Firm Foundation with Bryan Hudson

TODAY! Part Two - What Comes Every Day (If you are looking for it)

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2 Corinthians 4:16 (Amplified Bible), Therefore we do not become discouraged [spiritless, disappointed, or afraid]. Though our outer self is [progressively] wasting away, yet our inner self is being [progressively] renewed day by day. 
KEY POINT
One of the reasons for TODAY is this:
Today is when life begins again!
“Renewed day by day…”
Psalms 46:1 God is our refuge and strength, A very present help in trouble. 2 Therefore we will not fear, Even though the earth be removed, And though the mountains be carried into the midst of the sea; 3 Though its waters roar and be troubled, Though the mountains shake with its swelling. Selah 
4 There is a river whose streams shall make glad the city of God, The holy place of the tabernacle of the Most High. 5 God is in the midst of her, she shall not be moved;
God shall help her, just at the break of dawn.
KEY POINT
There two forces await us everyday
   1. Troubled Streams (Perishing)
   2. Streams That Make Glad (Renewing)
Where/how you focus as your day begins determines which stream you will enter into. 
WHAT COMES EVERY DAY?
1. Mercy:  God’s gift before and after faith. Prevention or lessening of consequences following our errors. 
Lamentations 3:22-24, Through the Lord’s mercies we are not consumed, Because His compassions fail not. 23 They are new every morning; Great is Your faithfulness.
2. Benefits:  Provision, protection, grace to function, etc. 
Psalm 68:19, Blessed be the Lord, Who daily loads us with benefits, The God of our salvation! Selah
Matthew 6:11, Give us this day our daily bread.
3. Your Cross:  Opportunity to place others higher than yourself. Carry responsibility deny yourself, follow Christ, and serve God’s purposes.
Luke 9:23, Then He said to them all, “If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow Me.”
Proverbs 8:34, Blessed is the man who listens to me, Watching daily at my gates, Waiting at the posts of my doors
TODAY: Reflection & Application
In what ways I am being renewed TODAY?
Why does my life begin again TODAY? (Not starting over)
What hinders my awareness of TODAY?
Who will I encourage/exhort TODAY?
What streams from God’s river make me glad TODAY?
What does MERCY mean to me TODAY?
What do GOD’S BENEFITS mean to me TODAY?
What does MY CROSS mean to me TODAY?
 
 

TODAY! Part One - Your Life Begins Again - Firm Foundation Inspiration Minute for July 27, 2022

2 Corinthians 4:16 reads, Therefore we do not lose heart. Even though our outward man is perishing, yet the inward man is being renewed day by day.
The Apostle Paul wrote that our inward person is being renewed day by day. From this Scripture comes the thought for today's Inspiration Minute:
TODAY is when life begins again! Make the most of it!
While outward and natural things are obviously changing and diminishing, your inward life in Christ is always renewing. Because this is true, try to think of every new day as an opportunity to begin life again. No, you're not starting over, but you are starting afresh.
The Amplified Bible version of 2 Corinthians 4:16 reads, Therefore we do not become discouraged [spiritless, disappointed, or afraid]. Though our outer self is [progressively] wasting away, yet our inner self is being [progressively] renewed day by day. 
There ia a progressive renewal happening inside of you every day. Look for it. Focus on it. Prioritize something good God is doing in your life. Do it now. Do it TODAY.
God Bless and be encouraged!

Today! When Life Begins Again

2 Corinthians 4:16 (NKJV)
 Therefore we do not lose heart. Even though our outward man is perishing, yet the inward man is being renewed day by day.
 
 

The Joy of Children - Don’t Hinder Them

For the past five days, my wife and I have had two of our three grandchildren with us. We were also together with all three of our grands on a couple of occasions over the July 4 holiday weekend. The youngest granddaughter turned five months old on July 4.
 
Jesus said, “Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these.” (Matthew 19:14)
 
When I look at my grandchildren, I am first reminded of our four children when they were little, and of all of the trust they put in us as parents, and of all the hopes that we had for them. Each is now grown, living in his and her purpose, and doing very well.
 
Spending this quality time with our grandchildren made it clearer how marvelous the grace of God is, and how much their parents love them, care for them, and provide positive experiences. It was a joy to see the creativity and positive energy of our five-year-old grandson and our seven-year-old granddaughter. They love to imagine, draw and create worlds in which to express their thoughts and dreams.
 
