Mike Henry Sr.'s Blog, page 36

Having Nothing Yet Possessing Everything – 2 Corinthians 6:10

Do you have everything you want? 

Paul is listing things about their ministry that explain his point in 2 Corinthians 6:1, “Don’t receive the grace of God in vain.” And he’s explaining the list of situations where we are called to be servants of God. The list can be pretty bleak. These last 3 conditions in this verse wrap up the list. But I want to focus on the last phrase he mentions, “having nothing yet possessing everything.”

We get the grace of God to ship it.

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Called as a Servant – 2 Corinthians 6:4-9

What can we expect once we choose to become a servant of God?

Check this list! It’s pretty difficult. I believe Paul is helping the Corinthians brace for the life of a servant of Jesus. There are good and bad things in this list. Have you memorized this list? This isn’t like the fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22-23).

Serving God can happen in any job, any situation at any time.

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Adopt a Servant Mindset – 2 Corinthians 6:4

How can we develop a servant mindset and perspective?

I had to look it up. We refer to ourselves or we give ourselves to something. We recommend something to someone else. But when we volunteer, enlist, enroll ourselves, we commend ourselves. 

We do this as servants of God. Basically, we enlist as God’s servants. A young man who took part in one of our early Marketplace Mission Trips said the mission trip helped him develop a service mindset.

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The Importance of Godly Relationships

It is not good that man should be alone.
Genesis 2:18 (ESV)

God never intended for us to live lives of isolation separated from one another. No; from the very foundations of the world, God intended for his creation to be connected to him as well as one another. 

Very recently, my little family had an outing. My daughter, being a few years older than my son and thus faster, walked ahead of the spot where my husband and I were keeping pace with our preschooler. 

When she got a considerable distance ahead, I called out to her.

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Giving No Cause for Offense – 2 Corinthians 6:3

Do you participate in the social media opinion wars? What does it mean to give no cause for offense? 

What should “giving no cause for offense” look like in our present world? Do you catch yourself avoiding offense? I confess I’m not a person who naturally seeks harmony. I’m OK with conflict. But I’m convicted about this statement. I see Christians offending others simply because we don’t agree with them. This passage seems to me to state that we have a responsibility. 

Since now is the acceptable time, maybe now needs to be when I examine my social media posts and the way I live my faith so as not to give offense.

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Trusting God’s Discipline – Proverbs 3:11-12

How do you handle correction? 

If you don’t experience discipline from God, you may not be one if his children. One time I asked my Dad why he never told my kids “no.” He said that was my job. The man who seemed to specialize in correcting me and helping me be right, became a different person around his grandkids. 

We take a direct role in raising our kids. If we don’t help them see the right way to behave, we’re not doing them any favors.

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Importance of Sharing Your Testimony with Bob Bartz #128

In this episode, Mike and Bob talk about Strategic Impact Ministries and the Faith Story App, the importance of sharing your testimony, different ways we share the Gospel, how conversation plays a big part in our testimony, how technology has changed the landscape of evangelism, and the importance of praying in sharing the Gospel.

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Take Hold of the Eternal Life – 1 Timothy 6:12

What does it mean to take hold of the eternal life?

This word is used often in scripture. We “take” many things. We’re to grasp eternal life. Pick it up. Take it as ours. Christ gives it to us, but we have to take it. We fight the good fight. 

I believe we must fight the tendency to deny God. The world’s system and all of the people in it, the flesh (our own physical body), and the devil all want us to focus on them instead of the eternal life.

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How to See God More – Daniel 2:28

How often do you give God the credit for your accomplishments?

“Daniel answered before the king and said… However, there is a God in heaven who reveals mysteries and He has made known… what will take place in the latter days.” Daniel 2:27-28

I wonder if God selected Daniel because he knew Daniel would get the story straight? I also wonder if God doesn’t choose me sometimes because I’ll take the credit instead of giving it to God.

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Friendship with the World – James 4:4

What does it mean to be a friend of the world?

James doesn’t pull punches. In this passage he challenges believers to examine themselves. Wherever we’re a friend of the world, we’re enemies of God. You’ve heard a number of sayings that there are only 2 types of people in the world. Here, in scripture, James is telling us we’re either enemies of God or friends of God. There’s no place else to stand.

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