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Are You Growing in Your Faith?

5 Lessons from the Grapes

“Are You Growing?”

My late Senior Pastor used to love asking the congregation that question.

Pastor J knew and stressed the importance of growing and maturing in the Lord (and in different areas of our life). He emphasized that God wanted His children to grow and mature just like earthly parents expect their kids to grow and mature and develop.

How do we grow in our faith?

Some key ways are by consistently spending time reading the Bible and praying and worshipping and fellowshipping with other believers.

It’s that simple and yet that challenging …

If you’re one of my faithful Readers, you probably already know that God likes to show me things through nature.

I’m sharing the above pics of grapes because these pics speak volumes to me.

I took the pics on three separate occasions earlier this year to document the growth process.

The grapes show some truths about growth:

  • Growth takes time.
  • Growth happens in stages or seasons.
  • Growth happens as we stay connected to the vine.
  • Growth can be painful, but pruning is a necessary part of the process.
  • Growth happens on God’s timetable. We can’t rush the process.

The grapes didn’t grow overnight.

Neither do we.

Are you growing in your faith?

Or are you feeling stuck or stagnant?

Are you staying connected to the True Vine?

Consider what Jesus says about abiding in Him. These are some of my favorite Bible verses:

“I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener. He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes so that it will be even more fruitful. You are already clean because of the word I have spoken to you. Remain in me, as I also remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me.

“I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing. If you do not remain in me, you are like a branch that is thrown away and withers; such branches are picked up, thrown into the fire and burned. If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. This is to my Father’s glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples. (John 15:1-8 NIV)

If you’re looking to grow in your faith, here are a few ways I can help:

Empowering Online Class for Ladies: Don’t miss the Abounding Faith: Choosing Faith over Fear course that starts next Tuesday evening on September 13. Learn more here.

Personalized Life Coaching: I’d be delighted to help you grow and go from feeling:

  • frazzled to focused
  • frustrated to fruitful
  • fearful to fierce

Learn more about Christian Life Coaching here.

Inspiring Books Be encouraged and inspired as you walk by faith, prepare for your breakthrough and dare to live your God-given dreams. Abounding Faith FIVE Christian living books empower and equip you to stand firm in your faith.

Uplifting email: Sign up for Abounding Faith’s FREE email list and get a dose of inspiration delivered right to your inbox. When you sign up, you get immediate access to the FREE 5-day Feisty Faith Devotional Sampler PDF. The sampler gives you a taste of the inspiring and empowering 365-day devotional, Feisty Faith: Trusting God Day by Day devotional (available on Amazon). Looking forward to sending you uplifting emails on Monday afternoons with info about my latest encouraging blog posts, upcoming books and other projects or events.

Encouraging Social Media: I’d love for you to be part of Abounding Faith’s online community. Abounding Faith is on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter and Pinterest. Be encouraged as you scroll throughout the week.

Edifying Podcast: The uplifting Abounding Faith for Today podcast has 40 short and encouraging episodes that will help bolster your faith. You can listen to the Abounding Faith for Today podcast wherever you listen to podcasts including:

Inspirational YouTube Channel: There are 155 encouraging and uplifting videos on Abounding Faith’s YouTube channel that will inspire you and help spur on your faith. The short videos are shot near and far (including during past short-term missions trips, vacations, around NYC and trips to my bday castle…). Check them out and be sure to subscribe, like, comment and share the site with others.

Let’s grow and flourish together this year!

And may your faith be fueled, your hope ignited and your heart set ablaze with the love of God!

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Did this post encourage you? Get access to the FREE Feisty Faith: Trusting God Day by Day 5-Day Sampler PDF as a gift when you sign up for Abounding Faith’s email list. Get updates on Abounding Faith’s books, blog, podcast, life coaching and more by clicking here or the image below.

All Scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®. Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.™ Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide. www.zondervan.comThe “NIV” and “New International Version” are trademarks registered in the United States Patent and Trademark Office by Biblica, Inc.™

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7 Bible Verses to Help You Abound in Love

During these trying times and days of civil unrest, let’s continue to look to the Bible for direction and guidance on how to treat each other. The Bible, God’s love letter to us,  admonishes us over and over again to love one another.

God is the epitome of love. And love is one of the fruits of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22-23).

This passage from 1 John 4:7-12 spells things out so clearly and so profoundly:  

“Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God. Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love. This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him. This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins. Dear friends, since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. No one has ever seen God; but if we love one another, God lives in us and his love is made complete in us.”

God’s love for us is Miraculous and Lovely. May we allow God’s love and grace to flow through us.

