Firm Foundation with Bryan Hudson

Two Things That Change Your Life | Firm Foundation inspiration Minute for November 16, 2022

Psalm 19:14, Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart Be acceptable in Your sight, O Lord, my strength and my Redeemer. 
We are living in a day of outrageous words and actions. Whatever person does begins with meditations of his heart, followed by words spoken and actions taken.
David gave a guideline to a better life and a better world. His prayer to God, and his determination, was that the meditations (or thoughts) of his heart would be acceptable to God. He also asked that the words of his mouth would be acceptable.
Self-awareness is the beginning of many good things. I'm not speaking of self-awareness in a conceded sense, but in the sense of judging our own thoughts, words, and actions.
We know that our words, which come from my thoughts, are important because of what Jesus said in Matthew 12:36, "But I say to you that for every idle word men may speak, they will give account of it in the day of judgment".
Idle speaks of empty, useless, and thoughtless words.  Jesus also said in Luke 6:45, "For out of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaks."
This is way we pray, take devotional time with the Lord, are faithful in church and in all manner of Bible study. We want to develop the habit of godly self awareness, and then have the grace to make the words and meditations of our hearts acceptable to God.
God bless, have a great day, and be encouraged!
Registration is open for our 32nd community Christmas Jesus Celebration and Outreach. I invite you to recommend persons in need of Christmas help and encouragement to register. Use this link:  https://www.newcovenant.org/communitychristmas

Be Empowered. Empower Others. | Firm Foundation inspiration Minute for November 9, 2022

Acts 10:38, How God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power, who went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with Him. 
The scripture reread describes how God and powered Jesus to do good and heal people who were oppressed. The root of the word “empower” is “power” which is: ability to do or act; capability of doing or accomplishing something.
Power has to be gained, learned, imparted, or received from God and others. This is the basis of being empowered. Empowerment is defined as follows: The PROCESS of helping others obtain opportunities, develop skills, increase capacity and gain self-sufficiency.
Where would you be today without God and the people who empowered you?  In the world were so many people were trying to pull something from you, thank God for those who try to put something in you. The nature of empowering is to provide the same ability and authority possessed by the giver. 
When you reflect on it, there were pivotal moments and processes in life that empowered you. These moments came from parents, teachers, preachers, public servants, mentors, employers, and coaches. I have vivid memories of many of those pivotal moments.
Having been in ministry going on 44 years, 40 years of which serving as a pastor, my whole adult life has been given to empowering others. That's only because I have been in empowered by others.
Let me encourage you to get in position to receive what you need, increase your capacity, and then turn around and help somebody else grow, gain ability and capacity.

Empowered! How We Do What We Do

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Acts 10:35, But in every nation whoever fears Him and works righteousness is accepted by Him. 36 The word which God sent to the children of Israel, preaching peace through Jesus Christ—He is Lord of all— 37 that word you know, which was proclaimed throughout all Judea, and began from Galilee after the baptism which John preached: 38 how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power, who went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with Him. 
The root of the word “empower” is “power” which is: ability to do or act; capability of doing or accomplishing something.
Power has to be gained, learned, imparted, or received from God and others. This is the basis of being empowered. The prefix “em-” or “en-” before an English word means, “in, into, within, inside”
Empowerment defined: The PROCESS of helping others obtain opportunities, develop skills, and gain self-sufficiency. “Empower” is an instance. Empowerment is the process.
Where would you be today without God and the people who empowered you? 
Too many people and powers in life are only trying to extract something from you, not put anything into you.

