Author: Mark Farley

Hearing and Doing

Hearing and doing equals action… 


Wouldn’t it be nice if we could just absorb information and it instantly transformed us? 


I would love to buy the CD of whatever product is selling on TV promising me incredible life changing results and just plug it into my listening device and have the words bring the transformation instantly. 


Heck, I could be healthier, wealthier, and wiser! 


But… 


Most of us know that is not how it works. 


Work is the operative word here. 


We have to provide not only the WILLINGNESS to CHANGE but also the ACTION and WORK…


Check your experience… 


“To be vital, faith must be accompanied by self-sacrifice and unselfish, constructive action.” Big Book pg 93 

Lord, let us hear and act when Your Holy Spirit and Word give us direction, AMEN. 

“So pay attention to how you hear. To those who listen to my teaching, more understanding will be given. But for those who are not listening, even what they think they understand will be taken away from them.” Luke 8:18 


Have a blessed day y’all! 

Join me in looking at the things we face daily with passages from both the Big Book and Bible! 


https://www.amazon.com/s?k=pastor+mark+farley&ref=nb_sb_noss 


How about a daily dose of hope and inspired thought? 

The Consequences of Free Will


The consequences of free will… 


We have speed limits that suggest how fast we should go. 


We have warning labels on products to help us understand their intended use. 


We even have instructions on other things to help us use them correctly, like “rinse, lather, repeat.” 


Even though we are free to do what we want, ignoring these suggestions can lead to consequences. 


It’s the same with our free will. 


While we can choose to behave any way, we like, but we are still accountable spiritually and morally. 


I have made enough poor choices in my journey to learn that I GET what I GIVE. 


These days I try to follow the speed limits and align my will with God’s instead of doing my own thing. 


How’s it working out for you?.. 


Check your experience… 


Wasn’t it because self-reliance failed us?” Big Book pg. 68 


Lord, let us enjoy the blessings and grace of seeking Your will and not be blinded by the illusions of self will, AMEN. 


“You say, “I am allowed to do anything”—but not everything is good for you.” 1 Corinthians 6:12 


Have a blessed day Y’all! 


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Stinkin’ Thinkin’

Get rid of the stinkin’ thinkin’… 


Perhaps it’s different for you, but there is a magic magnifying glass in my mind that loves to try to increase the size and focus of the negative side of life. 


Heck, it even tries to grow the size of fears as they attempt to crop up in my mind. 


Thank God that through His Spirit living in me that I can quickly shift the focus of this magnifying glass onto positive and productive things and away from the things that my fear based and prideful self-centered will wants to dwell on. 


I have found that when changing my thoughts and attitudes to more positive things, better actions and behaviors follow. 


How’s that working out for you?.. 


Check your experience… 


“When I focus on what’s good today, I have a good day, and when I focus on what’s bad, I have a bad day. If I focus on a problem, the problem increases; if I focus on the answer, the answer increases.” Big Book pg. 419 


Lord, thank You for your Holy Spirit residing in each of us that helps us to focus our hearts and minds on things of Your will and not be held hostage by our own fear based self-will, AMEN. 


“Brothers and sisters, think about the things that are good and worthy of praise. Think about the things that are true and honorable and right and pure and beautiful and respected.” Philippians 4:8 


Have a blessed day Y’all! 


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Knowing and Doing

The difference between knowing and doing… 


I got honest and saw my addiction to sugar and bad carbs, this was my daily dilemma… 


I was supposed to be losing weight, yet I had dessert. I needed to make healthy eating choices, yet I found myself at the Taco Bell drive thru …AGAIN! 


Is it because I am weak willed and cannot control my sugar addiction? 


Nope, it’s the fact that I continued to choose my selfish and self-centered will over seeking God’s will. 


My heart KNOWS what I need to do, but my head does it anyway. 


This is not only the difference between knowing and doing, but also why my character defects left unchecked keep me unhealthy and in self-will. 

Do you have things you are doing that you know you should not be?… 


Check your experience… 


“Were entirely ready to have God remove all these defects of character” Big Book Step 6, pg. 59 


Lord, let us give you our weaknesses and temptations in return for strength and support to stay in Your will for us, AMEN. 