Here are 7 Bible verses to help you as you grow and abound in God’s love for others:

  1. Love is the mark of a true disciple – “A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.” (John 13:34-35)
  2. Love means caring for others – “Jesus replied: ‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.’” (Matthew 22:37-40)
  3. Love brings unity  – “My prayer is not for them alone. I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message, that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me.  (John 17:20-21)
  4. Love is crucial among God’s children – “So in Christ Jesus you are all children of God through faith, for all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. There is neither Jew nor Gentile, neither slave nor free, nor is there male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus. If you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise.” (Galatians 3:26-29)
  5. Love is to be shared generously  – “Let no debt remain outstanding, except the continuing debt to love one another, for whoever loves others has fulfilled the law.” (Romans 13:8)
  6. Love should extend even to your enemies – “You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be children of your Father in heaven. He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous. If you love those who love you, what reward will you get? Are not even the tax collectors doing that? And if you greet only your own people, what are you doing more than others? Do not even pagans do that? Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect.” (Matthew 5:43-48)
  7. Loving God means loving others – “Whoever claims to love God yet hates a brother or sister is a liar. For whoever does not love their brother and sister, whom they have seen, cannot love God, whom they have not seen.” (1 John 4:20)

If all this loving others seems hard and overwhelming, fret not. Ask God to fill you with His love, grace, mercy and compassion for others. 

If you’re grieved and appalled by all the sin and injustice going on, remember that we live in a fallen world where hate and violence and sin run rampant. But where sin abounds, grace much more abounds (Romans 5:20).

We’re called to love one another and overcome evil with good (Romans 12:21). 

Blessings to you as you walk in abounding faith, hope and love!

“And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.” (1 Corinthians 13:13)

All Scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®. Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.™ Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide. www.zondervan.comThe “NIV” and “New International Version” are trademarks registered in the United States Patent and Trademark Office by Biblica, Inc.™

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3 Bible Verses About Kindness

I’m continuing my series based on the Fruit of the Spirit found in Galatians 5:22-23, “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law.”

This month I’m focusing on the fruit of kindness. The Bible is filled with examples of people being kind to one another. There is David being kind to his late friend Jonathan’s son Mephibosheth by restoring his family’s land to him and giving him a seat at his banquet table (2 Samuel 9:7). Boaz was kind to Ruth by providing her a safe place to glean grain and giving her extra provision for her and her mother-in-law Naomi, who were both widows at the time (Ruth 2:8-23).

Jesus described what it looks like to love your neighbor and to be kind to them by sharing the parable of the good Samaritan who stopped to help the Jewish man who was left half dead by robbers on the road to Jericho. Although Jews and Samaritans despised each other, the Samaritan in Jesus’ parable bandaged the Jewish man’s wounds, took him to an inn and cared for him and paid the innkeeper to look after the wounded man until the kind Samaritan returned from his trip  (Luke 10:25-35).

What a powerful lesson on being kind even to your enemies!

Kindness is contagious. Ever get inspired by seeing someone hold the door open for a stranger or seeing someone pay a stranger’s bill at the register?

Kindness doesn’t have to cost a thing. A smile, a warm greeting and saying thank you are all great ways to be kind.

Kindness can leave a lasting impression on a person. Think back to when someone visited you when you were ill, shared an encouraging word with you or took time to pray for you. How did that make you feel?

We can sometimes be in such a rush or be so absorbed in our own lives and problems that we forget to be kind to those we encounter throughout our day.

As Christians, we’re called to be kind. Thankfully, we have the Holy Spirit living inside of us and He can give us the strength and grace to be kind and gentle to those we cross paths with in our busy lives.

Here are a few verses to encourage you as you go about being kind to others:

  • “Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.” (Ephesians 4:32)
  • “A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.” (John 13:34-35)
  • “Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity.” (Colossians 3:12-14)

Today is a great day to start being more kind!

What intentional acts of kindness can you perform this week? Is there someone you could call, write or visit? Is there someone you can bless by treating them to a meal, watching their kids or running an errand for them?

I’d love to hear about some of your acts of kindness! Be sure to share them in the comments below. Blessings!

Did this post encourage you? Get my weekly blog posts emailed to you for free by clicking here or the image below. When you sign up, you’ll also get access to the new “7 Journal Writing Prompts to Help You Wait on God Well” PDF as a free gift.

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For more encouragement, read my books Waiting on God Well: How to Prevent Breaking Down on Your Way to Your Breakthrough and Abounding Faith: 30 Bible Heroes Who Will Inspire You to Believe God for the Impossible! To learn how I can come alongside of you as your Life Coach or to invite me to speak at your event, visit my website www.aboundingfaith.com. Check out Abounding Faith’s online store here. You can also find me on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, Instagram, and Pinterest.

