A Living Stone

No Excuse

Oct 3

Posted by Joey Costanzo in Bible | No Comments

Information

Teacher of the Scripture – Power of the Word

Romans 1:20

New International Version (NIV)

²⁰ For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that people are without excuse.

Insight

God has opened our eyes thru the Spirit (Pray for Wisdom)

Matthew 16:17

New International Version (NIV)

¹⁷ Jesus replied, “Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah, for this was not revealed to you by flesh and blood, but by my Father in heaven.

1 Corinthians 12:7-11

New International Version (NIV)

⁷ Now to each one the manifestation of the Spirit is given for the common good. ⁸ To one there is given through the Spirit a message of wisdom, to another a message of knowledge by means of the same Spirit, ⁹ to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healing by that one Spirit, ¹⁰ to another miraculous powers, to another prophecy, to another distinguishing between spirits, to another speaking in different kinds of tongues,^[a] and to still another the interpretation of tongues.^[b] ¹¹ All these are the work of one and the same Spirit, and he distributes them to each one, just as he determines.

Inspiration

Genesis 2:7

New International Version (NIV)

⁷ Then the LORD God formed a man^[a] from the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living being.

Acts 2:1-4

New International Version (NIV)

Acts 2

The Holy Spirit Comes at Pentecost

¹ When the day of Pentecost came, they were all together in one place. ² Suddenly a sound like the blowing of a violent wind came from heaven and filled the whole house where they were sitting. ³ They saw what seemed to be tongues of fire that separated and came to rest on each of them. ⁴ All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues^[a] as the Spirit enabled them.

Remove Barriers – Pride, Prejudice, and Passivity (Lack of Diligence)

Proverbs 1

Purpose and Theme

¹ The proverbs of Solomon son of David, king of Israel:

² for gaining wisdom and instruction;
   for understanding words of insight;
³ for receiving instruction in prudent behavior,
   doing what is right and just and fair;
⁴ for giving prudence to those who are simple,^[a]
   knowledge and discretion to the young—
⁵ let the wise listen and add to their learning,
   and let the discerning get guidance—
⁶ for understanding proverbs and parables,
   the sayings and riddles of the wise.^[b]

⁷ The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge,
but fools^[c] despise wisdom and instruction.

Proverbs 19:27

New International Version (NIV)

²⁷ Stop listening to instruction, my son,
and you will stray from the words of knowledge.

2 Peter 3:18

New International Version (NIV)

¹⁸ But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To him be glory both now and forever! Amen.

Our Success is a product of our thinking. You need to change you thinking to change your outcome.

Renew your mind.

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Tags: Holy Spirit

The Case for Christ

Sep 28

Posted by Joey Costanzo in Books | No Comments

I don’t think this is a book that will convince an atheist to become a believer. However it does have some answers to questions and misunderstandings people seem to have about Christians. It will help you talk with a non-believer about those questions as a start.

It is about the author’s (Lee Strobel) journey of discovering God through his skills as an investigative reporter.

I did like it.

Joey

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Tags: Lee Strobel

What do you do when your Wife is out of town?

Sep 27

Posted by Joey Costanzo in Parenting | No Comments

With my wife out of town for three and a half days, I try to survive. It is not a zombie apocalypse, which I know I could do. It is taking care of the kids on my own that has me using all my resources to manage.

It is not too bad if I manage it like a check list.

Make Breakfast
Make Reagan’s Lunch
Get them Ready for School
Have their Homework done
Remember Reagan has spelling Test
Remember Reagan has Math on Computer
Make them dinner
Remember Girl Scouts
Remember Chess Club
Pick Madison up in time to get Reagan by 4:30

(My heart is open to all of the single parents that have no help.)

As I am leaving the Daycare the Director says “Don’t forget tomorrow is picture day”.

Are you kidding me! This is what I need. I can ask my wife on the phone about what to wear, but what about her hair.

Madison has the curliest hair. How am I going to make this work? I asked the teachers to help, but what if they don’t have time? Well I will just have to do my best.

The top picture is what I came up with. Why Worry? You know -She is cute no matter what.

