Bible study Archives - Page 25 of 32

Posted on June 28, 2020 by TonyJanuary 9, 2023

Confidence Bible verse in case things might be feeling worse

Wanna read a great confidence building Bible verse?

Anyone who’s focused on the regular news regurgitation might be feeling a little worse right now. After all, a lot of reports are saying there’s an alarming rise in virus cases. And there’s all these protests. And riots…and destruction. So, what’s a God-fearing, peace-loving person to do? Well, may I suggest reading a confidence Bible verse?

“Honey, did he just say to read a confidence Bible verse?”

Yeah, I know it might sound a bit esoteric and vacuous, on the surface. But I know it can work wonders for you in times like these. When panic seems to have reached global proportions. And the verse I’m talking about can help put things in perspective.

You and I are regular people. Right? And by regular I mean we’re citizens. We work. And we go out and spend our hard-earned money on groceries, gas, and other goods. But we’re not in charge of the direction our country takes. Oh sure, we can vote. But that’s problematic. Because even voting doesn’t necessarily take things in the right direction. But the main thing I want to emphasize is that we’re not in charge. So, we face challenges.

Every day.

But imagine actually being the one in charge. And still facing challenges. In fact, facing challenges like lots of people looking for opportunities to kill you. Yikes! But that’s exactly what King David faced. And even in the middle of all those monumental challenges he had confidence in his salvation from God. So, he wrote this, in Psalm 17:

“Keep me as the apple of Your eye; Hide me under the shadow of Your wings, From the wicked who oppress me, From my deadly enemies who surround me. They have closed up their fat hearts; With their mouths they speak proudly. They have now surrounded us in our steps; They have set their eyes, crouching down to the earth, As a lion is eager to tear his prey, And like a young lion lurking in secret places.”

And with all he was facing, David finished the Psalm with this: “As for me, I will see Your face in righteousness; I shall be satisfied when I awake in Your likeness.”

I hope you feel that confidence in you
And know how God will always see you through.
But if you don’t, I hope you’ll stop and pray
And ask God to build up your faith, today.

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Posted on June 26, 2020 by TonyJuly 11, 2020

One thing I do…

Social media is so anti-social. Because many (if not most) people spending a lot of time there are clueless about how conversation works. Interaction. Exchanges of ideas. So, one thing I do, when I’m on social media, is keep my mind focused on truth. And yes, there IS truth. Even universal truth. But only for those who don’t hate the truth.

Here’s another example of one thing I do.

This was written by a man who had to endure a lot to share the message of truth with you and me. The apostle Paul wrote this to new Christians in Philippi.

“Not that I have already attained, or am already perfected; but I press on, that I may lay hold of that for which Christ Jesus has also laid hold of me. 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, I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.

Therefore let us, as many as are mature, have this mind; and if in anything you think otherwise, God will reveal even this to you. Nevertheless, to the degree that we have already attained, let us walk by the same rule, let us be of the same mind.”

I’ll leave you with a couple of key points about Paul’s writings.

He’s pointing out how we’re not perfect. And we’re not expected to be. But we should leave our imperfections behind. And keep moving forward toward perfection which is only found in “God in Christ Jesus.” Also, remember, when Paul says “let us be of the same mind,” he’s only talking to AND about believers.

The rest of the world might hate you
‘Cause they hate the One who made you.
But keep seeking more Word and keep moving forward.
Let God’s loving Truth persuade you.

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Posted on June 22, 2020 by TonyJune 22, 2020

Clothes are overrated and this cannot be debated

Doesn’t matter what you say, clothes are overrated.

I took a look in my closet yesterday. Nope. Not impressed. And I thought about my different closets through all my adult years. Again, nope. Not impressed. No matter where they come from or how much (or little) I paid for them, all my clothes are overrated. And they always were. So, I’m glad I’m gonna stop wearing them.

And I hope you already know how your clothes are overrated, too.

Don’t try to impress me with designer labels. And forget about wowing me with your name-dropping brands. Or your vast collection of Italian leather shoes. Not even your first-run Hollywood evening gowns and tuxes will get me to bat an eyelid. They’re all overrated. And you should stop wearing them.

In fact, I predict that, in spite of all your emotional connection to your clothes, you WILL stop wearing them. Because you’ll either come to your senses. Or your senses will come to you. And you might not like it. But I predict it’s gonna happen. Not because I’m some sort of genius prognosticator (well I guess I am, in a way). But I don’t have to be a genius prognosticator to know it’s gonna happen.

And part of how I know is because it’s happened for every other generation who ever lived.

Yeah, they all came to a stark realization.

No fancy closet full of fancy schmancy designer clothes would or could hold a candle to a wardrobe of pure white.

Unfortunately, most people choose to stick with their overrated clothes. And they follow the furious fading fads no one will remember years from now.

