Firm Foundation with Bryan Hudson

"The Song of Mary - What is your song of testimony?”

Mary was chosen to be the mother of our Lord Jesus Christ. She expressed her praise of being chosen by sharing a “song” or testimony called the “Magnificat." Because life is a gift, God has chosen mothers to bring the gift of life into the world. 
Everyone born of a mother is also chosen to fulfill special purpose in life. You are God’s gift!  You have a “song” or testimony that will carry you through life and over the hardships of life. God’s goodness provides you with a “new song."

How to Overcome the World With and Without

1 John 5:1, Whoever believes that Jesus is the Christ is born of God, and everyone who loves Him who begot also loves him who is begotten of Him. 2 By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God and keep His commandments. 3 For this is the love of God, that we keep His commandments. And His commandments are not burdensome. 4 For whatever is born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world—our faith. 5 Who is he who overcomes the world, but he who believes that Jesus is the Son of God?
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Faith + Love + Obedience = Grace to Overcome
Love is the basis for everything God does. It should be the basis for everything we do.
Jesus said in Mark 12:30-31: “And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength.’This is the first commandment. 31 And the second, like it, is this: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no other commandment greater than these.””
Overcoming is not based on what you can get or take. Overcoming is based on what you give...starting with love.

The Greater One Lives in You

1 John 4:4, You are of God, little children, and have overcome them, because He who is in you is greater than he who is in the world.
Beware of the lure of lesser things. As an “overcomer,” the Apostle John is not talking about “us” against “them” (people).  He is talking to “overcomers” who know the Spirit of God and do not yield to the “spirit” of lesser things. 1 John 4:1-2 says, “Beloved  do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits, whether they are of God; because many false prophets have gone out into the world. By this you know the Spirit of God.” 
This is the “them” that we have overcome. We have overcome lesser spirits in order to know the Spirit of God. In this message, you will learn about the three keys to living the overcomer’s lifestyle!

The Blessing of Hearing After Listening

Mark 4:23, "If anyone has ears to hear, let him hear." 24]  And He said to them, "Take heed what you hear. With the same measure you use, it will be measured to you; and to you who hear, more will be given. 25 For whoever has, to him more will be given; but whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken away from him." 
Hearing is a function of our will to understanding what is being said. We listen with our ears, but we hear with our minds and hearts.
Many scriptures show the importance of hearing. Faith itself comes by hearing; “Faith comes by hearing and hearing by the Word of God.” (Rom. 10:17) Hearing is much more important than most people imagine. Hearing is obviously a necessary component in communication. Insofar as our walk with God is concerned, hearing is all important:
How you hear will determine the quality of your life
How you hear will determine your level of authority and responsibility in life
How you hear will determine the measure of God’s anointing on your life.
A)  Hearing determines aptitude (ability) “If anyone has ears to hear, let him hear…”
B) Hearing determines attitude (state of mind), "Take heed what [or how] you hear...”
C) Hearing determines altitude (height) “With the same measure you use, it will be measured to you…”
Four Types of Listening:
1. Passive Listening •  Passive means, “not active, but acted upon.” Passive people are generally sluggish and disengaged. Passive listeners only “purk up” when something is said that relates to what they want. In the face of responsibility, a passive listener may pretend to be deaf.
Passive listening produces frustration in any communication or relationship because it creates uncertainly, slow progress, and shortcuts excellence.
2. Convenient Listening • Convenient is defined as, “Situated within easy reach.” The convenient listener only applies his heart to hear when the information or task is within easy reach. As believers, we have a dilemma: We live in a world that promotes convenience above everything; but we also live in a Kingdom of which Jesus said, “the violent [or aggressive] take it by force” (Matt 11:12). 
3. Critical Listening • The word “critical” is defined as, “exhibiting the spirit of one who looks for and points out faults and defects.” Communication often fails because of critical listening that is more concerned about finding faults than in understanding the content and meaning of the message. Critical listeners are not motivated to learn and grow. "For with what judgment you judge, you will be judged; and with the same measure you use, it will be measured back to you. 3] And why do you look at the speck in your brother's eye, but do not consider the plank in your own eye? (Matthew 7:2-3)
4. Active Listening • This should become our goal: Active listeners “hear” the communication accurately the first time. “Active” is defined: “Not waiting to be acted upon. Prepared to apply what is heard and act on it—regardless of circumstances.
James 1:25, But he who looks into the perfect law of liberty and continues in it, and is not a forgetful hearer but a doer of the work, this one will be blessed in what he does.

