After the resurrection of Jesus Christ, Jesus went looking for Peter and the other disciples.  He found Peter doing what he was custom to doing – He found him fishing.  Peter was a fisherman by trade and knew how to catch fish but on this particular evening, he had fished all night and had caught nothing.  When they returned to shore, Jesus was waiting for them and asked them if they had caught any fish?  After being told that they had caught nothing, Jesus told them to cast their net on the right side of the boat.  They did what Jesus had told them and caught a net full of fish.

You might feel very comfortable doing what you have been trained to do, but one word from the Lord can change everything.  Peter was a professional fisherman, yet he found out that it’s possible to do your best at something you know how to do and have no success.  God knows how to get your attention and He will bring you to the end of yourself so that you are in a position to hear His voice.  Once you hear God’s voice instructing you on which way to go, you should obey regardless if you agree or not.  God has a reason for everything He does and He knows what is best for you all of the time.

Doing something the same way over and over again does not stretch your faith.  Therefore, you should seek God first in everything that you do and trust Him to guide you in achieving your goal.  Following God will stretch your faith from time to time but you will be a better person for it.  In other words, you should invite God into your daily activities to maximize the results you will receive.  Without God you can do nothing; with God there is nothing you can’t do.  God’s ways are different than the ways of man so you must trust Him when and wherever He leads you.  God cannot fail and He will never fail you.  Don’t attempt to do your thing no matter how good you think you are at it without God being involved.

Have you ever had anyone tell you that you would not be able to accomplish something that you really wanted to do?  Unfortunately, many people are told that all of the time and some people accept what they hear and give up, but there are others who will use those negative comments as a stepping stones to go on and achieve what they were told they could not do.  The Bible tells us that with God all things are possible and Believers need to possess the kind of faith that gets God’s attention so that God will not only enable them to succeed but God will come right along side of you and help you do the impossible.  Without faith it is impossible to please God and with faith you will always make it.

Satan’s job is to discourage people of faith so you must be on guard and always remember that no weapon formed against you will not prosper so says Isaiah 54:17.But victory begins in your mind.  The Bible also tells us to cast down any imaginations and arguments that tries to exalt itself above the knowledge of God (2 Corinthians 10:5) and it takes faith to do that very thing.  The battle of the mind is common to all and those who know who they are in Christ will win this battle every time.  There is nothing that you cannot do with God and if God be for you, who can be against you?

You can make it and you will make it – don’t let anyone tell you differently.  Others do not know the depth of your relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ, therefore, they are in no position to judge you or discourage you from reaching your dream.  What matters most is what the Bible says about you and how much of it you believe.  You must believe that God is working out everything for your good no matter what it might look like today.  Tomorrow is a new day and everything could change – change for your good.

Meditate on the level of faith that you possess and if you have been at the same level for some time, it is time to move to the next level.  God is with you and He wants you to succeed in every area of your life.  Do you believe it?  Practice self talk this week and encourage yourself in the Lord.  You are a child of God and everything you have belongs to God.  You are a steward of what He has given you and you must handle what you have in a responsible way.  Live your life believing in your heart that there is nothing that you and God can’t accomplish.  Just believe it!

Happy Father’s Day to every man who has been blessed to have children who they have raised to adulthood or are still in the process of raising young boys and girls to be the best person God created them to be.

Children need to know that they are loved.  They need to know that they have someone who will always be there for them and who will take care of them.  They need someone to teach them by example how to be a godly person.  Children watch what they see their parents do and if it does not line up to what they are being taught, they will be confused and most likely will imitate negative behavior.  Fathers play a very important role in how their children mature emotionally and spiritually.  Christian fathers are to teach their children how to believe and trust in God.  Fathers are to teach their children how to love and how to forgive.  Fathers are to teach their children how not to give up when the going gets tough.  Children will see and imitate the people in their lives, so it is extremely vital that fathers live out the lifestyle that they want their children to live

Fathers, you are more important than you might realize.  Many children are growing up in this troubled world without their father or any male influence in their household, but the good news is our heavenly Father is there for every one of us.  Our heavenly Fathers loves us unconditionally and having this type of love will enable any child, either young or old to be successful in life.  God has given us His Word to guide us in the way that we should go.  No matter what your situation may be, God is there to provide you with whatever you need.  God has also promised that He would never leave nor forsake us and we can trust Him to help us through our journey.

Fathers, be an example that your children will want to follow.  Love them regardless of what they choose to do in life and love them as your heavenly Father loves you.

Did you know that your attitude will determine your destiny?  Your attitude reflects what is in your heart and what comes out of your mouth.  If you believe that you are more than a conqueror, your speech will be positive and, therefore, your actions will confirm what you believe and you will do whatever it takes to succeed.  Your attitude will push you towards your goal.  If you have a defeated attitude, your speech will also confirm that you don’t believe that you can win or that you can do something.  Your attitude makes the difference and controls your thoughts and your actions.

No one is living a perfect life free of challenges but the person with a winning attitude will see challenges as hurdles that they must jump over.  A person with a defeated attitude will see challenges as a wall that has been put in their way to stop them from achieving their goal, but the Bible tells us that when we are weak, God is strong.  Challenges are just opportunities to recognize that you cannot do this alone.  Your human abilities are limited but your heavenly Father is not limited and He will enable you to jump over your hurdles so that you continue to run your race.  The good thing about attitude is it is changeable.  You chose whether to live with a winning attitude or with a defeated attitude.

There is a biblical story about Joshua and Caleb who were sent by Moses along with ten other men to spy out the Promise Land.  Ten men came back with a defeated attitude but Joshua and Caleb came back with a winning attitude.  Joshua and Caleb believed something that the other ten men did not.  They believed that their God would enable them to be victorious over their enemies – after all He had promised  them a land flowing with milk and honey and if God said it, it is true.  The ten other men were able to convince the Israelites that they could not overcome and should not even try and because of this God did not allow that generation to enter Canaan.  That is how important our belief system is.  It will cause you to receive what God has for you, or it will prevent you from receiving what God has for you.  A defeated attitude says ‘I don’t trust God’ and you must remember that without faith it is impossible to please God.

Take the time to do a self inventory of what you believe and what you are thinking and if you need to make any changes, do so – your life depends upon it and if you believe it, you will achieve it!