We created a couple of videos in my home studio on green screen, in which my granddaughter scripted and shared her knowledge of animals and nature. She and her brother worked together, haggled a little bit, and made two fun videos talking about the attributes of elephants, zebras, cheetahs, and lions. It was actually informative.
 
When a child's mind and heart is nourished and is open to Christ, they express the freedom and creativity of their Creator. This is one of the reasons why Jesus said "do not hinder them." Children represent the kingdom of God which is the source of hope, creativity, and life at its best.
 
However you interact with children, as parents, grandparents, educators, or others, let us all be very intentional on providing the kind of life and environment in which children learn to love the Lord, become full of hope, eager to learn, and their God-given creativity and uniqueness.
 
God Bless and Be Encouraged!
Bryan Hudson, D. Min.
 

God Keeps His Promises to You | Firm Foundation Inspiration Minute for June 29, 2022

Psalm 37:3, Trust in the Lord, and do good; Dwell in the land, and feed on His faithfulness. 4 Delight yourself also in the Lord, And He shall give you the desires of your heart. 5 Commit your way to the Lord, Trust also in Him, And He shall bring it to pass. God makes promises to us. He does this because He wants to bless us and connect us to His faithfulness. Always remember that whatever God requires, He provides. Whenever we make a promise, such as to our children, we think it through because we have every intention to fulfill our promise and providing something good to our children. 
 
Many of God's promise are conditional, meaning that some type of response is needed. This is not required to prove our worthiness. God does this to involve us in the process of our blessing. Many of us have been burned by people who promised, but never delivered. It is a painful experience that can affect your ability to trust again. While is an unfortunate reality in life with people, don't transfer that distrust or hesitancy to God. He always keeps His promises.David wrote, "Trust also in Him, And He shall bring IT to pass." It is whatever you need or want that is consistent with the will of God. Here are the conditions to this promise (again, whatever God requires, He provides): 
Trust (in the Lord), Do (good), Dwell (in the land), Feed (on His faithfulness), Delight (yourself in the Lord), Commit (Your way to the Lord), Trust (in Him).
Know that God will bring IT (whatever is needed) to pass in your life!Below is a link to the full message, "Delight in the Lord: Receive His Promises"
God Bless and Be Encouraged!~ Pastor Bryan Hudson, D.Min.

Delight - What Is it?

DOWNLOAD KEYNOTE SLIDES
Psalm 37:3, Trust in the Lord, and do good; Dwell in the land, and feed on His faithfulness. 4 Delight yourself also in the Lord, And He shall give you the desires of your heart. 5 Commit your way to the Lord, Trust also in Him, And He shall bring it to pass. 
Psalms 37:5 states, “He shall bring it to pass.”
What is “It?” 
“It” is whatever you need or want that is consistent with the will of God.
Delight is a simple word with profound significance. This word is profound because delight reflects our desire, disposition, and direction. 
Delight definition: 
Take pleasure in, desire, incline to; to bend; favor, be (well) pleased, have pleasure
Sometimes we feel conflicted in our thoughts and desires of heart. Remember: “The thoughts of the righteous are right…” (Proverbs 12:5)
Our desires and thoughts are shaped by are obedience to God. Psalm 37:3-5,
Trust (in the Lord), Do (good), Dwell (in the land), Feed (on His faithfulness), Delight (yourself in the Lord), Commit (Your way to the Lord), Trust (in Him)

Fathers: Men of Compassion

Psalm 103:13 As a father shows compassion to his children, so the Lord shows compassion to those who fear him. 
Father's Day was Sunday, June 16. I was blessed to celebrate another Father's Day with my 85 year old dad, Horace Bryan Hudson. He is the greatest man I've ever known, and a man of great compassion. He was my model in being a father to our four wonderful children, and now, three grandchildren.
Our youngest son experienced his first Father's Day when he became a father when his wife gave birth to a beautiful little girl in February. My son, along with another first time father, shared reflections on their early experience of being a father. We also heard from two experienced fathers who were also grandfathers. 
In our culture and community, we value those whom we call "father-like-ones," such as relatives, coaches, educators, and men in the church community. One of our men who spoke, a former high school principal and teacher, reflected on having served as a father-like-one to more than 3000 students in the course of his career.
As a pastor and community leader, I've also had the experience exercising compassion in serving young men and women, especially through 39 years as a pastor to our congregation and for 20 years of conducting summer media camps for youth.
I share all of this to highlight something about fathers that we often overlook: When we look as compassion as only an emotional response, we have difficulty seeing fathers in that light. 
However, when we understand compassion in its more proper definition, we can see fathers in their true light. The best understanding of compassion is "love in action." When we think about the actions that men and father's take for their children and others, we can clearly see the compassion filled role of the father. 
David compared the compassion of fathers to the compassion of God. In this we find one of the most significant purposes of fathers: To properly and lovingly represent God before the children and others. God is a God of compassion. He is a God of action, which He proved by sending Jesus Christ to be are Savior and Lord.
When we  consider the lofty and seeming overwhelming requirements of fathers, I like always remind men of this very important truth: Whatever God requires, He provides.
So brothers, embrace your assignment of compassion because it is not only about emotion––which we have. It is more about love in action...and you know how to do that!

