We want to hear from you!

It makes us so excited as we keep hearing from so many girls, young women, and women who are doing the Summer Devotions Challenge!!! We know the Lord is revealing Himself and working in mighty ways among us.

We would love to hear what the Lord has been showing you as you are seeking Him this summer! Please send us your testimonies at lovingthelordministries@gmail.com! We hope to post as many testimonies as possible on the blog in the days to come.

A Bigger Picture of God

Recently in my devotions, I was reading in Luke about the birth of John the Baptist (Luke 1). It tells about the miracle the Lord performed in bringing about John’s birth... It is an amazing record of God’s incredible work in preparing the way for Jesus to come and there is so much in this chapter. (I encourage you to read it for yourself!)

As I was reading it this time, this is what really stood out to me - The people who knew Zacharias and Elisabeth (John’s parents) marveled at what the Lord had done in their lives. Everyone who knew them had a bigger picture of God as a result of what they saw Him do in their lives.

It can be the same with our lives! God wants to show those around you and the world Who He is, what He can do, and cause them to marvel.

To do this - “Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.” Matthew 5:16

We must do this - “Then spake Jesus again unto them, saying, I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life.” John 8:12

The key is that we are seeking Him, walking in obedience to Him, and allowing Him to work in and through our lives. (Luke 1:6)

As we do this, not only will we have the treasure of knowing Him more, but He will give the world a bigger picture of Who He is through our lives!

Embrace the beauty of today

Embrace the beauty of this day. This is a day that the Lord has given you to live, breathe, know Him, and walk in His perfect plan for you.

Psalms 118:24, "This is the day which the LORD hath made; we will rejoice and be glad in it."

How is your summer going?

Dear Friends,

How is your summer going? I have been thinking of you often and wanting to post. This summer has been made up of amazingly full days. The Lord has been doing incredible things and we are so excited to share more with you in the days to come!

Please check back for more posts coming soon!

We are praying for you and rejoice to seek the Lord together!

With love in Jesus,
Amy

Hebrews 11:6, "But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him."

Mailing List Update!

We are currently in the process of updating our mailing list information.  

We would love for you to contact us:
- If you have any changes to your contact information
- If you have additional e-mail addresses to add for specific members of your family 
- With friends addresses who would like to be added to the list

Please e-mail us at lovingthelordministries@gmail.com!

We look forward to continuing to keep in touch with you and seek the Lord together!

Your friends at Loving the Lord Ministries

2 Chronicles 16:9,  "For the eyes of the LORD run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to shew himself strong in the behalf of them whose heart is perfect toward him..."

Summer Challenge Begins Today!!!

Just a reminder that the Summer Devotions Challenge begins today!

For more information, you can view the earlier post announcing the challenge and visit our website to download the chart! We encourage you to invite your family, friends, and church to join you in this challenge! Some young women are putting together special groups for this! Please be sure to contact us at summerchallenge09@gmail.com when you begin the challenge, so that we can pray for you and keep you posted on new information! Please also stay posted on the blog for special updates on the Summer Devotions Challenge!

We are so excited to have heard already of so many girls, young women, and women across the country taking this challenge!!!

We encourage you to read the posts from March 11-14 for special ideas on how to make your devotions with the Lord rich and meaningful.

We are looking forward to all that the Lord has in store as we seek Him together this summer!!!

Hebrews 11:6, "...he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him."

A reminder of the Lord's love

The other day I was outside spending some time with the Lord and look what I saw!



1 John 4:19, "We love him, because he first loved us."

"If I live until tomorrow..." [Remembering God's faithfulness]

One year ago tonight...



I was lying on the emergency room bed - in intense pain, with IVs in my hand, and a fever of 103.8. My mom was sitting beside me. The infection I had been battling had become so serious. The nurses were running blood tests to see if the infection had gotten into my blood. If it had, they said things could be very critical.