THE HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®, NIV® Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.™ Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.

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3 Bible Verses About Patience!


I’m continuing my series based on the Fruit of the Spirit found in Galatians 5:22-23, “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law.”

I have to admit that patience, or forbearance, is still not my favorite Fruit of the Spirit. I’ve gotten much better with waiting on God over the years, but it can still be struggle.

How about you? Are you waiting for a breakthrough in your finances, health, or personal life?

We’re all waiting on God for something, so it’s important how we wait.

I’m grateful for the Holy Spirit’s supernatural patience that helps us as we wait with expectancy for God to move in our lives and to fulfill His promises to us.

In my book Waiting on God Well: How to Prevent Breaking Down on Your Way to Your Breakthrough I share insights I’ve learned while waiting as well as encouraging Bible verses, actions steps, and reflection questions to help you during your season of waiting.

Here are just 3 Bible verses to help you during your waiting season:

  • “I remain confident of this: I will see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living. Wait for the Lord; be strong and take heart and wait for the Lord.” (Psalm 27:13-14)
  • “He says, ‘Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth.'” (Psalm 46:10)
  • “And so after waiting patiently, Abraham received what was promised.” (Hebrews 6:15)

There’s no short cut to becoming a patient person. It comes with much prayer, surrender to God’s timing, much practice with having patience with people, and with trusting that God is faithful and that He will see you through!

Waiting on God isn’t easy, but it is worth it! Blessings to you as you patiently wait in faith for God to move in your life as He has promised in the Bible and to your heart!

Did this post encourage you? Get my weekly blog posts emailed to you for free by clicking here or the image below. When you sign up, you’ll also get access to the new “7 Journal Writing Prompts to Help You Wait on God Well” PDF as a free gift.

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For more encouragement, read my books Waiting on God Well: How to Prevent Breaking Down on Your Way to Your Breakthrough and Abounding Faith: 30 Bible Heroes Who Will Inspire You to Believe God for the Impossible! To learn how I can come alongside of you as your Life Coach or to invite me to speak at your event, visit my website www.aboundingfaith.com. Check out Abounding Faith’s online store here. You can also find me on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, Instagram, and Pinterest.

THE HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®, NIV® Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.™ Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.

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3 Bible Verses About Peace

I’m continuing my series based on the Fruit of the Spirit found in Galatians 5:22-23, “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law.”

Each month, I’ll pick a fruit and share a few thoughts and verses about it.

I’m focusing on the fruit of joy this month.

My late Pastor of more than a decade used to share a story about a painting of a bird that was on a tree branch singing. There’s nothing extraordinary about a singing bird. That’s what they do all the time, right?

When it’s bright and sunny outside, you can hear the beautiful sound of birds chirping away.

But that wasn’t the scene in the painting. What made this painting so memorable is that the bird was singing away as a storm raged all around it.

That, my friend, is a picture of peace!

It’s natural to feel peace when you’re lying on the beach or on vacation somewhere. It’s supernatural to feel peace when all hell is breaking loose around you.

How can Christians stay at peace despite the winds and the waves howling around them?

That comes through the Holy Spirit living inside of us! It’s not our ordinary peace that sustains us, but His extraordinary peace that helps us through whatever storm or trial we are facing.

Here are 3 Bible verses I hope will encourage you as you meditate on them, believe them, and apply them to your life:

  • “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.” (John 14:27)
  • “Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 4:6-7)
  • “You will keep in perfect peace those whose minds are steadfast, because they trust in you.” (Isaiah 26:3)

God is not surprised or unaware of what you are going through. Be at peace knowing that God Almighty is powerful enough to keep you and guard you no matter what struggle you are going through. He will see you through!

Did this encourage you? Get my weekly blog posts emailed to you for free by clicking here or the image below. When you sign up, you’ll also get access to the new “7 Journal Writing Prompts to Help You Wait on God Well” PDF as a free gift.

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For more encouragement, read my books Waiting on God Well: How to Prevent Breaking Down on Your Way to Your Breakthrough and Abounding Faith: 30 Bible Heroes Who Will Inspire You to Believe God for the Impossible! To learn how I can come alongside of you as your Life Coach or to invite me to speak at your event, visit my website www.aboundingfaith.com. Check out Abounding Faith’s online store here. You can also find me on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, Instagram, and Pinterest.

THE HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®, NIV® Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.™ Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.

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3 Bible Verses About Joy!

I’m continuing my series based on the Fruit of the Spirit found in Galatians 5:22-23, “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law.”

Each month, I’ll pick a fruit and share a few thoughts and verses about it.