Fathers in 3D: Destiny, Design, & Duty

 DOWNLOAD KEYNOTE SLIDES
Psalms 13:13, As a father shows compassion to his children, so the Lord shows compassion to those who fear him.
Compassion is “love in action”
Proverbs 17:6, Children's children are the crown of old men, and the glory of children is their father.
Proverbs 1:8, My son, hear the instruction of your father, and do not forsake the law of your mother;
FATHERS IN 3D
1 - A Father’s Destiny (Purpose)
2 - A Father’s Design
3 - A Father’s Duty
Our responsibility to our Father is to:
Listen to him
Learn from him
Lean on him
Love him

God’s Excellent Ones (Scholars) - Go Beyond

Psalms 16:2-4, O my soul, you have said to the Lord, “You are my Lord, My goodness is nothing apart from You.” As for the saints who are on the earth, “They are the excellent ones, in whom is all my delight.”
 
Last Sunday, my wife and I recognized some young scholars as part of our church service called, Scholar's Sunday.Patricia had the idea to encourage students and graduates with a special recognition. Once again, we witnessed the power of encouragement. Included among the group of students advancing to higher grades where a high school graduate and a college graduate.
 
I shared a special sermon in their honor, we presented each scholar with certificates of recognition, and enjoyed refreshments afterwards. My wife noted that many students had missed out on in-person recognitions the past two years because of COVID, so this spring was a return to celebrations and commencements.
 
Their response to the recognitions confirmed in importance of empowering, recognizing, and giving words of wisdom to young people. In Psalms 16 God called His people, "Excellent Ones" and said that He delights in them. Excellent comes from the word, "Excel" which means "Go Beyond."
 
Some of the keys I shared to going beyond in commencing and advancing in education included.
 
1. Stand in your space. Earn and demand respect.
2. Commit Yourself to God: Proverbs 16:3 “Commit to the LORD whatever you do, and your plans will succeed.”
3. Trust the Lord more than your own understanding: Proverbs 3:5-10 “Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight."
4. Work for God, not only for people: Colossians 3:23 “Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men.”
5. You were built for purpose: Ephesians 2:10 “For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.”
 
Here is a link the entire message and video on Youtube.
 
Let's make it a point to encourage young people as life long learners and scholars. It goes a long way towards motivating them to Go Beyond.
 
God Bless and Be Encouraged!

”The Excellent Ones” - Scholars’ Sunday Message by Bryan Hudson, D.Min.

DOWNLOAD KEYNOTE
Psalms 16:2-4, O my soul, you have said to the Lord, “You are my Lord, My goodness is nothing apart from You.” As for the saints who are on the earth, “They are the excellent ones, in whom is all my delight.”
Jeremiah 29:11-13, “For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” 
How to Commence and Advance 
1. Stand in your space. Earn and demand respect
1 Timothy 4:12  “Don’t let anyone look down on you because you are young, but set an example for the believers in speech, in life, in love, in faith and in purity.”
2. Commit Yourself to God
Proverbs 16:3  “Commit to the LORD whatever you do, and your plans will succeed.”
3. Trust the Lord more than your own understanding. Honor the Lord
Proverbs 3:5-10  “Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight. Honor the LORD with your wealth, with the firstfruits of all your crops; then your barns will be filled to overflowing, and your vats will brim over with new wine.”
4. Work for God, not only for people
Colossians 3:23  “Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men.”
5. You were built for purpose
Ephesians 2:10  “For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.”
2022 Graduates & Scholars
Congratulations!
Your college degree, high school diploma, or passing to a higher grade is evidence of learning.
Your college degree, high school diploma is neither a shortcut in life nor an emblem of privilege. You still have to become skillful in your field and earn the professional respect of people who know and do more than you.
Don’t settle. #GoForward