As I lay there feeling as if the infection was taking over my body, for the first time in my life I truly wondered if I would make it through the night. It was an incredible thing.

The Lord was so near and real to me as I lay there... I had such peace in Him. I said to Him, “Lord, if I die in 30 minutes, I am going to see You face-to-face and that would be SO wonderful!” (I truly was so excited at this thought.) “Yet, if You are not finished with me on this earth and You want me to live to see tomorrow, I want to live every breath for You.”

(There is nothing like being faced with potentially being at the end of your life to make very clear what is important and to help you identify the areas that need to be fully given to the Lord!)

By His grace and perfect will, the Lord allowed me to live to see the next morning. I will never forget the ride home a few hours (and many medical details of which I will spare you!) later. The sun was just rising, the birds were beginning to sing... and my Creator had given me another day to breathe and live for Him. Even more precious than this, I had come to know His faithfulness, care, and presence in a new way.

So, as we celebrate Memorial Day each year, it is now a special memorial to me of God’s faithfulness!

“This I recall to my mind, therefore have I hope. It is of the LORD'S mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not. They are new every morning: great is thy faithfulness. The LORD is my portion, saith my soul; therefore will I hope in him.” Lamentations 3:21-24

May you have a special weekend remembering God’s faithfulness to you!!!

~

(After the night in the emergency room, I ended up in bed for about 6 weeks recovering... Through this time, the Lord taught me so many beautiful lessons that I would not trade for anything! You can watch for them in future blog posts!)

Announcing the Summer Devotions Challenge 2009!

It is with great excitement that we invite all girls and young women to take part in the 2009 Loving the Lord Girls Summer Devotions Challenge!  We know that the Lord has awesome things in store!

Summer is a wonderful time of year.  We enjoy beautiful weather, a more relaxed schedule, lots of fun activities, etc.  Yet, with all of the busyness of running from one thing to the next, irregular schedules, etc. we can sometimes become distracted from what is really important, get disillusioned, and feel discouraged.  We can so often come to the end of the summer and feel a kind of emptiness that results from getting off track in our walk with the Lord.  Just as the grass needs to be watered to keep from drying out in the bright sunlight, so our souls need constant refreshment from time with the Lord and His Word to grow and keep our priorities straight in the midst of many often pleasure oriented activities.

Now that summer is almost here, bringing with it a change of pace, it is the perfect time to begin!  So, we want to invite you to join a bunch of other young women across the country in taking part in this challenge!  We promise you that it will make your summer so much more meaningful and that you will look back at the end of your summer and be so grateful for every moment that you spent with the Lord!  The greatest rewards will be a closer walk with the Lord and knowing His Word and ways in a much better way.   

The Challenge begins June 1st.  We invite you to join us in making this the best summer yet!  

For more details, visit the "Events" section on our ministry website at www.lovingthelordministries.org! 

Hebrews 11:6,  "But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him."

May Ministry Update - Discipleship Training Program Graduation

The Loving the Lord Discipleship Training Program Commencement Ceremony took place on May 2nd, 2009.  It was a powerful time of thanking the Lord for the deep work that He has done in this class over the past 8 months of the course.

Jeff Vest opened the ceremony and offered a word of prayer for the event.

Amy Vest shared the commencement address to the young women on "The Joy of a Life of Loving the Lord, Learning from Him, and Letting Him Shine from Your Life."

Each young woman shared a testimony of what the Lord had done in their hearts over the past months of the course.  These testimonies were dynamic, heart-felt, tear jerking, and God-glorifying.

Each father came up and prayed for his daughter.  These prayers were priceless...

The young women received their diplomas signifying their completion of the DTP course.

Together, we will all press on to know, love, and live for our Lord more each day!

1 Corinthians 2:9,  "But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him."

What Are You Feeding On?

