The Insights

“ANYTHING BECOMES SIMPLER WHEN IT HAS A PLAN” ANCHOR TEXT:  “Since they could not get him to Jesus because of the crowd, they made an opening in the roof above Jesus and, after digging through it, lowered the mat the paralyzed man was lying on”  - Mark 2:4 Show me your plans, and I will tell you whether your desires are realizable or not. The one with the plan is the one with the power. The one with the plan is the one with the future. If you can strategize or make plans you can get any problem solved. If you can meticulously map out a course of action, you can maximize resources, strength and you lay hold on the most direct path toward achieving any objective. To strategize is to make plan or map out a course of action for the purpose of achieving a goal. Employees want to follow the business leader with a good business plan. Strategic thinking takes complex issues and long-term objectives, which can be very difficult to address, and breaks them down into manageabl...

DCLM Daily Devotional Wednesday 17th  August 2016 Key Verse:  "There shall the fire devour thee; the sword shall cut thee off, it shall eat thee up like the cankerworm: make thyself many as the cankerworm, make thyself many as the locusts"  - Nahum 3:15 Read: -NAHUM 3:7-19 Although the name Nahum means "full of comfort", the predictions of the prophet who bore this name had no consolation for the people of Nineveh where God sent him. This capital of the Assyrian Empire did not deserve a message of comfort by the reckoning of the Almighty Himself. It was the seat of the terror of the world as well as the shrine of rebellion against God. Nineveh followed the tradition of Babel, having been founded by Nimrod (Genesis 10:8-11). The Assyrians pursued a savage culture that went beyond description. They brutalised Israel and sought to exterminate her and thus abort God's plan to bring the Saviour into the world through the tribe of Judah in Israel. God was ...

Daily Hope Devotional Wednesday 17th August 2016 “He guides me along the right paths for his name’s sake” - Psalm 23:3b NIV Often we’re afraid of making the wrong decision, and that creates stress. Maybe you’re facing a decision about a major issue: “Should I hold on, or should I let go?” “Should I get in, or should I get out?” “Should I get married?” “Should I find a new job?” “Should I move?” When you can’t make up your mind, you stagger through life. In fact, the Bible says when we remain double-minded, we become unstable in everything we do (James 1). The Greek word for unstable literally means “stagger like a drunk.” But God says there is an antidote to our indecision. Psalm 23:3 tells us, “He guides me along the right paths for his name’s sake” (NIV). We handle the stress of decision-making by letting God guide us. You may be thinking, “But I’ve tried this!” You asked God to guide you, but then you became more confused than before. You still couldn’t figure it out...

Our Daily Bread Devotional Wednesday 17th August 2016 Encourage one another and build each other up.  - 1 Thessalonians 5:11 In the summer of 2015, Hunter (aged 15) carried his brother Braden (8) for a fifty-seven-mile walk to raise awareness of the needs of people with cerebral palsy. Braden weighs sixty pounds, so Hunter needed frequent rest stops where others helped him stretch his muscles, and he wore special harnesses to disperse Braden’s weight. Hunter says that while the harnesses helped with the physical discomfort, what helped him most were the people along the way. “If it weren’t for everyone cheering and walking with us, I wouldn’t have been able to do it. . . . My legs were sore, but my friends picked me up and I made it through . . . .” His mom named the arduous trek “The Cerebral Palsy Swagger.” The apostle Paul, who we think of as strong and courageous, also needed to be “picked up.” In Romans 16 he lists a number of people who did just that for him. They s...

Fresh Fire Daily Devotional Wednesday 17th August 2016 click here to listen to the audio devotional:  “Jesus told her, “I am the resurrection and the life. Anyone who believes in me will live, even after dying. Everyone who lives in me and believes in me will never ever die. Do you believe this, Martha?” - John 11:25-26 “When Mary arrived and saw Jesus, she fell at his feet and said, “Lord, if only you had been here, my brother would not have died.” John 11:32 [emphasis added]. Mary and Martha’s responses show us that the Jesus they know is the Jesus that can heal the sick. And sometimes, God allows us to go through situations that would make us perplexed, just to show us that He is still the same Jesus, that can not only heal the sick but can raise the dead. Jesus was teaching us through this story, that He is not only able to prevent death by healing, He is able to reverse death by resurrection. Some of us are going through a challenge and all you have been saying to ...

From Faith To Faith Daily Devotional Wednesday 17th August 2016  And I will rebuke the devourer for your sakes, and he shall not destroy the fruits of your ground; neither shall your vine cast her fruit before the time in the field, saith the Lord of hosts. And all nations shall call you blessed: for ye shall be a delightsome land. - Malachi 3:11-12 God is vitally interested in your finances. He wants to multiply and protect them. But He won’t be able to—unless you open the door for Him to do it. How? Through tithing. When you tithe, you give God the legal right to intervene in your financial affairs, to bless you richly, and to defend you against the destruction the devil brings. When you tithe, you lay a foundation for success and abundance. You establish deposits with God you can draw on when you need them. But don’t wait until your back is against the wall to start. Begin now. Start developing your faith when things are going well by meditating on the blessings Go...