Prodigal: Tis the season…..
Me: To Praise God!
This is a short video devotion on Proverbs.
Proverbs 12:1 Whoever loves instruction loves knowledge, but he who hates correction is stupid. (NKJV)
Jennifer Van Allen
www.theprodigalpig.com
www.faithincounseling.org
Me: We have a lot of information around us.
Prodigal: What is the truth?
This is from the book The Revolution That Changed the World by Dr. David Jeremiah
Charles Colson, who once served as special counsel to President Richard Nixon, wrote, “My personal experiences in the Watergate scandal convinces me of the historic proof of the resurrection.” He goes on to explain that President Nixon’s closest advisers conspired to keep the illegal break-in secret. The conspiracy unraveled three weeks later, however, when Nixon’s legal counsel John Dean, fearing a prison sentence, went to the prosecutors and offered to testify in exchange for immunity “to save his own skin.” Other conspirators followed suit, bringing down the Nixon presidency. Colson continues:
Think of it: the most powerful men around the president of the United States could not keep a lie for three weeks. And you’d have me believe that the twelve apostles–powerless, persecuted, exiled, many martyred, their leader Peter crucified upside down–these common men, gave their lives for a lie, without ever breathing a word to the contrary? Impossible…..People will die for something they believe to be true; but men will never die for something they know to be false.
The lies will be exposed it just takes time. A lie does not have the power of the truth. A lie will not stand the test of time.
Matthew 18:7
Woe unto the world because of offences! for it must needs be that offences come; but woe to the man by whom the offence cometh!
Jennifer Van Allen
www.theprodigalpig.com
www.faithincounseling.org
Prodigal: It is that time of year again.
Me: Yes, I am ready to prepare for the season.
Prodigal: Me too!
This is from T.T. Carter
Only as we know what it is to cherish love when sore at some unkindness, to overmaster ourselves when under provocation, to preserve gentleness during trial and unmerited wrong,–only then can we know in any degree the “manner of spirit” that was in Christ.
Focus on how our Lord would respond. Focus on being like Jesus. Love is the only way. It will grow us and make us lie in green pastures. Obedience in our spirit is the first step.
Psalms 25:7
Remember not the sins of my youth or my transgressions; according to your steadfast love remember me, for the sake of your goodness, O LORD!
Jennifer Van Allen
www.theprodigalpig.com
www.faithincounseling.org
Prodigal: Time to finish up some projects around the house.
Me: Yes, idle hands are the devil’s playground.
This is a short video devotion.
Proverbs 11:31 If the righteous is repaid on earth, how much more the wicked and the sinner! (ESV)
Jennifer Van Allen
www.theprodigalpig.com
www.faithincounseling.org
Prodigal: The nativity reminds us of how precious Jesus birth was.
Me: How much we have to be thankful for!
This is from the book Vocabulary of Faith by Hampton Adams
The person who is not aware of his sin or his sinful nature should be led to consider the fact that many, perhaps all, of the truest Christians have known themselves to be sinners “saved by grace.” And their salvation from sin was not guaranteed once for all time, but is a continuing victory of grace. Sanctification, or freedom from sin or the desire to sin, is not claimed by many real Christians. The claim of achieving a sinless life is an exhibition of self-righteousness that belies the claim.
James 4:11-12
Do not speak evil against one another, brothers. The one who speaks against a brother or judges his brother, speaks evil against the law and judges the law. But if you judge the law, you are not a doer of the law but a judge. There is only one lawgiver and judge, he who is able to save and to destroy. But who are you to judge your neighbor?
Jennifer Van Allen
www.theprodigalpig.com
www.faithincounseling.org
Prodigal: Why beat around the bush, I really like that one.
Me: Glad it is pleasing to the eye.
