FAILURES DON’T MEAN YOU SHOULD QUIT

Leon FontaineDevoted

Then Jesus rebuked the demon in the boy, and it left him. From that moment the boy was well. Matthew 17:18 (NLT)  As believers, it’s essential to keep going even if we experience failures along the way.  Matthew 17 shares a story demonstrating the power of stubborn faith, even in the face of disappointment or setbacks. A father brought his demon-possessed son to Jesus’ disciples for healing. Not believing it would happen, they were unable to heal him. But that didn’t stop the father. He didn’t throw his hands up and say, “Well, that’s that.” No, he persisted until he got to Jesus, who did free his son.  It reminds me of the time I flew to a small, remote northern village for some meetings. …

DON’T WORRY ABOUT THE CROWD

Leon FontaineDevoted

“Be quiet!” many of the people yelled at him. But he only shouted louder, “Son of David, have mercy on me!” Mark 10:48 (NLT)  It takes stubborn faith to hang on for a miracle—especially when the crowd says to give up.  Mark 10 shares a great example of this. A blind panhandler named Bartimaeus was begging beside the road when he heard that Jesus was nearby. Bartimaeus hollered out for Jesus, but the crowd angrily tried to shut him up. Yet Bartimaeus didn’t care if he was acting embarrassing or annoying. He shouted even louder.  Now, I’m not saying we should go out and cause embarrassing scenes or make spectacles of ourselves to get God’s attention. But I want you to see the stubborn faith …

SIGNOS SUTILES DE RESPETO

Leon FontaineEntregate

Sean buenos y compasivos unos con otros, y perdónense mutuamente, como Dios los perdonó a ustedes en Cristo. Efesios 4:32 (DHH)  Hay muchas maneras de demostrar que usted respeta a alguien. Las palabras que usted elige son muy importantes, pero hoy me gustaría hablar de una manera sutil de comunicar respeto que tal vez usted no haya considerado antes: etiqueta y modales.  Si usted lo piensa, también se comunica falta de respeto con lo contrario: ser grosero o descortés. Incluso si usted está hablando con palabras correctas, podría llegar a manifestar falta de respeto con un giro de los ojos o con cierto tono de voz.  Esto es algo que usted debe observar cuando tiene un desacuerdo con alguien. La comunicación se rompe fácilmente cuando …

THE VALUE OF FRIENDS WITH UNRELENTING FAITH

Leon FontaineDevoted

But they couldn’t reach him because of the crowd. So they went up to the roof and took off some tiles. Then they lowered the sick man on his mat down into the crowd, right in front of Jesus. Luke 5:19 (NLT)  If there’s one type of person I love to be around, it’s people with stubborn faith.  That doesn’t mean I surround myself with naïve people or “yes” people, but rather with those who don’t back down when a challenge is too big. They recognize it will take a miracle to overcome it—and they still say, “Yes, we’re pressing on with you.”  Luke 5:17–25 provides a terrific example of the value of having friends with stubborn faith. As Jesus was teaching in a house, …

HABLAR EL IDIOMA DEL RESPETO

Leon FontaineEntregate

No digan malas palabras, sino sólo palabras buenas que edifiquen la comunidad y traigan beneficios a quienes las escuchen. Efesios 4:29 (DHH)  Las palabras son poderosas cuando se trata de construir relaciones. Tenemos que revisar el lenguaje que usamos, porque nuestras palabras pueden comunicar respeto o falta de él.  Algunas personas fueron educadas para decir lo que piensan, pero esto puede traer pena y dolor a las personas más cercanas. Aunque la Biblia nos enseña a decir la verdad, también dice que hay que expresarla con amor (Efesios 4:15). Siempre asegúrese de que el amor sea lo que lo motiva antes de decir algo que pueda doler.  Todos lidiamos con la inseguridad y el miedo al rechazo de alguna manera o forma, entonces, ¿por qué …