Category: Guys With God

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Be the change you want to see

There are times in my life when I don’t like the direction I’m going. What do I do? To many times I point fingers. I may blame others, or the situation. What I didn’t do enough in the past was ask myself, ”what can I do to change things? What is in my control?” I didn’t have the courage or confidence in the past to do anything. I let life control me. That has changed. As I continue to grow in my relationship with Jesus, and the men He has out into my life, I am getting better at taking over the things I control. I am taking action. If I want to see things differently in my life, I have to take a step. One step at a time! If I want to see change in my life, it has to start with me. I have to be the change in my life that I want to happen.

Truth or Lies?

Exchanging the truth for a lie… 


Part of being human and having free will is dealing with the constant challenges we face daily for our attention and focus. 


There are all kinds and types of never-ending noise around us attempting to grab our attention and take us hostage emotionally. 


We are led to believe by many tricksters and false prophets that their product or service will fix us and make us complete. 


It never ends, or so it seems…


The gift of free will is that we can consciously choose what we focus on and what we allow to grab our attention. 


The person, place, thing, or situation that we allow to dominate our mind will eventually invade our heart and drive our behaviors. 

It becomes our God. 


So the suggestion I want to make today is to take a long look in the mirror and ask ourselves, what or who is our God? ..


Check your experience…


“We had to fearlessly face the proposition that either God is everything or else He is nothing.” Big Book pg. 53 


Lord let us open our hearts and minds daily to turn our will and lives over to You to be free of the worldly false Gods, AMEN. 


“They exchanged the truth of God for a lie, and worshiped and served created things rather than the Creator.” Romans 1:25 


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 

Get a Grip

Get a grip… 


There is a big difference between being in the grip and in getting a grip. 


When something has a grip on us, like an illness, we are almost powerless over it until it releases us. 


However, when we get a grip on something, like our Spiritual life, we control the effect it has on us through our motives and efforts. 


Experience along with good counsel from many wiser than me has taught me to get a grip on my Spiritual life instead of remaining in the grip of the worldly clamors of pride, anger, greed, lust, envy, gluttony, and sloth. (PAGLEGS) 


How’s this working out for you? 


As always, please ….check your experience… 


 “It is easy to let up on the spiritual program of action and rest on our laurels. We are headed for trouble if we do.” Big Book pg. 85 


Lord, let us get a grip on our relationship with You through time in Your Word and prayer, AMEN. 


“With all these things in mind, dear brothers and sisters, stand firm and keep a strong grip on the teaching we passed on to you both in person and by letter.” 2Thessalonians 2:15 


Have a blessed day Y’all! 


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Filling That Hole in Our Heart

Trying to fill that hole in our hearts… 


Have you ever noticed that in certain times of trial or stress, no matter how much thought, effort, and will you give it, it just doesn’t seem enough? 


Or perhaps you ar
e struggling with that empty feeling and no matter what you attempt to do or use to overcome it, the hole remains. 


That hole is in our hearts and no amount of food, relationships, material things, booze, drugs, or any other man-made solution will fill it. 

That is Jesus knocking on the doors of your heart asking to come in. 


Perhaps you invited Him in long ago but, like the well-worn pair of shoes in the back part of the closet, you leave them there but no longer use them


When we have a daily relationship with Christ, much like our daily relationships with our loved ones, the hole in our hearts gets filled and we become complete... 


Check your experience… 


“There had been a humble willingness to have Him with me — and He came.” Big Book pg 12 


Lord, let us look to You to fill the hole in our hearts, AMEN. 


“You have planted much but harvest little. You eat but are not satisfied. You drink but are still thirsty. You put on clothes but cannot keep warm. Your wages disappear as though you were putting them in pockets filled with holes!” Haggai 1: 4-6 


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? 


No Fear

At one level, fear is healthy. ‘Fear’ is an emotion induced by a perceived threat. It is a natural human emotion. It is God-given. It is a basic survival mechanism. It keeps us alive. It protects us from danger.

