Beyond Ourselves Podcast

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Do you have a problem? Are you in a quandary about what to do about something in your life? If you are in need of insight about a course of action or a relationship, look to Christ. Why? Proverbs 3:19 tells us that He is a God of intelligence, skill, and insight which is proved by His creation of the earth and heavens. “The LORD by wisdom founded the earth, By understanding, He established the heavens.” The Hebrew word for understanding means “intelligence, skill, and insight.” In other words, when we look at the earth and heavens, we’re seeing evidence of God’s intelligence, skill, and insight. Trust God to provide you with the wisdom, intelligence, skill, and insight you need for daily life, decisions, and relationships. Pray. Listen. Walk by His Words and Spirit. 

Jesus, we praise You that You are a God of UNDERSTANDING to whom we can look for skill and insight. 

Are you the kind of person who easily feels guilty?  Do you want to live for Christ, but often feel like a failure or like you’ve let God down? Do others remind you of your sin or hold your wrongs over your head? If so, Micah 7:18  is a comforting verse on which to meditate. “Who is a God like You, who pardons iniquity… He does not retain His anger forever, because He delights in UNCHANGING LOVE.” Think about that verse and personalize it. God forgives me. God pardons my sin. God doesn’t stay angry with me. God delights in UNCHANGING LOVE for me.  Yes, we should go to God and others when we sin and ask their forgiveness. Yes, we should practice walking in God’s ways. But not until heaven will we be perfect. God doesn’t forgive us then want us to walk in guilt. Rather, God forgives us so we walk in grace. What a wonderful verse on which to meditate. Is there someone with whom you could share it to encourage them in their faith walk?

Lord, thank You for Your forgiveness and UNCHANGING LOVE! What a blessing You are. 

They pop up. Into our mind. We don’t sit around and try to drum them up. What? Negative thoughts. They sprout like the uninvited weeds in my garden. Among all the beautiful lettuce, spinach, and kale, those pesky weeds poke through the rich soil. I can ignore them, which I’m prone to do. But the fact is, they don’t belong in my garden. I didn’t plant them. I don’t want them. And if I want them out, I’m going to have do something to remove them. It requires time, focus, and energy. The same is true with the negative thoughts that sprout in our minds. We can be going our merry way, rejoicing in the day God has given us, and then up sprouts a negative thought. It doesn’t matter where it came from…the devil, another person, or the deep recesses of our mind.  The fact is, the negative thought is there. Whose responsibility is it to tend to the garden of our mind? Ours. God charged Adam and Eve with the instruction to “Keep the garden” He had given them. He instructs us to set our mind on the things above (Colossians 3:2) and to keep our minds on Him. (Isaiah 26:3) “Keep” means to guard and watch over. So, tip one for ditching negative thoughts is to pay attention to our thoughts. Examine them as I examine my garden. Second, when we have a negative thought, uproot it. Take it to God. Is it true? Is it an honorable thought? Is it even right or have we embellished or imagined it? Is it a pure thought? Is it a lovely thought? Is it a thought of good repute? If not, ditch it. Till thoughts that are excellent. Cultivate thoughts that are worthy of praise. (Philippians 4:8) So, after examining our thoughts, ditch or dwell. Ditch the negative. They make us ugly. (“As a man thinks in his heart, so is he,” Proverbs 23:7) Dwell on the lovely. They make us reflective of Christ.

Lord Jesus, You are beautiful and we want to reflect Your beauty. Help us examine our thoughts and ditch the negative and dwell on the lovely.  

WATCH Thanksgiving Blessing 2020 Video from Debbie

Happy Thanksgiving, friends!

This has been a hard year, hasn’t it?  2020 is a year many of us will not be sorry to see go.

As we celebrate Thanksgiving this year, I’m mindful that there are some of you who are celebrating it in a very different way this year. Perhaps you are alone this Thanksgiving and you’re unhappy about it. I am so very sorry. 

We think of these different celebrations and times of year as being times when we’re with family and friends. When we come together.  But as we think about this Thanksgiving, there is a hope that we have and an encouragement to be found that goes beyond where we’re able to physically be or who we’re physically able to be with, or even if it’s the best of times or worst of times in our lives.

I want you to know that our Heavenly Father cares and He sees you wherever you are. Our Heavenly Father loves you. 

One of the things I love about the change in seasons is it’s such a reminder that whatever we’re experiencing or whatever we’re going through, it is just that – a season. It doesn’t mean that things are always going to stay that way. We must never feel stuck. 

I’d like to invite you to join me in a Thanksgiving blessing. Regardless of where we are – alone or with family and friends, whatever our circumstance, Psalm 136:1-9 points to us the things for which we can be thankful. 

In this Psalm, after each statement of thanksgiving, we’re invited to join in a chorus and say, “For His lovingkindness is ever lasting.” After each statement, voice and mindfully join me in saying, “For His lovingkindness is ever lasting.”

