Hope For Life http://hopeforlife.org Fri, 03 Feb 2012 15:00:27 +0000 en hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3 I will sing of the Lord’s great love forever; with my mouth I will make your faithfulness known through all generations. (Psalm 89:1) http://hopeforlife.org/2012/02/i-will-sing-of-the-lords-great-love-forever-with-my-mouth-i-will-make-your-faithfulness-known-through-all-generations-psalm-891/ http://hopeforlife.org/2012/02/i-will-sing-of-the-lords-great-love-forever-with-my-mouth-i-will-make-your-faithfulness-known-through-all-generations-psalm-891/#comments Fri, 03 Feb 2012 15:00:27 +0000 Steve Ridgell http://hopeforlife.org/?p=1296 Do you want to be part of something bigger than just you?  God’s people don’t just sing of God’s love here and now.  We will sing it forever.  And what we declare about God makes a difference for generations to come.

]]> http://hopeforlife.org/2012/02/i-will-sing-of-the-lords-great-love-forever-with-my-mouth-i-will-make-your-faithfulness-known-through-all-generations-psalm-891/feed/ 0 “And I will walk among you and will be your God, and you shall be my people.” (Leviticus 26:12) http://hopeforlife.org/2012/02/and-i-will-walk-among-you-and-will-be-your-god-and-you-shall-be-my-people-leviticus-2612/ http://hopeforlife.org/2012/02/and-i-will-walk-among-you-and-will-be-your-god-and-you-shall-be-my-people-leviticus-2612/#comments Thu, 02 Feb 2012 15:00:26 +0000 Tim Archer http://hopeforlife.org/?p=1315 It’s almost unthinkable. The eternal God, Creator of the universe, wants to live with us. He has chosen us and wants to live in a relationship with us. That’s amazing!

]]> http://hopeforlife.org/2012/02/and-i-will-walk-among-you-and-will-be-your-god-and-you-shall-be-my-people-leviticus-2612/feed/ 0 Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you. (I Peter 5: 7) http://hopeforlife.org/2012/02/cast-all-your-anxiety-on-him-because-he-cares-for-you-i-peter-5-7/ http://hopeforlife.org/2012/02/cast-all-your-anxiety-on-him-because-he-cares-for-you-i-peter-5-7/#comments Wed, 01 Feb 2012 15:00:08 +0000 Steve Ridgell http://hopeforlife.org/?p=1293 We live in a world of worry.  Finances, health, family, relationships, bad choices, natural disasters.  Throw your worries onto God.  He cares.  And He has the power to do something about them.

]]> http://hopeforlife.org/2012/02/cast-all-your-anxiety-on-him-because-he-cares-for-you-i-peter-5-7/feed/ 0 Jesus answered, “It is written: ‘Man does not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.’” (Matthew 4:4) http://hopeforlife.org/2012/01/jesus-answered-it-is-written-man-does-not-live-on-bread-alone-but-on-every-word-that-comes-from-the-mouth-of-god-matthew-44/ http://hopeforlife.org/2012/01/jesus-answered-it-is-written-man-does-not-live-on-bread-alone-but-on-every-word-that-comes-from-the-mouth-of-god-matthew-44/#comments Tue, 31 Jan 2012 15:00:20 +0000 Tim Archer http://hopeforlife.org/?p=1311 Our bodies need food, but our souls need spiritual food even more. May we all feel the spiritual hunger that drives us to seek God! May we all be fed by every word that proceeds from His mouth.

]]> http://hopeforlife.org/2012/01/jesus-answered-it-is-written-man-does-not-live-on-bread-alone-but-on-every-word-that-comes-from-the-mouth-of-god-matthew-44/feed/ 0 Those who cling to worthless idols forfeit the grace that could be theirs. (Jonah 2:8) http://hopeforlife.org/2012/01/those-who-cling-to-worthless-idols-forfeit-the-grace-that-could-be-theirs-jonah-28/ http://hopeforlife.org/2012/01/those-who-cling-to-worthless-idols-forfeit-the-grace-that-could-be-theirs-jonah-28/#comments Mon, 30 Jan 2012 15:00:32 +0000 Steve Ridgell http://hopeforlife.org/?p=1291 We really can’t have it both ways.  Pick one or the other.  You cannot choose idols and still expect to recieve God’s grace.

]]> http://hopeforlife.org/2012/01/those-who-cling-to-worthless-idols-forfeit-the-grace-that-could-be-theirs-jonah-28/feed/ 0 Looking http://hopeforlife.org/2012/01/looking/ http://hopeforlife.org/2012/01/looking/#comments Sun, 29 Jan 2012 14:00:12 +0000 Tim Archer http://hopeforlife.org/?p=1338 I didn’t find any gold today. Haven’t found any all week. In fact, I’ve never found gold. Nor diamonds. Nor silver. Not once.

I’d be more than happy to stumble across any of those things. But it hasn’t happened.

I’m guessing that you’re not surprised. Neither am I, especially since I’ve never gone out looking for gold, nor diamonds, nor silver. I haven’t gone to the places where they tend to be found. I haven’t done the things people do to try and find them.

So it’s not all that surprising that I’ve never found any of these treasures.

Have you found God? If not, it’s possible that you’re not really looking for Him. It’s one thing to say, “I’d like to find God.” It’s quite another to actually look for Him.

