Galatians 3:3
"Are ye so foolish? having begun in the Spirit, are ye now made perfect by the flesh?"
Finishing right is just as important as starting right. Many people start off right and do a good job, but every Christian should also desire to finish right. Paul said in 2 Timothy 4:7, "I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith:" It should be the desire of every Christian to finish their course.
2 Corinthians 1:20
"For all the promises of God in him are yea, and in him Amen, unto the glory of God by us."
The promises of God are often the focus of many Christians. When you are going through hard times, you look to the promises of God to help you not to give up. When needing a miracle, you look to the promises of God to receive hope that He will come through. When looking at our salvation, we look to the promise that God will save us to give us the security we need as a believer.
1 Corinthians 16:2
"Upon the first day of the week let every one of you lay by him in store, as God hath prospered him, that there be no gatherings when I come."
Having the right mindset has a lot to do with your success and accomplishments. When your mindset is plagued with the wrong priorities, you will end up doing the wrong things. Having a right mindset will give you the right attitude. Having a right mindset will dictate how you approach projects. Having a right mindset helps to plow the mind to give good ideas. Having a right mindset will ultimately keep you fundamentally sound.
The 07/20/14 FBC Hammond bulletin is up at Baptist City.
Romans 5:3-4
"And not only so, but we glory in tribulations also: knowing that tribulation worketh patience; And patience, experience; and experience, hope:"
In the beginning years of my marriage, my wife and I traveled by vehicle to our destinations. Before we started a trip, we always took out the atlas to determine the best highways to take to get us to our destination. We knew the destination before we started, but we didn't know the highway we wanted to travel. After studying the map for a short period of time, we always chose the highway that would get us to our destination as quickly and safely as possible.
Proverbs 29:18
“Where there is no vision, the people perish: but he that keepeth the law, happy is he.”
The verse above is often used in sermons to motivate people into having a vision for the lost. Several times I have told people that because we need to get a vision for the lost, and that is very true; however, this verse has nothing to do with people getting saved or having a vision for the lost and dying of the world.
Acts 23:1
"And Paul, earnestly beholding the council, said, Men and brethren, I have lived in all good conscience before God until this day."
Paul said, "I have lived in all good conscience..." That statement is a mouth full. To be able to say that you have a good conscience is to say that you have no skeletons in the closet that you are trying to hide. A good conscience is not what you portray to others, but knowing you've done right in private at all times.
Acts 17:16
"Now while Paul waited for them at Athens, his spirit was stirred in him, when he saw the city wholly given to idolatry."
Have you ever had something that hits your hot button and stirs your spirit? Paul experienced this when he went to Athens. When he was brought to Athens, he saw the people given to idolatry. The whole city worshipped idols. Everywhere he went he saw these people who were devout in their idol worship. When he saw the people given to idolatry, it stirred him because he saw the need of the people.