On September 20th, 2024, Encouragement Now Ministries had the honor of participating in the Charlotte Crusade in Charlotte, NC. Kevin, Laura, and Joseph reflect on the crusade and the weeks leading up to it.
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Episode 018: God’s Word – Part 3
Posted on Categories:Anxiety, Control, Difficulty, Encouragement, Faith, Fear, Hope, Mental Health, Peace, Podcast, Struggle, Worry, Worth
Part 3 of how does God’s Word, the Bible, fit in our daily lives? Do you know if what you have heard is true or not? We will dive in to the importance of having God’s Word in our lives.
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Episode 015: Separated With No Hope
Posted on Categories:Anxiety, Control, Difficulty, Dispare, Encouragement, Faith, Grief, Hope, Interpersonal Issues, Loss, Peace, Podcast, Struggle, Worry, Worth
Life does not go the way we want it, but that does not mean that it is over. In this episode we talk about the reality that relationships do end, but how can we prepare ourselves to become better in the wake of disappointment.
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Be Strong And Courageous
Posted on Categories:Anxiety, Control, Difficulty, Dispare, Encouragement, Faith, Fear, Hope, Intimidation, Mental Health, Peace, Struggle, Worry, Worth
God had given a word of command and encouragement to Joshua, the leader of Israel, when he and the Israelites were about to enter the Promised Land. The Israelites had just spent 40 year in the desert, Moses and Aaron had died, and now they were about to go into the land and conquer it. If you know anything about this story it is not a small task to undertake, but God was with Joshua and working on his behalf. There are three things in the text that we need to apply to our lives.
Joshua 1:3-9 says this: 3I will give you every place where you set your foot, as I promised Moses. 4Your territory will extend from the desert to Lebanon, and from the great river, the Euphrates—all the Hittite country—to the Mediterranean Sea in the west. 5No one will be able to stand against you all the days of your life. As I was with Moses, so I will be with you; I will never leave you nor forsake you. 6Be strong and courageous, because you will lead these people to inherit the land I swore to their ancestors to give them.
7“Be strong and very courageous. Be careful to obey all the law my servant Moses gave you; do not turn from it to the right or to the left, that you may be successful wherever you go. 8Keep this Book of the Law always on your lips; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. Then you will be prosperous and successful. 9Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.”
- God’s Promise. God made a promise centuries before Joshua was to step into the land. God reiterated the promises to Joshua that He made Moses, Abraham, and all who came before. We know that God is trustworthy and true to the promises He makes.
- God’s Encouragement. He told Joshua to be strong and courageous three time. God said, “[I] will be with you wherever you go”. Did you notice that God did not say, “Good Luck” and leave? He did not give Joshua a major task and abandon the Israelites. He was going to be with them until the promise was fulfilled.
- God’s Word. God told Joshua to “Be careful to obey all the lay my servant Moses gave you; do not turn from it to the right or the left, that you may be successful wherever you go. Keep this Book of the Law always on your lips; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it.”
Are we applying God’s Promises, Encouragement, and Word to our lives? What are areas of your life that need to be conquered? Are you going through life feeling abandoned and discouraged? Life can be very overwhelming. Circumstances can feed fear and discouragement. We can feel lost. God has promised to be with us. He has given us His word that He will never leave not forsake us. Are you following Him? Do you feel lost or need counseling? We would love to talk to you. Please go to our Consult Form page and fill out the information. We would love to talk to you.
Episode 014: Biblical Separation – Part 3
Posted on Categories:Anxiety, Control, Depression, Difficulty, Dispare, Encouragement, Faith, Fear, Hope, Intimidation, Manipulation, Mental Health, Peace, Podcast, Struggle, Worry, Worth
Separation can protect you when you are in an unhealthy relationship. We are not called to be subjected to abuse especially when the Bible is being used to justify the other person’s actions. We are continuing a series on the concept of Biblical Separation and what it is and is not. In this episode we have audio from a Jimmy Evans (Marriage Today) video called “Constructive Separation”.
