POTTERS HOUSE CHURCH

FRIDAY, 1ST SEPTEMBER 2017. TODAY'S DEVOTION. SEEK PROSPERITY WHERE YOU ARE! TODAY'S SCRIPTURE. "Seek the peace and prosperity of the city to which I have carried you into exile. Pray to the Lord for it, because if it prospers, you too will prosper.” (Jeremiah 29:7 NIV) Have you ever been somewhere you did not want to be? Maybe it was a job, town or a marriage. Maybe it was a stage in life, like singlehood, or a state in life, like a disability. It is very possible that as you read this, you are wishing you were somewhere else  anywhere else , living a different life, but you know it’s not likely that anything is going to change any time soon. God has a word for you. It’s the same word He gave a group of people when they were stuck in another country, exiled from their homeland. They folded their arms and said, “We are going to wait this thing out, and when we get home, we will start living our lives.” Through the prophet Jeremiah, God told them, ...

THURSDAY, 31ST AUGUST 2017. TODAY'S DEVOTION.POSITIVE ATTITUDE IN THE WORKPLACE PART 3. TODAY'S SCRIPTURE.“Whatever may be your task, work at it heartily (from the soul), as [something done] for the Lord and not for men,” (‭‭Colossians‬ ‭3:23‬ ‭AMPC‬‬). 8. Put People Into Positions that Showcase Their Strengths. What better way for people to enjoy their job than to have them doing things they are good at and that they enjoy? People will be more motivated and get better results when they enjoy what they do. Some people like crunching numbers: get them to work on the spreadsheets that need to be done. Others like talking to people: maybe they would like working in customer service. Some people are natural problem solvers: put their skills to use. If you play on people’s strengths, you will see a dramatic shift towards a positive attitude in the workplace. 9.Trust Others and Evaluate People Based on Their Results. If you...

WEDNESDAY, 30TH AUGUST 2017. TODAY'S DEVOTION.POSITIVE ATTITUDE IN THE WORKPLACE PART 2. TODAY'S SCRIPTURE.“Whatever may be your task, work at it heartily (from the soul), as [something done] for the Lord and not for men,”‭‭(Colossians‬ ‭3:23‬ ‭AMPC‬‬)   4. Imbibe a Healthy lifestyle and Rest Well.It’s tough to have a positive attitude when you’re feeling run down and tired. Make sure you get enough sleep, eat lots of fresh fruits and vegetables, drink enough water and get regular exercise. This may all sound time consuming, but you will end up having much more energy and focus and be able to get more done in less time. You will also feel much better mentally, which will help you maintain that positive attitude. 5. Smile. Force yourself to smile, even if you don’t feel like it. A smile actually changes how you feel inside and when others see you smiling, they feel better as well.   6. The ...

WEDNESDAY, 30TH AUGUST 2017. TODAY'S DEVOTION.POSITIVE ATTITUDE IN THE WORKPLACE PART 2. TODAY'S SCRIPTURE.“Whatever may be your task, work at it heartily (from the soul), as [something done] for the Lord and not for men,”‭‭(Colossians‬ ‭3:23‬ ‭AMPC‬‬)   4. Imbibe a Healthy lifestyle and Rest Well.It’s tough to have a positive attitude when you’re feeling run down and tired. Make sure you get enough sleep, eat lots of fresh fruits and vegetables, drink enough water and get regular exercise. This may all sound time consuming, but you will end up having much more energy and focus and be able to get more done in less time. Yo willl also feel much better mentally, which will help you maintain that positive attitude. 5. Smile. Force yourself to smile, even if you don’t feel like it. A smile actually changes how you feel inside and when others see you smiling, they feel better as well.   6. The ...

TUESDAY, 29TH AUGUST 2017. TODAY'S DEVOTION.POSITIVE ATTITUDE IN THE WORKPLACE PART 1. TODAY'S SCRIPTURE.“Whatever may be your task, work at it heartily (from the soul), as [something done] for the Lord and not for men,”(Colossians‬ ‭3:23‬ ‭AMPC‬‬). A positive attitude in the workplace can help you whether you own your own business, work as an employee or manage others within a business environment. You will enjoy your work more and achieve your workplace or business related goals easily and faster. Cynicism and sarcasm are widely prevalent in today’s workplace, both attitudes can bring you and your coworkers down quickly.  While you may not be able to control the mood of the entire workplace, you are always in control of your own attitude each day. You can use these ten tips for developing a positive attitude in the workplace: 1.Gratitude: Appreciate  everyone who does a good job and gets things done on time. In addit...