I want to do what is good, but I don’t. I don’t want to do what is wrong, but I do it anyway.” Romans 7: 19 


Have a blessed day Y’all! 


Join me in looking at the things we face daily with passages from both the Big Book and Bible! 


https://www.amazon.com/s?k=pastor+mark+farley&ref=nb_sb_noss 


 How about a daily dose of hope and inspired thought? 

Charging Our Spiritual Battery

Is your battery fully charged?..


30 plus years ago when cell phones were new, they were an oddity and not accepted yet as a necessity, rather just an expensive “toy” if you will. 


Nowadays they are in everyone’s hands. 


They are our timekeepers, personal assistants and sadly in ever-growing numbers, our main form of communication and connection with others. 


What is funny to me is that with all this technology in our hands, we are now a society dependent on electrical outlets! 


Tour any airport for the best example of this! 


We are reduced to depending on the electrical outlet to give us the power we need to run our lives electronically. 


I am sure this will change in a few years but it’s a great example of where our dependence on power rests. 


What about our spiritual lives? 


How and where are we drawing our power from? 


Red Bulls are great, but I am not receiving the spiritual boost I need from the little metal can. 


Self-help books are great supplements, but alone by themselves, the needed power is not there. 


God is our power source when it comes to spiritual things and especially when we face life’s twists, turns, trials, tests, and temptations in our daily lives. 


Plug into His Word and Promises and recharge…


Check your experience… 


“Much has already been said about receiving strength, inspiration, and direction from Him who has all knowledge and power.” Big Book pg. 85 


Lord, thank you for being our never-ending source of power, energy, and life, AMEN. 


“He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak.” Isaiah 40:29 


Have a blessed day Y’all! 


What if you had a person who coached and mentored you in building a better life? 


 Inspired 365 Life Coaching with Mark Farley!! 


https://www.faiththroughworksfellowship.org/inspired-365-life-coaching 


Want in? 


[email protected]

Battle of the Thoughts

Thought battles… 


Perhaps you don’t experience this type of thought, but this thought still tries to negatively influence me from time to time. 


It’s a thought born of self-will and fueled by fear, and lack of faith. 


The thought comes and tries to convince me that I am not good enough and or I don’t have what it takes.


Thank goodness for the Holy Spirit living in my heart! 


It reminds me that faith overpowers fear and if I just seek God’s will and not my own, it will turn out just fine. 


Guess what? 


It does! 


How do you handle your doubts? 


Are they fueled by fear and self-driven thinking?..


Check your experience…


“I had needed and wanted God. There had been a humble willingness to have Him with me-and He came.” Big Book pg. 12 


Lord thank you for you Holy Spirit residing in our hearts to help us quiet fears and doubt, AMEN.


“For God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love” 2 Timothy 1:7 


Have a blessed day Y’all! 


Join me in looking at the things we face daily with passages from both the Big Book and Bible! 


https://www.amazon.com/s?k=pastor+mark+farley&ref=nb_sb_noss 


How about a daily dose of hope and inspired thought? 

Walk Your Talk

Walk your talk… 


In today’s world of social media you can share your every activity with the world on Facebook, post photos of your meals on a host of public sites like Instagram, and even broadcast your workout routines and progress for all to see on MyFitnessPal and other apps. 


What is weird to me is that we all want to look and see! I mean, really, I love my friends and family, but I could really care less what their gourmet healthy salad looks like, or that they are… whatever their current Facebook status is! 


It seems our lives have become broadcast material for all to see. 


In some ways, I feel this is a good thing. 


Leading a transparent life is a Spiritual principle and helps us to be accountable for our actions and deeds


 
However, with the ability of social media to show our lives to others instantly, we now must be aware that we live in a fishbowl and others can see our actions and measure them against our words. 


Now more than ever, it’s important for us to walk our talk!.. 


How’s this working out for you?.. 


Check your experience… 


“As we go through the day we pause, when agitated or doubtful, and ask for the right thought or action.” Big Book pg. 87 


Lord, let us live transparently through seeking Your will for us daily, AMEN.


