2011-04-19 - Names of Jesus (part XIII) Reading through the Bible relating to Jesus' names:
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2011-05-09 - Names of the Believers (part IX) More descriptions of believers in the Bible:
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2011-05-17 - Names of Satan (part IV) Names of Satan study:
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2011-07-30 - Fearing God - Control of Rulers Kings and emperors are reduced to nothing before God and are completely subject to His sovereign power - Isaiah 40:23 The king's heart is in the hand of the Lord; directs it where ever he please - Proverbs 21:1 He controls the destinies of rulers as well as their actions:
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2011-07-31 - Mind of Christ - Servant, Washing Feet (part I) The washing of the disciples feet reveals many important truths about serving (John 13:1-17):
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2011-09-02 - Fearing God - Requirements for growth (part II) Another way we can grow in our fear of God is reading through the Bible When a new king takes the throne - Deuteronomy 17:18-19
85,000 men killed without a shot fired - 2 Kings 19:35 And learn of his unfailing love and faithfulness Psalms alone contains 25 references to the Lord's unfailing love The NT has the message of mercy from God via Jesus God made him who had no sin, be sin, so we would become righteous before God - 2 Corinthians 5:21 |
2011-10-05 - Genesis 5 - Genealogies (part I)SummaryAdam's line was: Seth, Enosh, Kenan, Mahalalel, Jared, Enoch, Methuselah, Lamech and Noah. Noah's sons were Shem, Ham and Japheth. ObservationsGenesis 5:2 - He created them male and female and blessed them Personal ApplicationThe challenge for me is simple: To finish the race [Acts 20:24] with great faith and perseverance. But not just to get by but to have a relationship with God that shines before others. When people talk about me, do they stop and mention my relationship with God like the Bible does with Enoch? What does God say about my faith? |
2011-10-14 - Genesis 14 - The Kidnapping of LotSummaryThe kings went to war and took Lot captive. Abram rescued Lot. Melchizedek blessed Abram and Abram gave him a tenth of everything. ObservationsGenesis 14:18 - Melchizedek ... He was priest of God Most High
Personal ApplicationDo I have a good sense of my relationships? Do I tend to be a part of group to just belong or a higher reason? I find it much easier to take then to give and I do not think I have conviction on doing the reverse. There is no such thing as a free lunch (maybe from God because he gives freely) - are some offers of others giving really a trap? In some some situations, I should be giving instead of taking. |
2011-12-09 - Day 6 - Too Good to Keep 2 Kings 7:3-11
Application: Set a "goal of faith" for yourself in evangelism today. Refuse to be discouraged! |
2012-01-03 - Day 31 - Dealing with Discouragement The prophet Elijah had just experienced some tremendous victories from God: The destruction of 450 false prophets, and the first rainfall in 3 ½ years because of his earnest prayer. (See James 5:17-18) But then he got afraid and discouraged. 1 Kings 19:1-8
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2012-01-16 - Ministry - Faith: The Generator of Miracles Mark 6:1-6; Mark 9:14-25; II Kings 20:1-11 Sometimes we think that miracles ended when the Bible was finished. Or if they do occur today, they happen to other people. Our faith becomes limited to what we can accomplish instead of what God can do through us. The call of the disciple is to believe the unbelievable. To live on the edge. To dream where there are no dreamers left. God is unlimited in what he can do. Often times he does do miracles but because we are not looking through the eyes of faith, we cannot see them occur. We learn from the Scriptures above that miracles will only occur where faith is present. We have to confront the unbelief in our lives and battle against past faithlessness. We cannot let past sin or discouragement set low expectations or low beliefs in our lives. God is able to do immeasurably more than we can ask or imagine. Questions:
What miracles do you choose to believe God will do in your life or others lives? Dream big! Write down something you will pray to see God do this year. |
