DAILY BIBLE VERSES AND PRAYER THOUGHTS:

MONDAY - VERSES: 2 Timothy 1:5; 1 Peter 3:1; Romans 10:16-18; John 20:27-29; PRAYER THOUGHT: Thank God for the faith you have and for all of those people, things, and events that have helped you develop it.

TUESDAY - VERSES: Habakkuk 2:2-4; Ephesians 2:8-10; Jude 1:3 PRAYER THOUGHT: Thank God for His gift of knowledge and faith and ask Him to help you live and walk according to the faith He has given us all.

WEDNESDAY - VERSES: Matthew 6:30; 8:26; 14:31; 16:7-8; 23:23 PRAYER THOUGHT: Ask God to help you see the areas in your life where you are not walking by faith. Ask Him to show you what is causing your lack of faith or follow-through in those areas.

THURSDAY - VERSES: Mark 9:23-24; Luke 17:5; Colossians 2:5-7; Jude 1:20-21 PRAYER THOUGHT: Ask God for help in building your faith stronger in the areas it is weak.

FRIDAY - VERSES: Romans 1:17; Galatians 2:20; 3:11-14; Hebrews 10:38-39 PRAYER THOUGHT: Ask God to help you move beyond intellectual belief into a true living faith that guides your actions.

SATURDAY - VERSES: 1 Thessalonians 5:9-11; Hebrews 3:12-15 PRAYER THOUGHT: Ask God to bring you together with someone who needs to grow in their faith and someone who can help you grow in yours.

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Every tomorrow has two handles. We can take hold of it with the handle of anxiety or the handle of faith. - Henry Ward Beecher

No one has or will ever change anything of consequence in his or her life without first believing.

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ASSIGNMENTS

1. At least once a day read over this material and read or sing the song.

2. Place the scripture where you will see it often each day.

3. Think of areas of your life where you tend to walk by sight not by

faith and work on those.

4. Write down the ways you have walked by faith instead of sight.

5. Plan to tell how you or someone else has walked by faith instead of sight, or tell how you struggle to walk by faith in your life.

SPIRITUAL HEALTH REGIMEN - WEEK 21

WALK BY FAITH - 12-8-12 TO 12-14-12

SCRIPTURE - 2 Corinthians 5:7 For we walk by faith, not by sight.

COMMENT - How we live our lives should be determined by our

faith in God and his promises not by the things we can gain physically,

socially, financially or emotionally from our life on this earth.

SONG – WHEN MORNING COMES

1. Trials dark on ev'ry hand, and we cannot understand All the ways that God will lead us to that blessed promised land; But He'll guide us with His eye, and we'll follow till we die, We will understand it better by and by.

2. Oft our cherished plans have failed, disappointments have prevailed, And we've wandered in the darkness, heavy hearted and alone; But we're trusting in the Lord, and according to His Word, We will understand it better by and by.

3. Temptations, hidden snares, often take us unawares, And our hearts are made to bleed for each thoughtless word or deed; And we wonder why the test, when we try to do our best, But will understand it better by and by.

REFRAIN - By and by when the morning comes, All the saints of God are gathering home, Tell the story how we've overcome, We will

understand it better by and by.

THOUGHTS

Some Christians are so afraid of failure that they become reserved, overly cautious, and uninvolved in life. They follow a policy of guarded living, holding back time, talents, and treasure from God's service. Their motto is: To keep from failing -- don't try! On the other hand, those who are willing to make mistakes and risk failure are the ones who ultimately achieve great things. Instead of being filled with fear, they go forward in faith. Problems are challenges. While they may not all be solved, these courageous people would rather live with that reality than have a clean record of no failures and no accomplishments. Benjamin Franklin said one time, "The man who does things makes many mistakes, but he never makes the biggest mistake of all -- doing nothing."

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Philip Yancey defines faith as: "Believing in advance in something that will only seem logical when seen in reverse."

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As children bring their broken toys With tears for us to mend,

I brought my broken dreams to God, Because He was my friend.

But then, instead of leaving Him In peace, to work alone,

I hung around and tried to help In ways that were my own.

Finally I took them back and said, "Dear God, why are you so slow?"

"My child," He said, "what could I do? You never did let go."

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I said to the man who stood at the gate of the year, "Give me a light, that I may tread safely into the unknown," and he replied, "Go out into the darkness and put your hand into the hand of God. That shall be to you better than light and safer than a known way." by M. Louise Haskins

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Unbelief puts our circumstance between us and God, but faith

puts God between us and our circumstances.