Joey

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Tags: madison, Picture day

I do not wear Earrings

Sep 26

Posted by Joey Costanzo in Parenting | 2 Comments

I do not wear earrings. Why is this important? On most days it may never be, but yesterday it was.

My 6 year old was given earrings on her birthday. I have been told that there is a process to follow to keep them from getting infected. What my wife told me to do, when she is gone, is clean it twice a day with the solution they gave us, and have her turn them twice a day. I got it. Not a problem.

Okay, so what could happen on my watch? I could tell you about all the things that seem to happen when I am in charge, but you might think my kids need someone else watching them. I am sure this stuff happens to all parents. I am going to only focus on her earrings.

When it was time for the girls to take a bath, I told them to clean the playroom before they get ready. I walked into one of their bedrooms and I stepped on something. I didn’t look at it at first. I thought it was just one of their toys. Then I saw something small on the floor in front of me. It was the back of an earring. Must be Kim’s I thought. “Reagan, Is your earring in” I said. She felt for it, but it was gone. It had been out since the morning, about 15 hours.

Panic time! I look at her ear and I don’t even see a hole. What I see is a little dot. I try to push the earring thru and it won’t go all the way. Now what?

I call my wife, sister-in-law, and wife again, and business partner Kathleen. No one answers. Where is the earring hotline when you need one? Is there a number to call for Dads that need help with girl stuff?

Reagan starts to cry and is worried she will look silly with only one earring in. I told her these things just happen and not to worry. We will take care of it. (Thought bubble over my head says yea right!) POW….My 2yo says, “Yea Reagan, these things just happen”. It was so funny, but I had to tell her to stop because it was bothering Reagan.

I have to fix this. I felt her ear and it felt like she had a ball in the spot the earring goes. I pushed on it and it felt like it moved. My business partner called back and told me to clean the area and see if that helps.

I cleaned her ear and pushed on the back again, and I saw something come thru. It was like some kind of skin. I don’t know. But I pulled it out. That seemed to do it. I cleaned her ear again and pushed it in her ear. It worked!

Reagan had no idea it was in her ear now. I told her to stay still I needed to get the backer on. She was crying. “Is it going to hurt” she said. “Reagan it is already in” I told her. Everything is fine.

She kept thanking me…I went from O No to Hero. Thank God.

I really cannot have one more thing happen while my wife is gone.

Joey

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Tags: earrings, Reagan

Heaven is for Real

Sep 23

Posted by Joey Costanzo in Books | No Comments

Heaven is for Real is a little boys story of his trip to Heaven. Whether this is real or just a vision I couldn’t tell you. What I think is important is to see how the Holy Spirit works in our lives and what we do about it. So, the real question is, are we listening?

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Tags: Heaven

Zombie Army in the Bible

Sep 22

Posted by Joey Costanzo in Bible | No Comments

Ezekiel 37

The Valley of Dry Bones

¹ The hand of the LORD was on me, and he brought me out by the Spirit of the LORD and set me in the middle of a valley; it was full of bones. ² He led me back and forth among them, and I saw a great many bones on the floor of the valley, bones that were very dry. ³He asked me, “Son of man, can these bones live?”

I said, “Sovereign LORD, you alone know.”

⁴ Then he said to me, “Prophesy to these bones and say to them, ‘Dry bones, hear the word of the LORD! ⁵ This is what the Sovereign LORD says to these bones: I will make breath^[a] enter you, and you will come to life. ⁶I will attach tendons to you and make flesh come upon you and cover you with skin; I will put breath in you, and you will come to life. Then you will know that I am the LORD.’”

⁷ So I prophesied as I was commanded. And as I was prophesying, there was a noise, a rattling sound, and the bones came together, bone to bone. ⁸I looked, and tendons and flesh appeared on them and skin covered them, but there was no breath in them.

⁹ Then he said to me, “Prophesy to the breath; prophesy, son of man, and say to it, ‘This is what the Sovereign LORD says: Come, breath, from the four winds and breathe into these slain, that they may live.’” ¹⁰So I prophesied as he commanded me, and breath entered them; they came to life and stood up on their feet—a vast army.