2012-02-23 - Fear of Failure - God Always Sees the Humble Heart by Gene Kim - Ministry Intern: San Francisco Church of Christ 1 Kings 21 Ahab really wanted Naboth's vineyard, and so he was willing to do anything to get it. He kept on sinning until he got the vineyard - discouragement, self-pity, anger, and eventually murder. There are "vineyards" in everyone's lives nowadays, jobs, relationships, or successes. Ahab was so consumed with what he wanted that his marriage was ungodly. I see how I don't lead my wife because I get consumed with my job and success, and my relationship with God goes the same way as my marriage. I get so guilty that I lose confidence in how God can use my life. What encourages me about this scripture is how God uses people to confront others with the truth and how He is hoping for people to humble themselves and turn back to Him. Ahab was described as a man who "sold himself to do evil in the eyes of the Lord" (v. 25). Elijah warned Ahab of the impending disaster because of his sin. Ahab took God's warning seriously and humbled himself before God, and the Lord noticed and blessed him! I can feel at times that I have messed up so much that God would never believe in me again, and yet God is merely looking for a heart that is humble, broken, and grateful. He hopes that I would have the courage to see my sin. God notices and moves on behalf of a humble heart! |
2012-02-27 - Fear of Failure - God Encourages Those Who Fail by Yvonne San Juan - Ministry Intern: San Francisco Church of Christ 1 Kings 19:1-9 Elijah felt like a complete failure. He was tired of running, alone, and so discouraged that he preferred death. Elijah had just been a part of a great victory where God demonstrated his power to the people and they saw rain for the first time in many years. He faced a new challenge as the Queen wanted to kill him, and he ran away. God didn't let Elijah fail; he encouraged Elijah with food and rest. God reminded him there were others that were faithful to God and Elijah was not alone. God enabled Elijah to keep on going when Elijah felt like he had had enough. Through failure, I have learned to call to God in prayer, and to be completely honest with Him, just like Elijah. I have also decided to be completely open about my struggles with my friends, and to not go through my failures alone. Also, reading about godly people who have failed in the Bible has given me hope and encouragement during the hard times that when I fail, God still loves me. |
2012-03-03 - Fear of Failure - Failure to speak the truth by Adesha Johnson - Ministry Intern: San Francisco Church of Christ Isaiah 59 Failure to speak the truth does not have to be fatal A character sin in my life is deceitfulness. I'm insecure and will often turn to something other than God to find security. Ironically, when I'm in this state, I really feel like I'm doing the right thing! Isaiah 59:1-21 opened up my eyes to the inner workings of deceit. Verse 13 shows how deceit begins and ends. First, I rebel against the Lord by having shorter prayer and bible study and not turning to him as soon as I've sinned. Second, I start lying about how I'm doing and feeling. It's at those times that I find myself easily embittered at people around me. My bitterness is a direct result of the guilt I feel because of my deceit. Here's the bottom line: The Lord loves the truth! Decision: To be truthful daily in regards to sin, guilt and how I am feeling and to continue studying out Truth in the scriptures. |
2012-03-14 - Blessings In Christ (part X) Continue studying through the blessing of Jesus: 48. A promise given to be able to resist temptation - 1 Corinthians 10:13 49. We are made kings - Revelation 1:6 50. We became saints - 1 Corinthians 1:2 51. We have been delivered from the power of darkness - Colossians 1:12-13 52. Our hearts are unblamable - 1 Thessalonians 3:13 53. We get the power of a sound mind - 2 Timothy 1:7 |
2012-10-14 - Prayer of the Righeous - Carrying Me Parable of the Lost Sheep illustrates Jesus comfort he want to provide He carries his lamb close to his heart - Isaiah 40:11 God's journey toward us:
Arms of comfort At Lazarus' death, the angels tenderly bring him to God - Luke 16:19-22 A child who is not regularly cuddled is deeply damaged As a mother conforms her child, so I will comfort you - Isaiah 66:13 Sometimes we doubt and ours lives are frantic and full of activities and without the peace of God Mary and Martha - Martha was too busy with the details of life to spend time with Jesus - Luke 10 |