I’m focusing on the fruit of joy this month.

Joy is different than happiness. Happiness usually depends on your circumstances. You get a raise, you plan a trip, you hear good news and you feel happy.

That’s wonderful, but that’s not true joy. As a Christian, you can experience joy even when you’re having a bad day because joy doesn’t depend on your circumstances. Real joy flows from Christ living inside of you.

Because of the Holy Spirit’s beautiful and powerful work inside of you, you can be having a rotten day but still be bursting out in worship. You can be crying, but praising and thanking God anyway.

It’s hard to explain, but you know it when you feel it. Here are a few Bible verses that talk about joy:

  • “Do not grieve, for the joy of the LORD is your strength.” (Nehemiah 8:10)
  • “Those who sow with tears will reap with songs of joy.” (Psalm 126:5)
  • “Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything. (James 1:2-4)

I don’t want to make light of whatever you may be going through. I would like to remind you that God is good no matter what.

You woke up this morning. You can read this. You have a roof over your head and food on your table. You are blessed! I hope that makes you smile.

You may not see the answer to your prayers yet, but don’t let the enemy steal your joy. Instead of having a pity party, have a praise party!

God loves you! God is with you! God is working things out for your good (Romans 8:28).

Are you feeling joyful yet?

Don’t dwell on what you don’t have or what is going wrong in your life. Look up! God is still on the throne. Amen! Here’s a bonus verse from the apostle Paul, “Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice!” (Philippians 4:4)

Did this encourage you? Get my weekly blog posts emailed to you for free by clicking here or the image below. When you sign up, you’ll also get access to the new “7 Journal Writing Prompts to Help You Wait on God Well” PDF as a free gift.
WOGW journal prompts header 1-16-17

For more encouragement, read my books Waiting on God Well: How to Prevent Breaking Down on Your Way to Your Breakthrough and Abounding Faith: 30 Bible Heroes Who Will Inspire You to Believe God for the Impossible! To learn how I can come alongside of you as your Life Coach or to invite me to speak at your event, visit my website www.aboundingfaith.com. Check out Abounding Faith’s online store here. You can also find me on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, Instagram, and Pinterest.

THE HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®, NIV® Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.™ Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.

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3 Bible Verses About Love!

Copy of Fruit of the Spirit Series

I’m launching a new series this month based on the Fruit of the Spirit found in Galatians 5:22-23, “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law.”

Each month, I’ll pick a fruit and share a few thoughts and verses about it.

I’m starting with the fruit of love. There are so many verses to choose from especially since the Bible is God’s love letter to us!

I’d like to share verses that talk about three important aspects of love:

God’s love for us! “But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” (Romans 5:8)

Our love for God! “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength.” (Deuteronomy 6:5)

Our love for others! “A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.” (John 13: 34-35)

Amid all the chocolate and flowers that are bought and given this month, it’s good to stop and think about these aspects of love. Allow me to ask you a few questions based on the above verses:

How are you doing with rejoicing in God’s unconditional love for you? Are you taking the time to bask in and to thank God for His matchless love? Everything we do should flow from that knowledge that God is love and that He loves us!

How are you doing with loving God? Are you taking the time to worship and praise God simply for who He is? That shouldn’t be reserved just for Sunday morning service or only for when you get good news.

How are you doing with loving others? It’s not about the car you drive, the neighborhood you live in, the clothes you wear, or your job title and salary. That’s not what sets you apart as a child of God. Jesus said people would know you are His disciple by how you love others. He told His disciples to love each other as He loved them.

If all this is a little overwhelming to you, I’d like to remind you that everything we do flows out of God’s love for us. The more you mediate on Bible verses about God’s amazing love for you and reflect on His perfect love, the more you’ll love Him back and be able to love others.

I pray God will give you a fresh revelation of His supernatural love for you! Embrace it! Celebrate it! And then share it with others!

Blessings!

Did this encourage you? Get my weekly blog posts emailed to you for free by clicking here or the image below. When you sign up, you’ll also get access to the new “7 Journal Writing Prompts to Help You Wait on God Well” PDF as a free gift.

WOGW journal prompts header 1-16-17

For more encouragement, read my books Waiting on God Well: How to Prevent Breaking Down on Your Way to Your Breakthrough and Abounding Faith: 30 Bible Heroes Who Will Inspire You to Believe God for the Impossible! To learn how I can come alongside of you as your Life Coach or to invite me to speak at your event, visit my website www.aboundingfaith.com. Check out Abounding Faith’s online store here. You can also find me on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, Instagram, and Pinterest.

THE HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®, NIV® Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.™ Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.

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