TurningPoint Reading Plan

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Welcome to the TurningPoints Devotional as a lead up to our BACK TO CHURCH SUNDAY 14th July 2013 and the commencement of our 30 day Church Challenge. Over the next 16 days we will be reading 2 chapters of Proverbs each day together as a Church seeking to gain the wisdom of each of the proverbs. A proverb is a short, concise sentence which conveys moral truth. The Book of Proverbs is a collection of these wise statements. The word proverb comes from a Hebrew word meaning "to rule or govern". We are to let the Word of God rule in and govern our lives. We do this by first understanding God's instructions and then obeying them. We become truly wise as we walk according to God's ways! Solomon wrote most of Proverbs with the main theme being true wisdom and how to attain it. Many of the proverbs compare wisdom with folly, the wise person with the foolish, and the contrasting results of wise and foolish attitudes and behaviour. The wisdom and examples contained in the proverbs are meant to equip us to apply divine wisdom in our daily lives and provide clear moral instruction. We are told in the first chapter that knowing God is the key, the beginning of wisdom. We are to act on the wisdom we receive as we read the proverbs and are given understanding by the Holy Spirit of God. Without wisdom our knowledge is useless. Have you ever thought about how great it would be if life came with an instruction manual? Well - it does! Its called the Bible. If youre looking for wisdom and knowledge to live life on planet earth, then crack open your Bible, and read with us the Book of Proverbs. Here you will find wisdom on family and relationships, handling your finances, how to live a righteous life, the power of your words, the value of hard work versus laziness, keys to successful relationships, and so much more. I encourage you to join as a church family on this 16 day devotional journey through the Book of Proverbs as we prepare ourselves for the 30 Day church challenge.
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For many the church is only a place they go to some Sundays or for a Funeral or a Wedding. What if it could be much more? What if TurningPoint could encapsulate the Holy Spirit outwork like on the Day of Pentecost and the established Early Church? The 30-Day Church Challenge provides an opportunity to bring back the significance of church, and make church meaningful to everyones daily lives. "By refocusing on the five main purposes of the Church and living them out, people won't just come back to Church; they will become the Church," Communities are searching for a place to go, and for a community of faith with purpose." The 30-Day Church Challenge is for TurningPoint and these we invite to BACK TO CHURCH SUNDAY on the 14th July, to: devote themselves to authentic community, develop worship lifestyles, commit to spiritual growth, embrace stewardship and generous lifestyles, and engage in sharing God's love and the Gospel with others. These are introduced via DVD to the Growth / Connect Groups over the first 4 weeks of term 3. The theme will also be presented in our Stripes, Splat and Young Adults programs. Lets start by clearing our calendar so we can be at each and every 30 Day event. But much more, lets pray and act on WHO can we bring to the BACK TO CHURCH SUNDAY that we can personally disciple through this program! Together we will see great things for God.

Ps Phil

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Day ONE Friday the 28th June

Reading for today:Proverbs #1: Life's Instruction Book. #2: The Benefits of Wisdom Cry out for insight and understanding. (Prov. 2:3-8, NLT). Have you ever noticed how almost everything you buy now comes with product warnings on it? Some of these real product warnings are quite humorous:
For an iron: Do not iron clothes on body. For Sleep Aid: Warning: May cause drowsiness. For a blowtorch: Not to be used for drying hair. For a mower: Not to be used as a hedge trimmer. For a box of fireworks: Do not put in mouth. For a toaster: Do not use underwater.

Many dont read the instruction manual before using a new product. When a new item is bought and we put it together or try using it, we often try to figure it out ourselves. If we get stuck, then as a last resort, we consult the instruction manual. Are you that kind of person? Will you wait until youre stuck before opening the manual? Have you ever thought about how great it would be if life came with a manual? It does! Its called the Bible Proverbs (1:1-7) tells us, this book will teach you wisdom and discipline; it will make simpleminded people clever; it will give people knowledge and purpose, and make wise people wiser. Remember, the fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge. Ours is an instant society. What we want it right now! People get upset if they have to wait longer than two minutes in the drive-thru at McDonalds. Unfortunately, this kind of a mentality doesnt work well when it comes to seeking wisdom. It takes work to get wisdom! God has given us the promise: If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally, and it will be given to him. (James 1:5). So what are some of the benefits of wisdom?
v. 9 - wisdom will help you understand what is right, just and fair - and it will help you to know the right course of action every time v. 10 - wisdom and knowledge will fill you with joy v. 11 - wisdom and understanding will watch over you and keep you safe v. 12 - wisdom will save you from evil people

