Category: Guys With God

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Trading the Truth for a Lie

Truth or consequences… 


Perhaps you have a better handle on this, but it can get confusing for me at times to know when I am getting the truth or a lie with respect to information. 


Looking at information for just about anything these days takes a measure or patience mixed with persistence to sort through the word vomit and visual imagery to learn the truth needed to make a decision. 


Trying to help Miss Tami find sunscreen for her face became a hunting expedition as we read ingredients and learned about all kinds of scary stuff that is part of the ingredients in some brands. 


I am neither a scientist nor an expert, but it seems to me that putting various concoctions and mixtures of alcohol and mineral oils on one one’s face cannot be good in the long run, let alone make a good sunscreen for sensitive skin! 


 Experience, trust, and faith are the anchors I depend on to get me through. 


We found the brand she likes and lo and behold, no alcohol or mineral based petroleum products are used! 


This experience leads me to my thought for today,.. 


How are we reading the ingredients that we are putting into our spiritual lives? 


Are we getting the good soul food from God’s Word or….


Are we getting “junk food” and chemical substitutes that make us feel good for the moment but have no lasting spiritual nutritional value?…


Check your experience…


“We have seen the truth demonstrated again and again:” Big Book pg. 33 


Lord, let us look for Your Truth in seeking Your will and learning from Your Word, AMEN. 


“They exchanged the truth of God for a lie,” Romans 1:25 


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? 

Thank You Veterans!

Thank you for your Service and God Bless Chuck Jackson, Rick Jackson, Scott Jackson, Nick Farley,  Charles King, Russell Priddy, Curtis Smith, Eric Fowlston, John R., Coop, Bill S., Roger, Tyler, Dan H., my Sponsor Jim R., Phil, Adam, Mel, KD, Dave C., Raenee, and all Veterans past, present, and future. 


Your honor, duty, sacrifice, and service keep us safe, protected, and free! 


“Our real purpose is to fit ourselves to be of maximum service to God and the people about us.” Big Book pg. 77 


Lord, we thank and honor those who protect our freedom by serving our country. May You constantly bless them and their families, AMEN. 


 “Greater love has no one than this that he lay down his life for his friends.” John 15:13 


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 a one-on-one coach to get you out of where you are? 


 Email today and let’s chat to see if we can make up a plan for you to get you to where you want to be! 


[email protected]

It’s a Matter of the Heart

 It’s a matter of your heart… 


Have you ever had a situation where even though you are there, your heart’s not in it? 


Perhaps it’s out of your immediate control and for the greater good you need to be there, but given your preferences, you would choose to be elsewhere. 


I am sure we all have these times, and we manage to get through them just fine. 

What about your faith? 


While it’s good to go to church and participate in worship, 


it’s not so good if our hearts are not in it. 


God doesn’t care where we are physically at, 


but He does want our hearts to be open and full of faith. 


Believing is a heart matter and our actions show our faith… 


Check your experience… 


“It was only a matter of being willing to believe in a Power greater than myself. Nothing more was required of me to make my beginning.” Big Book pg. 12


Lord, let us keep our hearts open and filled with our belief in You and Your promises, AMEN. 


“For it is by believing in your heart that you are made right with God, and it is by openly declaring your faith that you are saved.” Romans 10:10 


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 Power of Choice

The power of choice… 

We face many choices daily but for me, the most important and constant choice I face is to either seek God’s will or follow my own self-will. 


Maybe some folks think like I used to think   when I was first saved that I no longer had to battle with life’s twists, turns, trials, and temptations, because I had Jesus in my heart.

However, the fact is that God loves us so much that even though through Baptism He fills our heart with His Holy Spirit,
 
He loves us so much and so unconditionally that He allows us to keep our free will


Now perhaps it’s different for you, but this is exactly why I must make the choice daily and even hourly at times to seek His will and not give into my selfish self-centered will. 


