Welcome back to the Journey. Let me ask you a question. Have you ever found yourself just plain worn out and discouraged by the situations you face on a daily basis? How do we regain our hope? That's what we are going to explore in this episode.

And please, share your thoughts in the comment box on this episode's homepage.

Link to this episode's homepage:

https://www.simplenotshallow.com/the-sns-podcast/126

Scriptures referenced:

1 Peter 1:13 NLT So prepare your minds for action and exercise self-control. Put all your hope in the gracious salvation that will come to you when Jesus Christ is revealed to the world.

1 Peter 4:1,2 The Message Since Jesus went through everything you’re going through and more, learn to think like him. Think of your sufferings as a weaning from that old sinful habit of always expecting to get your own way. Then you’ll be able to live out your days free to pursue what God wants instead of being tyrannized by what you want.

Ephesians 1:17 - 19 The Message I ask—ask the God of our Master, Jesus Christ, the God of glory—to make you intelligent and discerning in knowing him personally, your eyes focused and clear, so that you can see exactly what it is he is calling you to do,

1 Peter 4:8-10 NLT 8 Most important of all, continue to show deep love for each other, for love covers a multitude of sins. 9 Cheerfully share your home with those who need a meal or a place to stay. 10 God has given each of you a gift from his great variety of spiritual gifts. Use them well to serve one another.

Matthew 22: 34-40; Mark 12:28-31; Luke 10:27 The Greatest commandments ever given.

John 15:12 Love each other as I have loved you.

1 Peter 4:8 AMP Above all, have [c]fervent and unfailing love for one another, because love covers a multitude of sins [it overlooks unkindness and unselfishly seeks the best for others].

Proverbs 10:12 NIV Hatred stirs up conflict, but love covers over all wrongs.

Proverbs 10:12 AMP Hatred stirs up strife, but love covers and overwhelms all transgressions [forgiving and overlooking another’s faults].

1 Corinthians 13:4-7 The Message Love never gives up. Love cares more for others than for self. Love doesn’t want what it doesn’t have. Love doesn’t strut, doesn’t have a swelled head, doesn’t force itself on others, isn’t always “me first,” doesn’t fly off the handle, doesn’t keep score of the sins of others, doesn’t revel when others grovel. Takes pleasure in the flowering of truth, puts up with anything, trusts God always, always looks for the best, never looks back, but keeps going to the end.

1Chronicles 29:13, 14 NLT “O our God, we thank you and praise your glorious name! 14 But who am I, and who are my people, that we could give anything to you? Everything we have has come from you, and we give you only what you first gave us!

Philippians 1:21 NIV For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain.

2 Timothy 2:15 NIV Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly handles the word of truth.

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If there is any hope of our reaching our goal of hearing God say to us, "Well done, thou good and faithful servant." There is something we must continually strive to experience: the fullness of the power of the Holy Spirit. For it is his power that gives us wisdom, knowledge, and insight. Join Gerald Yerkes as he explores this with you.

And please, share your thoughts in the comment box on this episode's homepage.

Link to this episode's homepage:

https://www.simplenotshallow.com/the-sns-podcast/125

Scriptures referenced:

Romans 12:1,2: And so, dear brothers and sisters, I plead with you to give your bodies to God because of all he has done for you. Let them be a living and holy sacrifice—the kind he will find acceptable. This is truly the way to worship him. 2 Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect.

2 Corinthians 3: 18: So all of us who have had that veil removed can see and reflect the glory of the Lord. And the Lord—who is the Spirit—makes us more and more like him as we are changed into his glorious image.

Galatians 5:16: So I say, let the Holy Spirit guide your lives. Then you won’t be doing what your sinful nature craves.

Romans 8:6-8: So letting your sinful nature control your mind leads to death. But letting the Spirit control your mind leads to life and peace. 7 For the sinful nature is always hostile to God. It never did obey God’s laws, and it never will. 8 That’s why those who are still under the control of their sinful nature can never please God.

Acts 2:38: Peter replied, “Each of you must repent of your sins and turn to God, and be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. Then you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.

Galatians 4:6: And because we are his children, God has sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, prompting us to call out, “Abba, Father.”

John 7:37-39: On the last day, the climax of the festival, Jesus stood and shouted to the crowds, “Anyone who is thirsty may come to me! 38 Anyone who believes in me may come and drink! For the Scriptures declare, ‘Rivers of living water will flow from his heart.’”[e] 39 (When he said “living water,” he was speaking of the Spirit, who would be given to everyone believing in him. But the Spirit had not yet been given,[f] because Jesus had not yet entered into his glory.)

Galatians 3:13,14: But Christ has rescued us from the curse pronounced by the law. When he was hung on the cross, he took upon himself the curse for our wrongdoing. For it is written in the Scriptures, “Cursed is everyone who is hung on a tree.”[g] 14 Through Christ Jesus, God has blessed the Gentiles with the same blessing he promised to Abraham, so that we who are believers might receive the promised[h] Holy Spirit through faith.

Acts 5:32: We are witnesses of these things and so is the Holy Spirit, who is given by God to those who obey him.”

Philippians 1:10, 11: For I want you to understand what really matters, so that you may live pure and blameless lives until the day of Christ’s return. 11 May you always be filled with the fruit of your salvation—the righteous character produced in your life by Jesus Christ—for this will bring much glory and praise to God.

John 13:34,35: So now I am giving you a new commandment: Love each other. Just as I have loved you, you should love each other. 35 Your love for one another will prove to the world that you are my disciples.”

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So, we've prepared our minds for action; now comes the challenge of what to do with this preparation. In this episode, we will look at the challenge of stepping up to the plate, beginning to exercise... self-control.

And please, share your thoughts in the comment box on this episode's homepage.

Link to this episode's homepage:

https://www.simplenotshallow.com/the-sns-podcast/124

Scriptures referenced:

1 Peter 1: 13-16 NLT: Prepare your minds for action.... Because it is written, "You shall be holy, for I am holy."

Galatians 5:23 NLT: The fruit, gift, of the Spirit is... gentleness and self-control.

Galatians 5:22-23 NLT: But the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.

John 8:31, 32 NLT: You are truly my disciples if you remain faithful to my teachings. And you will know the truth and the truth will set you free.

Philippians 2:12, 13 NLT: Dear friends, you always followed my instructions when I was with you. And now that I am away, it is even more important. Work hard to show the results of your salvation, obeying God with deep reverence and fear. For God is working in you, giving you the desire and the power to do what pleases him.

Luke 14:26-28 NLT: “If you want to be my disciple, you must, by comparison, hate everyone else—your father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters—yes, even your own life. Otherwise, you cannot be my disciple. And if you do not carry your own cross and follow me, you cannot be my disciple. “But don’t begin until you count the cost. For who would begin construction of a building without first calculating the cost to see if there is enough money to finish it?

Gal 5: 16-18 NLT: So I say, let the Holy Spirit guide your lives. Then you won’t be doing what your sinful nature craves. The sinful nature wants to do evil, which is just the opposite of what the Spirit wants. And the Spirit gives us desires that are the opposite of what the sinful nature desires. These two forces are constantly fighting each other, so you are not free to carry out your good intentions. But when you are directed by the Spirit, you are not under obligation to the law of Moses.

John 14: 26 NLT: But when the Father sends the Advocate as my representative—that is, the Holy Spirit—he will teach you everything and will remind you of everything I have told you.

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