If you want to be wise, start by asking God for it. Then open up the Bible! Let us ALL Get Wisdom! TurningPoint Pray and Refection: I will start praying for the TurningPoint Back to Church Sunday and the 30 Day Church Challenge.
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Day TWO Saturday the 29th June

Reading for today:Proverbs #3: What Road Will YOU Take? #4: Why Should I Read the Bible? Trust in the LORD with all your heart; (Prov. 3:5-10, NLT). When we choose to order our lives according to Gods wisdom, we trust Him with all of our heart, and not depend on our own understanding. Every day, we can choose to seek Gods will or our own will. When we seek Gods will, we have the promise that He will direct our paths in ways that lead to peace and prosperity. Every day we can choose wisdom or foolishness, righteousness or wickedness. My son, give attention to my words; Incline your ear to my sayings. Do not let them depart from your eyes; Keep them in the midst of your heart; For they are life to those who find them, And health to all their flesh. Keep your heart with all diligence, for out of it spring the issues of life. (Prov. 4:20-23). Blessed (happy, fortunate, to be envied) are the undefiled who walk (order their conduct and conversation) in the law of the Lord. (Psalm 119:1, AMP). Do you want to experience the abundant life that Jesus offers? If you read Gods Word, get it into your heart, and work it out in your life, God will bless you. The Lords promise to Joshua applies to us today: This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night, that you may observe to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success. (Joshua 1:8). If you want to prosper and be successful in your life, obey Gods Word. Gods Word will make you pure. How can a young man cleanse his way? By taking heed according to Your word. Your word I have hidden in my heart, that I might not sin against You. (Psalm 119:9,11). The Word of God is powerful, and it can give us the ability to resist temptation. Not only does the Bible teach us what is right and wrong, but the living Word in our hearts empowers us to live victoriously over sin. TurningPoint Pray and Refection: Ask God who can I Bring to the TurningPoint Back to Church Sunday?
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Day THREE Sunday the 30th June

Reading for today:Proverbs #5: Sex is a Good Thing! #6: Six, No, 7 Things the Lord Hates Drink water from your own well -- share love only with your wife. (Prov. 5:15-20). Does todays devotional shock you? If it does, then it is most likely because you have been affected by the negative spin that the world has put on this amazing gift that God has given to mankind. God is not embarrassed or shocked by sex - in fact, He is the one who created it. The very first commandment that God gave to the first married couple in the Garden of Eden was, Be fruitful and multiply! So the first thing we need to understand about sex is that God designed it, and that it is a good thing! However, Satan has tried to take this good thing and twist it into something sick and perverted. Gods design is for one man and one woman to come together in a committed life-long relationship called marriage. What would happen in our world if everyone began following Gods design? We would see no more prostitution, sex slave trafficking, adultery, rape etc. Wouldnt our world be better if we started living by Gods design for our sexuality? God says that sex before marriage is wrong, and He says that homosexuality is wrong. Why? Because He knows that those acts lead to guilt, shame, fear and pain, and He wants to protect us from those things. 1 Corinthians 7:3-5. In chapter 6 we find six things the Lord hates, Yes, 7 are an abomination to Him: 1. A proud look, 5. Feet that are swift in running to evil, 2. A lying tongue, 6. A false witness who speaks lies, 3. Hands that shed innocent blood, 7. One who sows discord among brethren. 4. A heart that devises wicked plans, (Prov. 6:16-19). Do you love the Lord? Jesus said, If you love Me, keep My commandments. (John 14:15). As Christians, I believe we should love the things that God loves, and hate the things that He hates. In the above Scripture, we learn about seven things that the Lord hates. Lets commit to walk free from them in our lives. Lord, help us to use our eyes, mouth, heart, hands and feet to serve you! TurningPoint Pray and Refection: TurningPoint Grandparents Day. Pray for our guest speaker Ps Frank Webber and his impacting message.
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Day FOUR Monday the 1st July

Love wisdom like a sister (Prov. 7:4-5).