MONDAY, 28TH AUGUST 2017. TODAY'S DEVOTION.EXAMPLE OF BAD ATTITUDE PART 2. TODAY'S SCRIPTURE.Let no man despise thy youth; but be thou an example of the believers, in word, in conversation, in charity, in spirit, in faith, in purity.”(1Timothy‬ ‭4:12‬ ‭KJV‬‬). Another example of bad attitude was exhibited by a sister who had been a Christian for nearly two years. She loved the Lord and was growing as a Christian, but was still battling sins of the flesh and occasionally fell back into the temptation of drunkenness.  One evening the pastor and his family entered a restaurant, he noticed her slouching at the distant bar, obviously intoxicated. The next Sunday after service, the pastor and his wife took her aside privately and warned her gently about the sins of drunkenness.  The pastor read the scripture below "Now the works of the flesh are evident, which are: adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lewdness, idolatry, sorcery, hatred,...

SUNDAY, 27TH AUGUST 2017. TODAY'S DEVOTION. EXAMPLES OF BAD ATTITUDE PART 1. TODAY'S SCRIPTURE.. “Let no man despise thy youth; but be thou an example of the believers, in word, in conversation, in charity, in spirit, in faith, in purity.” (‭‭1 Timothy‬ ‭4:12‬ ‭KJV) Bad attitudes are displayed outwardly in words or actions by being negative, critical, rebellious, defiant, inpatient, uncooperative, exhibiting apathy, discouragement, independence, presumption, arrogance, self-centeredness, rudeness etc. All the traits listed above are examples of bad attitudes which Christians should avoid totally.  However, keep in mind that attitudes are inner dispositions of the heart and thoughts.They are hidden intentions which eventually serve as the basis for our actions. "For as he thinks in his heart, so is he." (Proverbs 23:7). In reality, only God knows the thoughts of your heart. No other human bring apart from you knows your thoughts. ...

SATURDAY, 27TH AUGUST 2017. TODAY'S DEVOTION. ATTITUDE FOR LANDING OR CRASHING. TODAY'S SCRIPTURE.. "You were taught, with regard to your former way of life, to put off the old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires; to be made new in the attitude of your minds." (Ephesians 4:22 NIV)  The Merriam Webster dictionary defines  "attitude" as "an internal position or feeling with regard to something else." Other words often used as synonyms of the word attitude are: "disposition, feeling, mood, opinion, sentiment, temper, tone, perspective, frame of mind, outlook, view, or morale."  Pilots often use "altitude" to describe their horizontal relationship with the runway when they land. If their altitude isn’t aligned properly, the plane will make contact with the ground at the wrong angle and it will cause them to crash. In like manner, your attitude can cause you to have a good landing or crash if it is not in alig...

FRIDAY, 25TH AUGUST 2017. TODAY'S DEVOTION. HONOURABLE ATTITUDE   TODAY'S SCRIPTURE. "Any fool can start arguments; the honorable thing is to stay out of them” (Proverbs 20:3 TEV). We all use tools, tricks of the trade and skills in relationships that are actually counter productive. They are hurtful, harmful and they don’t get you what you want out of relationships. In fact, they get you the exact opposite behavior. But when we lack wisdom, we use them anyway. There are many of these tools, but here are just a few: Comparing. You should never compare your spouse, kids, boss or anyone else because everybody is unique. Condemning. When you start laying on the guilt in a relationship, all you’re going to do is get the exact opposite of what you expect. It doesn’t work. It’s foolish. Contradicting. William James, the famous psychologist said, “Wisdom is the art of knowing what to overlook.” There are some things you just need to overlo...

THURSDAY, 24TH AUGUST 2017. TODAY'S DEVOTION.FOOLISH ATTITUDE. TODAY'S SCRIPTURE.“Any fool can start arguments; the honorable thing is to stay out of them” (Proverbs 20:3 TEV). Wise people are peacemakers, not troublemakers. Wise people do not carry a chip on their shoulder. They are not always looking for a fight, and they do not intentionally antagonize other people. If you stay around someone for a length of time, you will figure out what that person does that irritates you, and you file that information at the back of your mind as a tool to use when you get in an argument. It becomes a personal “weapon of mass destruction”! When you get into an argument and that person says something that hurts, offends, or slights you in any way, then you pull out the big gun. You push the hot button and it works every time! You know what the Bible calls that? Foolishness! You’re not getting any closer to the resolution. You’re not helping the relationship. ...