How do you handle this choice?… 

Check your experience… 


“Before we begin, we ask God to direct our thinking, especially asking that it be divorced from self-pity, dishonest or self-seeking motives.” Big Book pg 86 


Lord, thank You for loving us so completely and unconditionally that you let us keep our free will. Let us exercise this power of choice and choose to seek Your will in all things, AMEN.   


“Today I have given you the choice between life and death, between blessings and curses. Now I call on heaven and earth to witness the choice you make. Oh, that you would choose life, so that you and your descendants might live! You can make this choice by loving the Lord your God, obeying him, and committing yourself firmly to him. This is the key to your life. And if you love and obey the Lord, you will live long in the land the Lord swore to give your ancestors Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.” Deuteronomy 30:19-20 


Have a blessed day Y’all! 


Join us in prayer and with your financial support as we tackle the challenge of helping and mentoring young adults aging out of the Foster Care System.

https://homesfromheaven.org/ 


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Count the Cost

What is the total cost?.. 


Anyone who knows me understands my preference to avoid numbers in just about every situation that I can. 


What I have learned in life and in school is that everything has a cost. 


Not only a numerical valued cost, but also the cost of time, effort, relationships, and growth. 


It’s pretty easy to count the numerical cost in most things. 


My wallet and my bank account are a constant reminder that I am not made of money. 


Now maybe it’s different for you, but it’s those other costs that are the most expensive to me. 


I have learned to ask myself what is the cost; to the relationship, time, as well as what value is to be gained. 

Needless to say, whenever Miss Tami or my daughter needs me, that automatically wins, …


but what about the time I spend on other matters that may or may not be healthy for me or my relationships with my family, friends, and Jesus?… 


Check your experience… 


“Simple, but not easy; a price had to be paid.” Big Book pg. 14 


 Lord, let us include our loves, our priorities, and our relationship with You when we count the cost of our efforts, AMEN. 


“But don’t begin until you count the cost.” Luke 14:2


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 a one-on-one coach to get you out of where you are? 


 Email today and let’s chat to see if we can make up a plan for you to get you to where you want to be! 


[email protected]

Teachable

 Becoming teachable…


Remember the last time you were able to lay aside your preconceived notions, expectations, and self-made opinions in order to truly learn something new? 


Yeah, it’s been a while for me too! 

Part of having free will and becoming an adult is this magic magnifying mind that we have that likes to unconsciously grow and feed from our perceptions and experiences. 


It tries to predict situations for us as well as attempts to harden our hearts through our own self-made assessments and judgements. 


Until we stop this process and set aside the ability and power it has over us, we cease to truly grow spiritually. 


Kids don’t have this. 


They look to us with wide eyes and open minds thirsty to learn. 


It’s only when we can open our minds willingly in this manner can God truly teach us and fill our hearts with His Spirit and wisdom.


 Are you still willing and able to be teachable?..


Check your experience…


“But after a while we had to face the fact that we must find a spiritual basis of life-or else.” Big Book pg 44 


Lord let us set aside our own thoughts and become teachable like a child for Your Word, AMEN. 


“He said: I tell you the truth, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.” Matthew 18:3 


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? 

Fixing Broken Connections

Fixing those broken connections… 


Have you ever noticed the amount of stuff available that helps us to fix things? 


From the self-help meccas of Home Depot and Lowes to the auto parts stores, hardware stores, deep discount big box stores, and even grocery stores, there are kits, tools, parts, and supplies that allow us to fix just about everything. 


There are even YouTube videos available for non-mechanical folks like me that will show us how it’s done! 


What about the spiritual and relational connections in our lives that need repair? 


Sure, there are self-help books, counseling, and therapists to help, but just like all the stuff in our homes we can fix, it requires willingness, effort, and honest hard work on our part. 


The good news is that when Jesus sees our efforts and willingness, HE uses the Holy Spirit living within each of us to guide us on the repair of the relationship with Him as well as others in our lives… 


Check your experience… 


“The central fact of our lives today is the absolute certainty that our Creator has entered into our hearts and lives in a way which is indeed miraculous.” Big Book pg. 25 


Lord let us open our hearts to let the Holy Spirit guide us in repairing and maintaining all of our relationships according to Your will and not ours, AMEN. 