“You can’t keep your true self hidden forever; before long you’ll be exposed. You can’t hide behind a religious mask forever; sooner or later the mask will slip, and your true face will be known. You can’t whisper one thing in private and preach the opposite in public;” Luke 12:3 


Have a blessed day y’all! 


Join me in looking at the things we face daily with passages from both the Big Book and Bible! 


https://www.amazon.com/s?k=pastor+mark+farley&ref=nb_sb_noss 


How about a daily dose of hope and inspired thought? 

Soul Cleaning

Is it time for “Spring Cleaning”?…


January has come and gone, perhaps the “resolutions” we made followed suit too. 


When March arrives thoughts of Spring Cleaning begin to fill our minds. 

Have you ever considered a spiritual spring cleaning? 


Sure we can pray for changes in our life circumstances and trust me, God is ready, able, and willing to bring the needed changes in our lives… 


BUT ..


He cannot bring about these changes until we roll up our sleeves and participate in our own “spring cleaning”. 


We must willingly look at and take action to rid our lives of toxic behaviors, actions, and thoughts…


 Check your experience… 


“There has been a revolutionary change in their way of living and thinking.” Big Book pg 50 


 Lord please help us be willing to provide the needed efforts and actions to bring about the needed changes in our lives, AMEN. 


“So get rid of all the filth and evil in your lives, and humbly accept the word God has planted in your hearts, for it has the power to save your souls.” James 1:21 


Have a blessed day y’all! 


What if you had a person who coached and mentored you in building a better life? 


Inspired 365 Life Coaching with Mark Farley!! 


https://www.faiththroughworksfellowship.org/inspired-365-life-coaching 


Want in? 


[email protected]

Are We a Good Tree or a Bad Tree?

Are we producing good fruits?..


We are the product of our thoughts, actions, and behaviors. 


Actors play roles and assume traits of the characters they are portraying. 


I think I began to learn this when I realized that the 6 Million Dollar Man was not real when I was young. 


We are who we are and even though we can be tempted to hide behind a work role or a hobby role, God sees and knows us no matter what. 


We become the product of our actions, thoughts, and behaviors. 


If we are full of anger, resentment, and tend spout negative words, we become that angry miserable person that others avoid. 


If we look for the good and continuously focus on helping others then we tend to have the transparent life that others see and trust. 


What kind of fruits are you producing?..


Check your experience…


“He was on a different footing. His roots grasped a new soil.” Big Book pg. 12 


Lord help us to produce your spiritual fruits of kindness, trust, and grace, AMEN. 


“Either make the tree good and its fruit good, or make the tree bad and its fruit bad; for the tree is known by its fruit.” Matthew 12:3


Have a blessed day Y’all! 


Looking to volunteer or plug into an existing helping opportunity in the Greater Phoenix AZ area? 


Visit Servants Hearts! 


It’s a free site to help connect folks with volunteer and helping opportunities! 


http://aservantsheart.us 

Attractive Heart?

Is your heart attractive?..


It was fun living with a teenager. 


When she was younger, watching our daughter spend time attending to her looks made my heart smile to see that she was at that age where she wanted to put her best appearance forward, no matter what the occasion. 


I still did not totally get the outfits but thank goodness her mother did! 


Miss Kai is so appearance conscious that I even get tips on how I can dress better. 


I am glad to know that while it’s good to pay attention to our outward appearance, it’s even more important to pay attention to our internal and spiritual appearance. 


Is our heart attractive and full of good thoughts and God’s will or are we trying to hide our selfish desires there and keep them covered in false words and deeds? 


God can see our hearts and knows us better than we can ever imagine…


Check your experience… 


“Here was something at work in a human heart which had done the impossible.” Big Book pg. 11 


Lord, open our hearts for a spring cleaning to rid us of selfish wants and desires that can guide us away from Your grace and peace, AMEN. 


“But the Lord said to Samuel, “Do not look on his appearance or on the height of his stature, because I have rejected him. For the Lord sees not as man sees: man looks on the outward appearance, but the Lord looks on the heart.” 1 Samuel 16:7 


Have a blessed day Y’all! 


Please help us help others! 


http://www.furniturebank.us/arizona-tax-credit.html 


Donate today!