2013-01-01 - Prayer of the Righeous - God is a Consuming Fire (part I) God is a consuming fire who should be feared - Hebrews 12:29 He is God who wants us to love him and not idols - Deuteronomy 4:24 God is a blessed and only Ruler, king of kings and lord of Lords - 1 Timothy 6:15 Our problem is that we think God is like us Societies throughout history have developed their own relgions based off God's which human resemblance:
Our Father is without blemish or stain The paradox of God: He says to not be afraid but at the same time to have a humble, contrite spirit - Isaiah 66:2
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2013-01-06 - Prayer of the Righeous - God is a Consuming Fire (part II) We must totally aware of our own unworthiness It took a while, but Job finally understood this: "My ears heard you but now my eyes...and repent in dust and ashes" - Job 42:5-6 This is the reaction we should have when sinful selfs meets a pure, holy and prefect God David understood our unworthiness: "But who I am... Everything comes from you" - 1 Chonicles 29:14-15 Solomon aware of his own afflicions, asked God to hear men's prayers - 1 Kings 8:38 Jesus warned that we need to be careful to not be proud based off anything we have or done - Revelations 3:17 Our good deeds or possessions in no way make worthly of coming in the presence of the holy one |
2013-03-21 - Prayer of the Righeous - Knowing God through His Word (part II) Bible Study Disciplines Mark up your Bible in to different themes: Example subjects:
Might circle references to God, Jesus or the Holy Spirit Read the whole Bible every year Foucused study on indivdual books and passages are good but it also important to have the broad picture of God's revelation ingrained in our hearts Read the Bible everyday Jesus lived on every word that came from the mouth of God - Matthew 4:4 Memorize key verses Memorizing scripture helps us to talk to God using quoted scripture (God's language) and keeps us pursuing righteousness
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2013-03-22 - Prayer of the Righeous - Intimate Prayer WHo is he who will devote himself to be close to me? - Jeremiah 30:21 God looks for people who will devote themselves to being close to him
Nehemiah had an intimate friendship with God:
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2013-09-05 - Breaking Chains through Strategic Prayer Must learn to become an intercessor = a man who shows his true dependence on God by faithfully fighting battles in prayer, both for himself and his family. Many great men of the Bible did: Ezra 9:5-15; Nehemiah 9; Jeremiah 14:19-22 One praying man can make a major impact
Do according to all that is written concerning us - 2 Kings 22:13
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2013-09-09 - A Man Accepts His Masculinity THe key ingredient masculinity is actually strength Culture has spent decades telling women to “Rise up and be strong!” and telling men to “Sit down and be quiet!” King David charged his son Solomon, “Be strong, therefore, and show yourself a man” - 1 Kings 2:2 This is our responsibility as men. This is required of us to be faithful. |
2015-02-07 - Costly Revenge Then he stabbed Abner in the stomach and killed him in revenge - 2 Samuel 3:27 Revenge cost both parties dearly Joab enjoyed success in the military - becoming the top general Joah lured Abner to the gate of Hebron and murdered him His revenge came at a steep price, David praise Abner and cursed Joab and his family - 2 Samuel 3:28-29 Joab lost an important part of himself, he planted seeds of his own destruction - 1 Kings 2:5-6 When someone does you wrong, make it your business to forgive and move on so you don't miss out on good things God has placed before you. |
2015-02-18 - A Difference Maker Hezekiah did what was pleasing in God's sight - 2 Chronicles 29:1-2 A strong sense of conviction motivates many men to dream of making a difference in their world This was displayed in Hezekiah's life as king He stood out as a real difference maker at a time of rampant idolatry. Hezekiah guided the nation in eliminating idol worship, repairing the temple, and reinstating the Passover feast He was one of the few righteous kings to rule over Israel or Judah during his 29 years Hezekiah lived God deeply and remained commited to turing his people back to the Lord Consider the people God has put in your life, what difference can you make in their lives? |
