Do you need things to change in your life?

On your job. . .in your family. . .and most importantly, in your own life.

We have a revelation for you. . .nobody can change your life for you. It must be an inner work initiated by you.

My Mom prayed for me to be saved but I’m the one who had to walk the aisle to the front of the church.

Later, she prayed for me to have a deeper relationship with God. . .but I’m the one who had to decide to pursue God in earnest.

Don’t get me wrong I believe the prayer of the saints can softened hearts and position people for personal breakthroughs.

But everyone must become their own agent of change.

Dr. Norman Vincent Peale, the author of The Power Of Positive Thinking, once said:

Okay, I’m going to admit it. . .one of my favorite Disney/Pixar movies was Monsters, Inc. You’re probably surprised it’s not Toy Story but that would be my fine wife’s favorite.

There are a number of reasons why I really liked it but none of them worth our time here. Maybe, except to say the monster behind the bedroom closet door has some amazing parallels to life.

Way too many believers think there’s a monster behind every door of opportunity they get to open. They’ve convinced themselves. . .incorrectly, I might add. . .that there’s nothing good behind previously unknown opportunities or found in previously unused potential. . . but that’s just not true.

We need to expose and defeat the monsters that hold us back from achieving the potential God has placed within each of us.

But let me digress for a moment. Another great story line was used in a movie entitled Major Payne which premiered in 1995. It’s about Major Payne, a retired Marine, who is now the Commander of the ROTC unit at this private school. I will admit to you it’s one of my favorite movies despite a little language.

There is a particular scene in the movie where a young man, maybe 12 years old, who is in Payne’s ROTC unit, but is continually frightened and complaining about a monster. Major Payne follows the boy to his room and asks where he’s hiding. The lad points to his closet.

As Harold loves to tell everyone, I was born on the 4^th of July. He takes great pleasure in making sure the entire country honors me with fireworks, parades and picnics.

And the truth is … I do have a deep love for this country. I was not born on the 4^th of July by accident.

It’s no myth … but a proven fact that this country would not even exist were it not for God. That may seem like a bold statement but there are volumes of historical facts to back it up. Thanks to David Barton they can be easily found … documents straight from our founder father’s papers.

Although many young people are not taught … the United States of America is and has always been a country like no other.

Former Prime minister Margaret Thatcher of Great Britain once said, “Europe was created by history, America by philosophy.”

There are so many facts as to how God was directly involved in our country but I’m only going to go over five.

1. A Haven for Religious Freedom.

The majority of our first settlers came over to find the religious freedoms they could not enjoy in their own countries. European countries not only had a national government each also had a national religion. It was not a matter of choice of religion.

That is why the principle of separation of church and state was so widely emphasized by o

I was sitting in my home office early one morning this week meditating on what God would have us teach tonight on SUNDAY NITE LIVE.

Suddenly, the word dream flash before my eyes.

Those who know me know I’m not talking about dreams while you sleep unless it’s a night vision from the Lord.

I’m talking about the God-directed dreams He puts into your heart for you to accomplish.

So here are three questions. . .

What if everything you dreamed about came to pass and all the things you prayed for. . .happened?

Do you expect your dreams to come true?

Do you have a plan on what to do when they manifest?

Think about this. . .

Over the years, I have. . .sadly. . .had a large number of people talk to me. . .with tears in their eyes. . .about how they lost everything they owned because of bad advice from well-meaning friends and or family members..

Couples who got in on the ground floor of a ‘can’t miss’. . .explosive money-making opportunity. . .at the urging of a family member or friend. . .only to watch the company go belly up. . .and their money disappear faster than an ice cube in hot tea on a summer’s day.

Dreamers who were robbed of their dreams by the doubts of someone who’s biggest decision is whether to have next Saturday’s breakfast at iHop or Cracker Barrel.

Listening to the wrong people. . .give unwise advice.

I could go on. . .with other sad stories I’ve heard. . .but let’s move on with seven reasons to not to take their word for it.

