In order for any relationship to work (including our relationship with God), it requires us to be thankful. When we are not thankful we become vulnerable to the darkness of the Adversary. Lets learn to have a lifestyle of thankfulness each and every day. Enjoy the teaching and God bless you.
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Our power in life comes as we continue to engage in the scriptures, both doctrinally and practically. Listen as Rev. Smith shows us that our very lives turn on our choice ot either engage or disengage in the scriptures. Enjoy!
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As we stand at the threshold of a new year, I want to share a vital teaching titled, “Set Your Heart on the Word.” Let’s journey through the Scriptures to discover why our hearts must be grounded in the Word of God and how this alignment transforms every area of our lives.
The heart is central to who we are. It’s not just a physical organ; it’s the seat of our personal life. In Matthew 22:37, Jesus gives us a command that forms the foundation of our faith:
Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind.
Jesus’ response to the lawyer is profound. The order of His words is perfect. He starts with the heart because it is the starting point of all spiritual transformation. If our heart is not fully engaged, our soul and mind will struggle to follow. This is the first and greatest commandment because everything flows from a heart that is completely devoted to God.
But what does it mean to love God with all our heart? To love Him fully, our hearts must be filled with His Word. The Word becomes our spiritual DNA, shaping our priorities, focus, and purpose. Let’s explore how we can set our hearts on the Word and live out this command.
In I Chronicles 22:19, we find a call to action:
Now set your heart and your soul to seek the LORD your God.
This verse urges us to intentionally align our hearts and minds with God. This isn’t a passive suggestion; it’s a deliberate choice to make the Word the foundation of our lives. When the Word resides in our hearts, it becomes the compass that guides us through every season and circumstance.
Consider Deuteronomy 6:4-6:
Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God is one LORD: And thou shalt love the LORD thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might. And these words, which I command thee this day, shall be in thine heart.
The Israelites were commanded to treasure the Word in their hearts. This wasn’t just about memorizing Scripture but about making the Word a living reality in their daily lives. When we set our hearts on the Word, we cultivate a heart connection with the Father. This connection empowers us to overcome challenges and reflect His love.
Deuteronomy 11:16 warns us:
Take heed to yourselves, that your heart be not deceived, and ye turn aside, and serve other gods, and worship them.
The heart is easily swayed when it is not anchored in the Word. Distractions, idols, and competing priorities can pull us away from our devotion to God. When we fail to guard our hearts, we risk turning aside from His ways.
How do we guard our hearts? By saturating them with the Word. Psalm 119:11 says:
Thy word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against thee.
The word “hid” here means to treasure or store up. When the Word is hidden in the innermost part of our lives, it becomes a shield against sin and a source of strength in times of trial. Like a treasure chest, our hearts must be filled with the riches of Scripture.
Deuteronomy 32:46 emphasizes the importance of action:
Set your hearts unto all the words which I testify among you this day, which ye shall command your children to observe to do, all the words of this law.
Loving God with all our heart isn’t just about emotion; it’s about action. When the Word is truly in our hearts, it manifests in our behavior. It influences how we speak, how we treat others, and how we navigate life’s challenges.
Jeremiah 15:16 beautifully captures the transformative power of the Word:
Thy words were found, and I did eat them; and thy word was unto me the joy and rejoicing of mine heart: for I am called by thy name, O LORD God of hosts.
Jeremiah didn’t just hear the Word; he consumed it. It became the joy and rejoicing of his heart. Is the Word your joy? Is it the driving force that motivates and sustains you? If not, it’s time to realign your heart with His truth.
When we set our hearts on the Word and love God with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength, something extraordinary happens. This vertical focus creates a horizontal overflow. Jesus highlights this in Matthew 22:39:
And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.
Our love for God fuels our love for others. It is impossible to truly love our neighbors if our hearts are not first aligned with God. The Word in our hearts gives us the capacity to forgive, serve, and show compassion. It equips us to reflect God’s love in every relationship.