Nobody else’s lovingkindness may be good for you right now. The circumstances may not be good for you right now, but we can in all truth say, “for His, our Heavenly Father and Lord Jesus Christ, His loving kindness is everlasting.” Will you join me? 

Psalm 136:1-9

Give thanks to the Lord, for He is good,

For His lovingkindness is everlasting.

Give thanks to the God of gods,

For His lovingkindness is everlasting.

Give thanks to the Lord of lords,

For His lovingkindness is everlasting.

To Him who alone does great wonders,

For His lovingkindness is everlasting;

To Him who made the heavens with skill,

For His lovingkindness is everlasting;

To Him who spread out the earth above the waters,

For His lovingkindness is everlasting;

To Him who made the great lights,

For His lovingkindness is everlasting:

The sun to rule by day,

For His lovingkindness is everlasting,

The moon and stars to rule by night,

For His lovingkindness is everlasting.

What a great truth from the Lord for us to remember during this Thanksgiving season when we may not have much else for which we can say, “I’m so thankful for this.” There are many things for which we may not be thankful. But for the things we just read as well as many other things, we can say, “Give thanks to the Lord for….”

During this Thanksgiving season, I invite you to join me in focusing our minds, hearts, spirits, and souls on that for which we can be thankful. 

We have a wonderful God who made the heavens and earth, who brings us the seasons that are reminder that just as the seasons change, things in our life change. We can always know that God is constant, and He is faithful, and He is above all rulers and all authorities, and we will one day see Him. And it will make this time on earth a blink in light of eternity. 

So, sweet friends, give yourself a hug from me and tell your Heavenly Father thank you for His loving kindness that is everlasting. 

God bless you and Happy Thanksgiving. 

Some time ago I noticed a vine growing in my flower bed and didn’t know if it was a weed I should discard or if it was a vine I should keep. I had to make a decision. Uproot it or let it grow?  Many today hear spiritual teachings and find themselves like me yet in relation to a matter of much more significance – wondering if they’re hearing a good teaching to which they should adhere or a false teaching they should discard. Jesus doesn’t want us to make the wrong decision. He tells us in John 15:1, “I am the true vine.”  Do you know someone who is allowing vines of secular humanism to grow in their heart rather than growing Jesus’s words and teachings in their heart? If so, what can you do? Bear Christ, the TRUE VINE, and His fruit in your life so they can taste and recognize the real thing.

Lord Jesus, we praise You, the TRUE VINE. Uproot anything in our lives that choke out the fruit of Your presence.

Our world is filled with gods. We focus our time, energy, and money on sports gods, education gods, work gods, money gods, pleasure gods, political gods, and social gods. In effect, we worship them when they become the driving force in our lives and occupy our thoughts, when they affect our mood and emotions.  However, if we want eternal life, Jesus makes it clear in John 17:3 that it is found in knowing the only TRUE GOD. He is to be the object of our love and passion. He is to occupy and control our thoughts, emotions, energy, and resources. We are to love the LORD with ALL our heart, and ALL our soul, and ALL our mind. (Mark 12:30) What or whom are we worshiping and therefore giving power to in our lives?

The last several years, discovering one’s ancestors and genealogy have become increasingly hot pursuits. But it’s not just a recent topic of interest. Genealogy is an important topic in the Bible, as seen in the first verse of the first chapter of the first book of the New Testament.  Matthew 1:1 states, “The record of the genealogy of Jesus the Messiah, the son of David, the son of Abraham.” Just in case someone might doubt Jesus’s rightful place as heir to King David’s throne, His lineage is recorded for the next twenty-five verses.  Yes, Jesus is the Son of God, but He is also the Son of David. Among the many important implications are that He knows what it is to live in human skin –  to need a nap, to feel tears roll down His cheek, and to thirst as He hung on the cross.  Jesus’s genealogy is well proved and we will one day see Him sitting on His throne.

Son of David, we praise You for willingly leaving Your heavenly home to put on flesh and live among us. We love and adore You.

“The record of the genealogy of Jesus the Messiah, the son of David, the son of Abraham:” Matthew 1:1

Today, trust is at an all-time low. Why? People don’t always speak truthfully. Lying appears to have become socially acceptable. But, it’s not acceptable to God. He is the truth and speaks the truth.  Revelation 21:5 NIV records, “He who was seated on the throne said, ‘I am making everything new!’ Then he said, ‘Write this down, for these words are TRUSTWORTHY and true.’”  Jesus wants us to know that if He says something, we can count on it. He and His words are trustworthy and true and He is making everything new. Those are words of hope and encouragement that we need to hear. If there were ever a time that we should listen to Jesus and take hold of the hope of a new day, it’s now. If you’ve been hurt by an untrustworthy person, don’t let that keep you from trusting God. He has an eternal track record of being TRUSTWORTHY.

Listen UP! Here.