Reading for today:Proverbs #7: God's Road Signs: Danger Ahead! #8: A Quest for Wisdom

In Proverbs 7, Solomon gives warnings against an immoral woman. As were journeying along on planet earth, and endeavouring to live a holy life that is pleasing to God, we will face temptations. Matthew 26:41 Stay alert; be in prayer so you don't wander into temptation without even knowing you're in danger. There is a part of you that is eager, ready for anything in God. But there's another part that's as lazy as an old dog sleeping by the fire. (The Message). Solomon gives a graphic description of what happened to a simpleminded man who yielded to the temptation of a sinful woman: So she seduced him with her pretty speech like an ox going to the slaughter little knowing it would cost him his life. (verses 21-23). As Christians, we must trust that our Heavenly Father is a Good God, and when He tells us not to do something, it is because He knows that it will either hurt us or others. His commandments are for our good. Wisdom says: I love all who love me. Those who search for me will surely find me. Unending riches, honour, wealth, and justice are mine to distribute. (Prov. 8:17-21). God tells us that there is a blessing to those who get wisdom: Riches, honour, wealth and justice, gifts that are better than silver or gold. God alone made it possible for you to be in Christ Jesus. For our benefit God made Christ to be wisdom itself. He is the one who made us acceptable to God. He made us pure and holy, and he gave himself to purchase our freedom. (1 Cor. 1:30). To know wisdom is to know Jesus personally. Whoever finds me (wisdom) finds life and wins approval from the LORD. (Prov. 8:35). But there is also a warning to those who wont search for wisdom: But those who miss me (wisdom) have injured themselves. All who hate me love death. (Prov. 8:36). TurningPoint Pray and Refection: Pray for all the TurningPoint Youth areas as they set their program for the 30 Day YOUTH Challenge.
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Day FIVE Tuesday 2nd July

Reading for today:-

Proverbs #9: The Fear of the Lord #10: Choose Life! Fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom. (Prov. 9:10-12). The first 9 chapters of the book of Proverbs form Solomons introduction to his wise sayings. The Proverbs themselves begin in chapter ten. Solomon tells us that if we get wisdom, it will help us to live a longer more blessed life. What is the Fear of the Lord? - The fear of the Lord is to hate evil; Pride and arrogance and the evil way and the perverse mouth I hate. (Prov. 8:13). When we talk about the fear of the Lord, a lot of people misunderstand the concept and think that we are supposed to be afraid of God. However, this is not what the Bible means when it speaks of fearing God. It means having a healthy respect for Him and His authority. One of the teaching tools that Solomon uses in the Proverbs is contrasting: A. Wisdom and foolishness B. Righteousness and wickedness C. Diligence and laziness. Every day we have a choice between these two options - one choice leads to blessing, and one choice leads to cursing. We need to train ourselves and our children and these we are disciplining, the difference between right and wrong. The goal is that we will learn that God blesses wisdom, obedience and righteousness, and He does not bless foolishness, rebellion or wickedness. I call heaven and earth as witnesses today against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing; therefore choose life, that both you and your descendants may live; that you may love the Lord your God, that you may obey His voice, and that you may cling to Him, for He is your life and the length of your days; and that you may dwell in the land which the Lord swore to your fathers, to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, to give them. (Deut. 30:19-20). TurningPoint Pray and Refection: Pray for all the TurningPoint Stripes (Real Kids & Get Real) as they prepare for the 30 Day SPLAT Challenge.
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Day Six Wednesday 3rd July