2015-02-23 - Mixed Reviews Jehu refused to turn from his sins that Jeroboam had led Israel to commit - 2 Kings 10:31 Fathers want their children to obey wholeheartedly both in spirit and in the letter of the law Jehu did some great things for God but he did not obey wholeheartedly
Half hearted obedience amounts to disobedience Sin is like yeast being mixed into a batch of dough |
2015-03-02 - From the Mountaintop I am no better than my ancestors who have already died - 1 Kings 19:4 At times, God takes us to a emotional mountaintip and then drops us into a darker time in the valley Elijah had just successfully
Just days after, Jezebel vowed to kill him for killing the prophets of Baal Elijah could have stayed and trusted God to protect him but instead headed to the woods and poured out his heart to God He had gone from the mountaintop of faith to the valley of depression Elijah confessed the he had enough and wanted to die but God wanted to talk it though God will give you just what you need to continue your life of faith |
2015-03-29 - Peer Pressue Micaiah replied, "As surely as the Lord lives, I will say only what the Lord tells me to say" - 1 Kings 22:13-14 King Rahab reluctantly called for Micaiah, who was in prision at the time He was pressured to to agree with his other prophets, aka "yes" men Micaiah courageously refused and told the truth from God - The battle would mean Ahab's humiliation and death He refused to drive off the edge of the "cliff" and instead set an example of faithfulness in the face of pressure |
2015-04-01 - Request That Honors God King Solomon: Who by himself is able to govern this great people of yours? - 1 Kings 3:9 As Solomon was preparing to succeed his father, King David, he knew he couldn't handle the task He didn't think twice when God asked him what he mosted wanted for himself Solomon could have asked for anything (long life, riches) but he foucsed on his most immediate need - wisdom and understanding God liked what he heard and gave Solomon exactly what he had asked for and more Solomon receieved wisdom and understanding beyond any other man - 1 Kings 3:11-12 |
2015-04-06 - Confidence How much longer will you waver between two opinions - 1 Kings 18:20-21 Elijah demonstrated that kind of confidence in hos heavenly Father when he challenged 450 priest of Baal to match the power of the true and living God When he had seen the sad spectacle of Baal's priest, he called on God to remind the people who he was Elijah never had a doubt about what would happen next Place your complete confidence in the one true God |
2015-04-21 - A Choice I will not test the Lord like that - Isaiah 7:12 Ahaz, the ungodly king of Judah, found himself in a dilemma of equally difficult alternatives Assyria, a dominate power of the day, was a growing treat to Judah, Israel, and Syria His choice was to side with his enemies - Israel and Syria or Assyria and trust God would work things out or side with Assyria Ahaz made an unwise chose to side with Assyriaw which had disastous consequences for Judah - 2 Kings 16:7-9
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2015-05-02 - Passion for Justice I have come because you have sold yourself to what is evil - 1 Kings 21:20 Elijah courageously and steadfastly pronouned judgement on Ahab who conspired to have Naboth stoned to death Ahab misused his position as king and Elijah confronted him face to face Elijah had a passionate sense of commitment to God's justice When he saw a terrible wrong commited to an innocent man, he could not stand by and do nothing Are you willing to stand up for those who can't stand up for themselves? |
2015-05-13 - Wise and Humble Leadership He had become powerful, he also became proud, which led to his downfall - 2 Chronicles 26:16 It takes a man of true humility to keep his feet on the ground over the long haul when he is given power and authority over others Uzziah, Judah's tenth king, was not such a man His long and sometimes distinguished reign came to an unfortunate end because of his arrogant thirst for power Uzziah expressed his arrogance by entering the sactuary though this job was reserved for his priest Had Uzziah remained humble, he might have become one of the nation's greatest kings - instead, he spent his later years shut away from people in a leper colony Do you understand your place in the big picture? |