As we prepare for a new year, let’s take a moment for a heart check-up. Ask yourself:
God desires our whole heart. He is a jealous God who won’t settle for partial devotion. He wants us to seek Him with everything we have. Psalm 119:58 reminds us:
I intreated thy favour with my whole heart: be merciful unto me according to thy word.
When we approach God with a fully committed heart, we experience His mercy, favor, and power in ways that transform our lives.
As we step into 2025, let’s make a conscious decision to set our hearts on the Word. Let it become our spiritual DNA, shaping our thoughts, actions, and priorities. Let it be the joy and rejoicing of our hearts. And let it empower us to love God fully and overflow His love to others.
Take time to identify areas where you can grow in your love for God. Commit to saturating your heart with His Word through daily study, prayer, and fellowship. Let’s enter the new year with hearts that are fully aligned with our Heavenly Father, ready to walk in His purpose and power.
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The Lordship of Jesus Christ: Embracing the Renewed Mind
The journey of faith is not merely a declaration but a transformation—a continual alignment of our thoughts, actions, and priorities with the Word of God. To call Jesus Christ “Lord” is not just to acknowledge His divine authority but to actively yield every part of our being to His Lordship. It is in this surrender that we access the fullness of life in Christ and manifest the Kingdom of God on earth.
Romans 12:1-2 exhorts us to offer ourselves as living sacrifices, holy and acceptable to God, and to be transformed by the renewing of our minds. Why is this renewal so vital? Because godly thoughts lead to godly actions. If we desire to see a change in how we live, we must first address how we think.
Every thought that is not submitted to the Lordship of Jesus Christ is, as Philippians 2:3 describes, vain glory—empty pride or opinion. It is void of power and divine purpose. To think as Christ thought is to adopt a mindset of humility, service, and intentionality. Jesus never sought self-promotion; He embodied a life of service, esteeming others above Himself.
Philippians 2:4 challenges us to shift from selfishness to selflessness, a posture uncommon in human nature. This mindset, however, is not weakness but strength. As children of God, born of His Spirit, we operate from a position of divine authority and power. The call to humility is a call to reflect the very mind of Christ.
In Matthew 14:13-18, we witness Jesus’ heart for service. After a long day of ministering, the disciples wanted to send the crowds away to find their own food. It was reasonable—they were tired, and so was Jesus. Yet Jesus, moved by compassion, prioritized serving others over His own rest. This is the heart of a servant, the very essence of His Lordship.
Galatians 5:13 reminds us that our spiritual freedom is not for self-indulgence but for serving one another. This is a choice we make, an intentional act of directing our thoughts and actions toward service. Philippians 2:5 urges us to “let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus.” While we cannot possess Jesus Christ’s literal mind, we can adopt His thoughts because His Word dwells in us.
The Greek definition of the word “mind” emphasizes the act of directing one’s thoughts toward something. To have the mind of Christ is to intentionally seek and strive for His perspective, His priorities, and His purpose.
Jesus lived with a singular focus: doing the will of the Father. In John 4:34, He said, “My food is to do the will of Him who sent Me.” His obedience was so integral to His life that He likened it to nourishment. This prioritization of God’s will is the key to walking in the Lordship of Jesus Christ.
Matthew 6:33 encapsulates this principle: “Seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness.” This is not just a command but an invitation to align our lives with divine order. When we seek God’s Kingdom first, everything else falls into place.
Jesus Himself recognized that He could do nothing apart from the Father (John 8:28-29). This oneness with the Father is the foundation of His ministry and the example we are called to follow. How do we cultivate this oneness? Through the Word, the Spirit, and the teachings of those gifted to minister His truth.
In John 14:12, Jesus declared that those who believe in Him would do the works He did—and even greater works. What are these greater works? During His earthly ministry, Jesus spoke the Word, healed the sick, and freed people from bondage. These are works we are called to continue.