However, there is also such a thing as unhealthy fear. The Greek word commonly used in the New Testament is Phobos – from which we get the word ‘phobia’. This is unhealthy fear. It is disproportionate to the danger posed. It is ‘False Evidence Appearing Real’. It is when we catastrophize –overestimating the danger and underestimating our ability to cope.

Common phobias include fears in relation to health, finances, failure, growing old, death, loneliness, rejection, messing up, public speaking, flying, heights, snakes, and spiders. They also include things such as, what is now called, FOMO – the Fear Of Missing Out, the fear of not being special.

Whereas the Spirit of God does not produce negative fear, there is a healthier fear – the fear of God. This does not mean being frightened of God. In fact, it means the opposite. It is an understanding of who God is in relation to us. It means respect, reverence, awe, honor, adoration, and worship; it could even be translated as love for God. It recognizes the power, majesty, and holiness of God Almighty. It leads to a healthy respect of God and is the antidote to all other fears and phobias we experience in life. Fear God and you need not fear anything else or anyone else.

It is no coincidence that as the fear of God has decreased in our society, all the other fears have increased. We need to return to a right relationship with God. The expression ‘do not be afraid’ is one of the most frequent commands in the Bible.

Proverbs 1:20-33 – No fear of harm

This passage gives you the key to avoiding ‘terror and calamity’ (v.26) and living ‘without fear or dread of disaster’ (v.33).

The idea of the ‘Fear of the Lord’ is one of the key themes of Proverbs and appears twenty-one times throughout the book. It is a choice that you make. If you are wise, you will ‘choose to fear the Lord’ (v.29) and listen to him. He promises that you ‘will dwell secure and will be at ease, without dread of disaster.’ (v.33).

Wisdom is personified in the book of Proverbs (v.20). As we read it through the lens of the New Testament, we know that it is Jesus who is ‘the wisdom of God’ (1 Corinthians 1:24).

This passage (Proverbs 1:20–32) is a warning against ignoring the Lord’s voice and following a path of ‘turning away’ and ‘complacency’ (v.32).

Instead, choose to fear God, listen to him and repent when he corrects you. If you do, God will reveal to you more than you could ever imagine. ‘I will pour out my spirit upon you; I will make my words known to you’ (v.23a). He will reveal to you the hidden treasures of wisdom in his words. Choose this fear of God and you will be ‘at ease’ (v.33) and can be free from the fear of harm.

Lord, I choose to fear you – to live a life in reverence and awe of your power, majesty and holiness. Help me to live life fearing you alone.

Matthew 10:1-31 – No fear of people

Three times in this passage Jesus says, ‘Do not be afraid’ (vv.26,28,31).

The context is Jesus sending out his disciples to preach the gospel and heal the sick. The moment Jesus calls his twelve disciples, he sends them out on mission.

He sends them (and us) to follow his example:

  • To proclaim: ‘The kingdom of heaven is near (v.7)
  • To demonstrate: ‘Heal the sick’ (v.8)

As Jesus sends us out, he warns us that we will face a lot of opposition: ‘I am sending you out like sheep among wolves’ (10:16a). We will need pure wisdom (‘be wise as serpents and innocent as doves’, v.16b).

We may be opposed by ‘local courts’ (v.17), face hatred (v.22), be persecuted (v.23) and be called demonic (v.25). It is in this context that Jesus says three times, ‘Do not be afraid’ (vv.26,28,31).