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Faith in Christ is more than mere intellectual assent. It is believing with the heart, with the will, with adoration and with action. Years ago a party of visitors at the national mint were told by a workman in the smelting works that if you first dipped your hand in water, a ladle of molten metal might be poured over the palm of the hand without burning it. A husband and wife were part of this party of visitors. "Perhaps you would like to try it," the workman said to the husband. The husband drew back sharply, "No thanks," he said, "I'll take your word for it." The workman turned to the wife, "Perhaps you would like to try it." She replied, "Certainly." She pulled up the sleeve of her blouse and thrust her hand into a bucket of water. Calmly she held her hand out while the metal was poured over it. In nature of Jesus' parable, we might ask which of the two really believed the workman? The husband believed at one level -- but he wasn't willing to put his belief to the acid test. The wife, on the other hand, was willing to take the kind of risk faith in Christ demands.

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When descending the Grand Canyon, often times a person has to travel on narrow ledges that have only enough room for a mule to

get a foothold. The ribbons of rock that run along the edges of these towering cliffs overlook vertical precipices that descend hundreds of feet to the valley below. When one must make use of these stony paths, the safest course is to let the mule find his own way; for the slightest touch on the bridle may easily throw both the animal and his rider over the cliff to sudden death. So it is in the believer's life. In some circumstances, if he would keep himself from having sinful doubts and falling into despair, he must lay the `bridle' on the neck of Faith, and commit his way to God. No matter how things look, he may take comfort in these words, "I will never leave thee nor forsake thee." In such trying experiences the only thing to do is to trust in God and walk by faith, not by sight.

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A faith is a necessity to a man. Woe to him who believes in nothing.

Victor Hugo

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WALKING BY _____________

INTRODUCTION

I. THIS LIFE IS __________________

A. OUR __________ IS TEMPORARY - 2 CORINTHIANS 4:16

B. OUR ___________ IS TEMPORARY - 2 CORINTHIANS 4:17

C. OUR FOCUS THEN SHOULD BE ON THE ______________ NOT THE TEMPORARY -

1. 2 CORINTHIANS ____:18

2. 2 CORINTHIANS 5:____

II. WE LOOK FOR ANOTHER ___________ - HEBREWS 13:14

A. A NEW HEAVENLY __________ - 2 CORINTHIANS 5:1-5

B. A NEW _______ IN HEAVEN WITH GOD - 2 CORIN. 5:6,8

C. GOD PUT _____________ IN OUR HEARTS - ECCLES. 3:11

III. THEREFORE WE SHOULD MAKE IT OUR AIM TO ______________ GOD - 2 CORINTHIANS 5:9

A. JUDGEMENT DAY IS __________ - 2 CORINTHIANS 5:10

B. WE SHOULD _________ OTHERS - 2 CORINTHIANS 5:11

C. WE WILL CONTINUALLY DO _________ - ROMANS 2:6-8

CONCLUSION

WALKING BY FAITH

SCRIPTURE - (2 Cor 4:16-5:11) Therefore we do not lose heart. Even though our outward man is perishing, yet the inward man is being renewed day by day. {17} For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, is working for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory, {18} while we do not look at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen. For the things which are seen are temporary, but the things which are not seen are eternal. For we know that if our earthly house, this tent, is destroyed, we have a building from God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens. {2} For in this we groan, earnestly desiring to be clothed with our habitation which is from heaven, {3} if indeed, having been

clothed, we shall not be found naked. {4} For we who are in this tent groan, being burdened, not because we want to be unclothed, but

further clothed, that mortality may be swallowed up by life. {5} Now He who has prepared us for this very thing is God, who also has given

us the Spirit as a guarantee. {6} So we are always confident, knowing that while we are at home in the body we are absent from the Lord. {7} For we walk by faith, not by sight. {8} We are confident, yes, well pleased rather to be absent from the body and to be present with the Lord. {9} Therefore we make it our aim, whether present or absent, to be well pleasing to Him. {10} For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive the things done in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad. {11} Knowing, therefore, the terror of the Lord, we persuade men; but we are well known to God, and I also trust are well known in your consciences.

INTRODUCTION

A. The world needs men...(and I might add women)

who cannot be bought;

whose word is their bond;

who put character above wealth;

who possess opinions and a will;

who are larger than their vocations;

who do not hesitate to take chances;

who will not lose their individuality in a crowd;

who will be as honest in small things as in great things;

who will make no compromise with wrong;

whose ambitions are not confined to their own selfish desires;

who will not say they do it "because everybody else does it";

who are true to their friends through good report and evil report in adversity as well as in prosperity;

who do not believe that shrewdness, cunning, and hardheadedness are the best qualities for winning success;

who are not ashamed or afraid to stand for the truth when it is unpopular;

who can say "no" with emphasis, although all the rest of the world says "yes."

B. WHAT DETERMINES THE WAY YOU LIVE YOUR LIFE ON THIS EARTH?

1. WHY DO YOU SPEND YOUR MONEY THE WAY YOU DO?

2. WHY DO YOU USE YOUR TIME THE WAY YOU DO?

3. WHY DO YOU ASSOCIATE WITH THE PEOPLE YOU DO?

4. WHY DO YOU DO THE THINGS YOU DO?

5. WHY DO YOU THINK ABOUT THE THINGS YOU DO?

C. DO YOU LIVE THE WAY YOU DO BECAUSE OF YOUR FAITH IN GOD OR BECAUSE OF PHYSICAL DESIRES OF THIS

LIFE?