One morning recently, I was running around the house, getting ready to leave for something. (These have been very full days, which have not allowed much time to post on the blog!) As I was getting ready, I was quickly eating some grapes for breakfast. I was getting ready so fast that I wasn’t really paying attention to the grapes I was eating... but, I thank the Lord that I quickly looked at one right before I ate it - and it was going bad. I was so grateful to have looked at what I was eating at that moment!

It made me think of our lives... We are constantly feeding our hearts, minds, and souls on something and it is impacting our lives. Often we don’t think about what we are feeding ourselves, but it is making a big difference. Just like what we physically eat impacts our physical body, so what we “feed on” internally impacts us internally.

This includes what we:
- Think about - Read - Watch - Listen to - Etc.

We want the things that we are feeding our mind, soul, and hearts upon to be things that will nourish us and cause us to grow in our walk with the Lord - not things that will do us no good, or even damage us spiritually!

Things that will help us include:
- His Word
- His character
- What He has done in our lives
- Hymns and songs of worship
- Prayer
- Things that point us to Jesus

Let’s ask ourselves these questions today -
What am I feeding on?
What is the quality of the things I am feeding on?
What will the results of feeding on this be?
What is my goal in life?
Am I feeding on things that will help me with this goal?

Let’s feed ourselves on things that will help us towards our goal to love the Lord more!

Psalm 37:3, (NKJV) “Trust in the LORD, and do good; Dwell in the land, and feed on His faithfulness.”

Seeking Him Together

It has been so wonderful to see and get to meet many of you at different events over the past weeks...





Your hearts to follow and love the Lord are such a blessing...











Together, we will continue to seek to know Him more!











“Then shall we know, if we follow on to know the LORD: his going forth is prepared as the morning; and he shall come unto us as the rain, as the latter and former rain unto the earth.” ~ Hosea 6:3

Romans 11:33-36

“O the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! how unsearchable are his judgments, and his ways past finding out! For who hath known the mind of the Lord? or who hath been his counsellor? Or who hath first given to him, and it shall be recompensed unto him again? For of him, and through him, and to him, are all things: to whom be glory for ever. Amen.”
~ Romans 11:33-36

True Satisfaction

There is no joy in selfish ambition.
Yes, shallow pleasure, but not the deepest, soul-satisfying type.
The only true pleasure comes from pursuit of, and fulfillment in, first Christ and then in His will.
This is what we were created for, and is the only place we will find true satisfaction.

Psalms 37:4, "Delight thyself also in the LORD; and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart."

Trust in the Lord

"Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths."
~ Proverbs 3:5-6

April Ministry Update #2 - Discipleship Training Program

Last Saturday was the final LTL Discipleship Training Program meeting for the class of 2008-2009. We looked at "Gaining a Clear Vision for Your Life" and the importance that we allow Christ to be our vision/purpose in life, walk with Him, and THEN allow HIM to give us a vision for our lives.

Proverbs 3:5-6, "Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths."

It was a powerful time of looking at God's Word, seeking His heart, understanding His ways, and learning how to set goals to make the visions He gives us a reality!

This DTP class has been marked by hearts earnestly seeking God, rich encouragement in following Him, sweet friendships, and honest accountability in seeking the Lord!

We concluded with DTP young women sharing short speeches and personal testimonies from their lives with the rest of the group. It was powerful to hear the special work that the Lord has done and is doing in each life - and the unique message He is giving each young woman to share as a result!

Hebrews 11:6, "But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him."

The Love of God

Today I spent a few moments near the lake watching the sunlight sparkle on the water... This always makes me think of the Lord's love.
As I thought about His love, the words to "The Love of God" came to my heart.

The Love of God

The love of God is greater far
Than tongue or pen can ever tell;
It goes beyond the highest star,
And reaches to the lowest hell;
The guilty pair, bowed down with care,
God gave His Son to win;
His erring child He reconciled,
And pardoned from his sin.

Refrain:
Oh, love of God, how rich and pure!
How measureless and strong!
It shall forevermore endure—
The saints’ and angels’ song.