However, the “greater works” He referred to are tied to the baptism and manifestation of the Holy Spirit, which became available only after His ascension. This empowerment enables us to lead others into the fullness of God’s Spirit, a privilege unavailable during Jesus’ earthly ministry.
Walking in the Lordship of Jesus Christ means stepping into this divine calling with boldness. It is not about our strength but about His Spirit working through us.
Colossians 3:1-5 calls us to set our minds on things above, not on earthly things. This mirrors Matthew 6:33 and underscores the importance of prioritizing God’s Kingdom. To renew our minds is to align our thoughts with the eternal perspective of heaven, allowing that perspective to shape our daily lives.
Jesus exemplified this alignment perfectly. His thoughts, actions, and purpose were always in harmony with the Father’s will. He did not act independently but lived in complete oneness with God (John 10:30). This is the model we are to emulate.
To be established in the power of the renewed mind under the Lordship of Jesus Christ, we must:
The Lordship of Jesus Christ is not a passive concept but an active, daily surrender of our thoughts, actions, and priorities to Him. As we renew our minds and align with His Word, we grow in oneness with the Father and His Son. This transformation empowers us to live with purpose, serve with humility, and walk in the power of the Spirit.
Let us embrace the mind of Christ, seeking first His Kingdom and His righteousness. In doing so, we will not only fulfill our calling but also reveal the glory of God’s Kingdom to the world.
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Everything the Heavenly Father has given us, every promise, we need to keep and not give away. One of the the most precious things in life he has given us is PEACE. In today’s message we will learn four ways we can give our peace away. Enjoy!
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Thanks for watching! Sunday Teachings go live every Tuesday.
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Join us for our Monthly Spiritual Development Fellowship. The 1st Wednesday of every month starting on Wednesday, April 3rd at 5:30pm MST/7:30pm EST.
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Thanks for watching! Sunday Teachings go live every Tuesday.
You can check out our latest blog post here!
Join us for our Monthly Spiritual Development Fellowship. The 1st Wednesday of every month starting on Wednesday, April 3rd at 5:30pm MST/7:30pm EST.
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Now That We’ve Found Love, What Are We Going to Do With It? – Part I
Love, for the born-again believer, is more than an emotion or a fleeting feeling. It’s embedded in our very DNA. Dr. Victor Paul Wierwille once said that once you discover you have something, you must know what to do with it. Today, we will lay the foundation of understanding love as a part of our spiritual DNA.
When we are born again by God’s Spirit, love becomes a part of our nature and character. Reverend Fort, in his teaching “Enough to Act,” mentioned, “We do not know the effects of living love; we apply the Word and it becomes our natural state.” This profound statement underscores that living in love transforms us into God’s likeness, which is a crucial part of our spiritual DNA.
Let’s start with Genesis 1:26:
Genesis 1:26 (KJV)
“And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth.”
God’s image means we possess His Spirit. This gift, called holy spirit, makes us like Him. But what is God’s likeness? It refers to His nature. Part of resembling God is to walk and serve one another in love, reflecting His character. This spiritual likeness is ingrained in our DNA, and we bring it forth by applying His Word in our lives.
1 John 4:16 (TPT)
“We have come into an intimate experience with God’s love, and we trust in the love he has for us. God is love! Those who are living in love are living in God, and God lives through them.”
This translation emphasizes the intimate relationship we should have with the Father—more than a weekly ritual, but a daily fellowship. How do we foster this intimacy? By spending time with Him, studying the 66 books of His Word, and allowing His thoughts to become our thoughts, His ways our ways. As Rev. Fort aptly said, a consistent application and relationship with the Father through His Word make His love our natural state.
I found this especially true during my vacation when I spent hours immersed in the Word. It was refreshing and enlightening, allowing me to hear from my Father and align my thoughts with His.
Revelation 3:19 (KJV)
“As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten: be zealous therefore, and repent.”
Love includes discipline and correction. It’s out of love that we reprove one another, helping each other align more closely with God’s Word. When we correct out of love, it’s not from a place of anger but a desire to help others grow.