¹¹ Then he said to me: “Son of man, these bones are the people of Israel. They say, ‘Our bones are dried up and our hope is gone; we are cut off.’ ¹² Therefore prophesy and say to them: ‘This is what the Sovereign LORD says: My people, I am going to open your graves and bring you up from them; I will bring you back to the land of Israel. ¹³ Then you, my people, will know that I am the LORD, when I open your graves and bring you up from them. ¹⁴ I will put my Spirit in you and you will live, and I will settle you in your own land. Then you will know that I the LORD have spoken, and I have done it, declares the LORD.’”

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Tags: Ezekiel 37, Spirit, Zombie

Faith is a Gift from God

Sep 21

Posted by Joey Costanzo in Bible | 1 Comment

Faith is a Gift from God

John 3:16 New International Version (NIV)

¹⁶ For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.

Acts 16:31 New International Version (NIV)

³¹ They replied, “Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved—you and your household.”

Ephesians 2:8-9 New International Version (NIV)

⁸ For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— ⁹ not by works, so that no one can boast.

Salvation can’t be taken away

Numbers 23:19 New International Version (NIV)
¹⁹ God is not human, that he should lie,
not a human being, that he should change his mind.
Does he speak and then not act?
Does he promise and not fulfill?

Romans 11:29 New International Version (NIV)

²⁹ for God’s gifts and his call are irrevocable.

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Tags: Salvation

WORD!

Sep 20

Posted by Joey Costanzo in Bible, Church | 2 Comments

WORD!

No, this is not an attempt at 80’s rap. It is to let you know, if you did not already, that words are powerful.

My daughter came out of her Church small group on Sunday and told me, “Words can hurt and you can’t unsay them. Did you know that Daddy?”

I am so happy with how North Point feeds our children.

Luke 6:45

New International Version (NIV)

⁴⁵ A good man brings good things out of the good stored up in his heart, and an evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in his heart. For the mouth speaks what the heart is full of.

Let’s pray for our Hearts.

Joey

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Tags: heart, words

God’s Smuggler (Brother Andrew)

Sep 19

Posted by Joey Costanzo in Books | No Comments

From the Back Cover

A true-life thriller that will leave you breathless!As a boy, Brother Andrew dreamed of being an undercover spy working behind enemy lines. As a man he found himself working undercover for God. His was a mission filled with danger, financed by faith, supported by miracles.

Told it was impossible to minister behind the Iron Curtain, Andrew knew that nothing was too hard for God. Crossing “closed” borders, he prayed, “Lord, in my luggage I have Scripture I want to take to Your children. When You were on earth, You made blind eyes see. Now, I pray, make seeing eyes blind. Do not let the guards see those things You do not want them to see.” And they never did.

For thirty-five years, Brother Andrew’s life story has inspired millions to step out on their own journeys of faith. This young Dutch factory worker’s near-incredible adventures testify of God’s step-by-step guidance and hour-by-hour provision–available to all who follow His call.

Far from being over, Brother Andrew’s current adventures are his most challenging yet. In a new prologue and epilogue, his story is carried into the new millennium with an account of Andrew’s work in the “closed” societies of Islam.

God’s Smuggler

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My Daughter Almost Lost Her Name

Sep 16

Posted by Joey Costanzo in Parenting | No Comments

This morning my daughter decided to cry about what she had to wear for school. This makes 300 days in a row. Enough is enough, don’t you think. Wait, before you say we should have her pick out her clothes the night before, we did.

She was crying about the clothes she picked out. I’m about done with this game. We have already taken away her favorite jeans, American Girl Dolls, and now her name.

That’s right! In my punishing her, I looked up and saw her name on the wall over her bed. What I intended to do is tell her I was going to take it down, but what came out was something else. I told her I was going to take away her name. “You won’t have a name” I said. This was not exactly planned.

She started to cry “I won’t have a name” She said puzzled. I could not stop myself. When I realized she did not understand, I went with it.

She told on me and my wife let her know I can’t do that. Everything ended fine, but today is the day my daughter almost lost her name.

Joey

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Tags: Clothes, Reagan, School

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