There are some basic things you need to do:

  1. Decide that you really want to find God. This has to be more than curiosity. Set out to know Him, not just know about Him. Your goal is to have a relationship with the Creator of the universe.
  2. Spend time in prayer. Express your desire to know God. Be honest with Him, but humble. Pour out your thoughts and feelings. Be willing to patiently wait. Relationships take time.
  3. Read the Bible. Spend time studying God’s revelation of Himself. Try to learn about Him. Look at His people and how they react to Him, both good and bad. Read through the poetry known as the psalms, looking at the range of emotions expressed in that book. Study the life of Jesus to see how God lived as a human being.
  4. Be with others who are seeking God. While it’s true that God can be found anywhere, it’s easier to find Him in the presence of others who have already found Him. Find a church, a community of believers, and get them to help you in your search.

I probably won’t ever find gold or diamonds or silver. But I found God, a treasure worth far more than any of those things. And you can find Him too.

]]> http://hopeforlife.org/2012/01/looking/feed/ 0 “But will God indeed dwell on the earth? Behold, heaven and the highest heaven cannot contain you; how much less this house that I have built!” (1 Kings 8:27) http://hopeforlife.org/2012/01/but-will-god-indeed-dwell-on-the-earth-behold-heaven-and-the-highest-heaven-cannot-contain-you-how-much-less-this-house-that-i-have-built-1-kings-827/ http://hopeforlife.org/2012/01/but-will-god-indeed-dwell-on-the-earth-behold-heaven-and-the-highest-heaven-cannot-contain-you-how-much-less-this-house-that-i-have-built-1-kings-827/#comments Sat, 28 Jan 2012 15:00:08 +0000 Tim Archer http://hopeforlife.org/?p=1304 Sometimes we think that we have to go some place “holy” to be with God. But that’s not true. God can meet us anywhere, any time. All we have to do is seek Him in obedient faith.

]]> http://hopeforlife.org/2012/01/but-will-god-indeed-dwell-on-the-earth-behold-heaven-and-the-highest-heaven-cannot-contain-you-how-much-less-this-house-that-i-have-built-1-kings-827/feed/ 0 You, therefore, have no excuse, you who pass judgment on someone else, for at whatever point you judge the other, you are condemning yourself, because you who pass judgement do the same things. (Romans 2:1) http://hopeforlife.org/2012/01/you-therefore-have-no-excuse-you-who-pass-judgment-on-someone-else-for-at-whatever-point-you-judge-the-other-you-are-condemning-yourself-because-you-who-pass-judgement-do-the-same-things-roman/ http://hopeforlife.org/2012/01/you-therefore-have-no-excuse-you-who-pass-judgment-on-someone-else-for-at-whatever-point-you-judge-the-other-you-are-condemning-yourself-because-you-who-pass-judgement-do-the-same-things-roman/#comments Fri, 27 Jan 2012 15:00:07 +0000 Steve Ridgell http://hopeforlife.org/?p=1281 Maybe I should worry about myself first.  Before I condemn someone else, I better first look in the mirror.  It is very possible that instead of judging them, I am judging myself instead.  And I want mercy, not judgment.  Maybe they do also.

]]> http://hopeforlife.org/2012/01/you-therefore-have-no-excuse-you-who-pass-judgment-on-someone-else-for-at-whatever-point-you-judge-the-other-you-are-condemning-yourself-because-you-who-pass-judgement-do-the-same-things-roman/feed/ 0 “Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be frightened, and do not be dismayed, for the LORD your God is with you wherever you go.”” (Joshua 1:9) http://hopeforlife.org/2012/01/have-i-not-commanded-you-be-strong-and-courageous-do-not-be-frightened-and-do-not-be-dismayed-for-the-lord-your-god-is-with-you-wherever-you-go-joshua-19/ http://hopeforlife.org/2012/01/have-i-not-commanded-you-be-strong-and-courageous-do-not-be-frightened-and-do-not-be-dismayed-for-the-lord-your-god-is-with-you-wherever-you-go-joshua-19/#comments Thu, 26 Jan 2012 15:00:31 +0000 Tim Archer http://hopeforlife.org/?p=1302 Be strong and courageous. That’s not always easy. But this verse tells us the secret: God is with us. With God by our side, we have nothing to fear.

]]> http://hopeforlife.org/2012/01/have-i-not-commanded-you-be-strong-and-courageous-do-not-be-frightened-and-do-not-be-dismayed-for-the-lord-your-god-is-with-you-wherever-you-go-joshua-19/feed/ 0 As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts. (Isaiah 55:9) http://hopeforlife.org/2012/01/as-the-heavens-are-highter-than-the-earth-so-are-my-ways-higher-than-your-ways-and-my-thoughts-than-your-thoughts-isaiah-559/ http://hopeforlife.org/2012/01/as-the-heavens-are-highter-than-the-earth-so-are-my-ways-higher-than-your-ways-and-my-thoughts-than-your-thoughts-isaiah-559/#comments Wed, 25 Jan 2012 15:00:25 +0000 Steve Ridgell http://hopeforlife.org/?p=1277 I am not God.  When I try to make God fit into my understanding, or speak for God based on my reasoning, I have put God on my level.  Better to simply listen to what He says.  And then try to follow it.

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