2015-05-23 - Influence from Within Never before had there been a king like Josiah who turned to the Lord will all his heart and soul and strength - 2 Kings 23:25 Josiah did what was pleasing to the Lord's sight - 2 Kings 22:2 His background did not set him up for greatness - his father was a wicked king that drug Judah into idolity For Josiah, it wasn't a matter of where he had come from but where he was headed:
Making a difference in the lives of people around you begins with changes within yourself |
2015-06-07 - Learn to Listen Fools think their own way is right - Proverbs 12:15 David advised Solomon to observe the requirements of the Lord and follow all his ways - 1 Kings 2:3-4 Solomon may have spoken words of wisdom but his life ended in foolishness:
Solomon's failure to practice what he preached led to his downfall His wives turned his heart away from God and toward idol worship You will save yourself a lot of trouble by knowing the Word of God and doing what is says
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2015-06-13 - Second Chances Naaman became angry and stalked away - 2 Kinds 5:11 Naaman had a serious infectious skin disease He went to Eliasha for healing and he said to go the Jordan and wash 7 times Naaman was disappointed and angry with this but his servants encouraged him to do as Elisha said He obeyed and was healed - God of Israel is a God of second changes Because of Naaman's eventual humble obedience, he was healed and later found salvation - 2 Kings 5:15-18 |
2015-07-04 - Infectious Faith Don't be afraid! Go ahead and do what you've said - 1 Kings 17:13 When you speak and demonstrate your faith openly, it is bound to infect others It seemed Elijah was the only man with faith in Israel but he didn't let that stop him speaking God's Word who desparately needed to hear it Drought had led to famine, God sent a woman with little money to feed Elijah didn't allow the lack of wealth affect his faith and persuaded the woman to share what little she had She never again lacked food for herself or her son Faith isn't real unless you put it to work, don't worry about running out - God will give you what you need |
2015-07-21 - Promoting Who? I will make myself king - 1 Kings 1:5 As his father David days were coming to an end, Adonijah tried to boast himself as kings instead of the oppointed successor, Solomon. Adonijah didn't hide his self ambition or shameless self-promotion He setup an event to perform animal sacrifices with royal officals but did not invite Solomon or Nathan Solomon quickly became king and then pardoned Adonijah as long as he was loyal to Solomon - 1 Kings 1:52-53 Adonijah couldn't let it go, he made a second attempt at the throne because of his stubbornness and self-protion, it cost him his life - 1 Kings 2:25
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2015-07-22 - Consistancy Zadok the priest refused to support Adonijah - 1 Kings 1:8 The high priest Zadok did not weaver in his faithfulness and affection to God and the men He had choosen:
Zadok's godilness and loyalty were rewarded as the high priest in both David and Solomon's rule |
2015-07-26 - Obey and Wait This only a simple thing for the Lord - 2 Kings 3:18 "You first, God" approach to obedience often means missing out on his blessings and maybe a miracle or two Israel march against Moab but the soliders had run out of water Eliaha spoke to God and would provide water under one condition: they were to dig ditches in the valley and wait for God to act Their choice was to laugh and ignore the command or obey and wait for a miracle Jehoshaphat and Joram acted in faith and obedience - received more water than they knew what to do with When God commands you to do something that seems humanly unreasonable, do you act immediately or wait for him to act first? |
2015-08-06 - Hearing God What are you doing here, Elijah? - 1 Kings 19:13 With all the noise life makes, it can be difficult to hear God Although he had preached and performed miracles, the people refused to listen Elijah Elijah had death threats and was hiding in a cave in fear and despair - desperately needing to hear from God God wanted to speak to Elijah:
All were forerunners of the rela deal was to follow - then Elijah heard God's voice and poured out his broken heart and then just listened Can you hear God above life' everyday noise?
