MONDAY MOTIVATION

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Welcome to Monday Motivation—a devotional blog to keep you encouraged throughout the week! My name is Pastor Guy Deckard and I am incredibly excited for you to join in every Monday.
 
Below, you will find the most recent Monday Motivation post and if you continue scrolling, you will find an archive of blog posts by date. If you’d like to get a better understanding as to how this blog came about, click HERE to read the first Monday Motivation post. 
 
I invite you to follow along with me every Monday! And if you would like to dive even deeper into your study of God’s Word, purchase the same daily study that this blog is based, just click HERE.
#mondaymotivation

Heavenly Places

Heavenly Places
From the July 14th reading
 
What do you long for? What is it in this life that holds you back from so much more?
 
SCRIPTURE:
READ: Hebrews 11
 
Hebrews 11:16
Instead, they were longing for a better country—a heavenly one. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, for he has prepared a city for them. (NIV)
 
OBSERVATIONS:
  • “They” = old testament saints
  • They all longed for something more – a heavenly place
  • “Faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see” (v. 1)
  • “Without faith it is impossible to please God” (V. 6)
  • They were all commended for their faith (V. 39)
  • Yet none of them received what they were promised during their life time (V. 39)
  • Together with us they were made perfect (V. 40)
  • “God is not ashamed to be called their God” (V. 16)
  • He has prepared a great city for them and us (Rev. 21)

APPLICATION:

  • We should all be longing for heaven
  • We should all share this kind of faith
  • He has prepared a city for all who have faith in Him.
MOTIVATION:
This week I had the incredible privilege to go and stay in Sedona with my wife for a few days. It is one of our favorite places to go and visit. We love the sights of all of the red rock formations. We are always amazed at God’s creation when hiking and exploring the trails and back roads of Sedona. Many marvel at man’s creations, whether they be skyscrapers or fast cars, but I am far more amazed at God’s creation.
 
The one place that God has created that will be far more beautiful and magnificent is his heaven. Heaven is described for us in Revelation 20-21: A river, clear as crystal, will flow from the throne of God and of the Lamb [Jesus] down the middle of the city. On each side of the river there will be a tree of life, yielding twelve kinds of fruit every month. The streets will be pure gold, like transparent glass. The walls of the city will be adorned with every kind of jewel, emerald, onyx, amethyst, topaz, etc. There will be no need for a sun or moon, and no need for a temple or church. The presence of the Lord will be its light.[i] Nothing that we can see or experience will compare with it.
 
The Old Testament saints looked forward to it, and anticipated being able to see it. Hebrews 11 commemorates them for their faith. Their faith longed for what they could not see, but still believed in its existence.
 
Warren Wiersbe describes faith for us:
True Bible faith is not blind optimism or a manufactured “hope-so” feeling. Neither is it an intellectual assent to a doctrine. It is certainly not believing in spite of evidence! That would be superstition. True Bible faith is confident obedience to God’s Word in spite of circumstances and consequences.[ii]
 
This is the kind of faith that we should all strive for. We should long for His appearing and for this heavenly place that God has prepared for us. Jesus Himself said that He was going to prepare a place for us (Jn. 14:1-4). Anything that this world has to offer is nothing in comparison. All the Father asks for is our faith in what we can not see, and that we would demonstrate our faith by our obedience to His word.
 
Don’t get me wrong. I love to visit Sedona, Zion National Park, Yosemite, and many other places. But they are nothing compared to what God has in store for us!
 
What are you longing for? Streets of gold then or bags of gold now?
 
PRAYER:
Ask God to help you to be content with what you have, and not to long for earthly things. Pray that He would give you the faith that you need for this life, and a longing for the one to come.
 
Each week’s Monday Motivation is taken from the reading schedule found in the Life Journal. If you are ready for the next step in your discipleship, then order yours today or see me for a copy.
www.lifejournal.cc
 
If you would like help in growing in your faith, or if you would like to know how to have faith in Him, then please contact us at (928)636-2949 or email me at pastorguy@cvgrace.com
 
 
 
—————————————–
[i] Taken from www.everystudent.com/forum/heaven2
[ii] Wiersbe, W. W. (1996). The Bible exposition commentary (Vol. 2, p. 317). Wheaton, IL: Victor Books.
 



