Author: Rev. Obadiah Swen
DEVELOPING A HEALTHY SELF-IMAGE
“I will praise You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made; Marvelous are Your works, And that my soul knows very well.” - Psalms 139:14
By most standards, Carly should not have made it. Overweight, with one leg slightly shorter than the other as the result of a childhood accident, Carly was the lone woman employed in a largely male dominated field. She had to earn her right to be heard nearly every day. Some people laughed at her appearance or her halting walk; some made snide remarks behind her back, some were inconsiderate to her face, but Carly paid little attention. She knew who she was, and she knew she was good at what she did, so when other people attempted to put her down, she regarded them as having the problem. "Emotionally challenged," she often quipped about her detractors.
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40 DAYS OF ABUNDANT LIVING – LIVING FAVOR MINDED – PART 2
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And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them. - Rom. 8:28
Joel Osteen told the story of God’s favor of an instance in 2001, when they wanted to expand their television outreach on one particular network. He asked the man who represents them to contact the network and check into acquiring the Sunday-night eleven o'clock time slot.
Their representative said, "Joel, there's just no way. That's a national network. That time is much too valuable. They'll never give it up."
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40 DAYS OF ABUNDANT LIVING – LIVING FAVOR MINDED – PART 1
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“What is man that You are mindful of him, and the son of man that You visit him? For You have made him a little lower than the angels, and You have crowned him with glory and honor.” - Psalm 8:4-5
A couple wanted to enroll their son in a particular private school, but his birthday fell four days after the cutoff date, necessitating a yearlong wait. They felt strongly that their child would do better by starting school with children his own age, so they called the school to see if they could make an exception.
"No way," the registrar told them. "I'm sorry; that's against the rules and we never make an exception. Your child will have to wait another year."
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40 DAYS OF ABUNDANT LIVING – BREAKING THE BARRIER OF THE PAST
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We are human, but we don’t wage war as humans do. We use God’s mighty weapons, not worldly weapons, to knock down the strongholds of human reasoning and to destroy false arguments. We destroy every proud obstacle that keeps people from knowing God. We capture their rebellious thoughts and teach them to obey Christ. 6 And after you have become fully obedient, we will punish everyone who remains disobedient. - 2 Corinthians 10:3-6
It is almost difficult to remember that only a few decades ago, track-and-field experts pompously declared that no runner could break the four-minute-mile barrier. A human being couldn't run that far, that fast, for that length of time. "Experts" conducted all sorts of profound studies to show it was impossible to beat the four-minute barrier. And for years, they were right. Nobody ever ran a mile in less than four minutes.
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40 DAYS OF ABUNDANT LIVING – BELIEVING GOD HAS MORE FOR YOU
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“Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us.” - Ephesians 3:20
When Phyllis was sixteen years old, she got pregnant and had to leave high school. Her dreams were shattered, and she was heartbroken. She rented a cramped, small apartment in which to live and raise her son. But she soon realized it was never going to work out. She didn't have enough money, and she was living off handouts. Eventually she had to go on public assistance- welfare. She was barely surviving in poverty, defeat, and despair.
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40 DAYS OF ABUNDANT LIVING – RAISING YOUR LEVEL OF EXPECTANCY
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“Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.” Hebrews 11:1
In his late forties, Brian felt as though everything in his world was falling apart and coming down on his shoulders. His business went bankrupt. He lost his family through divorce. His health was deteriorating. At one time, he had been an extremely successful man. But now, for many years he had merely existed, living with no joy, no peace, and no zest.
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40 DAYS OF ABUNDANT LIVING – ENLARGING YOUR VISION
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“Enlarge your house; build an addition. Spread out your home, and spare no expense! For you will soon be bursting at the seams….” Isaiah 54:2-3
From the time she was a little girl, Tara Holland dreamed of becoming Miss America. In 1994, she entered the Miss Florida pageant and won the title of first runner-up. She decided to try again the following year. She entered the same contest, and once again, won the prize as first runner-up. Tara was tempted to feel discouraged, but she stayed focused on her goal.
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40 DAYS OF ABUNDANT LIVING – INTRODUCTION
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“… I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly.” John 10:10b NKJV
Years ago, a famous golfer was invited by the king of Saudi Arabia to play in a golf tournament. He accepted the invitation, and the king flew his private jet over to the United States to pick up the pro. They played golf for several days, and enjoyed a good time. As the golfer was getting on the plane to return to the United States, the king stopped him and said, “I want to give you a gift for coming all this way and making this time so special. Anything you want. What could I get you?”
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40 DAYS OF ABUNDANT LIVING CAMPAIGN OVERVIEW
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This fall, our church will be participating in a 40 Days of Abundant Living Campaign, which will run for seven weekends beginning on Sunday, September 29, 2013 and ending on Sunday, November 10, 2013. This spiritual growth campaign (40 Days of Abundant Living) is designed to answer one God’s most important promises to His people: “Living Abundantly.” The events of the Campaign will give us opportunities to commit to habits of spiritual growth, memorize scripture, fellowship with other believers, serve in a ministry, share our faith, and learn to live a lifestyle of worship to the glory of God. We are excited as we envision our entire congregation living in alignment with God's purposes for their lives, and the impact this could have on our church and our community!
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DAY 3 – LIVING BEYOND THE LIMITS
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When was the last time God worked through you in such a way that you knew beyond doubt that God had done it? In fact, when was the last time you saw miracles happen on a regular basis in your life? If you're like most believers, you wouldn't know how to ask for that kind of experience, or even if you should.
The Prayer of Jabez has been opening up lives to Gods mighty working for many years. I hope that you desire to reach for a life that will be "more honorable" for God. Not that you wish others to reach for less, but for you, nothing but Gods fullest blessing will do. When you stand before Him to give your accounting, your deepest longing is to hear, "Well done!"