But I urge you, choose garments of white
And live in the heavens of light.
And your clothes won’t wear out.
You’ll be thankful about
Your decision to choose what is right.

(By the way…I hope you understand how I’m talking about the difference between now clothes and Heaven clothes. For now, keep wearing clothes. But invest in the clothes that never wear out. You’ll thank me later.)

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Posted on June 17, 2020 by TonyAugust 20, 2024

Positive words for the day won't keep challenges away

Some positive words for the day

I shared a few sections of positive words for the day on another website I used to have. And this is something from around 15 years ago. And it still applies. But read to the end. Because there’s a caveat to all this positivity.

Seven points of positive words you can bank on

1. Smile

“Are you kidding me?! Did he just say smile?” Yeah. I did. When I was a young kid, my dad was an avid runner. And I wanted to go with him. But it was difficult to keep up. He told me to smile as I was running, and it would keep my attitude more positive. I didn’t believe him, and it felt goofy, but it worked.

2. Focus on what you do; not what you don’t.

When things don’t go so well on any given day, it’s easy to focus on what you did wrong. And that’s OK to a point. But only to learn from your mistakes. Sometimes it’s not a mistake. Sometimes it’s just a difference in perspective. So, eep in mind, you’ve worked hard to learn what you know. And just because someone doesn’t agree with you doesn’t change that at all.

3. Speak “up.”

Because the words that come out of your mouth aren’t just heard by others. You hear them, too. So, make sure your words lift you up, too, whenever possible.

4. Eat better.

Words coming OUT of your mouth can certainly affect you. And the food going IN your mouth can, too. So, if you’re filling your “tank” on sugars and caffeine to keep going, your tank’s gonna get a lot bigger. And it’s mighty hard to think of positive words when that happens.

5. Filter the news.

It’s a good idea to stay informed. But it doesn’t help you to hear about the countless crimes and misdemeanors every day. And you don’t have to hear about them to know they happened. In a fallen world, it’s guaranteed they’ll happen. So, get a dose of information from your various sources. But then, read a good book or work on your next project.

6. Move it.

OK; I know you hear this everywhere you look or listen. But it really does help your positive outlook. Get away from your desk or TV or whatever it is you sit in front of too much. And even if you only take a walk around your neighborhood, you’ll get more oxygen into your blood. And oxygenated blood goes to your brain, and you know what your brain does….

7. Love.

You really never have to look far to find someone to love. And I don’t mean the kind of love you find on the cover of the newsstand magazines. I mean the giving kind of love. And if you don’t have a wife or husband or potential, you can still love your fellow human beings. Love them enough to say an encouraging word now and then. When you do that, you’ll be working on suggestions 3 & 7 at the same time. And when you combine suggestions”.look out; you might just be a positive person!

OK…here’s the caveat. It’s all well and good to talk about positive words. But until you take action, they’re just words. And it’s difficult to take action, on a regular basis, if you depend only on yourself. And you’ll need to take action every day. Because challenges don’t go away just by having good thoughts. So, my suggestion is to follow these wise words from the Bible:

“Trust in the Lord with all your heart, And lean not on your own understanding; In all your ways acknowledge Him, And He shall direct your paths.”

Positive words, alone, can leave you feeling odd.
So combine them, starting now, with the love of God.

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Posted on June 8, 2020 by TonyJune 17, 2020

Fight the good fight

Do you fight the good fight? Or do you avoid it altogether? Or worse yet, do you allow yourself to be a punching bag for all those knuckleheads out there fighting the bad fight? And does it even matter?

By the way, you don’t have to be a Foreman or Tyson to fight the good fight.

Because the “good fight” isn’t about your pugilistic prowess. And it’s actually not about your physical fitness. But it IS about your willingness to go “round after round” with your opponents. So, it’s a good idea to be ready.

I’m not gonna “tease” the answer and then write a long, profound dissertation. I’ll just cut to the chase and tell you this is about your faith. In eternal life and the One who provides it.

And it’s a lifelong battle. Because the whole world would love to see you lose your faith. Or denounce it. In fact, recently there have been a few somewhat high-profile people announcing their “walk away from the faith.” And I’m sure demons and dummies all around the world lust over that news.

When you know most of the world is against you, it can seem like you’re up against an unbeatable foe. And if that happens, you’re being selfish.

Uh-oh. Maybe I just started a fight with that.

Now, hang on. I’m not talking about selfish in the “this is mine and you can’t have any” way. I mean you’re focused on your own limited abilities. And that’s not a winning strategy.

Instead…guard your faith with wisdom from your Creator. And trust He’ll give you strength, courage, and the words to do and say what needs to be said and done. Otherwise, you’ll find yourself turning away from the Truth that sets you free. And you could end up like those high profile knuckleheads who trust “…the profane and idle babblings and contradictions of what is falsely called knowledge…” AND “by professing it some have strayed concerning the faith.”