  1. Do not be afraid about what to say:
    Jesus says, ‘Do not be afraid of them’ (v.26). You do not need to be afraid of other people, however powerful they may be (for example local courts, governors and kings, vv.17–18): ‘Without knowing it, they have done you – and me – a favor, giving you a platform for preaching the kingdom news! And do not worry about what you will say or how you will say it. The right words will be there; the Spirit of your Father will supply the words’ (vv.19–20).
  2. Do not be afraid of what others will do to you:
    Jesus says that rather than fearing those who can ‘kill the body but cannot kill the soul’, you should fear God, ‘who can destroy both soul and body in hell’ (v.28). Have a healthy respect for an all-powerful, as well as all-loving God. Save your fear for God, who holds your entire life –body and soul – in his hands.
  3. Do not be afraid of what will happen to you:
    Jesus says that if you fear God, you need fear no one and nothing else. God is in ultimate control: ‘Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? Yet not one of them will fall to the ground apart from the will of your Father’ (v.29). Not only is he in control but he also loves you deeply: ‘But even the hairs of your head are all numbered. Fear not, therefore; you are of more value than many sparrows.’ (vv.30–31). Jesus cares about what happens to you even more than you do (v.30).

Lord, thank you that you value and love me so much. Help me to know your love, to trust in you and not to be afraid.

Genesis 25:1-26:35 – No fear of death

Life is never easy. It was not easy for Isaac. Among other difficulties, he waited twenty years for the birth of a child (25:20–26). Then there was sibling rivalry when the twins were born. He lived amongst hostile Philistines and one of his sons ‘made life bitter for Isaac and Rebekah’ (26:35).

Isaac committed the very same sin as his father – trying to pass off his wife as his sister (vv.26:7–11). However, Isaac did learn from some of his father’s mistakes. When Rebekah was unable to have a baby – unlike Abraham’s disastrous attempt to solve things himself through his relationship with Hagar – Isaac’s response was to pray to God for a miracle (25:21).

The Lord had appeared to Isaac and promised, ‘I will be with you and will bless you… And in your offspring, all the nations of the earth shall be blessed’ (26:3–4).

Nevertheless, Isaac was afraid. He feared that he might die: ‘lest the men of the place should kill me because of Rebekah, because she was attractive in appearance.’ (vv.26:7,9b).

God said to Isaac, ‘Fear not, for I am with you’ (v.26:24). Isaac feared people more than he feared God, and yet he is reminded that he need not fear others because God is with him. Remember the same truth when you are tempted to fear: God is with you. If God is with you, you need not be afraid of anyone or anything.

Despite Isaac’s fear of others, God blessed him. God says, ‘I will bless you and multiply your offspring…’ (v.26:24). God’s blessing meant growth, reaping many times over. This is what he wants for your life too.

‘And Isaac dug again the wells of water that had been dug in the days of Abraham his father, which the Philistines had stopped after the death of Abraham.’ (v.26:18). When Isaac met opposition and was stopped, he moved on until he found another well that he could reopen. In this way, the Lord gave him room to flourish (v.26:22).

Clear Mind and Thoughts

Clear-headed… 


Most of us are busy these days trying to live life on life’s terms. 


From the jobs we have that provide the income that helps us to have homes to live in, food to eat, and things our families need, to the demands on our time to be available for our spouses, children, parents, friends, and family members; we are constantly busy. 


It’s probably different for you, but one thing I have to constantly watch myself on is to stay engaged and not be “asleep at the wheel”.
, and not just go through the motions without mentally being present. 



I have learned the hard way that when I fall into this trap, not only do I miss out on what is happening but also the activity in my head fails to match up with the present. 


I have learned to stay clear-headed by focusing on the here and now and being present. 


This keeps my thoughts on what I am currently doing and my head clear of all the other things it wants me to think about instead. 

How’s this working out for you?.. 


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 keep our minds and hearts clear so we can be present in the moment, AMEN. 


 “So be on your guard, not asleep like the others. Stay alert and be clearheaded.” 1 Thessalonians 5:6 


 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]

We GET What We GIVE

Getting what we give….. 


Most of us do a pretty good job of surrounding ourselves with people who we can get along with pretty well. 


However, every now and then we are put into a situation with strangers who make us uncomfortable with their actions or we have an encounter with others whose behaviors may not match up with what we consider acceptable or normal. 