Reading for today:Proverbs #11: Generous People Prosper. #12: Choose Your Friends Wisely The generous prosper and are satisfied (Prov. 11:24-25). The world says, Look out for number one! Get all you can, and hang onto it! Me first! The wisdom from heaven says, If you give, you will receive. Your gift will return to you in full measure, pressed down, shaken together to make room for more, and running over. Whatever measure you use in giving -- large or small -- it will be used to measure what is given back to you. (Luke 6:38). The Bible principle of tithing doesnt make sense to the natural mind: Give God 10%, and your 90% will go further with Gods blessing on it, than it will if you hang on to the whole 100%! Praise God many at TurningPoint have seen this in their personal lifes with the extending of His Kingdom. Gods wisdom says, Cast your bread upon the waters, for you will find it after many days. (Ecclesiastes 11:1). You will always reap what you sow! Those who live only to satisfy their own sinful desires will harvest the consequences of decay and death Don't get discouraged and give up, for we will reap a harvest of blessing at the appropriate time. (Gal 6:7-10). If the righteous are rewarded here on earth, how much more true that the wicked and the sinner will get what they deserve! (Prov. 11:31). The book of Proverbs also gives us wisdom for having good and healthy friendships. If we choose righteous and godly friends, they will help motivate us to seek after and pursue our relationship with God. But if we choose wicked and ungodly friends, they will ultimately lead us astray (as portrayed by King Solomon). It is a true principle that we become like those we hang around with! Whoever walks with the wise will become wise; whoever walks with fools will suffer harm. (Prov. 13:20). The righteous choose his friends carefully, for the way of the wicked leads them astray. (Prov. 12:26). Friends are so important, so choose your friends wisely! TurningPoint Pray and Refection: Pray for TurningPoint Young Adults and their friendships as they prepare for the 30 Day SPLAT Challenge.
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Day SEVEN Thursday 4th July.

Reading for today:Proverbs #13: Discipline Your Children #14: Control Your Anger and Relax If you refuse to discipline your children, it proves you don't love them. (Prov. 13:24,). Proverbs has much wisdom that applies to family relationships. There is wisdom for children, parents, husbands and wives, all designed to help us have a strong and healthy family. The family is under attack today! Marriages are failing. Children are wandering away from their homes, the Church and the Lord. If we want our family to succeed, then we must turn to the wisdom in Gods Word to build our home. Only a fool would think that he or she could have a strong healthy family without Gods wisdom! God gives us one of the important principles for parenting: Discipline. If you love your children, you will be prompt to discipline them. However, this seems to contrary to the modern philosophy of parenting that says, Children should be free to discover the world around them without boundaries or limits. Dont give them rules, or you will hinder them from growing and learning. What a stupid thought! If we love our children, we are going to give them rules, to protect them from dangers. A parent who tells their child, Look both ways before you cross the street knows that if a child doesnt do this, they could be seriously hurt by traffic. Therefore, if we love our children, and want the best for them, we will give them rules, and we will discipline them when they disobey, so that they can learn that there are consequences for negative behaviour. "A wise child accepts a parent's discipline; a young mocker refuses to listen." (Prov. 13:1). Proverbs also gives us a window into our heart, and our emotions. Solomon addresses two different emotions: anger and jealousy. Anger is not necessarily a bad thing. It is an emotion, and when we are treated unfairly, we are going to get angry. However, what we do with that emotion is what makes it good or evil. We can choose one of two different attitudes to approach life - to be relaxed, or be jealous. A relaxed attitude will lengthen our life. So lighten up a little bit! Enjoy life. Be content with what you have, and dont worry about what you dont have. If you do this, youll enjoy the journey so much more. The alternative attitude is to be jealous of what other people have, and the end result is that it rots your life away. Those who control their anger have great understanding; those with a hasty temper will make mistakes. (Prov. 14:29-30). TurningPoint Pray and Refection: Pray for Godly training and living in families.
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Day EIGHT Friday 5th July

