Building Blocks

I do not believe in an ABC, 123, or Step by Step guide to being saved. There, that is out of the way; that being said, I do believe we build a strong foundation of faith one golden nugget of truth and scriptural wisdom at a time as we learn and grow in Christ. I do not think we can ‘love’ that which we do not know. To know Christ we must seek His face, know His character, read truth revealing scripture, allow the Holy Spirit to guide us in understanding and trust that which we cannot see. Tall order, but one filled with goodness and peace we cannot imagine without walking it out in faith.   

Dr. Charles Stanley leads a large congregation and I have watched his tv ministry on Sundays before going to church for years. There is something about his soft-spoken Southern way of getting to the point...I like that. I ran across some of his writing the other day when I was researching more on ‘rebellion’ (Yes, we are going to cover that again soon! Hehehe) I found the following interesting and decided to share the wealth. Don’t just skim over this, but read it with attention. I think you will see an outline for solid Christian living/thinking and much wisdom: When Dr. Stanley was a young man, one week spent with his grandfather charted the course for more than 50 years of preaching God's Word. During those few days, he learned the first of 30 foundational truths that guide his life and ministry to this day.

 
1. Our intimacy with God – His highest priority for our lives – determines the impact of our lives.
2. Obey God and leave all the consequences to Him.
3. God’s Word is an immovable anchor in times of storm.
4. The awareness of God’s presence energizes us for our work.
5. God does not require us to understand His will; just obey it, even if it seems unreasonable.
6. You reap what you sow, more than you sow, and later than you sow.
7. The dark moments of our life will last only so long as is necessary for God to accomplish His purpose in us.
8. Fight all your battles on your knees and you win every time.
9. Trusting God means looking beyond what we can see to what God sees.
10. If necessary, God will move heaven and earth to show us His will.
11. God assumes full responsibility for our needs when we obey Him.
12. Peace with God is the fruit of oneness with God.
13. Listening to God is essential to walking with God.
14. God acts on behalf of those who wait for Him.
15. Brokenness is God’s requirement for maximum usefulness.
16. Whatever you acquire outside of God’s will eventually turns to ashes.
17. We stand tallest and strongest on our knees.
18. As children of a sovereign God, we are never victims of our circumstances.
19. Anything you hold too tightly, you will lose.
20. Disappointments are inevitable, discouragement is a choice.
21. Obedience always brings blessing.
22. To walk in the Spirit is to obey the initial promptings of the Spirit.
23. You can never out-give God.
24. To live the Christian life is to allow Jesus to live His life in and through us.
25. God blesses us so that we might bless others.
26. Adversity is a bridge to a deeper relationship with God.
27. Prayer is life’s greatest time saver.
28. No Christian has ever been called to “go it alone” in his or her walk of faith.
29. We learn more in our valley experiences than on our mountaintops.
30. An eager anticipation of the Lord’s return keeps us living productively.