Firm Foundation with Bryan Hudson

10 Things You Can Do | Part Five of Navigate: How to Successful Journey Through Life and These Times

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Philippians 4:13, I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.
Jeremiah 29:11, For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope.
At times in life we hit a rough patch. Sometimes things don't go well, but that is no commentary on your life. 
God’s plan has not changed.
There is always a way forward.
You can do all things through Christ who gives you strength.
Forbes Article: https://www.forbes.com/sites/forbescoachescouncil/2020/09/01/going-through-a-life-crisis-15-ways-to-navigate-the-questioning-phase/?sh=6008152860f4
Ryan Holiday book, The Obstacle is the Way: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00G3L1B8K/ref=cm_sw_em_r_mt_dp_EYYREG1HQWFTKHHFT894
 
 

The Compass of Love | Part Four of Navigate: How to Successful Journey Through Life and These Times

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1 John 4:7, Beloved, let us love one another, for love is of God; and everyone who loves is born of God and knows God. 8 He who does not love does not know God, for God is love. 9 In this the love of God was manifested toward us, that God has sent His only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through Him.
WHAT IS LOVE? LOVE IS A COMPASS.
John 3:16 Tells you everything essential that you need to know about the love of God, or what we can call “the God kind of love.”  There are four important ingredients to the God kind of love.
1. Love is universal and not selective
2. Love is sacrificial and not selfish
3. Love gives and doesn’t take
4. Love leads to safe places
 
Contrasted to the “world’s kind of love”  we find quite the opposite.  The worldly kind of love is:
1. Narrow and highly selective
2. Stingy and selfish
3. Motivated by selfish gain
4. The best interests of others is not in view
How we relate to, and navigate with, others is one of the most important skills of life. Entire books and courses are dedicated to how to relate to others. All this is good, but walking in love is the most helpful. 
James called it the “Royal Law.” 
James 2:8, Yes indeed, it is good when you obey the royal law as found in the Scriptures: “Love your neighbor as yourself.” (Leviticus 19:17-18)

NAVIGATE: Part 3 – Power of Nurture: Preparing Children to Navigate Life

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How we help children function or navigate early in life, charts the path for their future. How they learn to see themselves and interact with others, leads to the best outcomes.
Children Need NURTURE.Defined: Care for and encourage the growth or development of.
Parenting is relational, not transactional
Proverbs 1:7
 The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge, But fools despise wisdom and instruction. 8 My son, hear the instruction of your father, And do not forsake the law of your mother; 9  For they will be a graceful ornament on your head, And chains about your neck.
Matthew 18:6 
If anyone causes one of these little ones--those who believe in me--to stumble, it would be better for them to have a large millstone hung around their neck and to be drowned in the depths of the sea. 
2 Timothy 1:5
For I am mindful of the sincere faith within you, which first dwelt in your grandmother Lois, and your mother Eunice, and I am sure that it is in you as well.

Self Care: Fit for the Journey | Part Two of Navigate: How to Successful Journey Through Life and These Times

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Mark 6:30, Then the apostles gathered to Jesus and told Him all things, both what they had done and what they had taught. 31 And He said to them, “Come aside by yourselves to a deserted place and rest a while.” For there were many coming and going, and they did not even have time to eat. 32 So they departed to a deserted place in the boat by themselves.
When taking a voyage of any type, before starting the navigation to the destination, check the readiness of the vessel. We are going to focus on self-care, not in a spirit of self indulgence, but in the spirit of being ready to serve the Lord. We want to be “Fit for the Journey.” The need for self-care is not evidence of a deficiency within yourself, it is evidence that you've been about the Father’s business.
Principles of Self-Care: 
1. REST  –  Good rest is one of the most important things you can do for your self care. Rest is not only about sleeping, which is a part of rest. Rest is a state of mind. If you don’t get rest in your mind, it may be difficult to go to sleep:
Jesus said, “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.” Matthew 11:28
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NAVIGATE. How to Successfully Journey Through Life & These Times - Part One

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Navigate is the best word I have found to characterize living and working in this interesting and sometimes perilous season. Looking at people and circumstances both within my circle and within our local and national community, we see challenges related to navigating life. We have seen both successful voyages and shipwrecks. 
Romans 8:28, “And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose.”
We can’t make sense of things that happen. We don’t dwell on bad things because “things” don’t define us. 
We are defined by our LOVE for God and fulfilling His PURPOSE— which causes the puzzle of things to work for our good.
What I mean by the word NAVIGATE:
1) Plan and direct the route or course of a ship, aircraft, or other form of transportation, especially by using instruments or maps.
2) To sail or travel over (a stretch of water or terrain), especially carefully or with difficulty.
3) Successful navigation or travel is based on fixed points of reference
Navigation Requires Fixed Points (coordinates)
#1 Jesus Christ 
Jesus Christ, the same yesterday, today, and forever. (Hebrews 13:8 )
#2 The Word of God 
#3 Objective Truth and Facts
We have to recognize truth at two levels: 
Biblical truth and, 
Objective truth. Believers who over spiritualize completely miss the importance of objective truth. Something which the Bible supports

Remember. Don't Look Back.