Knowledge can lead to understanding. And understanding can lead to wisdom. And wisdom leads to eternal life with your Creator. So, chin up. Eyes on the prize. And don’t keep it to yourself. There’s probably someone close to you who needs to hear about it.

Guard your faith. Guard your heart.
Every day’s a brand new start.

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Posted on May 22, 2020 by TonyMay 31, 2020

Yeah, confidence is key

There once was a guy who had everything a human being could want. At least as far what most people could see. He also had a lot of things nobody would want. Including enemies everywhere. But he focused on the good side of the equation. Even when he acknowledged all the bad. And he understood confidence is key. Because he knew this life isn’t all there is.

Confidence is key…even in what you can’t see.

This morning, I saw a quote, on Twitter, from Ravi Zacharias. Apparently he said, “To sustain the belief that there is no God, atheism has to demonstrate infinite knowledge. Which is tantamount to saying, ‘I have infinite knowledge that there is no being in existence with infinite knowledge.”

Coincidentally, I said the same thing recently. Well, the same thing in a different way. Here’s how I put it:

“Only a fool could or would dare to make the claim that there is no God. Because it’s a self-refuting assertion. In order to say it so absolutely, you’d have to know everything there is to know about everything in and around the universe. And in order to know all that, you’d have to BE God. Which would mean your argument would sound foolish.”

I never met Mr. Zacharias. And I never followed his life. If I remember correctly, I might have heard him on the radio. But it appears he understood how foolish it is to be an atheist, too. Because there’s nothing that brings you comfort and gives you confidence.

And don’t tell me science gives you a warm, fuzzy feeling at night when you’re all alone.

That guy I mentioned, at the start of this article, understood this, too. In fact, he’s the one who first wrote, “The fool has said in his heart, “There is no God.”Yeah, that guy was none other than King David. From the Old Testament in the Bible.

His confidence in the God who loves us, and who has made eternal life available, is clear in his songs. And even as he shared those confident words, he was still human. With human weaknesses. And all the challenges that come with this world.

But faith, which is confidence, is the key.

To eternal life. And to the ability to face life’s struggles head on. Knowing you’ll make it through them all. And on the other side of life’s problems is paradise.

I hope you have the confidence
That will set your heart free,
The hope and faith you’ll live beyond
This world eternally.

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Posted on May 20, 2020 by TonyOctober 6, 2024

What? Me, rest in hope? Yeah, right.

I still remember sad conversations with friends, from my past, who were atheists. And I say “sad” because so many (if not all) atheists believe when you die, that’s it. Darkness. Nothingness. No R.I.P. Because when you die, all that is you ceases to be. And it makes me sad for them because I know they can’t rest in hope.

Knowing you’re created helps you rest in hope.

When you realize there’s a Creator who had a reason for creating, hopelessness falls away. Like dying leaves in the Autumn breezes. And just like those dying leaves fall every year, you know the new leaves will grow back the next spring. That’s hope. And optimism. All around you.

And why would anyone not want that same feeling for their own life?

My friends from the past would say they DO want that hope. But it just doesn’t exist. Because God doesn’t exist. But I always wondered how they could be so dead set sure about that.

Of course, people who don’t believe (and trust) in God feel they can ask believers that same question. How can we be so dead set sure He DOES exist? And when you know you’re up against a closed mind and a hardened heart, you can see how all the evidence in the world won’t sway them.

All the evidence in the world.

In fact, the whole world IS evidence. Except to those who WILL not see.

I love how David wrote, in Psalm 16, about his hope. “You will show me the path of life; In Your presence is fullness of joy; At Your right hand are pleasures forevermore.”

If you don’t have a hope of forever
And life in God’s paradise,
I suggest you don’t wait till whenever
To accept His sacrifice.

Now, maybe you don’t know me well enough to buy something from me, yet. Ok, let’s change that. Get to know more about me and my worldview. Join the growing body of believers who’ve signed up for the Tony’s Rhyme and Reason Daily Devotional. And bask in daily, delightful flashes of light from the power of God’s love.

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Tony Funderburk

Your Life Has Rhyme And Reason Because God Made You

Category Archives: Bible study

“Honey, did he just say to read a confidence Bible verse?”

Every day.

One thing I do…

Here’s another example of one thing I do.

I’ll leave you with a couple of key points about Paul’s writings.

Doesn’t matter what you say, clothes are overrated.

And I hope you already know how your clothes are overrated, too.

Some positive words for the day

Seven points of positive words you can bank on

7. Love.

Fight the good fight

By the way, you don’t have to be a Foreman or Tyson to fight the good fight.

Uh-oh. Maybe I just started a fight with that.

Yeah, confidence is key

Confidence is key…even in what you can’t see.

But faith, which is confidence, is the key.

What? Me, rest in hope? Yeah, right.

Knowing you’re created helps you rest in hope.

All the evidence in the world.