Have you ever stopped to think about enjoying every day instead of complaining about each day? The word enjoy means, to have or experience joy; to get pleasure from, to have a good time. I know we won't enjoy everything that goes on in our lives, but we can receive pleasure from our lives every day that we have on this earth. It's amazing that we sometimes take for granted this gift we have called. One of the reasons we don't enjoy it more is an uncommunicated expectation of others and false expectations of how life is supposed to be. We have to rethink our attitudes towards things that go on and change the way we react to them. If every time you get some bad news it prevents you from enjoying life, then you have the ability to change that response and take responsibility to enjoy life every day. It's your call. Bad news is never the culprit; it's how you respond to it.

Think about how good life can be with just a small attitude adjustment. Don't get mad, angry or upset because of circumstances. Look at it as temporal and don't allow it to steal your joy.

I hope everyone had a great Christmas! I’m looking forward to a fantastic 2012. As the New Year approaches, I want to encourage you to act on God’s Word, and to exercise your faith. I’ve learned from experience that it’s difficult to walk in faith without courage.  Courage defined is: doing what you are afraid of, or doing what you fear. We should overcome fear, especially when it concerns God. Those are the “what-if” fears. What if it doesn’t work? What if I fail? What if I make a fool of myself? No matter your “what-if” is, you need courage to overcome it. When that happens, courage becomes confidence, and that will cause you to keep acting on the Word, regardless of your circumstance. God is real and we can become overcomers. Stay encouraged everyday of your life. Remember: Be strong and of good courage!! (Joshua 1:6) Happy New Year!!

Just a Thought,

PSS

Legacychurch.com

It is that time of year again where we talk about Santa Claus, exchanging gifts, gathering with friends and family and eating lots of turkey. In reality, Christmas is about a risen Savior who came and gave His life for us so we could live life to the fullest. Let me encourage you to keep the focus on its original intent: Jesus, our Lord and Savior.

Here’s a few ways we can keep “Christ” in Christmas:

• Be kind and considerate to people.   
• Let them know that there is a hope, and life is worth living if we do it God’s way.
• There is absolute truth, and as Christians, we believe the Bible to be absolutely true.

Isn’t it amazing that we live in a day of “tolerance” and yet, the same people who accuse us of being “intolerant” are, in fact, intolerant themselves when it comes to our beliefs? These same folks want to get Christmas day off from work and give / receive gifts but don’t want to acknowledge the Savior of the world.  Let me urge you to remember Jesus as the real reason for the season.

Just a Thought,

PSS

Legacychurch.com

In our society, we are witnessing more and more acts of violence without showing any remorse whatsoever, which begs the question, “How can someone do this?’ Today’s society has long since abandoned the written Word of God and as a result, the conscience has been affected negatively. It becomes hard and callused and left without the ability to feel regret. When this happens, people begin to act like animals living with no moral compass to do what’s right. We must never allow our hearts to be hardened. One way we can do this is to obey truth and not to give in to sin. Here are three steps to keeping our conscience pure and clean:

• We have to make a clear decision to place the Word of God as our standard for living.  
• We should be sensitive to the leading of the Holy Spirit.
• Confession and repentance act as detergent to clean our conscience (Hebrews 9:14, I John 1:9) so that we can live according to the Word of God.  

Our conscience should be pliable, teachable and sensitive to the principles found in God’s Word. In doing so, we develop a pretty good guide to what is right and wrong, both morally and ethically.

Just a Thought,

PSS

Legacychurch.com

Have you ever given thought about submitting to authority or honoring those who have authority over you? Those who follow Christ must be people who submit to His authority. Authority means listening to what your superior says, and carrying out those orders. How we submit to the authority God has placed in our lives and how we execute the authority given to us will determine how God uses us. The best way to properly submit to earthly authority is to learn how to submit to Heavenly authority. Peace and safety are found in obeying God's Word and acknowledging Him as the supreme authority in our lives. Here are three benefits to submitting to authority:

• It pleases God and His Word commands it.
• Protection. There are many rewards for good behavior. For example, obeying driving laws protects people from taking lives.
• God-given authority is one of the best sources for direction. People who reject wisdom often begin behavior that is destructive.

Jesus was the ultimate example of submission and authority. Those who learn humility and service are prime candidates for leadership, so let's learn to excel in this area.

Just a Thought,

PSS

Legacychurch.com