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2015-08-22 - Costly Unbelief You will see it happen with your own eyes but you won't be able to eat any of it - 2 KIngs 7:2 God generously give to those who are willing to ask him and beileve him for what they need Nothing keeps God from blessing people quite like unbelief Samaria's people suffered a terrible famine follwoing the Aramites invasion The desparate king sent his officer to ask Elisha to do something Elisha said within one day there would be more than enough flour and barley for everyone - 2 Kings 7:1 The king's officer just couldn't believe it even if the Lord opened the heavens He was dead wrong and when it came down, the officer could not enjoy any of it In what areas of your life do you need to take God at his word? |
2015-08-27 - What Goes Around God had paid me back for what I did to them - Judge 1:7 We always reap what we sow or what goes around, comes around Adoni-bezek enjoyed some success as a king and military leader - he took captive of 70 nearby kings Then he went overboard by mistreating his captives:
When the armies of the tribes of Judah and Simeon, attacked and took Adoni-bezek into custody They cut off Adoni-bezek's thumbs and big toes and died If you want to reap kindness and love, then sow them in your every word and action |
2015-09-13 - Alert and Ready Take this young man to the commander. He has something important to tell him - Acts 23:17 Bible counsels us to alert and ready to move when God gives us a message of blessing, teching, or warning Paul's nephew saved his life because he remained alert and ready to act on what he knew Paul was chosen to speak his message of salvation to "the Gentiles and to kings" - Acts 9:!5 As Paul waited in jail for his opportunity to speak to Caesar, his nephew alerted him and his guards of a plot against his life When you remain alert and step out in faith at the opportune time, the Lord can use you to alter the course of history |
2015-09-18 - God's Kindness Hezekiah did not respond appropriately to the kindness shown him and he became proud - 2 Chronicles 32:24-25 Bible calls Hezekiah a godly king - he didn't make good use of an amazing gift God had given him He received 15 years additonal life - 2 Kings 20 Hezekiah forgot to be a good steward of what had given him and became proud by showing off his treasure of house and armory - 2 Kings 20:13 God warned him that the same Babylonian nation that send the treasure would destroy it - 2 KIngs 20:14 |
2015-09-19 - Risky He was one who had provided food for the king - 2 Samuel 19:32 Barzillai was a fine example of courage in the face of risk and contrary public opinion David's popularity had waned and the king's son, Absalom, had staged a coup. Barzillai gave David and his men food, water, and lodging - 2 Samuel 17:27-29 He knew the risks involved with aiding David but he stood up for what was right When David had regained his throne, he told of Barzillai's kindness and courage to his son Solomon - 1 KIngs 2:7 Gold character means doing and saying what you know is right even when no one seems to be watching |
2015-09-22 - Full Obedience An angel gave me this command from the Lord .. but the old man was lying to him - 1 Kings 13:18 The prophet from Judah failure to fully obey God's instructions led to personal disaster:
The prophet excuted the first part perfectly:
But the second part he failed - when home with an eldery prophet from Bethel because "God told him to" Partial obedience is really disobedience The prophet listened and lost everything - 1 Kings 13 |
2015-10-02 - Take a Shot Please let me inherit a double share of your spirit - 2 Kings 2:9 Prophet-in-training Elisha achieve greatness because he had the faith to ask for a blessing when he had the opportunity Three times Elijah told him to stay behind, three times he said I will never leave you - 2 Kings 2:2-6 Elijah asked Elisha what he wanted, he didn't hesitate - double portion of his spirit Elisha got exactly what he requested When we need God's empowerment, take your shot and for it in faith |
2015-10-14 - Finish Strong Amaziah did not destroy the pagan shrines - 2 Kings 14:3-4 Amaziah rejected King David's godly example and followed his father example, Joash, instead Joash started out strongly but fell flat later in life He faithfully served God early in his reign but defaulted on his spiritual responsibilites Amaziah led reactively instead of proactively
Follow godly examples rather than ones like Amaziah - they startedout well but finished poorly
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2015-10-29 - Integrity They are honest and trustworthy men - 2 Kings 22:7 The unnamed men who supervised the restoration of the Temple were so honest that Josiah ordered the high priest to stop keeping accounts of the money they spent to repair God's holy Temple Josiah wrote what amounted to a blank check to get the work done Why? Because they had already proved themselves faithful How do you conduct yourself when no one is watching? When you demonstrate integrity in everything you say and do, you earn the trust of those in authority over you |
2015-11-03 - Couldn't Help It Then he went with Elijah as his assistant - 1 Kings 19:21 Elisha couldn't help becoming a prophet of the Lord Elijah approached him and silently threw his cloak over his shoulder, Elisha knew what he meant The Holy Spirit had touched his heart and he felt ready to leave everything to follow Elijah First let me go and kiss my father and mother goodbye - 1 Kings 1:19 Elisha had no choice in the matter, for it was God who had called him to leave everything and follow hi, When the Holy Spirit is allowed to have free reign in your life, you can do nothing but say yes when God calls you to serve Him |