SPIRITUAL CHECKUP by Julie Ackerman Link

To be spiritually fit, feed on God’s Word and exercise your faith... To detect health problems before they become serious, doctors recommend a routine physical exam. We can do the same for our spiritual health by asking a few questions rooted in the great commandment (Mark 12:30) Jesus referred to.

Do I love God with all my heart because He first loved me? Which is stronger, my desire for earthly gain or the treasures that are mine in Christ? (Col. 3:1). He desires that His peace rule our hearts.

Do I love God with all my soul? Do I listen to God telling me who I am? Am I moving away from self-centered desires? (v. 5). Am I becoming more compassionate, kind, humble, gentle, and patient? (v. 12).

Do I love God with all my mind? Do I focus on my relationship with His Son or do I let my mind wander wherever it wants to go? (v. 2). Do my thoughts lead to problems or solutions? To unity or division? Forgiveness or revenge? (v. 13).

Do I love God with all my strength? Am I willing to be seen as weak so that God can show His strength on my behalf? (v. 17). Am I relying on His grace to be strong in His Spirit?

As we let “the message of Christ dwell among [us] richly . . . with all wisdom” (v. 16), He will equip us to build each other up as we become spiritually fit and useful to Him.

Read: Colossians 3:1-14

Text: Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength. - Mark 12:30

Heavenly Father, when I rely on anything other than love in my efforts to initiate change in people, I am neglecting to love You with all my heart, soul, mind, and strength. I choose today to exchange my strength for Yours.


Insight:

We may find it difficult at times to motivate ourselves in Christian living and service to God and others. However, Paul reminds the church in Colossae that the reason we are to focus on God and serve Him well is that we have been “raised with Christ” (3:1). Because of what Jesus accomplished for us, we are to serve Him faithfully. - J.R. Hudberg

OUR DAILY BREAD
October 11, 2015

http://odb.org/2015/10/11/spiritual-c...

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Closed Caption:

to be spiritually fit feed on God's Word
and exercise your faith our daily bread
he's encouragement from the our daily
bread devotional has written by Julie
ackerman Lee to detect health problems
before they become serious doctors
recommend a routine physical exam we can
do the same for our spiritual health by
asking a few questions rooted in the
Great Commandment found in mark 12:30
that Jesus referred to do I love God
with all my heart because He first loved
me which is stronger my desire for
personal gain was the treasures that are
mining Christ Colossians 31 gives us the
answer he desires that his peace rule
our hearts do I love God with all my
soul to listen to God telling me who I
am Colossians three five and 12 ass and
my moving away from self-centered
desires and my becoming more
compassionate kind humble gentle and
patient do I love God was on my mind
Colossians 32 and 13 asks us to consider
do I focus on my relationship with his
son where do I let my mind wander
wherever it wants to go to my thoughts
lead to problems or solutions to unity
over division forgiveness or revenge do
I love God with all my strings
Colossians 3:17 challenges us to my
willing to be seen as weak so the guy
can show his strength of my behalf of my
relying on his grace to be strong and
his spirit we're encouraged in
Colossians 3:16
that is we let the message of Christ
well among us racially with all wisdom
he will equip us to build each other up
as we become spiritually fit and useful
to him
today is our daily bread devotional
scripture reading is from Colossians
chapter 3 vs 1 through 14 since then you
have been raised with Christ said your
hearts on things above where Christ is
seated at the right hand of God set your
minds on things above not on earthly
things for you died in your life is now
hidden with Christ in God when Christ
who is your life appears then you also
will appear with him in glory put to
death their for whatever belongs to your
earthly nature sexual immorality
impurity lost evil desires and green
which is idolatry because of these the
wrath of God is coming you used to walk
in these ways in the life he wants lift
but now you must also reassure selves of
all such things as these anger rage
malice slander and filthy language from
your lips do not lie to each other since
you've taken off your old self with its
practices and have put on the new self
which is being renewed in knowledge in
the image of its creator here there is
no Jen Tyler jus circumcised or
uncircumcised barbarian Scythian slave
or free but Christ is all and is in all
therefore as God's chosen people holy
and dearly loved clothe yourselves with
compassion kindness humility gentleness
and patience bear with each other and
forgive one another if any of you has a
grievance against someone forgive as the
Lord forgive you
and overall these virtues put online
which binds them all together in perfect
unity
that's today's scripture reading from
Colossians chapter 3 vs 1 through 14
let's pray together no Heavenly Father
when we rely on anything other than laws
in our efforts to initiate change and
people we are neglecting to love you
with all our hearts souls mines and
strings we choose today to exchange our
strength reviewers it's in Jesus name we
pray amen
to these encouragement was provided by
our daily bread ministries