 Devotionals by Date

 January 2018

 
 
 
 

MONDAY MOTIVATION INTRODUCTION

 
 
 
  
 
 

THE GREAT SHEPHERD

 
January 1, 2018
 
 
  
 
 

THE GREAT PLANNER 

 
January 8, 2018
 
 
 
 
 

PROTECTING YOUR ROOTS

January 15, 2018
 
 
 
 
 

FACING YOUR GIANTS

January 22, 2018
 
 
 
  
 
 
 
 

February 2018

 
 
 

PLEASE STAND

February 5, 2018
 
 
 
  
 
 
 

BE A GAME CHANGER

February 12, 2018
 
  
 
 
 

FINISH STRONG

February 19, 2018
 
 
 

STRETCHER BEARERS

February 26, 2018
 
 
 
  
 
 
 
 
 
  
 
 
 
 

March 2018

 
 
 

DIGGING YOUR WAY OUT

March 5, 2018
 
 
 
 
 
 

REAL PEARLS

March 12, 2018
 
  
 
 
 

HIDDEN IDENTITY

March 19, 2018

 
 
 

MYSTERY GARDEN
March 26, 2018

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
  
 
 
April 2018
 
 

THE TEST!

April 2, 2018
 
 
 
 
 
 

PASS IT ON!

April 9, 2018
 
  
 
 
 

CRACKED POTS!

April 16, 2018

 
 
 

LAY THEM DOWN!

April 23, 2018
 
 
 
 
 
 

LETTING GO 

April 30, 2018
  
May 2018
 
 
 

IDOL WORSHIP OR IDLE WORSHIP?

May 7, 2018
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

WATCH AND PRAY!

May 14, 2018
  
 
 
 

DON’T SAY GOODBYE

May 21, 2018

 

 
 
 

TRAPPED

May 28, 2018
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
  
 
 

 

June 2018
 
 
 

GOT A MATCH?

June 4, 2018
 
 
 
 
 
 

CHOSEN?

June 11, 2018
 
 
  
 
 

I’M THIRD!

June 18, 2018

 

 
 
 

CHANGED LIVES MATTER

      June 25, 2018
 
 
 
 
 
 
  
July 2018
 
 
 

MADE FOR MORE THAN THIS

      July 2, 2018
 
 
 
 
 
 

SET FREE!

       July 9, 2018
 
 
 
 
 
 

   HEAVENLY PLACES       July 15, 2018

 
 
 

LOOKING IN THE MIRROR

July 2, 2018

 
 
 
 
 

NO SURPRISES HERE

July 2, 2018

 
 
 
August 2018
 
 
 

INSTRUCTIONS INCLUDED

August 6, 2018

 
 
 
 
 

THE PEOPLE PLEASER

August 13, 2018

 
 
 
 
 
 

ONE CHURCH

      August 20, 2018

 
 
 

BROTHERLY LOVE

August 27, 2018

 
 
September 2018
 
 
 

NEWLYWEDS!

September 3, 2018

 
 
 
 
 

WHEN GOD SPANKS US!

September 10, 2018

 
 
 
 

TAKING A STAND

September 17, 2018

 
 
 

NO PLACE LIKE HOME

September 24, 2018

 
 
October 2018
 
 
 

FROM ORDINARY TO EXTRAORDINARY

October 1, 2018

 
 
 
 
 

STAND YOUR GROUND!

October 8, 2018

 
 

 

 

FAITH UNDER FIRE

October 15, 2018

 
 
 
 

HOMELESS FOR A DAY

October 22, 2018

 
 
 
 
November 2018
 
 
 

A HEAVENLY MARRIAGE?

November 5, 2018

 
 
 
 
 

HOLY SMOKE!

November 12, 2018

 
 
 
 

MIRROR, MIRROR…

November 19, 2018

 
 
 
 

SECRET AGENT

November 26, 2018

 
 
 
 
December 2018
 
 
 

INNOCENT

December 3, 2018

 
 
 
 
 

HOPE?

December 10, 2018

 
 
 
 

FREEDOM

December 17, 2018

 
 
 
 

MORE THAN A MANGER

December 24, 2018