Lessons from Lemonade: How Trouble Becomes Triumph

Pray without ceasing, in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. Do not quench the Spirit. (1 Thessalonians 5:17-19)
Always serve God, even when doing so brings difficulty, like sour lemons. Through the power of Jesus Christ, you can bring the water of the word and sweetness of the Holy Spirit to every bitter circumstance. This will produce something good, from something bad, like refreshing lemonade. Then, you will be able to sip and rejoice as God shows you, and others, his love, power, mercy and favor.

Jesus’ Resurrection: Power for Daily Life

Phil 3:8 Yes, everything else is worthless when compared with the infinite value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have discarded everything else, counting it all as garbage, so that I could gain Christ 9 and become one with him. I no longer count on my own righteousness through obeying the law; rather, I become righteous through faith in Christ. For God’s way of making us right with himself depends on faith. 10 I want to know Christ and experience the mighty power that raised him from the dead. I want to suffer with him, sharing in his death, 11 so that one way or another I will experience the resurrection from the dead! [In daily life]

Hosanna: What to do When Your King Comes In

“Hosanna: What to do When Your King Comes In.”
John 12:12 The next day a great multitude that had come to the feast, when they heard that Jesus was coming to Jerusalem, 13 took branches of palm trees and went out to meet Him, and cried out: “Hosanna! ‘ Blessed is He who comes in the name of the LORD!’ The King of Israel!” 
King Jesus rides on the faith of givers and worshippers.  When we want Jesus to enter our lives and circumstances, we must be prepared to follow His instructions, demonstrate our faith, and worship from our heart and with our substance. Jesus looks for faith, since it is the environment of blessing and miracles. Jesus looks to see if people will honor father God, who is always looking for true worshippers who worship in Spirit and in Truth.
We call this "Palm Sunday" because of the palm branches that were broken off and both waved and laid before Jesus (John 12:13).  This was a genuine expression of honor for Jesus and father God at that time. However, the real sacrifice came from the man whose donkey was borrowed and those who laid their clothes on the donkey and on the ground to receive Jesus. 
The fact that we focus on the palm branches is an interesting commentary on the level of our faith and personal worship. Waving palms is an appropriate celebration, but being true worshipper requires much more. The donkey owner showed the greatest honor and was part of God’s prophetic plan!
Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion! Shout, O daughter of Jerusalem! Behold, your King is coming to you; He is just and having salvation, Lowly and riding on a donkey, A colt, the foal of a donkey. Zechariah 9:9
We have the privilege and ability to offer God much more than palm branches. We are giving honor to our King and Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ!

Great Grace | Part One, "Grow in Grace

Great Grace
Pt. One, Grow in Grace
2 Peter 3:18, But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
Grace is more than undeserved favor. Grace is everything God has that He makes available to us through Jesus Christ. Grace is God’s operational power.
The grace of God cannot under any circumstances be separated from Jesus. “Grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.”
John 1:17, For the law was given through Moses, but grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.
Galatians 2:21, I do not set aside [frustrate] the grace of God; for if righteousness comes through the law, then Christ died in vain.”

Hope in 3D: Expectation. Desire. Purpose. Part Two | Compose Your Hope

Hope is designed to extend your vision and expand your boundaries. 
Hope can be like photo composition. When you compose a photo, you look for interesting and impactful elements in your field of view. For the life you already live, there are new, good things to find,
Romans 8:22 For we know that the whole creation groans and labors with birth pangs together until now. 23 Not only that, but we also who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, eagerly waiting for the adoption, the redemption of our body. 24 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.
1 Corinthians 15:19, If in Christ we have hope in this life only, we are of all people most to be pitied.
Romans 12:12  Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer.

Hope in 3D: Expectation. Desire. Purpose.

Romans 15:5 May God, who gives this patience and encouragement, help you live in complete harmony with each other, as is fitting for followers of Christ Jesus. 6 Then all of you can join together with one voice, giving praise and glory to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. 13 I pray that God, THE SOURCE OF HOPE, will fill you completely with joy and peace because you trust in him. Then you will overflow with confident hope through the power of the Holy Spirit.