When hoary time shall pass away,
And earthly thrones and kingdoms fall,
When men who here refuse to pray,
On rocks and hills and mountains call,
God’s love so sure, shall still endure,
All measureless and strong;
Redeeming grace to Adam’s race—
The saints’ and angels’ song.

Could we with ink the ocean fill,
And were the skies of parchment made,
Were every stalk on earth a quill,
And every man a scribe by trade;
To write the love of God above,
Would drain the ocean dry;
Nor could the scroll contain the whole,
Though stretched from sky to sky.

~ by Frederick M. Lehman

Have a beautiful day rejoicing in the Lord's love for you!

Because Jesus Lives

What we remember today is the most important event of all time!

This event was Jesus dying on the cross, taking the punishment for our sins, and rising victoriously from the dead.

Because of what Jesus did, we can:
- be forgiven and cleansed from our sins
- be made right with God
- walk with Him
- live with Him in Heaven for all of eternity

Jesus’ saving work on the cross is open to everyone - IF we will personally realize our need for a Savior, confess our sins to Him, trust in Him to save us, and receive Him as our Lord and Savior.

Romans 10:9, "That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved."

When this is real in our lives, then we can have the relationship with the Lord that we were created for and grow in knowing, loving, and living for Him!

There is nothing greater about which to rejoice!!!

May today be a meaningful day of rejoicing in Jesus’ resurrection, treasuring your salvation, and standing in awe of the love the Lord had to reach out to us that we might walk with Him and live with Him forever!

Romans 5:8, "But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us."

Jesus, Thank You For The Cross

Jesus, thank You for the cross.
Where You hung for me.
The place You suffered utmost loss,
That ransomed I may be.

You gave Your all and suffered,
That through You I may live.
Compared with this no thing,
I have is too much to give.

When you suffered, bled, and died,
To pay my sins penalty.
The wrath of God was satisfied,
And my soul could be set free.

Oh, Jesus, thank You for the cross,
The picture of Love so true.
For through Your perfect sacrifice,
I can know and walk with You.

~ A. Vest 4/9/09

April Ministry Update #1 - MACHE Conference

This past weekend, Loving the Lord Ministries hosted a booth at the MACHE Conference in St. Paul, Minnesota. The Lord met with us in special ways over the weekend.



Amy Vest gave a workshop on "The Power and Potential of Your Youth for God," encouraging young people to live their youth to the fullest with, and for, the Lord. Many parents also attended with the desire to encourage their children towards this goal.



We offered our spiritual growth materials and were blessed as people brought it home with a desire to seek the Lord.

We had the joy of meeting wonderful new friends...

...enjoying great conversations, sharing information, praying with people about specific situations...

...and getting to be with many of you!

"For he established a testimony... That the generation to come might know them, even the children which should be born; who should arise and declare them to their children: That they might set their hope in God, and not forget the works of God, but keep his commandments." ~ Psalms 78:5-7

Psalm 63:1&3

"O God, thou art my God; early will I seek thee: my soul thirsteth for thee, my flesh longeth for thee... Because thy lovingkindness is better than life, my lips shall praise thee."
~ Psalm 63:1&3

BTG Follow-up Completed!

Congratulations to all of you who participated in and completed the Beautiful to God 30 Day Follow-up!

We trust that you have grown closer to the Lord and He has continued to do His beautiful work in you!

It was so exciting to seek Him together and we look forward to continuing to do so in the days to come!

As you continue to seek Him, we are claiming the promise that, "...He which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ." Philippians 1:6

Day 30 - BTG Follow-up - Your Personal Choice

The essence of a life that is beautiful to God is:

Someone who has come to Jesus for the forgiveness of her sins, accepted Him as her Lord and Savior, given Him full control of her life, and now is seeking and living for Him with all of her heart.

It is a life that is SET APART for the Lord.

YOU must personally make this choice! Noone can make it for you! Will you respond to this call to seek the Lord and live a life that is beautiful to Him? There is nothing better in the world!