This is from the book Reaching for the Invisible God by Philip Yancey
At a conference on evangelism sponsored by Billy Graham in Manila, a Cambodian man mesmerized the audience with his story of daily meditation. Under the Pol Pot regime he was held in a concentration camp like those depicted in the movie The Killing Fields. Believing he had little time to live, he wanted to spend time each day with God, preparing for death. “Even more than deprivation of food, even more than the torture, I resented having no time to meet with God. Always guards were yelling at us, forcing us to work, work, work. ” Finally he noticed that the guards could get no one to clean out the cesspits. He volunteered for the wretched job. “No one ever interrupted me, and I could do my work at a leisurely pace. Even in those stinking depths, I could look up and see blue sky. I could praise God that I survived another day. I could commune with God undisturbed, and pray for my friends and relatives all around me. That became for me a glorious time of meeting with God.”
That they might set their hope in God, and not forget the works of God, but keep his commandments: Psalms 78:7 (KJV)
Jennifer Van Allen
www.theprodigalpig.com
www.faithincounseling.org
Prodigal: I ain’t got a dadblame thing to do.
Me: Well you can help me with this.
Prodigal: Sounds good.
This is a short video devotion on Proverbs.
Proverbs 11:30 The fruit of the righteous is a tree of life, and he who wins souls is wise. (NKJV)
Jennifer Van Allen
www.theprodigalpig.com
www.faithincounseling.org
Prodigal: You have been spending a lot of time on that.
Me: This project has love in it, I work with love in my heart.
Prodigal: I am sure they will appreciate it then.
Me: I think they will.
This is from the book The Imitation of Christ by Thomas A Kempis
Oftentimes there seemeth to be charity, and it is rather a fleshly mind: because natural inclination, self-will, hope of reward, and desire of our own interest, will seldom be away.
He that hath true and perfect charity, seeketh himself in nothing: but only desireth in all things the glory of God.
He also envieth none; because he is in love with no private joy, neither willeth he to rejoice in himself; but wisheth above all good things to be made happy in the enjoyment of God. He attributheth nothing that is good to any man, but wholly referreth it unto God, from whom as from the fountain all things proceed; in whom finally all the Saints do rest in fruition.
Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.
Matthew 11:28-30 NIV
Jennifer Van Allen
www.theprodigalpig.com
www.faithincounseling.org
Me: I see you found red gems.
Prodigal: Yes, I thought you said something about them.
Me: Yes, a story I heard. Those are not the exact gems but thanks for trying anyway.
This is from the book The Meaning of Marriage by Timothy Keller
Arvin Engelson, a fellow student with Kathy and me at seminary years ago, likened marriage to a gem tumbler. You put gems into the tumbler and they are brought into constructive, creative contact with each other. They knock the rough edges off of each other until each gem is smooth and beautiful. But if you don’t put a special compound into the tumbler with the gems, the stones will either bounce off of one another without any effects or may crack and shatter each other. The grinding compound in the gem tumbler is like God’s grace in a marriage. Without the power of grace, truth and love can’t be combined. Spouses either stay away from the truth–they “bounce off each other”– or else they attack one another and they shatter.
Grace can be tough. We long for grace every time we make a mistake but sometimes we want to prove we are right more than give grace. Thank God that He doesn’t always just prove He is right and instead gives us grace. The Lord forgives you and is working in your heart. Don’t close your heart up but instead open yourself up so that you may be able to determine how you can apply grace to yourself and to that other person.
Jennifer Van Allen
Proverbs 3:11-12
My son do not despise the LORD’s discipline or be weary of his reproof, for the LORD reproves him whom he loves, as a father the son in whom he delights.
Jennifer Van Allen
www.theprodigalpig.com
www.faithincounseling.org
Prodigal: I am ready for some turkey!
Me: Me too!
This is a short video devotion
Proverbs 11:29
He who troubles his own house will inherit the wind, and the fool will be servant to the wise of heart. (NKJV)
Jennifer Van Allen
www.theprodigalpig.com
www.faithincounseling.org