“Jesus replied, You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment. A second is equally important: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.” Matthew 22: 37-38 


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? 

Personal Power Source

What is your power source?..


Red Bull, coffee, Protein shakes, Power Bars, and all sorts of other products promise us energy. 


Many other products promise to enhance our power. Bodybuilders and folks into fitness and exercise routines gain physical strength and stamina, but, ….


Where do we really get our POWER from? 


 We see stories from time to time about folks doing superhuman feats to save another or help someone in danger. 


I bet if you take a look at the events of your lifetime there have been a few times where you have had to “dig deep” to find that extra needed effort to complete a task or endure an unpleasant situation. 


Where did that power come from? 


Honestly, I know I am lying to myself if I try to claim it came only from me. 


I know for fact that through my faith in God and my walk with Jesus that He equips me with the power I need for every situation. 


 How about you?..


Where does your power come from? …


Check your experience. … 


“We had to find a power by which we could live, and it had to be a Power greater than ourselves.” Big Book pg. 45 


Lord thank you for giving us the strength we need to not only accomplish the task or endure the situation, but also to allow You to work through us to help others, AMEN. 


 “I can do all things because Christ gives me the strength.” Philippians 4:13 


Have a blessed day Y’all! 


Join us in prayer and with your financial support as we tackle the challenge of helping and mentoring young adults aging out of the Foster Care System.

https://homesfromheaven.org/ 

Corrupt Data?

 Corrupt data… 


Have you ever heard of this term? 


Corrupt data comes from errors in reading, writing, transmitting, and processing data. 


These days, we can have computer trouble, TV trouble, and even car trouble when data is corrupted. 


It can be fixed by finding and fixing the error. 


We can also have corrupt data in our lives. 


The thoughts that we allow to drive our behaviors and influence our actions can be corrupted from misunderstandings, bad examples, and self-will unchecked. 

This leads to hardened hearts and misery for all. 


 God can fix the errors that corrupt our spiritual data. 


We just have to become willing and let Him. 


How is the data transmission from your head to your heart?.. 


Check your experience…


“Nevertheless, we find that our thinking will, as time passes, be more and more on the plane of inspiration. We come to rely upon it.” Big Book pg 87 


Lord, let us open our heats to allow Your Spirit to guide our thoughts, actions, words, and will, AMEN. 


“Everything is pure to those whose hearts are pure. But nothing is pure to those who are corrupt and unbelieving, because their minds and consciences are corrupted.” Titus 1:15


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? 

Thought Battles

Picking our battles… 


Perhaps it’s different for you but every now and then when I am alone with my thoughts, the quiet thought that has been with me for most of my life tries to remind me that not only am I a loser but also I am not worthy of others. 


Now thankfully I have enough Jesus in my heart and step work from over 30 years of sobriety to remind me quickly that this thought is not mine, it is from my disease; 


get it? 

DIS-EASE… 


The disease of addiction capitalizes on this for those times when we struggle with self-doubt and or fear. 


I am thankful for my picket fence of friends in sobriety and my brothers and sisters in ministry who constantly remind me that God is using me for His will and I need to continue with my passion for helping others. 


How are you handling your thoughts of DIS-EASE?.. 


Check your experience… 


“Our thought-life will be placed on a much higher plane when our thinking is cleared of wrong motives.” Big Book pg.86 


Lord, let us go to war on our thoughts and not let thoughts of doubt and fear control our minds, efforts, and actions, AMEN. 


“We fight with weapons that are different from those the world uses. Our weapons have power from God that can destroy the enemy’s strong places. We destroy people’s arguments 5 and every proud thing that raises itself against the knowledge of God. We capture every thought and make it give up and obey Christ.” 2 Corinthians 10: 4-5 


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 a one-on-one coach to get you out of where you are? 


 Email today and let’s chat to see if we can make up a plan for you to get you to where you want to be! 


[email protected]