Thought for the day...

By Rev Billy Graham...

Integrity
Integrity is the glue that holds our way of life together. What our young people want to see in their elders is integrity, honesty, truthfulness, and faith. What they hate most of all is hypocrisy and phoniness. That is why it is important for us to go to church, to read the Bible, and to say grace at the table. Let them see us doing what we would like them to do.

Daily Prayer
Take away the “front,” Father, that so often creeps into my life. I would live in such a way that young people will be drawn to You, too.

 

The things which you learned and received and heard and saw in me, these do, and the God of peace will be with you.
Philippians 4:9 NKJV

 

December 11, 2018
Verse of the Day
You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.
Jeremiah 29:13

 

December 12, 2018
Verse of the Day
Then he called the crowd to him along with his disciples and said: “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me. For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me and for the gospel will save it.
Mark 8:34-35 NIV

 

December 13, 2018
Verse of the Day
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 NIV

 

By Rev Billy Graham...

Bridge the Gap
In searching for ways to bridge the generation gap, there is no doubt that we, as parents, will have to practice what we preach, by striving more and more to bring our conduct into line with our code of beliefs.

No mother can demand that her daughter abstain from sleeping around when she herself is flirting and on occasion compromising her own moral conduct. No father, who wavers between heavy social drinking and occasional binges to the edge of alcoholism, and who can’t speak a pleasant word in the morning until he has had a cigarette, can yell incessantly at his son to get off marijuana, the route that often leads to hard drugs.

Consistency, constancy, and undeviating diligence to maintain Christian character are a must if the older generation is to command respect, or even a hearing, from the young.

Daily Prayer
Younger eyes see my errant behavior, Lord. Help me to be the right example—one which will draw them to You.

 

December 14, 2018
Verse of the Day
In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.
Matthew 5:16

 

December 15, 2018
Verse of the Day
“You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden.
Matthew 5:14

 

By Rev Billy Graham...

The Sufficiency of Christ
In God’s economy, you must go down into the valley of grief before you can scale the heights of spiritual glory. You must become tired and weary of living alone before you seek and find the fellowship of Christ. You must come to the end of “self” before you can begin to live. The happiest day of my life was when I realized that my own ability, my own goodness, and my own morality were insufficient in the sight of God. I am not exaggerating when I say that my mourning was turned to joy, and my sighing into singing. Happy are they that mourn for the inadequacy of self, for they shall be comforted with the sufficiency of God.

Daily Prayer
Lord Jesus, I know that apart from You I can do nothing of lasting value. Help me to come to the end of self and allow You to control the reins of my life.

 

The Lord is near to those who have a broken heart, And saves such as have a contrite spirit.
Psalms 34:18 NKJV

 

By Rev Billy Graham...

The Abundant Life
Do you think that God would have bothered to send His Son to the world, if man had been able to face life and eternity alone? Christ’s coming to the world proved that God was not happy with man’s unhappiness. He sent Him not only that we might have eternal life but that we might have life here and now, and that we might have it more abundantly—Life with a capital L!

Jesus’ teaching was unique and different. He took religion out of the theoretical category and placed it in the practical. He spoke with authority! He spoke with finality! He spoke as though He knew . . . and He did! His was not the soft empty conjecture of the philosopher, who professes to search for truth—but readily admits he has never found it. It was more the confident voice of the mathematician who gives his answers unhesitatingly, because the proof of the answers can be found within the problem.

Daily Prayer
Lord God, I know that I am completely dependent upon You. Thank You for daily providing all that my body needs.

 

Whoever regards one day as special does so to the Lord. Whoever eats meat does so to the Lord, for they give thanks to God; and whoever abstains does so to the Lord and gives thanks to God.
Romans 14:6 NIV

 

Thank you for these many words of wisdom.

 

December 17, 2018
Verse of the Day
Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.”
Luke 6:38 NIV