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One of the great challenges in life is dealing with circumstances in the present time that have roots in the past. Obviously, we are all products of our past. It’s important to separate out the negative and ungodly memories from the past and focus on the good. This is easy to say, but sometimes hard to do. Some people have lived through nightmares in their past lives.  In Christ, you are a new person!
Luke 9:59, Then He said to another, "Follow Me." But he said, "Lord, let me first go and bury my father." 60 Jesus said to him, "Let the dead bury their own dead, but you go and preach the kingdom of God." 61 And another also said, "Lord, I will follow You, but let me first go and bid them farewell who are at my house." 62 But Jesus said to him, "No one, having put his hand to the plow, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God."
2 Corinthians 5:17, (NLT)This means that anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun!
Beware of the lure of lesser things.1. When given an opportunity to move forward in the purpose of God. Lesser things usually come from the past to hinder you from your future.2. When Jesus calls you, don’t make any excuses. An excuse is usually an attachment to lesser things.
Philippians 3:13, Brethren, I do not count myself to have apprehended; but one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead, 14 I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. 
What lesson can we learn from Lot’s wife?
Luke 17:32, Remember Lot’s wife. 33 Whoever seeks to save his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life will preserve it.
Remember and Don’t Look Back1. Make the commitment, “This One Thing I Do.”2. Forgetting the things that are behind. Don’t look back.3. Reach forward to the things that are ahead.4. Do it today!

Hope – What Is It? How Does It Come?

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Colossians 1:26 (NKJV)The mystery which has been hidden from ages and from generations, but now has been revealed to His saints. 27 To them God willed to make known what are the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles: which is Christ in you, the hope of glory. 28 Him we preach, warning every man and teaching every man in all wisdom, that we may present every man perfect in Christ Jesus.…
Colossians 1:26-27 (PHILLIPS)They are those to whom God has planned to give a vision of the full wonder and splendour of his secret plan for the sons of men. And the secret is simply this: Christ in you! Yes, Christ in you bringing with him the hope of all glorious things to come.
WHAT IS HOPE?1. A picture of something good that can happen 2. Confident expectation 3. Anticipation of good4. Belief that something is obtainable
WHERE DOES HOPE COME FROM?1. From God - Imago Dei (Image of God) 
Psalm 119:49, “Remember the word to Your servant, upon which You have caused me to hope”2. From Your Parents3. From Significant Others in Your Life

Source vs. Resource: How to Receive the Things You Need

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Philippians 4:11-13, Not that I speak in regard to need, for I have learned in whatever state I am, to be content: 12 I know how to be abased, and I know how to abound. Everywhere and in all things I have learned both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer need. 13 I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me

Cause & Effect: God's Promises and Mercy at Work

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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.
”Cause and Effect" is a relationship between events or things, where one is the result of the other or others. This is a combination of action and reaction. Something happens (a cause) that leads to an effect. 
Five things are true:
1. We have everything to do with outcomes.
2. We have much to do with outcomes.
3. We have nothing to do with outcomes.
4. Things are not always as they appear. Losing is winning.
5. We need MERCY & FAVOR
It is important to keep yourself in a healthy perspective. 
Being diligent is essential, but understand that you are not the “master of your fate” or the “captain of your soul.”
Your are neither helpless nor all powerful
Mercy is the gift before and after faith. We think we’re “working it,” but the mercy of God is helping us more than we realize!
Favor is a product of mercy
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Imago Dei: Qualities of a Man and Father

1 Corinthians 16:12, (TLB), I begged Apollos to visit you along with the others, but he thought that it was not at all God’s will for him to go now; he will be seeing you later on when he has the opportunity. 13 Keep your eyes open for spiritual danger; stand true to the Lord; act like men; be strong; 14 and whatever you do, do it with kindness and love 
1 Corinthians 16:13-14, (KJV) Watch ye, stand fast in the faith, quit you like men, be strong. 14 Let all your things be done with charity.
1 Corinthians 16:13-14, (NKJV) Watch, stand fast in the faith, be brave, be strong. 14 Let all that you do be done with love.
Paul presents something common to his culture. Men were often idealized. We’ve seen this in our culture with television shows long ago such as, “Father Knows Best.”
That said, children raised in a home with a loving and caring father also have an idealized view of their father. This is an authentic reflection of Imago Dei, the image of God. Children from these homes will children most likely see God in a better light. How parents live and treat their children and others is the strongest witness to the living God.
Imago Dei is the image of God. It is not the image of self.
The thing that looks like a weakness is a doorway into strength. Paul discovered the principle:
2 Corinthians 12:10, Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in needs, in persecutions, in distresses, for Christ’s sake. For when I am weak, then I am strong.
Paul was not trying to do “mind over matter” or trying to drum up PMA, “A Positive Mental Attitude.’  He had already learned from God: 
2 Corinthians 12, And He said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness.
Encouragement for Men and Fathers
Meet Every Need (M.E.N.) - Be willing, God will give strength
Pray and expect good and God
Provide the best example, even when you make a mistake
Love your wife and children with everything inside you and in your hand
Instill confidence that anything is possible
Only accept the best according to ability
Don’t expect anyone to give you anything, be prepared to earn it
Give more than you receive
Always bring your “A" game, even when you are the only one who sees it
Benefit your family before all others
Give space to flourish, fail, and recover
odel how to recover from failure and disappointment 
Surround your children with the values that you value
Remember that love is unconditional