Faith Through Works Fellowship

Wednesday, June 16, 2021

Check your motives and efforts....

Have you ever been in a situation where the harder you try the further behind you get?

It's frustrating not only because you are wasting tons of effort, but also it is not very enjoyable.

Have you ever considered that perhaps your motives for doing this may be based on the wrong things and that is why the efforts are not bringing your desired results?

My best example was trying to lose weight but never changing my diet. Sure…I would go longer at the gym, yet I continued to eat more carbs and junk.

Thank God for SCAA and my new way of life!

Now perhaps it's different for you, but I have learned to check my motives to make sure they are good and then see that my efforts match up...

Check your experience...

"We ask God to direct our thinking, especially asking that it be divorced from self-pity, dishonest or self-seeking motives." Big Book pg 85

Lord, let us check our motives to make sure they align with Your will for us and not our selfish wants, AMEN.

"…and as long as he sought the Lord, God made him prosper." 2 Chronicles 26: 5

Have a blessed day y’all!

Looking to volunteer or plug into an existing helping opportunity in the Greater Phoenix AZ area?

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It’s a free site to help connect folks with volunteer and helping opportunities!

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Tuesday, June 15, 2021

The blame game…

It’s because of them, or they made this happen, which leads to the famous, ‘it’s not MY FAULT’.

Think about it, we all tend to have these feelings from time to time and it’s very easy to garner support from others when we share this thinking.

Now while it is true that we cannot control what other people, places, situations, or things do or say,...

We CAN control how we allow it to affect us in our actions and attitudes.

This is why God allows us to keep our free will even after we turn it over to Him. He wants us to have the ability to use our gifts and grace to not become “sheeple” getting caught up in the emotions of the moment blaming them and they. Rather, He wants us to look inside ourselves and choose how we respond…

Check your experience…

“That is how we react so long as we keep in fit spiritual condition.” Big Book pg 85 '

Lord, let us control how we react and respond using the grace You have given us, AMEN.

“There is nothing that enters a man from outside which can defile him; but the things which come out of him, those are the things that defile a man.” Mark 7:15

Have a blessed day y’all!

Please help us help others!

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How about a daily dose of hope and inspired thought?

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Monday, June 14, 2021

New day, fresh start, new attitude...

Sometimes we get into the routine of our daily lives and what used to be exciting or fresh in our hearts becomes dulled by the daily monotony of habit and comfortable routine.

Overtime, if not checked and renewed, these tasks, routines, and even relationships can suffer from our being taken hostage by monotony.

There is a solution.

Even when our tasks and routines need to contain the same things, we can renew our spirits daily by simply turning our will and our lives over to the Lord daily!

Come on ... Give it a try... and as always... Check your experience…

"This means a new attitude and spirit all around." Big Book pg 99

Lord thank You for allowing us to refresh ourselves and our lives through renewing ourselves daily with your Spirit, AMEN.

"Let the Spirit renew your thoughts and attitudes.” Ephesians 4:23

Have a blessed day Y’all!

Join me in looking at the things we face daily with passages from both the Big Book and Bible!

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Sunday, June 13, 2021

Inner peace…

Have you ever noticed how many products out there that are marketed to us to either provide a solution or bring comfort to help us with our stress, pains, and general discomfort?

There are a few products that I use that help me. I have a special brand of shoes I wear for my duck feet. I have a special pillow for my weird neck, and even ergonomic office products to help me with my posture.

These items bring my body peace but how do we find that inner peace?

Like most of us I have sought my inner peace through a myriad of outer solutions, but the only thing I have found that works and continues to work no matter what is my relationship with Jesus and the peace He brings me through His Holy Spirit in me.

Worldly clamors will continue but I can always look inward and know that there is peace in my heart if I seek it…

Check your experience…

“We will comprehend the word serenity and we will know peace.” Big Book pg 84

Lord, let us know that the peace of mind and heart You have given us remains in us as long as we seek it, AMEN.

“I am leaving you with a gift—peace of mind and heart. And the peace I give is a gift the world cannot give. So don’t be troubled or afraid.” John 14:27

Have a blessed day y’all!

Looking to volunteer or plug into an existing helping opportunity in the Greater Phoenix AZ area?

Visit Servants Hearts!

It’s a free site to help connect folks with volunteer and helping opportunities!

http://aservantsheart.us

How about a daily dose of hope and inspired thought?

Join me in looking at the things we face daily with passages from both the Big Book and Bible!

Free daily message in your Inbox!

https://www.faiththroughworksfellowship.org/blog

Saturday, June 12, 2021

Roots and all…

Weeds have the amazing ability to grow anywhere.