TUESDAY, 22ND AUGUST 2017. TODAY'S DEVOTION.YOUR ATTITUDE SHOWS WHO YOU ARE TODAY'S SCRIPTURE. “A person’s wisdom yields patience; it is to one’s glory to overlook an offense” (Proverbs 19:11 NIV). Hurt people hurt people. When someone hurts you, it’s because they’ve been hurt. Unkind people have never felt kindness. Unloving people feel unloved. When someone is rude, bitter, unkind, sarcastic, mean spirited or arrogant, they are shouting with all of their attitudes, “I am in pain! I need massive doses of love! I do not feel secure!” Because secure, loved people don’t act that way.  The person who feels deeply loved and deeply secure is generous and gracious to other people. If you want to get even with people, fine. You’re no better than they are. When you get even, you are no better than the person who has attacked you. To be better than that person, you overcome evil with good. You respond with love. You look past t...

MONDAY, 21ST AUGUST 2017. TODAY'S DEVOTION.POSITIVE ATTITUDE IN CONFLICT PART 2. TODAY'S SCRIPTURE.“God has not given us a spirit of fear and timidity, but of power, love, and self discipline” (2 Timothy 1:7 NLT, second edition). We established in yesterdays devotion that conflicts block fellowship with God, hinder prayers and steal happiness. How do you create positive attitude when conflicts arise? First, take the initiative. Don’t wait for the other person to come to you; go to that person. Be the peacemaker. Don’t ignore the conflict. Don’t deny the conflict. Don’t push the conflict under the carpet. Have you heard the expression, “Time heals everything”? That is not true about conflict. Time heals nothing! Time makes things worse. When you’ve got an open wound and you don’t deal with it, it festers. Anger turns to resentment and resentment turns to bitterness. The conflict will not resolve itself. You’ve got to ...

SUNDAY, 20TH AUGUST 2017. TODAY'S DEVOTION.POSITIVE ATTITUDE IN CONFLICT PART 1. TODAY'S SCRIPTURE.“God has not given us a spirit of fear and timidity, but of power, love, and self discipline” (2 Timothy 1:7 NLT). Why does God want us have a positive attitude of living at peace with everyone? Because unresolved conflict has three devastating effects in your life. First, it blocks your fellowship with God. When you’re in conflict with others, you cannot be in harmony with God. When you’re distracted and in conflict with other people, you cannot have a clear connection with God. The Bible says, “If someone says, ‘I love God,’ but hates a fellow believer, that person is a liar” (1 John 4:20a NLT). Secondly, unresolved conflict hinders your prayers. Over and over again the Bible says that where there is conflict sin and disharmony in your life, your prayers are blocked. “Likewise, ye husbands, dwell with them according to knowledge,...

SATURDAY, 19TH AUGUST 2017. TODAY'S DEVOTION. POSITIVE ATTITUDE IN FRUSTRATION.  TODAY'S SCRIPTURE ."You will keep in perfect peace those whose minds are steadfast, because they trust in you” (Isaiah 26:3 NIV). Here are some simple steps for dealing with frustrations and having a right attitude no matter what you go through in life. When you tell yourself, “I think I caused it.  We are often frustrated by things in life because we think we brought them on ourselves and self condemnation sets in. When the storms of life come,ask yourself, “What can I learn from this?” Romans 8:28b says, “In all things God works for the good of those who love him” (NIV). There are many bad things in the world, but all things work together for good. God can take the negative and turn it into positive if we let Him. Thank God in every situation. 1 Thessalonians 5:18a  “Give thanks in all circumstances” (NIV). You don’t have to be tha...

FRIDAY, 18TH AUGUST 2017. TODAY'S DEVOTION.GOD JUDGES ATTITUDE. TODAY'S SCRIPTURE.“For the word of God is alive and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.” (Hebrews‬ ‭4:12‬ ‭NIV‬‬) God judges our thoughts and attitudes.He takes note of all our actions. I make bold to say that He judges our thoughts and attitudes more than our prayers as believers. If you do not know this truth, you will have many  questions about knowing the perfect will of God. God is a God of knowledge and by Him actions are weighed. The opening scripture says the word of God ,"...judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.” A wise man said "actions speak louder than words". I think God takes note of actions and attitude more than prayers. If our attitude were limited to our human relationships, we may not fully understand why it...