Reading for today:Proverbs #15: Your Tongue is a Flame #16: Avoid deadly Strife and Anger A gentle answer turns away wrath (Prov. 15:1-4). Have you ever thought about how powerful your words are? Death and life are in the power of the tongue. (Prov. 18:21). Every word you speak to someone can bring life or death to them. The tongue is a small thing, but what enormous damage it can do. A tiny spark can set a great forest on fire. And the tongue is a flame of fire. It is full of wickedness that can ruin your whole life. It can turn the entire course of your life into a blazing flame of destruction, for it is set on fire by hell itself. (James 3:5-6). Three things we should do before we speak:1. Pause: Before you open your mouth. Be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to get angry. (James 1:19). God gave us two ears and one mouth! 2. Ponder: Don't use foul or abusive language. Let everything you say be good and helpful, so that your words will be an encouragement to those who hear them. (Eph. 4:29). If your words dont fit into that category, then dont say them! 3. Pray: Appeal to Gods higher power. If words are so powerful, then we should pray that God would give us the ability to use wise words. Proverbs 1: God warns us about two deadly traps to avoid: strife and anger. Strife comes from a perverse person. A godly man will not stir up strife. Strife is so deadly that it can even separate the best of friends. It is a dangerous thing to stir up strife, by gossiping about and slandering another person. A perverse man sows strife, and a whisperer separates the best of friends. (Prov. 16:28). Stop gossiping! Anger also. A fool gives full vent to anger, but a wise person quietly holds it back. (Prov. 29:11). People who say, I cant control my anger! are denying the truth of this Scripture. When the Holy Spirit controls your life, you will produce the opposite of anger, which is peace, patience, kindness and gentleness. (Ephesians 5) Don't let the sun go down while you are still angry, for anger gives a mighty foothold to the Devil. (Eph. 4:26-27). If you want to shut the door to the devil messing around in your life, then guard against anger. TurningPoint Pray and Refection: Pray against domestic violence in our community.
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Day NINE Saturday 6th July

Reading for today:Proverbs #17: Facebook to Face-to-face. #18: Deadly Sins of the Tongue A friend loves at all times, and a brother is born for adversity. (Prov. 17:17). In the world today, it seems like people are more isolated from one another than ever before. People may have 500 friends on Facebook, but how many of those connections are real life friends? It seems that in our social networking age, weve lost the art of face to face communication. So how do those of us living in the 21st century maintain our important face to face friendships? By going back to the Book of Wisdom - Proverbs - and learning Gods keys for healthy relationships. We see three of them in the above Scriptures: 1. A Friend Loves at All Times: 2. A Friend Helps His Friends When in Trouble: 3. If You Want Friends, Be Friendly: One of the first places to begin in being friendly is in our speech, so lets look at a few of them. 1: Lying - Telling the Untruth 2: Strife - Stirring Up Division 3: Gossip - Dishing the Dirt 4: Slander - Passing Along False Information 5: Tale bearing - Breaking Confidences 6: Contentious Speech - Speaking Strife Death and life are in the power of the tongue, and those who love it will eat its fruit. (Prov. 18:21). Dont forget that we have the power in our tongue to speak life, encouragement, affirmation and blessing into peoples lives, so lets do this! TurningPoint Pray and Refection: Pray for unity and single vision for TurningPoint as we prepare for the Back to Church Sunday and the 30 Day SPLAT Challenge.

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Day TEN Sunday 7th July

Reading for today:Proverbs #19: You ARE Richer Than You Think! #20: God is Great. He who has pity on the poor lends to the Lord. (Prov. 19:17). Do you think of yourself as being poor or rich? If you have money in the bank or in your wallet, you are among the top 8% of the worlds wealthy. Proverbs has a lot to say about our responsibility to care for the poor. Blessed are those who are generous, because they feed the poor. (Prov. 22:9). Whoever gives to the poor will lack nothing (Prov. 28:27). Sooner or later, all of us will need Gods help in our lives, and if we have done our part to reach out to the poor today, then we can count on Gods help and provision tomorrow. How can we help the poor? If we give our money to a homeless person living on the streets, isn't it possible that they might just take that cash and go buy drugs, alcohol or cigarettes? Two things we should do with our giving: 1. Ask God who and how. 2. Support proven missions that teach how to fish not just to buy a fish (where does TurningPoint give? Colleges, Homes, Counselling and Food Relief). Pray and ask the Lord where He would have you give financially to help the poor. One thing that so often robs people of wealth and their ability to have financial success is alcohol. What does the Bible have to say about drinking alcohol? The Bible teaches us that people who drink become mockers and fighters, and if you are led astray by alcohol, you are not wise. Wine produces mockers; liquor leads to brawls. Whoever is led astray by drink cannot be wise. (Prov. 20:1).
Who are the people who are always crying the blues? Who do you know who reeks of self pity? Who keeps getting beat up for no reason at all? Whose eyes are bleary and bloodshot? It's those who spend the night with a bottle, for whom drinking is serious business. Don't judge wine by its label, or its bouquet, or its full-bodied flavour. Judge it rather by the hangover it leaves you with - the splitting headache, the queasy stomach. Do you really prefer seeing double, with your speech all slurred, Reeling and seasick, drunk as a sailor? "They hit me," you'll say, "but it didn't hurt; they beat on me, but I didn't feel a thing. When I'm sober enough to manage it, bring me another drink! (Prov. 23:29-35).

The Bible doesn't say that you cant drink alcohol, it just makes it abundantly clear that if you do, youre a fool who could ruin your life! How many people have ruined their lives or the lives of their families through the use of alcohol? TurningPoint Pray and Refection: Pray against the negative effects of alcohol in Casey and for opportunities to minister to these families.
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Day ELEVEN Monday 8th July

Reading for today:Proverbs #21: What is Righteousness? #22: Training Our Children.
He who follows righteousness & mercy finds life, righteousness & honour. (Prov. 21:21).

Contrasting lifestyle choices is the distinction between righteousness and wickedness: Righteousness: ......... Wickedness: Wisdom ............. ....... Foolishness Diligence ................... Laziness Humility ..................... Pride To choose a righteous lifestyle leads to life and blessing, and to choose wickedness leads to death and destruction. But - what is righteousness? Righteousness has two different perspectives. One is right-standing with God, and the other is acting in an upright, virtuous, moral way. 1. Right-standing with God - Putting Your Faith in Jesus: Genesis 15:6 And
Abraham believed in the Lord, and He accounted it to him for righteousness. Do you want right-standing with God? Put your faith in Jesus, and trust Him to be your Lord and Saviour!

2. Right-living before God - Acting in an Upright Manner: There is also a practical

righteousness, where we choose to live right. We obey the teachings of the Bible. Seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and these things shall be added to you. (Matt. 6:33).

The greatest thing that we can pass onto our children is our faith in God. Train up a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not depart from it. (Prov. 22:6). If parents will do their part in training up their children in His ways, then He has promised they can receive a Rightstanding also. We all pray that our children will grow up to know Jesus personally, experience the love of God, and serve Him with all of their hearts. But how does the Bible say to do this? You must love the LORD your God with all your heart And you must commit yourselves wholeheartedly to these commands I am giving you today. Repeat them again and again to your children. Talk about them when you are at home and when you are away on a journey, when you are lying down and when you are getting up again. (Deut. 6:5-7). Sometimes we may think that if our kids are not doing well it is the churches fault. This is usually said by the parents who only bring their children to church occasionally, and do not take them go to Stripes, Splat, Young Adults, night church (because Monday school is more important) etc. So after only 2-3 hours a week in Christian contact parents HOPE their kids will follow Jesus, find the right marriage partner etc. We need to set a plan and stick to it as parents. TurningPoint Pray and Refection: Pray for our children and the young TurningPoint children in Busy Bees and Mainly Music.
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Day TWELVE Tuesday 9th July

Reading for today:Proverbs #23: Meaning of Life #24: I Get Knocked Down, I Get Up Again Don't envy sinners fear the LORD. (Prov. 23:17-18). I said to myself, "Come now, let's give pleasure a try..." But I found that this was meaningless I had everything a man could desire! So I became greater than any of the kings who ruled in Jerusalem before me. And with it all, I remained clear-eyed so that I could evaluate all these things. Anything I wanted, I took. I did not restrain myself from any joy it was all so meaningless. It was like chasing the wind. There was nothing really worthwhile anywhere. (Ecclesiastes 2:1-11). Here is my conclusion: Fear God and obey his commands, for this is the duty of every person. God will judge us for everything we do, including every secret thing, whether good or bad. (Ecclesiastes 12:13-14). There is a false teaching going around the Church today (not at TurningPoint thankfully) that says, Once you believe in Jesus, you wont have any more problems in your life. There is no Biblical basis for this belief. In fact, Jesus Himself said, I have told you all this so that you may have peace in me. Here on earth you will have many trials and sorrows. But take heart, because I have overcome the world. (John 16:33). However, you dont have to let those troubles overcome you. When a storm comes, remind yourself that He can bring peace into the most dark and difficult storms in your life! For a righteous man may fall seven times and rise again, but the wicked shall fall by calamity. (Prov. 24:16). So the next time you fall down, dont just sit there and have a pity party but say, When I fall, I will arise (Micah 7:7-8). When you get knocked down, get back up again! TurningPoint Pray and Refection: Pray for planting of TurningPoint Kooweerup.
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Day THIRTEEN Wednesday 10th July

Reading for today:Proverbs #25: Extra, Read All About It! #26: A Dog Returns to His Vomit As cold water to a weary soul, so is good news from a far country. (Prov. 25:25). In a world where bad news stories fill the headlines, its refreshing to hear good news for a change. But first, the bad news: The Bible tells us for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God (Romans 3:23). In other words, every human being in the world has broken Gods commandments, including you and me. The Bible also tells us that the wages of sin is death. (Romans 6:23). That means that the penalty for our breaking Gods law is death, or eternal separation from God in a place called hell. Thats the bad news. NOW, the Good News is that you dont have to be punished for your sins, because Jesus has taken your place. John 3:16, For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. (Romans 10:9). All of creation is awaiting His indescribable gift of salvation will you be the one to deliver it? If it is not delivered and received by an individual, then God can only see that person as living in sin. This sin is described like vomit. The lost continue in sin and vomit but if they dont know their need for Jesus and are not converted they so easy return to sin again, forgetting how sick it made them in the past and eating it again. When people escape from the wicked ways of the world by learning about our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ and then get tangled up with sin and become its slave again, they are worse off than before. "A dog returns to its vomit," and "A washed pig returns to the mud. (1 Peter 2:20-22). As a dog returns to his own vomit, so a fool repeats his folly. (Prov. 26:11). If you dont want to keep falling back into sin (vomit), Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. (Romans 12:2). Read, Study, Live your Bible. Someone said once Either sin will keep you from the Bible, or the Bible will keep you from sin. TurningPoint Pray and Refection: Pray for who you will be bringing to the Back to Church Sunday.
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Day FOURTEEN Thursday 11th July

Reading for today:Proverbs #27: Dont Go Through Life Alone! #28: Cover Up or Confession An open rebuke is better than hidden love! Wounds from a friend are better than many kisses from an enemy. (Prov. 27:5-6). Today, we are going to look at another important principle for our friendships: accountability. What is accountability? The dictionary defines it as to be responsible to someone or for some action; answerable. In other words, God wants us to be responsible for one another, to help each other to grow in the Lord! There are no Lone Rangers in the Body of Christ (that survive). Jesus sent His disciples out two by two for a very good reason. Two are better than one But woe to him who is alone when he falls, for he has no one to help him up. (Ecclesiastes 4:9-10). People who cover over their sins will not prosper. But if they confess and forsake them, they will receive mercy. Blessed are those who have a tender conscience, but the stubborn are headed for serious trouble. (Prov. 28:13-14). Everyone falls or sins - but what will we do when we sin. Here we have two options: To either cover our sins, or confess and forsake them. Dont cover your sins! If you cover over your sins and hide them, you will not prosper. When I refused to confess my sin My strength evaporated like water in the summer heat. (Psalm 32:3-4). Everyone sins. If we say we have no sin, we are only fooling ourselves and refusing to accept the truth. (1 John 1:8). When you sin, you have the choice to either cover your sin (but why bother - you cant hide it from God anyway!) or confess your sin. But if we confess our sins to him, he is faithful and just to forgive us and to cleanse us from every wrong. (1 John 1:9). Do you have a sin that you want to confess to Jesus today? If so, confess and be free in Jesus Name. TurningPoint Pray and Refection: Pray for our personal commitment to be at each Growth / Connect Group in the 30 Days Church Challenge.
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Day FIFTEEN Friday 12th July

