Where There’s a Will There is a Way

Mark Farley September 13, 2022 0 Likes 243 Views

**Where there is a will**…
***there’s a way….***

I am sure at some point we have heard the phrase, **“the devil made me do it.”**

I know in the past I have used it as a cheap excuse for my behaviors or actions that brought trouble, or caused issues for others.

**The problem is that there really is a nugget of truth attached to this phrase.**

***Because God loves us unconditionally, HE lets us keep our free will.***

**It’s on us to choose to either use our will or seek His will.**

So in my case when I act on self-will and it causes issues for myself and others, it truly is the devil manipulating me through my selfish and self-centered will.

Please understand, it’s not the devil’s fault for my actions, its mine to own because I made the choice to follow my will instead of seeking God’s will for the situation.

***So the devil is not really “making me do it”, rather he is using my choice of self will to help me self-destruct.***

**How are you allowing the devil to “make you do it”? …**

check your experience…

***“So our troubles, we think, are basically of our own making. They arise out of … self-will run riot,” Big Book pg 62.***

*Lord, let us look into our hearts in times of great temptation to match the desires of our own will against Your will that lives in the Holy Spirit inside of us, AMEN.*

“…for indeed I would not have known what it means to desire something belonging to someone else if the law had not said, “Do not covet.” But sin, seizing the opportunity through the commandment, produced in me all kinds of wrong desires.” Romans 7: 7-8

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?***

Does Your Walk Match Your Talk?

Mark Farley September 12, 2022 0 Likes 303 Views

**Do what you say and say what you do…**

***Have you ever noticed that the people you tend to trust the most are the ones whose walk matches their talk?***

Heck, we are all human and I am as guilty as the next person when it comes falling into the trap of saying one thing and doing another, but …

***When I stop and consider how I feel when I see others doing this, it helps me to stop from entering that slippery territory.***

**How’s it working out for you?..**

Check your experience…

***“We feel we are on the Broad Highway, walking hand in hand with the Spirit of the Universe.” Big Book pg 75***

*Lord let our words match our actions and deeds, AMEN.*

***“Set an example for other followers by what you say and do, as well as by your love, faith, and purity.” 1 Timothy 4:12***

Have a blessed day Y’all!

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

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Remembering 911

Mark Farley September 11, 2022 0 Likes 362 Views

Hope and Focus

Mark Farley September 10, 2022 0 Likes 276 Views

**Looking for the good in all situations. …**

Perhaps it’s different for you, but I have this magic magnifying glass in my mind that automatically tries to find the negative in everything and make it bigger than it is.

Over the years I have learned to recognize this and turn it off before it gets a chance to twist my thinking. I now look for the good in everything and everyone, even when I am facing challenges and bad news. I am FREE to do this because I am God’s kid and His Spirit resides in me.

**I know that no matter what, I will survive the situation and either learn or benefit in some way from it…**

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 417.

*Lord remind our hearts to quiet our minds in difficult times so that we may feel Your Spirit and know this too shall pass, AMEN.*

“We can rejoice too, when we run into problems and trials, for we know that they help us develop endurance. And endurance develops strength of character, and character strengthens our confident hope of salvation. And this hope will not lead to disappointment. For we know how dearly God loves us, because he has given us the Holy Spirit to fill our hearts with his love.” Romans 5:3

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]

It’s Our Choice

Mark Farley September 9, 2022 0 Likes 266 Views

**What is our choice going to be?…**

We are confronted daily with many situations calling for us to make a choice.

What roads to take to get to our destination, what to eat, what to wear, how to respond to questions, and so on.

Most of the time we know the choice to make based on our experience and knowledge, so it does not require much thought or extra effort on our part.

**But what about those times when we must make a choice between what’s in our head versus what’s in our heart?**

*You know, those times when temptation of the moment attempts to entice you into going against what you know to be right.*

In my case the temptation to gorge myself on food I should not be eating has now caused me to have to make some life changes.

***These are the choices that require not only thoughts to think it through, but also help from the Holy Spirit living within us.***

***How are you dealing with those times?..***

**Remember, isolation only fuels the temptation…**

Check your experience…

**If tempted, we recoil from it as if from a hot flame.” Big Book pg. 84**

*Lord, let us look temptation square in the eye and know that You will show us the way around it and away from it, AMEN.*

“The temptations in your life are no different from what others experience. And God is faithful. He will not allow the temptation to be more than you can stand. When you are tempted, he will show you a way out so that you can endure.” 1 Corinthians 10:13

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?***

What is Your Motive?

