37 and then as a widow until she was eighty-four. She did not depart from the temple, worshiping with fasting and prayer night and day.
38 And coming up at that very hour she began to give thanks to God and to speak of him to all who were waiting for the redemption of Jerusalem.
59 And on the eighth day they came to circumcise the child. And they would have called him Zechariah after his father,
60 but his mother answered, “No; he shall be called John.”
61 And they said to her, “None of your relatives is called by this name.”
62 And they made signs to his father, inquiring what he wanted him to be called.
63 And he asked for a writing tablet and wrote, “His name is John.” And they all wondered.
Every single day in a marriage, we influence each other. It is a matter of am I going to have a positive influence or a negative influence?
— Gary Chapman
“All great change in America begins at the dinner table.”
— Ronald Reagan
Young men need a positive influence, especially when they don't have a strong male figure in their lives. They can be influenced by a great, godly man in the church, which gives men a great mission in the church to influence these kids.
— Dr. Tony Evans
Do I add value with my voice?
Without doubt, the most common weakness of all human beings is the habit of leaving their minds open to the negative influence of other people.
— Napoleon Hill
Who are the loudest voices in my life?
Who am I listening to?
God will speak to us through His Word.
Psalm 119:105 – “Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.”
God will speak to us in prayer.
Philippians 4
6 Don’t worry about anything, but pray and ask God for everything you need, always giving thanks for what you have.
7 And because you belong to Christ Jesus, God’s peace will stand guard over all your thoughts and feelings. His peace can do this far better than our human minds.
God will speak to us through His Spirit.
Ephesians 1:17 — I always pray to the great and glorious Father, the God of our Lord Jesus Christ. I pray that he will give you the Spirit, who will let you know truths about God and help you understand them, so that you will know him better.
God will speak to us through right relationships.
Proverbs 19:20 — Take good counsel and accept correction—that’s the way to live wisely and well.
Ephesians 4
11 So Christ himself gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the pastors and teachers,
12 to equip his people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up…