THURSDAY,17TH AUGUST 2017. TODAY"S DEVOTION.DAILY POSITIVE ATTITUDE. TODAY'S SCRIPTURE.“Give us today our daily bread” (Matthew 6:11 NIV). Many people have very negative attitudes in their method of attending to the issues of life with anxiety and wrong expectations when God wants us to live a life of peace and joy in the Holy Ghost daily. You will notice that the opening scripture does not say, “Give us today our weekly bread” or “Give us today our yearly bread.” God wants you to trust him one day at a time. You don’t need to be concerned about tomorrow until tomorrow. You don’t need to be concerned about next week until next week. Most of our attitude of worry are not based on daily issues but the pressures of tomorrow because we say things like ,"what shall we eat or drink or be clothed with?" This means you don’t have to stress about all the future steps necessary to get healthy. You just need to focus on what you need to do...

WEDNESDAY, 16TH AUGUST 2017. TODAY"S DEVOTION.POSITIVE ATTITUDE IN CRISIS PART 2. TODAY'S SCRIPTURE "God has made everything beautiful for its own time” (Ecclesiastes 3:11a NLT). Life is full of contrasts. We go through mountains, and we go through valleys. We go through successes and we go through failures. We have wins,and we have losses. The weather has four seasons. But in your life, there are dozens of different seasons and every season of life includes both good and bad. “For everything there is a season, a time for every activity under heaven. A time to be born and a time to die. A time to plant and a time to harvest. A time to kill and a time to heal. A time to tear down and a time to build up. A time to cry and a time to laugh. A time to grieve and a time to dance....." (Ecclesiastes 3:1-8  NLT). Life is a combination of contrasting seasons. If you have all sunshine and no rain you make a desert. If you’re following God’s will, you’ll...

TUESDAY, 15TH AUGUST 2017. TODAY'S DEVOTION. POSITIVE ATTITUDE IN CRISIS PART 1. TODAY"S SCRIPTURE “But thanks be unto God, who always leadeth us in triumph in Christ, and maketh manifest through us the savor of his knowledge in every place.” (‭‭2 Corinthians‬ ‭2:14‬ ‭ASV‬‬). In life, we all have to deal with the unexpected. Just because we’re believers,good people,or the fact that we are doing the right thing does not exempt us from trouble. The Bible  says, “The rain falls on the just and the unjust.” When something unexpected happens or you find yourself facing a crisis, don’t automatically go into “panic mode” or just fall apart emotionally. You must realize that the crisis is no surprise to God. It may be unexpected to you, but God knows the end from the beginning. He has solutions to problems that you haven’t had yet. He has equipped you for every battle and He goes befor...

MONDAY, 14TH AUGUST 2017. TODAY'S DEVOTION. POSITIVE ATTITUDE IN GRIEF TODAY'S SCRIPTURE "Pour out your heart to him, for God is our refuge” (Psalm 62:8b NLT). Certain things happen in life that you may not like. What attitude should you have at such times? Tragedy always produces strong emotions like anger, fear, depression, worry, and sometimes guilt. These feelings are scary  and we don’t know what to do with them. When we have experienced a major loss, these enormous feelings bubble up within us. If we don’t deal with them immediately, it takes a longer time to recover. Some people never directly deal with grief in life. They stuff it. They push it down. They pretend it’s not there. They play like it does not exist and that’s why they’re still struggling with emotional stress from losses that occurred twenty or thirty years earlier. There’s a myth that says God wants you to walk around with a smile on your face all the time saying,...

FRIDAY, 11TH AUGUST 2017. TODAY'S DEVOTION.SELFISH ATTITUDE. TODAY'S SCRIPTURE.“For you, brethren, were [indeed] called to freedom; only [do not let your] freedom be an incentive to your flesh and an opportunity or excuse [for selfishness], but through love you should serve one another.”(‭‭Galatians‬ ‭5:13‬ ‭AMPC‬‬) Sometime ago, a very close pastor friend of mine accused me of "selfishness" because I had not called him for a long time to ask after his welfare. On the other hand, he used to do all the calling. That particular day I called to ask for another pastors friend phone number and he snapped at me seriously and said, "Pastor B why do you call me only when you need a favour, we are supposed to be friends". I got angry at first and said it was not true but later I pondered deeply and remembered he was absolutely correct. Many of us have not learnt to be selfless in our relationships! We only care when we need somethin...