Romans 5:8 (KJV)
“But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.”
God’s love is proactive and redemptive, even when we are not in fellowship with Him. This is the love we are called to emulate—a love that seeks to restore and reconcile, rooted in the very character of God.
Ephesians 3:14-20 (KJV)
“For this cause I bow my knees unto the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, Of whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named, That he would grant you, according to the riches of his glory, to be strengthened with might by his Spirit in the inner man; That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith; that ye, being rooted and grounded in love…”
Being rooted and grounded in love means establishing a firm foundation in God’s love. The adversary will try to push us out of this environment, but we must remain steadfast. Just like plants need soil and water to thrive, we need the Word of God to stay rooted in love.
Cancel culture today is quick to condemn without redemption. True love, however, seeks to restore and bring back into fellowship. When we correct others, it’s with the hope of repentance and change, mirroring God’s redemptive love.
As believers, our natural environment is love. Saturating our minds with the Word of God helps us to emanate His likeness and character in our lives. This foundational understanding of love sets the stage for a life that reflects God’s glory.
2 Thessalonians 3:3-5 (KJV)
“But the Lord is faithful, who shall stablish you, and keep you from evil. And we have confidence in the Lord touching you, that ye both do and will do the things which we command you. And the Lord direct your hearts into the love of God, and into the patient waiting for Christ.”
God establishes us as we commit to being rooted and grounded in love. Our actions align with His commands because we love Him and His Word. This alignment helps us to mature and perfect our walk in love.
1 John 5:3 (KJV)
“For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments: and his commandments are not grievous.”
Keeping God’s commandments is the essence of walking in His love. His Word is not burdensome but life-giving, guiding us to a higher standard of living.
Finally, let’s look at Jude 1:21:
Jude 1:21 (KJV)
“Keep yourselves in the love of God, looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life.”
It’s our responsibility to stay rooted and grounded in God’s love. By doing so, we navigate life’s challenges with a heart aligned to His will, living out the fullness of our spiritual DNA.
This concludes Part I of our teaching, “Now That We’ve Found Love, What Are We Going to Do With It?” My encouragement to you today is to cultivate that intimate relationship with the Father. Recalibrate, and ensure you are rooted and grounded in His love, ready to act on it daily.
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As a believer, it is crucial to understand the importance of thankfulness in our walk with God. It is a spiritual tool that brings wholeness and life to our lives. The Bible commands us to give thanks in everything, not just when things are going well, but also when we face challenges.
The story of Jesus feeding the multitude in the wilderness is a perfect example of how thankfulness and faith go hand in hand. Jesus was faced with the challenge of feeding a large crowd with limited resources. Instead of worrying or complaining, He gave thanks to God for what they had, and God provided more than enough to meet their needs.
Similarly, the story of the ten lepers in Luke 17:12-19 shows how thankfulness can lead to wholeness. All ten lepers were healed, but only one came back to thank Jesus and worship God. This act of thankfulness resulted in the man’s wholeness and complete healing, which was not just physical but spiritual as well.
Thankfulness is not just a nice thing to do; it is a spiritual tool that connects us to God and allows us to express our love for Him. It is a way to show our appreciation for all that God has done for us and to recognize that everything we have comes from Him.
Ephesians 1:16 encourages us to pray without ceasing in thankfulness to God. This means that thankfulness should be a constant attitude and not just a once in a while occurrence. We must find ways to be thankful in all situations, even in difficult times.
It is essential to note that thankfulness is not just about thanking God for the good things in our lives. It is also about thanking God for the people He brings into our lives, even those who may not be easy to love. Ephesians 5:20 reminds us to give gracious thanks on behalf of every believer in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ and the Father God.
In conclusion, thankfulness is a vital component of our walk with God. It is a spiritual tool that connects us to God and allows us to express our love for Him. It is an attitude that we should cultivate and practice in our daily lives. So, let us be thankful in everything, recognizing that every good and perfect gift comes from above.
Rev. Ron Wright
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