Even here in Arizona, weeds find places to take root and thrive. I particularly enjoyed watching a root grow on an overpass I used many times weekly years ago. Over the year the city crews would come and do the landscaping and gardening but even though the weed was cut, it continued to grow back taller and thicker.

The fact of nature is that unless the root is removed, it will continue to grow and thrive.

We also have weeds that take root in our hearts and like other weeds; they will continue to grow as character defects until we remove the root.

Think about it, bitterness, jealousy, and fear take root in us and from them weeds of anger, pride, greed, lust, and all kinds of negativity grow from them.

If these are left to grow then they influence not only our attitudes, but then spread to our behaviors and characters.

When this happens, the weed grows stronger and is harder to remove.

However, we do have a great weed killer that is environmentally friendly!

When we ask the Holy Spirit to help us look at our character defects and then ask Him to remove them root and all, we become free for these weeds!..

Check your experience…

“I ruthlessly faced my sins and became willing to have my new-found Friend take them away, root and branch.” Big Book pg 13

Lord, let us turn our hearts over to You and allow Your grace and mercy to clear the weeds of fear, bitterness, and self-will from us roots and all, AMEN.

“Watch out that no poisonous root of bitterness grows up to trouble you, corrupting many.” Hebrews 12:15

Have a blessed day y'all!

Please help us help others!

http://www.furniturebank.us/arizona-tax-credit.html

Donate today!

How about a daily dose of hope and inspired thought?

Join me in looking at the things we face daily with passages from both the Big Book and Bible!

Free daily message in your Inbox!

https://www.faiththroughworksfellowship.org/blog

Friday, June 11, 2021

What is your power source?..

Red Bull, coffee, Protein shakes, Power Bars, and all sorts of other products promise us energy. Many other products promise to enhance our power.

Bodybuilders and folks into fitness and exercise routines gain physical strength and stamina, but…

WHERE do we really get our POWER from?

We see stories from time to time in the media of folks doing superhuman feats to save another or help someone in danger.

I bet if you take a look at the events in your lifetime there has been a few times where you have had to “dig deep” to find that extra needed power for the effort to complete a task or endure an unpleasant situation.

Where did that power come from?

Honestly, I know I am lying to myself if I try to claim it came only from me.

I know for fact that through my faith in Jesus and my 12 Step walk that God equips me with the power I need.

How about you?..

Where does your power come from?..

Check your experience…

“We had to find a power by which we could live, and it had to be a Power greater than ourselves.” Big Book pg 45

Lord thank you for giving us the power we need to not only accomplish the task or endure the situation, but also to allow You to work through us to help others, AMEN.

“With God's power working in us, God can do much, much more than anything we can ask or imagine.” Ephesians 3:20

Have a blessed day Y’all!!

Join me in looking at the things we face daily with passages from both the Big Book and Bible!

https://www.amazon.com/s?k=pastor+mark+farley&ref=nb_sb_noss

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Thursday, June 10, 2021

Why can’t reality match the picture in my head?..

Perhaps it’s different for you, but every now and then I get a picture of the way the world is supposed to be in my head and it does not match up with reality.

These are expectations and they come from my own self-centered wants, fears, and pride.

During my walk with Jesus and 12 Step sobriety I have learned that my expectations can spring from my thought process based on my emotional wants.

I have learned that expectations based on my human assumptions can cause me trouble.

These days I try to catch myself when I am trying to set an expectation.

Time, grace, and serenity have taught me that I need to make sure I examine all of the evidence and not just what I want to see or hear.

I ask the Lord to help me let it go and allow my heart to accept people, places, and things as they are right now.

It saves me a lot of anger, grief, and wasted energy!

How’s this working out for you?..

Check your experience…

“And acceptance is the answer to all my problems today. When I am disturbed, it is because I find some person, place, thing or situation -- some fact of my life -- unacceptable to me, and I can find no serenity until I accept that person, place, thing or situation as being exactly the way it is supposed to be at this moment.” Big Book pg 420

Lord, lets us trade our expectations in for acceptance and knowledge that You are in control, AMEN.

“The hopes of the godly result in happiness, but the expectations of the wicked come to nothing.” Proverbs 10:28

Have a blessed day y’all! Join me in looking at the things we face daily with passages from both the Big Book and Bible!

https://www.amazon.com/s?k=pastor+mark+farley&ref=nb_sb_nos

How about a daily dose of hope and inspired thought?

Free daily message in your morning inbox.

I never share, sell, or publish your email.

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