The Greatest Motivator In Your Life | Firm Foundation inspiration Minute for November 2, 2022

We're living in a day where motivations are moving people to do very good and very poorly. What we are seeing is that a persons motivation is a culmination of their lifestyle, their upbringing, and most of all their belief system.
Motivations are not something that we can control if we've not already shaped our motivations towards  godly thoughts and actions. As Jesus said, a tree is known by his fruit. So we need to pay attention to the kinds of trees that we are, because the fruit, the outcomes, of our lives are the result of the type of trees (or persons) we are.
Out of all the motivating forces in life, the greatest motivator is love. The apostle Paul wrote about the various spiritual gifts that Christ followers possess and exhibit. Many are motivated by their gifts, both spiritual and natural. Paul said in 1 Corinthians 14:13, "And now abide faith, hope, love, these three; but the greatest of these is love."
God is love, so when we are motivated by love, we are being motivated by God's greatest attribute.
The Apostle Paul went on to write in 1 Corinthians 14
4, Love suffers long and is kind; love does not envy; love does not parade itself, is not puffed up; 5 [love] does not behave rudely, does not seek its own,  [love] is not provoked, [love] thinks no evil; 6 [love] does not rejoice in iniquity, [love] rejoices in the truth; 7 [love] bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.8 Love never fails.
Love is the motivating power that never fails! Check the podcast and the video of my message from October 30, "Motivation: Why we do what we do"
God bless, have a great day and be encouraged.
 

Motivation: Why We Do What We Do

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2 Corinthians 5:14, For the love of Christ compels [controls] us, because we judge thus: that if One died for all, then all died; 15 and He died for all, that those who live should live no longer for themselves, but for Him who died for them and rose again.
These questions goes to the heart of our motives or motivations
1. Why do people do what they do? 
2. Why do we do what we do?
3. Why do you do things you are doing?
What We Know From Experience and Education
There are two motivational types: intrinsic and extrinsic
Intrinsic motivation (or internal motivation) comes from within
Extrinsic motivation (or external motivation) refers to external factors that drive you to do something.
There is Another, Higher, Motivation
Paul explained it this way to the Corinthians:
1 Corinthians 12:31 But earnestly desire the best gifts. And yet I show you a more excellent way.

Nothing too Hard for God, So Lay Your Burdens Down - Firm Foundation inspiration Minute for August 28, 2024

Jeremiah 32:26, Then the word of the Lord came to Jeremiah: 27 “I am the Lord, the God of all mankind. Is anything too hard for me?
In this life, we have all come to learn that there are many hard things that we must endure. Someone observed that the older you get the greater the challenges, and I have found this to be true. 
This does not only apply to personal challenges, but the challenge of serving and caring for others, including our parents as well as other family members as they age. Along with the greater responsibilities and the greater challenges come greater Grace.
As the Lord said to Jeremiah, "Is there anything too hard for me?" That is a very strong reminder, because we tend to carry burdens that we were not designed to carry alone. Sometimes the thing we need to do is to lay our burdens down, and commit to allow Christ to do what we are unable to do. 
Be sure to check the podcast from October 23, "God Is For You!" Part 4, concluding the series.
God bless, have a great day, and be encouraged.

God is For You! Part 4 - IN SUMMARY: Nothing Too Hard for the Lord

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Jeremiah 32:26, Then the word of the Lord came to Jeremiah: 27 “I am the Lord, the God of all mankind. Is anything too hard for me?
Micah 6:8  (NLT), O people, the Lord has told you what is good, and this is what he requires of you: to do what is right, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God.
Romans 8:37, Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us.
Watch 60 Minutes Deion Sanders Interview
https://youtu.be/Jz1YfvAw5Ow

God is For You...Like a Flood!