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Episode 013: Biblical Separation – Part 2
Posted on Categories:Anxiety, Control, Difficulty, Dispare, Encouragement, Faith, Fear, Hope, Interpersonal Issues, Intimidation, Manipulation, Mental Health, Peace, Podcast, Struggle, Worry, Worth
Separation can protect you when you are in an unhealthy relationship. We are not called to be subjected to abuse especially when the Bible is being used to justify the other person’s actions. We are continuing a series on the concept of Biblical Separation and what it is and is not. In this episode we have audio from a Jimmy Evans (Marriage Today) video called “Constructive Separation”.
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Episode 012: Biblical Separation – Part 1
Posted on Categories:Anxiety, Control, Difficulty, Dispare, Encouragement, Faith, Fear, Hope, Interpersonal Issues, Intimidation, Manipulation, Mental Health, Peace, Podcast, Struggle, Worry, Worth
Separation can protect you when you are in an unhealthy relationship. We are not called to be subjected to abuse especially when the Bible is being used to justify the other person’s actions. We are starting a series on the concept of Biblical Separation and what it is and is not.
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Episode 009: Introducing Boundaries
Posted on Categories:Control, Difficulty, Encouragement, Faith, Hope, Interpersonal Issues, Manipulation, Peace, Podcast, Struggle, Worth
Do you have good heathy boundaries in your life. We are going to introduce to you what boundaries are and how you can start implementing them.
With Laura Dahne, and Joseph Ferreira
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Setting The Trajectory
Posted on Categories:Anxiety, Control, Encouragement, Faith, Fear, Hope, Mental Health, Peace, Struggle, Worry, Worth
Setting The Trajectory
Kevin Phillips
Have you ever asked yourself, “where am I going in life, what’s my purpose, what do I want to accomplish, what kind of person do I want to be or become?” Growing up I always marveled at people who somehow inherently knew what they wanted to do in life. My daughter for example has known since she was in elementary school that she wanted to be an elementary school teacher. In high school I could never relate to other students who knew what they wanted to do and what they wanted to study in college. I felt like I was on the outside looking in. I didn’t understand why I had no idea what to do in life. It was so frustrating and at times I kind of felt like a loser. I really didn’t know that my calling was to be a therapist/counselor until my late 30’s, wow talk about a late bloomer. But after I reflected on this meandering way of settling upon a profession, I realized that all my frustrations and confusion and life experiences gave me the ability to become a better, more effective, real therapist that could relate to people. Then I started to realize that as individuals we need to set a trajectory for ourselves. If not, where are we flying to, where are we going, what do we stand for, what’s the purpose?
Choose Your Course
Posted on Categories:Anxiety, Control, Depression, Difficulty, Dispare, Fear, Grief, Interpersonal Issues, Intimidation, Manipulation, Rage, Struggle, Worry, Worth
Written by Kevin J. Phillips
Founder of Encouragement Now Ministries
“That’s what the Christian life is all about, isn’t it? Going, yet not knowing.
As followers of our Lord, we believe He leads us in a certain direction, or in pursuit of a precise goal.”
~ Charles R. Swindoll
Have you ever contemplated: “What is my life’s purpose? What do I want to accomplish, and who do I want to become?” I used to be in awe of folks who just knew what they wanted to do with their lives. For instance, my daughter has known she wanted to be a teacher ever since elementary school. But I was never able to connect with others who were certain about what they wanted to do or study in college.
I felt like an outsider, and that was frustrating since I couldn’t figure out why I didn’t know what to do with my life. Until I was in my late 30s, I had no idea I wanted to be a counselor.
Yet, after giving it some thought, I saw that all of my struggles, difficulties, and experiences had prepared me to become a better, more capable counselor who could connect and relate to his patients. I concluded that each of us needs to determine our life course.
Now, imagine for a moment that you are launching a rocket to the moon. Many engineers would be required to manage all the details for such a mission. Your job is to enter the correct coordinates for the rocket. If the coordinates are off by even 1/2 a degree, the mission would be a failure since that one mistake repeated over and over again would cause the rocket to veer and miss the moon by thousands of miles. Even a small mistake gets bigger the longer it goes uncorrected. To reach our goals or to achieve anything in life—we must have the proper trajectory set in place. But first, we must decide where we’re heading before setting the coordinates.
-What are your objectives and goals in life?-What sort of person do you want to be?
-What direction is your life currently going in, and does it need to change?