~ DON’T SETTLE FOR ANYTHING LESS THAN GOD’S BEST!!!! Is. 55:8-9 The Lord’s ways are so much higher than ours and SO WORTH IT!!!!!!!

~ Seek the things that will encourage you in Christ and get rid of the things that distract you from Him and living for Him. Heb. 12:1-2

~ TASTE the Lord’s goodness and the fulfillment of a life lived for Him for yourself! If you have already begun to do this, seek to do it more! I am on this quest with you! Ps. 34:8

~ Continue seeking and growing in the Lord every day! It is the most incredible, life-long journey! Every day is an opportunity to grow closer to the Lord and become like Him! Never settle for where you are at in your walk with the Lord. Press on to know Him more! Hos. 6:3

~ Keep your eyes on Jesus. Seek to know, love and obey Him with all that you are! Your relationship with the Lord is the most important thing! Everything else will flow out of it! Remember, "The main thing is to keep the Main Thing, the main thing."

~ When the Lord is your best Friend and Treasure and you love Him, all of the other areas of life will fit together!

Matt. 22:37-40 - "And he said to him, "You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the great and first commandment. And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. On these two commandments depend all the Law and the Prophets."

Matt. 6:33 - "But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you."

As you focus on, seek, and follow the Lord, you will know Him, find true fulfillment, love Him, and become more like Him.
As a result, you will become beautiful to God and impact your world for Him!

He is calling YOU to this - Will you respond?

Today ~
- Write a summery statement of what God has done in your heart these past 30 days!
- Review the goals that He has given you and find an accountability partner to encourage you in seeking His best for your life!
- Tell the Lord your decision to live for Him and ask Him for His help to live a life that is beautiful to Him!

As you continue to seek, love, and live for Him, you will see the reality that, "...Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him." 1 Corinthians 2:9

Day 29 - BTG Follow up - Setting Goals

It is so important that we seek the Lord for His will, set goals towards fulfilling it, and take action on those goals!

Someone once wisely said, "No one plans on being mediocre, mediocrity is the result of no plan at all."

Proverbs 29:18 tells us, "Where there is no vision, the people perish: but he that keepeth the law, happy is he."

One of the greatest temptations we face is to drift through life without clarified goals or true vision. In Christ we are called to so much more than this, friends! Proverbs 14:15 says, "...the prudent man looketh well to his going." Let your vision be Christ. As you seek and keep your eyes on Him, allow Him to give you a vision for your life and to help you set goals that will help make that vision real in your life.

A goal is something that helps you clarify your priorities, grasp what you want to accomplish, and give you something towards which to work.

It is so important that you personally seek the Lord and set goals for your life!

As you set goals, ask yourself:
- Why am I here on earth?
- What are (should be) my priorities?
- Where will these priorities and the resulting choices lead?
- How will this impact my life, those around me, and eternity?

A good process for goal setting is to seek the Lord and:
- Confirm what your goal is. (Set realistic goals. This could be memorizing a verse or two of Scripture a week vs. memorizing the book of Job in a day!)
- Figure out how you are going to practically work towards it. (See below.)
- Ask the Lord for His help. (We can’t do this on our own, but God gives us grace to do everything He calls us to do!)
- Take action! (Goals are good, but if you don’t act on them, they are not going to help you much!)

For example, my biggest goal is to know the Lord more. Writing it out could be something like this:
Goal #1 - To know the Lord more.
Application to life:
- Give Him priority over other things.
- Spend time with Him every day. (Even set a certain amount of time and what part of the day you will aim for.)
- Read a book that will encourage you in your walk with Him.

~ Today - Seek the Lord and set 3 goals for your life. Write out application steps for each goal. Choose 1 goal to focus on today.

We’d love to hear what your goals and plans of action are! E-mail them to us at lovingthelordblog@gmail.com!

Proverbs 4:26, "Ponder the path of thy feet, and let all thy ways be established."