THURSDAY, 10TH AUGUST 2017. TODAY'S DEVOTION. FOUNDATIONAL ATTITUDE! TODAY'S SCRIPTURE.“I spoke to you in your [times of] prosperity, but you said, I will not listen! This has been your attitude from your youth; you have not obeyed My voice.” ‭‭(Jeremiah‬ ‭22:21‬ ‭AMPC‬‬) Foundation is a very powerful thing in life! Even the Bible in Psalm 11:3 says if the foundation be destroyed what can the righteous do? There are some negative attitudes that have become part and parcel of our life that require reformation. In our opening scripture God said, "...This has been your attitude from your youth..."  What negative attitude have you had from when you were young that you need to drop? What bad behaviors have you noticed that have become generational? Negative attitude is contagious and unintentionally hereditary. If you grow up in a house where every one at the slightest provocation fights or quarrels, you are likely to alway...

WEDNESDAY, 9TH AUGUST 2017. TODAY'S DEVOTION. SUBMISSIVE  ATTITUDE. TODAY'S SCRIPTURE.“For he adds rebellion [in his unsubmissive, defiant attitude toward God] to his unacknowledged sin; he claps his hands [in open mockery and contempt of God] among us, and he multiplies his words of accusation against God.”(‭‭Job‬ ‭34:37‬ ‭AMPC‬‬). Success in life and destiny is about submission! Until you submit you cannot succeed. You must be submisive to God and those above you if you must win in the race of life. Submission is the act of being ready to conform to the authority or will of others in a meek and obedient manner.The Bible says submit yourself to God, then resist the devil and he will flee(James 4:7).   No matter how you big you become in life, you will always have people ahead of you! Whether at home or in your neighborhood. God fashioned the earth to operate that way. No man is an island. We are all synchron...

TUESDAY, 8TH AUGUST 2017. TODAY'S DEVOTION. HOSTILE/HOSPITABLE ATTITUDE. TODAY'S SCRIPTURE.“And although you at one time were estranged and alienated from Him and were of hostile attitude of mind in your wicked activities" (Colossians‬ ‭1:21‬ ‭AMPC‬‬). To be hostile means to be unfriendly; antagonistic,unkind, bitter, unsympathetic, malicious, vicious, rancorous, venomous, poisonous, virulent; opposed to, averse to,  ill-disposed to, disapproving of, unsympathetic to. If you are not hospitable you are hostile! In the name of "holiness" and "warfare" many of us have lost our virtues and fruits of the spirit in relation to our fellow believers and even  unbelievers. God's love was not to those who served Him in truth and spirit alone. "For God so loved the "world"...". You cannot be a hostile believer and make any positive impact in your calling as a soul winner . Between "hospitality and hostility",  once you choos...

SUNDAY, 6TH AUGUST 2017. TODAY'S DEVOTION.CRUEL  ATTITUDE.  TODAY'S SCRIPTURE.“Bless those who persecute you [who are cruel in their attitude toward you]; bless and do not curse them.” (‭‭Romans‬ ‭12:14‬ ‭AMPC‬‬) To be cruel in your attitude means, "willfully causing pain or suffering to others and feeling no remorse about it." There are many cruel believers  in our society, who willfully cause pain to the people God brings into their lives as neighbours,friends, colleagues,bosses, subordinates,clients,customers and family. The hallmark of a cruel attitude is that the acts of cruelty are done without any feeling of care and remorse. As a result it can be seen as wickedness. Can you imagine the attitude of buying things without the intention of paying for such items and when the creditor asks you act unconcerned,stop picking their calls and lack the courtesy of returning the call to explain. Another example o...

SATURDAY, 5TH AUGUST 2017. TODAY'S DEVOTION.GENTLE ATTITUDE. TODAY'S SCRIPTURE. “Show a gentle attitude toward everyone. The Lord is coming soon.” ‭‭(Philippians‬ ‭4:5‬ ‭GNT‬) We have established that attitude is everything. Where you are today is where your attitude brought you and ten years from today where you will be can only be determined by your attitude and choices. Zig Ziglar said ‬"Your attitude, not your aptitude, will determine your altitude". Therefore, how far you go is  not a function of your enemies but your attitude. The first  attitude you need to be happy and successful  in life is an attitude of gentleness .Being gentle means being calm and kind,doing things in a quiet and careful way by the Holy Spirit. Gentleness is a virtue that shows how mature you are in your disposition and decisions. Gentleness is not weakness, it is strength under control. It allows us to be tender. Think of how big...