Reading for today:Proverbs #29: The Secret of Happiness #30: Drink Pure Milk of the Word "When people do not accept divine guidance, they run wild. But whoever obeys the law is happy. (Prov. 29:18, NLT). When we disobey Gods law, we bring death and destruction into our lives. God is our loving Heavenly Father, and like any good parent, He wants the best for our lives. He wants to bless us, to protect us and provide for us. We can trust that He has our best interests in mind for our lives. An important distinction must be made here. We dont have to keep Gods laws in order to get God to love us, or to earn our salvation. God loves us first, and we are saved by grace alone through faith in Jesus. However, now that we have been adopted into Gods family, and experienced His love and grace, we choose to keep His commandments because we love Him. Jesus said, If you love me, keep my commandments. (John 14:15). But what are His commandments? Jesus simplified them into 2 commandments: 1. You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your mind.' 2. Love your neighbour as yourself. (Matt. 22:37-39). Every word of God is pure; He is a shield to those who put their trust in Him. (Prov. 30:1-5). How can we empower ourselves to live out these commands? Every word of God is pure and it is powerful. God is a shield and strength to those who put their trust in Him. The word will empower us and sustain us. The best food for you is the Word of God itself. Sermons and books are well enough, but streams that run for a long distance above ground gradually gather for themselves somewhat of the soil through which they flow, and they lose the cool freshness with which they started from the spring head. It is always best to drink at the well and not from the tank. You shall find that reading the Word of God for yourselves, reading it rather than notes upon it, is the surest way of growing in grace. Drink the unadulterated milk of the Word of God, and not of the skim milk and the water of mans word. (Charles Spurgeon). TurningPoint Prayer and Refection: Have you arranged for your friend to be at the Back to Church Sunday TOMORROW? Keep praying for them.
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Day SIXTEEN Saturday 13th July

Reading for today:-

Proverbs #31: A Portrait of the Virtuous Wife

Who can find a virtuous and capable wife? She is worth more than precious rubies. (Prov. 31:10-12). In Christ's family there can be no division into Jew and non-Jew, slave and free, male and female. Among us you are all equal. That is, we are all in a common relationship with Jesus Christ. (Gal. 3:28 The Message). What a beautiful picture of honour given to this wife and mother. The Bible teaches children to honour and obey their parents. Children, obey your parents because you belong to the Lord, for this is the right thing to do. Honour your father and mother." This is the first of the Ten Commandments that ends with a promise. And this is the promise: If you honour your father and mother, "You will live a long life, full of blessing. (Eph. 6:1-3). Charm is deceptive, and beauty does not last; but a woman who fears the LORD will be greatly praised. Reward her for all she has done. Let her deeds publicly declare her praise. (Prov. 31:30-31). The world says that a woman must be charming and beautiful if she wants to be successful. But the Bible says charm is deceptive, and beauty does not lasting. More important than those two things is the inner beauty of a woman who fears the Lord. This kind of a woman will be rewarded and praised, both by the Lord and by her family. We now come to the end of the Book of Proverbs. I hope that you have enjoyed this study in the book of wisdom. And remember, it is a message to obey, not just to listen to. If you don't obey, you are only fooling yourself. It is like looking at your face in a mirror but doing nothing to improve your appearance. You see yourself, walk away, and forget what you look like. But if you keep looking steadily into God's perfect law -the law that sets you free -- and if you do what it says and don't forget what you heard, then God will bless you for doing it. (James 1:22-25). TurningPoint Pray and Refection: Welcome to Back to Church Sunday, the start of our 30 Day Church Challenge. Let us all pray that the new people in Church today and each one of us will all grow in the knowledge of Jesus over these 30 Days.
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