The Joy of the Lord IS my Strength!

Stay in God's Favor

God loves everybody, but there is a favor that is earned by showing yourself faithful to Him. Jesus was said to have "increased...in favour with God and man" (Luke 2:52). We don't earn His grace, but we do prove ourselves faithful and receive His approval of us through obedience, and with this favour comes his blessings!

The Joy of the Lord IS my Strength!

We need strength to make it every day, and God has provided that to us from the very start of our experience with Him. The Fruit of the Spirit has Joy right near the front of the line! Joy gives us the strength, which is the positive attitude and encouragement we need to overcome. We need Joy!

Live to Glorify God (and avoid pride)

We all want to be acknowledged and honored, but it is dangerous when we become our own mouthpiece for praise. We should live our lives in a way that glorifies the Lord and brings honor to Him. And in doing so, we also protect our hearts from being overrun with pride, which God hates!

Alow yourself to be led into unity by the Spirit

Well all want to say we are united, but are we really? Maybe you are in unity about one thing, but not another. What are we to do? Why do we even need unity? Does it really matter that much to the Lord? Let's consider these things and see what the scripture says!

Don't Let Your Heart Harden

So many things come at us in this life. One of the worst choices we can make is to let our hearts harden, which means we are not soft towards forgiveness or the prompting of the Lord. We must protect our heart, teach it to only accept those things that are good and just, and guard against seeds of bitterness that grow into resentment and then unforgiveness.