Glad to be back after a few weeks off preparing to celebrate our milestone 40th Pastoral and Church anniversary at New Covenant Church, serving God's people, as well as enjoying some vacation time in Europe with my wife Patricia. I know that many of my followers enjoy my photography, so on the blog I've posted some photos and video clips that you might enjoy.
With all the pressures and challenges of life, it is essential and comforting to know God is for us. This is especially true when we are paying attention to Him. He loves us regardless of our state, but our goal is to be pleasing to the Lord. He draws near to us when we draw near to him.
I would like to share an insight from last Sunday's message in which we talked about solutions, answers, and hope. I used the phrase "There is an app for that." This became a parable for experiences during our vacation in which almost everything we did was helped by using an app on my iPhone. Life also has apps or applications of the heart and mind. We discussed this in the lesson on Sunday. Check out the podcast or view on our YouTube channel.
How we think, or our type of mindset, is a very important factor to the quality of  our lives. It's important to have something that I will call "a solution mindset." Let me share a Scripture with you and explain what I mean.
Isaiah 59:19 reads, "So shall they fear the name of the Lord from the west, And His glory from the rising of the sun; When the enemy comes in like a flood, The Spirit of the Lord will lift up a standard against him."
It is an encouraging thought that when the enemy comes in like a flood the Spirit of God raises up a standard. But I think there's a better way to look at this Scripture, especially in light of the fact that original Bible languages did not include punctuation.  In our first reading the enemy is characterized as a flood coming in.
Let me offer this alternative reading of Isaiah 59:19:
When the enemy comes in, like a flood the Spirit of the Lord will lift up a standard against him. 
I'm not saying this reading is correct and the other one is wrong, this is an example of developing a solution mindset where we don't place as much emphasis on the trouble as on the answer. I like to think that it is the Spirit of God who brings the flood of blessing more than the enemy bringing a flood of trouble.
I like this quote from a book entitled The Obstacle is the Way by Ryan Holiday
“Just because other people say that something is hopeless or crazy or broken to pieces doesn’t mean it is. We decide what story to tell ourselves.” 
The more you realize that God is for you, the more you will see that His solutions answers and hope are bigger than the problems we face.
Have a great day, God bless, and be encouraged!
 

God is For You! Part 3: Solutions, Answers, Hope. (”There Is An App For That!”)

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Romans 8:31, What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? 32 He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not with Him also freely give us all things?
Develop a Solution Mindset
Isaiah 59:19, So shall they fear. The name of the Lord from the west, And His glory from the rising of the sun; When the enemy comes in like a flood, The Spirit of the Lord will lift up a standard against him.
Consider this Scripture another way:
Isaiah 59:19, When the enemy comes in, like a flood the Spirit of the Lord will lift up a standard against him.
Quotes From 
The Obstacle is the Way by Ryan Holiday
“Just because other people say that something is hopeless or crazy or broken to pieces doesn’t mean it is. We decide what story to tell ourselves.” 
“You can take the trouble you’re dealing with and use it as an opportunity to focus on the present moment.”
Jesus often spoke in parables. I am going to use parables today.
Parables were a way to convey principles in an allegoric story that people could understand and relate to. 
A parable is a teaching method using the familiar to illustrate unfamiliar concepts.
The term app is short for application. 
It is defined as: 
A computer program that is designed for a particular purpose
A program that you can download onto a mobile phone and use anytime

God is For You! – Part 2: The Power of Your Testimony

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Romans 8:31: What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? 32 He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not with Him also freely give us all things? 33 Who shall bring a charge against God’s elect? It is God who justifies. 
What is a Testimony?
μαρτύριον - marturion: It is a witness as borne; a declaration of facts
Webster’s Dictionary: A solemn declaration usually made orally by a witness 
A testimony is the statement of your faith. What you believe.
A testimony is an explanation of what God has done in your life.
A testimony represents your chosen lifestyle. Your reputation.
A testimony encompasses your purpose and future actions.
Speaking is a kingdom principle. Of course, we think it,  but there is something divine in saying it. Speaking is consistent with the nature of God.
Genesis 1:1, In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. 2 The earth was without form, and void; and darkness was on the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters. 3 Then God said, “Let there be light”; and there was light.
Matthew 12:36, But I say to you that for every idle word men may speak, they will give account of it in the day of judgment.
Psalm 19:14, Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart Be acceptable in Your sight, O Lord, my strength and my Redeemer.
1 Samuel 17:34 But David said to Saul, “Your servant used to keep his father’s sheep, and when a lion or a bear came and took a lamb out of the flock, 35 I went out after it and struck it, and delivered the lamb from its mouth; and when it arose against me, I caught it by its beard, and struck and killed it. 36 Your servant has killed both lion and bear; and this uncircumcised Philistine will be like one of them, seeing he has defied the armies of the living God.” 37 Moreover David said, “The Lord, who delivered me from the paw of the lion and from the paw of the bear, He will deliver me from the hand of this Philistine.”