachings from their church Orchard Valley Community Church in Aurora, Illinois. Isn't technology great? Now, I just need to purchase an iPhone. If you would like to send a donation to contribute to Stephanie's iPhone fund, my address is 4460 Roberds Lake Trl, Faribault, MN 55021-2228. :-)

To subscribe to Living Word's podcasts, here is the link: http://www.lwcc.org/GENERAL/podcast.cfm

For Orchard Valley Community's podcasts, here is the link:
http://theorchard.wordpress.com/podcast-setup/

Enjoy all the good teaching from the Word of God!

Holy Week

This week is a special week on the Christian calendar. Today is Good Friday. The day that we commemorate Jesus' death on the cross. I am hoping to watch "The Passion" tonight after our Good Friday service at The River. If we don't watch it tonight, I would like to watch it tomorrow morning or tomorrow evening. I am not really sure about letting David watch it yet due to the graphic nature of the movie. He did just turn six, and he knows about what Jesus did on the cross. Yet, I am still hesitant. Please feel free to voice your opinion either by email: sgulland@marykay.com or post a comment.

I am currently taking a class at our church. The book we are using is called The Journey to Freedom. Before our Encounter Weekend next weekend, we have been focusing on the truth of the Gospel and the power of the cross. Now that I want to blog about it, I cannot find the book to reference from. :-( Another reason to clean up my bedroom! :-)

As we continue this week until Easter Sunday, remember that Jesus is not still on the cross. He was taken down from the cross and buried. However, that wasn't the end of the story. The rock was moved from the tomb where he was buried and the tomb was empty. Jesus was resurrected from the dead, and he is alive today!!! Jesus is sitting next to God the Father in heaven. Aren't you glad that we serve a God who is so powerful?

Praying that everyone experiences resurrection power this week in every area of their lives!

The Gospel in Fifteen Words

1. God loves us.
2. We are sinners.
3. Jesus paid for our sins.
4. We must receive Jesus.

"If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is by believing in your heart that you are made right with God, and it is by confessing with your mouth that you are saved." Romans 10:9-10 New Living Translation

Love is a Verb!

“Dear children, let’s not merely say that we love each other; let us show the truth by our actions.” 1 John 3:18 New Living Translation

It is time for the body of Christ to live this verse. I remember that song we use to sing at camp, “They will know we are Christians by our love, by our love. Yes, they’ll know we are Christians by our love.” Do people know that we are Christians just by observing our actions?

God has really been focusing in on me concerning my love walk. I have heard about it and learned about it for years from Joyce Meyer’s ministry, Joel Osteen’s ministry and from various pastors at Living Word Christian Center. However, I have never felt a tug from the Holy Spirit so intense about getting my love walk straightened out.

I am convinced that many people are turned off to Christianity because they see us not living this verse. Yes, words are powerful. To say “I love you” is powerful, but doing something that says “I love you” speaks even louder than the words. Now as Christians, of course, we are not perfect because we are still humans, and we live in a sinful world. However, we can purpose to see love as a verb. Wasn't there a DC Talk song about this?

Today I am purposing to see love as a verb. What can I do for my neighbors, my friends, my family, and anyone I come into contact with to show them the love of God?

Please comment and let me know what you did to show the love of God, who you did it for, and what their reaction was. I love forward to hearing from you!

Walk Uprightly

“For the LORD is righteous, he loves justice; upright men will see His face.” Psalm 11:7

Today's Word from Joel and Victoria

Our God is a god of justice! He loves truth, and He loves what is right. The Bible promises that if we follow His plan and walk uprightly before Him, we will see His face. And God wants you to see His face. He wants to reveal Himself to you in ways you never imagined. Walking uprightly simply means following the Word of God with a humble heart. It means you have a heart to do what is right in the eyes of the Lord. In this day and age, people have so many different ideas of what they think is right, but God is the same yesterday, today and forever, and His standard, the Word of God, will never change. The Bible also says in Psalm 84, that no good thing will He withhold from those who walk uprightly. God longs to pour His blessing and goodness on your life. Choose to follow His Word and allow Him to work His purposes on the inside of you. As you do, you will walk uprightly and see His face and experience His hand of blessing in every area of your life!

A Prayer for Today

Father in heaven, today I submit myself to Your ways. I choose to walk uprightly before You because I long to see Your face. Thank You for guiding and blessing every area of my life. In Jesus’ Name. Amen.