Day 28 - Follow-up - Living for What Matters

Life is so short. All we do in this life impacts eternity - the life to come! That is FOREVER!

Let’s ask ourselves - "What really matters?" Our relationship with the Lord, His Word, and people’s souls are the only things that will last for eternity.

It is important that we keep an eternal perspective. "How will this impact eternity?" This doesn’t mean that you never get together with a friend, or are refreshed, but even then, what is the purpose of it? It likely will mean that you spend more time reading God’s Word than surfing the internet. Sometimes it will mean opting out of "pleasure" activities, so that you can invest your time in something that lasts. It is worth it!

We were meant to live lives that are filled with joy, fulfillment, and meaning. This will come as we focus on, seek, and live for what really matters!

Isaiah 55:2, "Wherefore do ye spend money for that which is not bread? and your labour for that which satisfieth not? hearken diligently unto me..."

It is a daily, moment-by-moment choice. As we make this choice through the day, let’s ask ourselves these questions, "Is this what the Lord wants me to do?", "When I stand before the Lord, will I be glad I did this?", and "Will this last for eternity?"

"Only one life, twill soon be past, only what’s done for Christ will last."

Day 27 - BTG Follow-up - God's Work Through You

The Lord wants to use you to impact this generation - and eternity - for Him!

Esther 4:14 says, "...who knoweth whether thou art come to the kingdom for such a time as this?"

The Lord has had His women in every generation:
~ The Esthers, Hannahs, Ruths, and Marys of the Bible.
~ The Susanna Wesleys, Amy Carmichaels, and Gladys Alywards through the ages.
~ And, in this generation, He is calling YOU!

These other women made the choice to walk closely with God and to allow Him to do whatever He desired in and through their lives. He wants to, and will, do the same with you, if you allow Him to!

It will all depend upon the choices you make - which will determine how closely you know the Lord and how fully you live for Him! There is such a need today for people to stand up and live for what is right!

The need is great for young women to live the lives of Truth and freedom that God has called us to. Lives that triumph the cause of Christ and the Gospel in this generation. Lives of purity, devotion, and conviction. Lives that show what truly matters.

The Lord is calling you. He is saying like He did in Isaiah’s day, "Whom shall I send? Who will go for us?" Let our response be, "Here am I! Send me."

Let’s allow Him to work through us! (2 Cor. 4:7) This can be serving at home, at church, at school, with relatives, with each person with whom you come in contact, in your city... and anywhere else!

As you step out in faithfulness to God - He is going to use you to fill that need!

You are "...come to the kingdom for such a time as this!"

"...I heard the voice of the Lord, saying, Whom shall I send, and who will go for us? Then said I, Here am I; send me." Isaiah 6:8

March Ministry Update #2 - Girls' Discipleship Gathering

This month we had our final Girls' Discipleship Gathering for the year.

In our session time, we looked at God’s personal work in our lives and hearts. God is a personal, individual God. Because He loves you, He wants you to know Him, wants to shape you into His Image, and wants to accomplish something special through you - but, He must first work IN you. He is doing something so special in you. Our individual responsibility is to seek Him, desire for Him to work in us, and embrace His work in our lives.


Many young women shared testimonies of what the Lord has been doing in their lives. It was so exciting to see in a deeper way how real, personal, and wise our Lord is!

We also spent time in prayer and discussion groups, singing, and great fellowship!

We are so grateful for what the Lord did in our time seeking Him together this past year!!!

Philippians 1:6, "Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ."

Day 26 - BTG Follow-up - Choices

Who you are today is the result of the choices you have made.

Each day is filled with defining moments.

The result of every choice will either draw you closer to the Lord or push you from Him!

It is so important that we make our choices carefully!

Choices we make every day include:
~ Priorities
~ Friends
~ Use of time
~ Input - What you watch, read, listen to
~ Output - What you do, say, act like
~ How spend money
...and more!