D. DO YOU WALK BY FAITH OR BY SIGHT?

I. THIS LIFE IS TEMPORARY

A. OUR BODY IS TEMPORARY - {2 COR 4:16}Therefore we do not lose heart. Even though our outward man is perishing, yet the

inward man is being renewed day by day.

B. OUR SUFFERING IS TEMPORARY - {2 COR 4:17} For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, is working for us a far

more exceeding and eternal weight of glory,

C. OUR FOCUS THEN SHOULD BE ON THE ETERNAL NOT THE TEMPORARY -

1. {2 COR 4:18} while we do not look at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen. For the things which

are seen are temporary, but the things which are not seen are eternal.

2. {2 COR 5:7} For we walk by faith, not by sight.

II. WE LOOK FOR ANOTHER LIFE - (Heb 13:14) For here we have no continuing city, but we seek the one to come.

A. A NEW HEAVENLY BODY - {2 COR 5:1-5}For we know that if our earthly house, this tent, is destroyed, we have a building

from God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens. {2} For in this we groan, earnestly desiring to be clothed with our habitation which is from heaven, {3} if indeed, having been clothed, we shall not be found naked. {4} For we who are in this tent groan, being burdened, not because we want to be unclothed, but further clothed, that mortality may be swallowed up by life. {5} Now He who has prepared us for this very thing is God, who also has given us the Spirit as a guarantee.

B. A NEW HOME IN HEAVEN WITH GOD - {2 COR 5:6 & 8} So we are always confident, knowing that while we are at home in

the body we are absent from the Lord….. {8} We are confident, yes, well pleased rather to be absent from the body and to be present with

the Lord.

C. GOD PUT ETERNITY IN OUR HEARTS - (Eccl 3:11) He has made everything beautiful in its time. Also He has put eternity in

their hearts, except that no one can find out the work that God does from beginning to end.

III. THEREFORE WE SHOULD MAKE IT OUR AIM TO PLEASE GOD - {2 COR 5:9} Therefore we make it our aim, whether present

or absent, to be well pleasing to Him.

A. JUDGEMENT DAY IS COMING - {2 COR 5:10} For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may

receive the things done in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad.

B. WE SHOULD WARN OTHERS - {2 COR 5:11} Knowing, therefore, the terror of the Lord, we persuade men; but we are well

known to God, and I also trust are well known in your consciences.

C. WE WILL CONTINUALLY DO GOOD - (Rom 2:6-8) who "will render to each one according to his deeds": {7} eternal life to

those who by patient continuance in doing good seek for glory, honor, and immortality; {8} but to those who are self-seeking and do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness; indignation and wrath,

CONCLUSION

A. IF WE WALK BY FAITH WE WILL TAKE GOD AT HIS WORD - (Acts 27:25) "Therefore take heart, men, for I believe God

that it will be just as it was told me.

B. IF WE WALK BY FAITH WE WILL OBEY GOD'S WORD - (Rev 22:14-15) Blessed are those who do His commandments, that

they may have the right to the tree of life, and may enter through the gates into the city. {15} But outside are dogs and sorcerers and sexually immoral and murderers and idolaters, and whoever loves and practices a lie.

C. IF WE WALK BY FAITH WE WILL BE FOCUSED ON ETERNITY NOT THIS LIFE - (Col 3:1-4) If then you were raised with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ is, sitting at the right hand of God. {2} Set your mind on things above, not on things on the earth. {3} For you died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. {4} When Christ who is our life appears, then you also will appear with Him in glory.

D. IF WE WALK BY FAITH WE EAGERLY WAIT, PATIENTLY - (Rom 8:24-25) For we were saved in this hope, but hope that is seen is not hope; for why does one still hope for what he sees? {25} But if we hope for what we do not see, we eagerly wait for it with perseverance.

2 Corinthians 5:7 For we walk by faith, not by sight.

2 Corinthians 5:7 For we walk by faith, not by sight.

2 Corinthians 5:7 For we walk by faith, not by sight.

2 Corinthians 5:7 For we walk by faith, not by sight.

2 Corinthians 5:7 For we walk by faith, not by sight.

2 Corinthians 5:7 For we walk by faith, not by sight.

2 Corinthians 5:7 For we walk by faith, not by sight.

2 Corinthians 5:7 For we walk by faith, not by sight.

2 Corinthians 5:7 For we walk by faith, not by sight.

2 Corinthians 5:7 For we walk by faith, not by sight.

2 Corinthians 5:7 For we walk by faith, not by sight.

2 Corinthians 5:7 For we walk by faith, not by sight.

2 Corinthians 5:7 For we walk by faith, not by sight.