Mark Farley September 8, 2022 0 Likes 400 Views

What’s your motive?…
This was given to me years ago as I was learning how to pray and I still use it to this very day.

The suggestion is to pray to WANT what I GET and not to GET what I WANT.
I can’t tell you how many times over the years I have become confused and have prayed

TELLING God about a desired specific outcome with great detail, based on my thoughts, emotions, and motives on getting that specific result
instead of becoming open and willing to learn God’s will for me and the lesson I need to learn for the situation causing me to pray.

When I pray for understanding and wisdom, things go well.
When I pray for specific things focusing only on how those things will make me feel, well,…
I am still waiting…
Think about that for a moment and please… check your experience…

“…praying only for knowledge of His will for us and the power to carry that out.” Big Book pg 59

Lord, let us pray to understand Your will for us in the requests we make instead of demanding our own way, AMEN.

“When you ask, you do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, that you may spend what you get on your pleasures.” James 4:3
Have a blessed day Y’all!
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What’s on Your Agenda

Mark Farley September 7, 2022 0 Likes 345 Views

What’s on your agenda?..
We are busy folks and we rely on schedules, calendars, appointments, and other tools to keep us on track and on time.

It’s a part of our lives and culture.
Have you ever taken a moment to consider who or what drives our need to have these daily, weekly, and monthly agendas?
Sure, I get it, we need to stay organized and we all are juggling many balls in order to make this life thing work. But wouldn’t it be nice if instead of just our yearly vacations, we could set our own agendas according to our spiritual needs?

It’s part of a healthy routine to carve out time for daily physical fitness as well as spiritual time. So….what is on your agenda today?..
Check your experience… .

“For the first time, he lived in conscious companionship with his Creator.” Big Book pg 56

Lord, let us set part of our daily agenda to spend time with You and Your Word, AMEN.

“God decided in advance to adopt us into his own family by bringing us to himself through Jesus Christ. This is what he wanted to do, and it gave him great pleasure” Ephesians 1:5
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How about a daily dose of hope and inspired thought?

Results Come From Our Efforts

Mark Farley September 6, 2022 0 Likes 271 Views

**We gotta provide the effort to gain results…**

We go to the drive-thru to pick up our coffee, food, and even groceries.

Heck, even now we have apps that will pre-order our coffee, meals, groceries, and other things for us!

Press a button and it is done.

**Wouldn’t it be great if we could press a button and fix our flaws and shortcomings?**

Believe me, if there truly was an app or an instant fix for permanent weight loss, I would be all over it.

Despite many claims by money-motivated folks, this is not part of our reality right now.

***So, I will have to look inside myself and continue the day-by-day work on my weight loss as well as my other character defects.***

**The good news is that along with the encouraging support from many friends and family, there is spiritual support from Jesus IF I will work for it.**

***I don’t know about you, but everything else I have given over to God has improved, so I am suiting up and showing up to allow the Holy Spirit to also help me become healthier inside and out***…

Check your experience…

“We found that as soon as we were able to lay aside prejudice and express even a willingness to believe in a Power greater than ourselves, we commenced getting results, even though it was impossible for any of us to fully define or comprehend that Power, which is God.” Big Book pg. 46

*Lord, let us open our hearts and minds and be willing to allow You to mend us through Jesus and the Holy Spirit, AMEN.*

***“Come close to God, and God will come close to you.” James 4:8***

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?***

Refreshing Service

Mark Farley September 5, 2022 0 Likes 247 Views

**Are you serving or being served?..**

***This is a thought to consider as we celebrate Labor Day today***.

It’s easy to sit and be served.

We experience this at restaurants, hair salons, doctor visits and other things where we are the customer.

**We gain from receiving these services.**

**However, it’s not always easy to serve others.**

Even when we are passionate about what we do, there are those few people or certain situations that try our patience and make our skin crawl.

***Nevertheless, we gain from performing these types of services.***

**What about serving others for no gain?**

This is where we are asked to help another person who we may or may not even see or know, but they will benefit from our labor and service.

***It’s a thankless task with no direct reward for us… or so it seems!***

**Serving others helps yourself, when your motive is selfless and your efforts are to be of service with no personal gain…**.

Check your experience…

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

*Lord, let us serve others with the motive of helping and not gaining, AMEN.*

***“A generous person will prosper; whoever refreshes others will be refreshed.” Proverbs 11:25***

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]

Transparent = Walking Your Talk

Mark Farley September 4, 2022 0 Likes 246 Views