Seek the Lord and His wisdom as you make your choices. Choose what will help you to know Him. The more you do this, the more you will taste Him, see that He is good, love Him, and desire to make more choices that will bring you closer to Him!!!

"...choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve..." Josh. 24:15

March Ministry Update #1 - Discipleship Training Program

This month the LTL Discipleship Training Program met and we covered "The Joy and Freedom of Obtaining the Lord's Perspective" and "How to Make Your Bible Living and Exciting." We discussed the importance of really seeking the Lord and how we can go to a deeper level in our walk with Him.

After our meeting, we had a special time of refreshments, tea, and lots of fellowship. A highlight was going around the table and sharing about each of our journeys in our relationships with the Lord! He is amazing and every day presents the opportunity to know Him more. We all left desiring to press on in our journey with Him!

Hebrews 11:6, "But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him."

(To learn more about the Discipleship Training Program, you can visit our website at www.lovingthelordministries.org.)

Day 24 - BTG Follow-up - Your Attitude

Our attitude shows what is inside of us.

It is the result of the condition of your heart and what you choose to believe - which affects how you respond to life.

The attitude you have when you do things is really important! God cares about your heart. 1 Samuel 16:7, "...the LORD looketh on the heart."

The more that your life is based on the Lord, and the more He is in control of your life, the more stable and unchanging your attitude will be. Malachi 3:6, "For I the Lord do not change..."

Psalms 43:5 is a powerful reminder of how to have a good attitude, "Why art thou cast down, O my soul? and why art thou disquieted within me? hope in God: for I shall yet praise him, who is the health of my countenance, and my God."

When our hope is in God, we have every reason to smile (have a healthy countenance!) and our souls cannot be cast down! I find that when I am having a hard day, it is when I am hoping in something besides the Lord!

You have salvation in Christ! What greater reason is there to have a good attitude? Psalms 35:9, "And my soul shall be joyful in the LORD: it shall rejoice in his salvation." When we really keep that in perspective, a good attitude will come a lot more easily.

Make the choice to have a good attitude by accepting the Lord’s grace, basing your life on Him, and rejoicing in the reality that you are His!

Today ~ Choose to base your life on the Lord, to think and believe His Truth, and to have a good attitude that brings glory to Him!

Day 23 - BTG Follow-up - Meditating on Scripture

There is incredible power in Scripture meditation - Reflecting upon the Word of God and allowing Him to make it to come alive to you.

Psalms 1:1-3 gives us a special promise about meditating on Scripture.
"Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful. But his delight is in the law of the LORD; and in his law doth he meditate day and night. And he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that bringeth forth his fruit in his season; his leaf also shall not wither; and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper."

Special helps in meditating on Scripture:
~ Ask the Lord to help you understand the verse(s)
~ Think about what it means
~ Ask how it applies to your life
~ Personalize the verse ("Blessed is (your name) if she does not walk in the counsel of the ungodly...")
~ Pray the verse to the Lord ("Lord, You say that (quote verse) - Will You help me to do that?")
~ Record what you learn
~ Let your mind be fixed on it as you go through the day (You can do this when you have memorized it!)
~ Seek to apply it to your life, with the Lord’s help!

Today ~ Take the verse you memorized yesterday and meditate on it.

"This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate in it day and night, that you may observe to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success." Joshua 1:8

Day 21 - BTG Follow-up - Thoughts and Truth

Your thoughts are so very, very important!

Your thoughts shape who you are - What you choose to THINK will affect what you BELIEVE and what you believe will affect your BEHAVIOR. So, really, what you choose to think about will affect your relationship with Christ, the way that He is glorified in your heart, and then what your witness is for Him in the world.

It is critical that we choose to think true thoughts that will lead us in the right direction!

The key to telling what thoughts are true and what are false is to compare them to the Bible.

This is one reason it is so important that we are faithful to do the following:
~ Read Scripture
~ Memorize Scripture
~ Meditate on (think about and study) Scripture
(We will cover these more in the days to come!)

