Firm Foundation with Bryan Hudson

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2 Corinthians 4:16 (Amplified Bible), Therefore we do not become discouraged [spiritless, disappointed, or afraid]. Though our outer self is [progressively] wasting away, yet our inner self is being [progressively] renewed day by day.

KEY POINT
One of the reasons for TODAY is this: Today is when life begins again!
“Renewed day by day…”

Psalms 46:1 God is our refuge and strength, A very present help in trouble. 2 Therefore we will not fear, Even though the earth be removed, And though the mountains be carried into the midst of the sea; 3 Though its waters roar and be troubled, Though the mountains shake with its swelling. Selah 4 There is a river whose streams shall make glad the city of God, The holy place of the tabernacle of the Most High. 5 God is in the midst of her, she shall not be moved;God shall help her, just at the break of dawn.

KEY POINT
There two forces await us everyday

1. Troubled Streams (Perishing)
2. Streams That Make Glad (Renewing)

Where/how you focus as your day begins determines which stream you will enter into.

WHAT COMES EVERY DAY?

1. Mercy: God’s gift before and after faith. Prevention or lessening of consequences following our errors.

Lamentations 3:22-24, Through the Lord’s mercies we are not consumed, Because His compassions fail not. 23 They are new every morning; Great is Your faithfulness.

2. Benefits: Provision, protection, grace to function, etc.

Psalm 68:19, Blessed be the Lord, Who daily loads us with benefits, The God of our salvation! Selah

Matthew 6:11, Give us this day our daily bread.

3. Your Cross: Opportunity to place others higher than yourself. Carry responsibility deny yourself, follow Christ, and serve God’s purposes.

Luke 9:23, Then He said to them all, “If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow Me.”

Proverbs 8:34, Blessed is the man who listens to me, Watching daily at my gates, Waiting at the posts of my doors

TODAY: Reflection & Application

1. In what ways I am being renewed TODAY?
2. Why does my life begin again TODAY? (Not starting over)
3. What hinders my awareness of TODAY?
4. Who will I encourage/exhort TODAY?
5. What streams from God’s river make me glad TODAY?
6. What does MERCY mean to me TODAY?
7. What do GOD’S BENEFITS mean to me TODAY?
8. What does MY CROSS mean to me TODAY?

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(“Firm Foundation Inspiration Minute” is a weekly encouragement. Subscribe to this blog to stay connected.)

2 Corinthians 4:16 reads, Therefore we do not lose heart. Even though our outward man is perishing, yet the inward man is being renewed day by day.

The Apostle Paul wrote that our inward person is being renewed day by day. From this Scripture comes the thought for today's Inspiration Minute:

TODAY is when life begins again! Make the most of it!

While outward and natural things are obviously changing and diminishing, your inward life in Christ is always renewing. Because this is true, try to think of every new day as an opportunity to begin life again. No, you're not starting over, but you are starting afresh.

The Amplified Bible version of 2 Corinthians 4:16 reads, Therefore we do not become discouraged [spiritless, disappointed, or afraid]. Though our outer self is [progressively] wasting away, yet our inner self is being [progressively] renewed day by day.

There is a progressive renewal happening inside of you every day. Look for it. Focus on it. Prioritize something good God is doing in your life. Do it now. Do it TODAY!

Listen to and watch my teaching from Sunday, July 24: "TODAY: When Life Begins Again."

God Bless and Be Encouraged!
~ Pastor Bryan Hudson, D.Min.

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Donate to New Covenant Church: https://cash.app/$newcovenantindy

Sow seed to Pastor Bryan Hudson, https://cash.app/$BryanIndy

DOWNLOAD KEYNOTE SLIDES

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2 Corinthians 4:16 (Amplified Bible)
Therefore we do not become discouraged [spiritless, disappointed, or afraid]. Though our outer self is [progressively] wasting away, yet our inner self is being [progressively] renewed day by day.

“Change your life today. Don't gamble on the future, act now, without delay.”   ~ Simone de Beauvoir

“If you fell down yesterday, stand up today.” ~ H. G. Wells

“The best preparation for tomorrow is doing your best today.”   ~ H. Jackson Brown, Jr.

“Live today. Not yesterday. Not tomorrow. Just today. Inhabit your moments.  Don’t rent them out to tomorrow.” ~ Jerry Spinelli

“Today is a new day. Don't let your history interfere with your destiny!”   ~ Steve Maraboli

We are dealing two realities:

Outward - Perishing

Inward - Renewing

KEY POINT

One of the reasons for TODAY is this:

Today is when life begins again!

“Renewed day by day…”

WATCH

(“Firm Foundation Inspiration Minute” is a weekly encouragement. Subscribe to this blog to stay connected.)

While my wife and I vacationed in Michigan, we visited the Ford Museum in Dearborn. We happened upon an excellent Black History exhibit that included a replica of the bus on which Rosa Parks sat. Her refusal to yield her seat to a White man triggered the Montgomery bus boycott. This was one of the key moments of the Civil Rights movement that began to break down the wall of racial segregation.

Her simple, courageous act of civil disobedience, along with the efforts of many other such as Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, eventually led to the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Voting Rights Act of 1965.

This was an interactive exhibit, so I was able to sit where Rosa Parks sat in the famous re-enactment photo.

This brief video shares my reflections in that moment. We thank God for our ancestors and all other courageous Americans, whether well known or "hidden figures," on whose shoulders we stand.

Donate to New Covenant Church: https://cash.app/$newcovenantindy

Sow seed to Pastor Bryan Hudson, https://cash.app/$BryanIndy

The STORY is the truth. The NARRATIVE (using one definition of the word) is the “spin” or “twist” people put on the actual story. So, don’t get caught up in narratives, (or worse, false narratives), seek to understand the story and be committed to OBJECTIVE truth.

Things that are objective are outside of us, and bigger than us. Things that are subjective, like opinions, are inside of us, and a reflection of how we feel. Our opinions and how we feel are important, but don’t mistake it for truth. Someone’s opinion and perception is not your reality.

Social media is mainly about narratives. There is value in social media, so long as you’re also committed to reading and researching objective and expert sources. Social media by itself perpetuates “low information” like only watching television news.

Pontificating (just saying stuff) on Facebook is easy. Writing, publishing, or posting fully developed points of view is harder, but it’s necessary if we’re going to rise above narratives.

Facebook is “borrowed media” (it belongs to Mark Zuckerberg). What we also need is “owned media,” such as your own website, blog, or publications, in order to fully express points of view, and move beyond the world of narratives and false narratives.

Social media is no substitute for connecting with people and providing fully formed insight. Social media can be a starting point, but it is far too shallow to trust as a source.