Now perhaps it’s different for you, but it’s in these times that my self-centered head likes to hold court and begin judging and condemning others because they are not doing or behaving the way I consider acceptable. 


You know what I mean. 


Like the guy who forgot to brush his teeth and you are trapped listening to him go on and on about something you could care less about while your mind tries to determine from his breath what his last meal was. 


Or the person who is making a mountain out of a molehill over something that is obviously important to them, yet insignificant in your life. 


Judging others is never good because it warps our opinions and does not give our heart a chance to see why the Lord has put this person in our path. 


We don’t have to agree with everyone we encounter, but we do need to treat them like we want to be treated...


Check your experience… 


“but we let God be the final judge.” Big Book pg. 70 


Lord, open the eyes of my heart and let me seek to understand instead of looking to be understood, AMEN. 


“Since you judge others for doing these things, why do you think you can avoid God’s judgment when you do the same things? Don’t you see how wonderfully kind, tolerant, and patient God is with you?” Romans 2: 3-4 


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? 

Drop the Rocks

Drop the rocks…


Did you ever notice that in times of stress, fear, or extended worry your back usually aches and your shoulders and neck are stiff and tight? 


Sheesh! 


What’s up with that? 


You are probably familiar with the term ‘carrying the weight of the world on your shoulders’; 


and that is exactly what we are trying to do during these painful times! 


We can’t change people, places, things, or situations. 


So why do we load our hearts and minds with the weight of things, we cannot change? 


When we block our hearts off from the Holy Spirit, our minds become prisoners of our self-induced thoughts our body takes on the weight of this unnatural stress causing pain in our back, shoulders, and neck…


Drop those rocks! 


Give the weight of the world to God and watch your pains go away!..


As always….. Check your experience…
 


“But soon the sense of His presence had been blotted out by worldly clamors, mostly those within myself.” Big Book pgs. 12-13 

Lord let us give the weight of the world to you freeing us to focus on Your will for us and enjoy Your grace and peace, AMEN. 

“Take my yoke upon you. Let me teach you, because I am humble and gentle at heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy to bear, and the burden I give you is light.” Matthew 11: 29-30 


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]

Smart or Wise?

Are we being smart or wise?… 


While these 2 words generally mean the same thing, there is a big difference. 


Being smart comes from relying on our own self driven actions, skills, knowledge, and work. 


Wisdom comes from knowing our limitations, learning from experience, and relying on something or someone outside of ourselves. 


Humility and discernment lead us to wisdom. 


So think about this today. 


We need both in our lives depending on the situation is when we must make the choice. 


Are you being smart or wise?… 


Check your experience … 

“if it is wisely handled — and it seems to be in wise and prudent hands — there are doors of opportunity ahead of this project that may surpass our capacities to imagine.” Big Book pg. 572 

Lord, let us lean toward wisdom when it comes to matters of the heart and will, AMEN. 

“But the wisdom that comes from heaven is first of all pure; then peace-loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial and sincere.” James 3:17 


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? 

We Use Faith Daily

Faith is not believing that God can; it is in knowing God will… 


Have you ever considered that the things we rely on most we don’t actually see or understand how they exactly work? 


We can’t see the air we breathe. 


Except for a few friends who are engineers, we can’t really explain all that is involved when we turn on a light. 


We put the key in the ignition and the car starts right up. 


These things require something on our part that we don’t normally think about. 


We have faith that they will work. 


This faith comes from the experience we have built up from doing these things over and over again for a long time. 


We trust that they will work and don’t really give it much thought. 


That is how our faith works in the other areas of our lives. 


When we trust God with all of our heart, faith can carry us through many situations and seasons that are either uncomfortable or unfamiliar to us… 


Check your experience… 


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


Lord let us grow our faith through daily practice in trusting and relying on You, AMEN. 


“Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see.” Hebrews 11:1 


 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