Remember this: *True thoughts bring us freedom, lies of the enemy bring us bondage.*
John 8:32 says, "And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free."

If we see that a thought is not true, 2 Corinthians 10:5 tells us what to do:
"We are destroying speculations and every lofty thing raised up against the knowledge of God, and we are taking every thought captive to the obedience of Christ."

Let’s set our minds on Christ, fill them with Truth, and seek to bring every one into obedience to Christ!

"Therefore if you have been raised up with Christ, keep seeking the things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your mind on the things above, not on the things that are on earth. For you have died and your life is hidden with Christ in God." Colossians 3:1-3 (Emphasis added)

Today:
- Spend 5 minutes reading Scripture.
- Look at your thoughts. Ask yourself if they line up with Scripture - are true thoughts.
- Choose to accept God’s grace to bring every thought to the obedience of Christ!

Ps. 139:23-24 - "Search me, O God, and know my heart! Try me and know my thoughts! And see if there be any grievous way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting!"

Day 20 - BTG Follow-up - Purity of Life

Purity of heart will flesh out in purity of life.

Mark 12:30 says, - "And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength."

We can love the Lord through seeking to have purity of heart, soul, mind and strength.
ALL of the areas of purity are so important, seen by God, and affect our lives and walk with Him!

Let’s look at the areas and related verses:
~ Heart - "Keep your heart with all vigilance, for from it flow the springs of life." Proverbs 4:23

~ Emotions - "This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh." Galatians 5:16

~ Mind/Thoughts - "Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things." Philippians 4:8

~ Body/Actions - "Do you not know that you are God's temple and that God's Spirit dwells in you? If anyone destroys God's temple, God will destroy him. For God's temple is holy, and you are that temple." 1 Cor. 3:16-17

Today - Look at each area (heart, soul, mind, and strength) and allow the Lord to show you at least one thing that He wants to purify in that area of your life. Accept His grace to make any changes that will help you towards purity!

Keep in mind the purpose - to be able to see the Lord more clearly! Matt. 5:8

Day 19 - BTG Follow-up - A Pure Heart

"Blessed are the pure in heart for they shall see God." Matthew 5:8

Let’s allow this verse to be our motivation for purity in our lives!

Desire to have a pure heart and life so that you can see God clearly!

The purer your heart is, the more clearly you can see Him. The more you see God for who He is, the more you will love Him. This will lead you to desire to follow and obey Him with all that you are!

Remember that God cares so much about your heart condition - not just that you do what is right on the outside. When your heart is pure, purity of life will flow out naturally.

2 Timothy 2:22 - "So flee youthful passions and pursue righteousness, faith, love, and peace, along with those who call on the Lord from a pure heart."

Today - Ask yourself what things encourage you towards purity and what things hurt you in the area of purity. Pursue the things that help you and get rid of the things that hurt you.

1 Timothy 4:12 - "Let no one despise you for your youth, but set the believers an example in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith, in purity."

Day 18 - BTG Follow-up - A special verse for the day

This morning in my personal devotions, I was reading in 2 Peter 1. The Lord gave me verse 2 as my special verse for the day.

"Grace and peace be multiplied unto you through the knowledge of God, and of Jesus our Lord." (Emphasis added)

I have found it to be so true that the more I truly know the Lord (not just in my head, but in my heart) and experience the reality of who He is, the more I have grace and peace in my life!

I would encourage you to (and am doing this myself!):
1. Ask the Lord, and look for, a special Bible verse as you read and carry it with you through the day.
2. Seek to know Him more! (Go back and look at the ideas on Day 4 of the BTG Follow up on "Seeking the Lord.") Then you will experience His grace and peace in deeper ways!

We would love to know the verses that the Lord gives you as you seek to know Him! Please e-mail them to us - lovingthelordblog@gmail.com!

May God's grace and peace be multiplied to all of us today as we increase in our knowledge of Him!