First, when I say don’t take their word for it. . .let me clarify who ‘they’ are.

When you wake up in the morning. . .what are you thinking about?

Be mindful of Proverbs 23:7 in the New King James Version:

“For as he thinks in his heart, so is he ….”

We decide how and what we want to think about and our thinking habits make up who we are.

Do you ever wonder what winners think about?

Here are seven things that you should think about today if you are seeking to have a winner’s mentality. It’s also a great way to have the best day possible.

1.      Wisdom

One of the favorite scriptures of my wisdom mentor and dear friend Dr. Mike Murdock is Proverbs 4:7 which in the Amplified Bible says:

There are 64 times in just the King James Version of the Bible that the word blessing is used. The word bless appears 463 times. It is obviously a word God likes to use.

A blessing is something we all enjoy receiving from God. It’s also what we are called to do and be to others.

Yet when you look around today there is a something that touches lives everywhere even in Christian circles.

I call it “blessing abuse” or the sin of ingratitude.

When we forget who brought us to the dance. . .when we forget who has delivered us out of trouble. . .time after time. . .who has answered our prayers and blessed us daily. . .who healed our bodies. . .lifted us up when we thought we were sinking.

We have abused the blessings that God has given us by a lack of appreciation, recognition or a forgetful memory.

This is why I was led to teach Deuteronomy 8:10-18 which reveals an amazing progression for those wanting to be used by God while manifesting the power to get wealth.

Here are seven wealth-accumulating, life-changing verses found in Deuteronomy 8.

The first life-changing verse is Deuteronomy 8:10 in The Living Bible which says:

I’ve written about purpose dozens of times. . .but I feel impressed to discuss it again. . .from a little different perspective.

Dictionary.com defines purpose as:

1. the reason for which something exists or is done, made, used, etc.
2. an intended or desired result; end; aim; goal.

God Has A Purpose For Your Life.

Say it out loud: GOD HAS A PURPOSE FOR MY LIFE….personalize and write it down.

Without your purpose identified firmly in your mind, you will wander through life, never quite feeling that you’re “in the flow.”

And let me be clear, your PURPOSE may have nothing to do with how you make money (your job)…because you can make MONEY in many ways that may not be directly related to your purpose….although you can still glorify God while doing your job.

Purpose gives meaning to WHY you’re doing what you’re doing.

You would be amazed at how many times I’ve heard someone say:

“If I could just meet the right people or make contact with someone who could help me.”

I have a revelation for you. . .unless you step out of your comfort zone. . .you’re not going to meet the right people.

Here are seven keys on building an effective team.

1.      Expect to build strong friendships.

You may be involved in social media where relationships are reduced to a lot of online communication, but daily you still run into real people. Do you capitalize on the encounters?

Do you expect to make new friends wherever you go? You can’t treat the people you meet like Facebook. You need to maximize the opportunities God gives you.

Expectation always leads to manifestation.

Here’s a ten-step formula to developing new friendships.

Recently, I was watching one of my favorite John Wayne movies entitled “Big Jake.” The Duke as he was known was my favorite movie star during my formative years. He was always the good guy. The one who stood for what was right. . .regardless of the consequence.

My three favorite John Wayne quotes are:

# 1    “Life is tough, but it's tougher when you're stupid.”

# 2    “Courage is being scared to death…but saddling up anyway.”

# 3    “Tomorrow is the most important thing in life. Comes into us at midnight very clean. It's perfect when it arrives and it puts itself in our hands. It hopes we've learned something from yesterday.”

John Wayne won his only Oscar in 1969 for the movie “True Grit.” There’s a point in the movie where 14 year-old Mattie Ross says to Marshal Rooster Cogburn (John Wayne) “They tell me you are a man with true grit.”

Dictionary.com defines true grit as:

“firmness of character; indomitable spirit”

The best definition I’ve ever heard of grit is: