I Remember A Conversation I Had With A Good Friend Of Mine Last Fall. School Had Started Up And All 3 Of My Kids Had After School Programs. Ministry Was Under Way And The Holiday Season Was Coming Fast. I Was Lamenting To My Friend About How Busy We Were And Wondering How I Would Survive The Year. I Even Mentioned How We Only Had 2 Evenings A Week To Eat Dinner Together As A Family.

Thanks To Social Distancing, I Have Had The Joy Of Spending Every Evening With My Family For The Last Two Weeks And As I Read The News It Looks Like This Will Continue For Another Four Weeks Or More. I Cannot Help But Recognize The Irony. While I Am Grateful For This Time With My Family, A Part Of Me Is Longing For Life To Return To Normal… Whatever Normal Is Going To Be.

Needless To Say, Contentment Is The Lesson I Am Learning This Week. I Have A Home And A Family, I Have Food To Eat And Work To Do. So Far, No One In My Circle Of Friends And Family Have Died From COVID-19. These Things Mean That I Am In Better Shape Than Millions Of People Around The World That Have Been Impacted By This Virus. I Can Learn To Be Content With What I Have And Enjoy The Extra Moments And Bonding With My Family.

The Writer Of Hebrews Concludes His Letter With An Exhortation That We “Keep On Loving One Another As Brothers (And Sisters).” This Includes Hospitality, Visiting Prisoners, Loving Our Spouse Well, And Then He Says This: “Keep Your Lives Free From The Love Of Money And Be Content With What You Have, Because God Said ‘Never Will I Leave You; Never Will I Forsake You.’

–...

Unchangeable truths to focus on:

• God sees everything I’m going through (Psalm 11:4).
• God cares about everything I’m going through—God sees, God cares (2 Corinthians 1:3-4).
• God has the power to change what I’m going through. He has the power to answer prayers (James 5:16).
• “God always acts out of His goodness to me—He’s good, he never stops loving me, his plan is always better than mine, though I may not see it (1 Chronicles 16:34; Psalm 107:1).
• “Remember that no matter what I go through, God will go through it with me—Every stage, every phase, every crisis, no matter what I go through, God is going to go through it with me (Isaiah 43:2).

These are truths the Bible teaches. These are truths I want you to focus on. Maybe a little less listening to the internet, and a little bit more listening to God in the days ahead.
-Pastor Brian

My first experience with refugees was when I was very young, although I didn’t learn the word, “refugee,” until many years later. I was taught to call them, “Guests.” 

For a short time, my father worked for an inner-city mission in the Bay Area of California. As a mechanic, he was responsible to keep the mission’s vans and buses running. When they were short-staffed, my father drove the bus to pick up Guests and bring them to the mission. On occasion, I was allowed to accompany him on these trips. 

I sat on the front seat and watched as the bus filled with people very different than me. Dad told me they were from Vietnam and Cambodia, places I didn’t know how to find on a map. Brown-skinned parents carried tired children, some without shoes. They whispered words that clipped and twanged in my ears. Their clothes, in various shades of brown, hung loose on every one of them. The oldest, wrinkled and hunched over, were given the best seats, a clear sign of reverence even a child could not miss. As they piled in, I wondered why they were there and why they looked so sad. 

Once, I followed the crowd off the bus and into a small chapel. The room was familiar enough, with lines of wooden pews and a large oak table near the front. There, the Guests sang hymns using strange words, not the words I sang to the same tune on Sundays. I watched more than listened as a man at the front stood to speak. It didn’t need to be in English for me to recognize the sounds of a fiery gospel message. The children fell asleep while their mothers rubbed their heads and the preacher droned on. My sister and I would have run off...

Am I that vain that I can say I am not a sinner? Well, I am human, so I do have vanity within me, but trust me, that is not the reason for me saying, “I am not a sinner.” I will do the best I can to explain this. 

THE DIFFERENCE

Let me begin by defining some terms.

Sinner: A noun. One who falls short of God’s standard of perfection. Your entire positional identity.

Saint: A noun. In Christ. Holy, sanctified, set apart for Christ’s work. Your new identity.

My Identity as a Saint

I am a saint, holy, sanctified, set apart for Christ’s work. In Brian’s words, I am “included.” Through Christ’s death on the cross, He covered my sins and made me a new creation. 2 Corinthians 5:17 says, “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come.” Make a mental note of that “the old has gone.” Romans 5:8 states, “But God demonstrates His love for us in this: while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” Notice “we were still sinners.” That is past tense, my friend. I firmly believe that Paul had grasped onto the fact that as Christians, we are saints. That is why he often started his letters “to the saints of…”

Interesting Note: There are roughly 45 references to Christians as “Saints,” 40 as “Holy,” and five as sanctified as compared to a whopping four as “Sinners.”

Please note that these numbers are approximations, but relatively accurate.

There is quite a difference in those numbers. Do you think maybe God is trying to get something across to us? One thing I do not understand is how it is possible...

When I bought my newest bike in December 2014, I effectively started to re-learn cycling. I began with eight-mile rides and expanded from there.

Recently, I’ve noticed my average speed is about 15.5 miles per hour, which is roughly 3 minutes and 45 seconds per mile. Not bad, but not great either.

Try as I might, I haven’t been able to raise my average speed for a few months. Very frustrating. Dissatisfied, I’ve started matching speed with poor unsuspecting cyclists on the bike trail. But, I’m not just doing this with any cyclists. I’m doing this with cyclists that are better and stronger than I am. Why? By attempting to match speed with stronger riders, I can increase my overall pace.

Awhile back, I rode forty-four miles. For the majority of that ride, my average speed was 15.3 mph. As I looked at my mile by mile breakdown, however, I noticed a six-mile segment where my average rate increased to between seventeen and nineteen miles an hour nearly thirty miles in! Usually, my speed would decrease around this time, so I was confused.

As I thought back on my ride, I remembered that four stronger riders passed me. I made it my mission to keep pace with them for as long as I could. These riders caused me to push myself more than I would have otherwise and, at least for a short time, improve. A productive drafting partner is further along in life and stronger in faith than you are.

If you want to plateau, train with a person of equal skill. If you’re going to improve, you must train with a pro. So it is in Christian Discipleship. Do you want to grow in your faith? It is best to align yourself with someone who can...

In our culture, we value healthy bodies. My friend, Matt, has arguably the healthiest body I know. He trained for a whole year to compete in an Ironman competition — early morning swims before work, daily run workouts while his sons went to football practice, Saturday bike rides. He schooled himself in nutrition and physical therapy. As a culture, we value healthy bodies like Matt’s because they allow us to work, play with our children, and live long lives. As Christians, we steward our bodies so we can serve and worship our Lord, but what does that mean for those of us with bodies that aren’t healthy?

I have never had a body like Matt’s. The body God gave me is weak and clumsy. Poor hearing has caused balance issues for me, proven by the scar on my right knee when I had tripped over first base in junior high P.E. Yes, I was that kid. The wheezing sound coming from my lungs was such a concern for my high school P.E. teacher that she feared I’d stop breathing at some point during the mile run and would jog with me the whole way. The only success I had in high school P.E. was holding my breath underwater the longest, although I’ve always wondered if the other girls just didn’t try.

No matter how much time I’ve spent on a treadmill or in a lap pool, I’ve remained the weakest person in every group. It is disheartening and no fun to be that person. Often, it’s led me to question, Does my weakness mean I am unhealthy?

Last year, I collapsed at a park when my body failed me in a new way. The blood vessels in my lungs burst. It took multiple surgeries to save my life. I spent months gaining back enough strength to...

In my twenties, after a rough breakup, I found healing in an unexpected place. Riding my bike. Since that time I have been an avid cyclist, as time permits. Eventually I bought my first road bike so I could “get serious” about riding. Unfortunately, I was never serious about security and my bike was stolen. 

Fast forward to December 2014, I finally saved up enough money to buy a new bike. I couldn’t wait to get on and ride again. Truth be told I may have romanticized bike riding in my time away. Words like, “freedom,” “joy,” and “flying” come to mind when I think of winding down the American River Trail. Selective memory blocked out words like, “sweat,” “soreness,” and “exhaustion.” But alas, I had my bike again and was regularly riding about 216 miles a month, not bad.

When you love something you push yourself to be better at it. It also helps that I’d like to not be as “squeezable” as I currently am. I’m not looking to win any races, I just love to ride.

Sports on television is often a bore to me. Cycling is no different. There are only so many angles you can see before saying “Yep, still riding…” I will say however, seeing a cluster of cyclists riding in a peloton (the main field or group of cyclists in a race) or even smaller groups riding wheel-to-wheel in a pace line is an amazing sight, and requires much precision and skill. I always wondered why they do this. It seemed to me like a recipe for disaster. Though it can be dangerous, there is a lot to the pace line.

DRAFTING 
Drafting occurs when the following riders follow close behind the lead rider, taking advantage of the pocket of calmer air behind him. DOIng so allows them to match his speed and...

Psalm 139:14

“I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well.” – Psalm 139:14

For years I have looked at the verse and wondered, what does fearfully mean, people will quote this verse to me and share you are worthy, loved and enough. Awesome! Great! But what does that mean? What is the Lord speaking over us?

The God of the universe, the one who created the sun and the stars, He created a being in which He respected and set apart. This is what fearfully means. We are distinguished among all of His work, for His Glory, created in His image. We are unique.

“Unique means “without equal or rival.” Our Father God stands alone without rival, so we shouldn’t be surprised that in His eyes we are without rival, which eliminates every reason that we should ever compete with one another.” – Lisa Bevere

But if we are not pursuing humility in all of this, pride will overrule everything. Pride wants glory for the self, building up who we are and not who God is and what He has done for us.

Keep your eyes on the Creator. Repent of self – glorification. Set yourself free.

Douglas Mcnett // 1 Peter 2:9

There is no doubt that we are living in a fast paced world with so many demands for our attention and time. There is a grave cost to doing life at such high speeds. We get so caught up in the flow of our jobs, activities, and really in ourselves that we become distracted from what our life purpose is and what it looks like lived out. Our identity comes from our God, not our job, not our hobbies, and surely not our bank account. Our identity as God’s chosen people will reveal our life purpose, to make Him known. When the distractions of the world around us pull our attention away we lose sight of what God has called us to. How we spend our time, our finances, our energy begins shifting from what God intends to what the world wants. We must keep ourselves focused, walking with purpose.

It is not merely enough to have purpose. Purpose must be followed with living in action. As God’s chosen people He has called us to “declare,” and to be His “witnesses” in our work places, our homes, and everywhere we find ourselves. That is, we are to be living out our life purpose by living in action.

Dillon Barber // 2 Corinthians 5:14-15

I am often asking the question: how do I change? What motivates me to change my thoughts, habits and behaviors to be the kind of healthy adult that God has called me to be? We often do one of two things. Either go through the motions in order to try to bring about change, or we wait for a crisis to force us to change. A health crisis, a marriage crisis, a financial crisis (big or small) can each motivate us to change how we behave.

But what about the normal healthy kind of change? What motivates me to change my prayer habits, or the way I speak to my children, or the way I react to my co-workers? How do I find the strength, energy, or stick-to-it-ness to make those necessary growth adjustments to be healthy and stay healthy? I think we find the answer in the simple, yet profound truth of God’s love.

Paul tells us in 2 Corinthians 5:14-15:
“For the love of Christ compels us, because we have concluded this: that one has died for all, therefore all have died; and he died for all, that those who live might no longer live for themselves but for him who for their sake died and was raised.”

In other words, it is Christ’s love at work in us through the Holy Spirit, that compels us to change. When we experience His love at work in our hearts, we respond to that love through changed hearts and changed lives. So lets, throw away the self help books and even set aside the spiritual disciplines books, and sit back and enjoy the love of Christ through the presence of the Holy Spirit, who is at work in us, transforming us into the people that God has called us to be.

Post “Even Better” series at Foothills Church Bryce and Debbie sit down and talk about Marriage. We are not experts in marital relationships, we are flawed people who love the institution of marriage that God has ordained and want to talk about it. What’s your soapbox pitch to newlyweds? The difficulties of marriage? The Benefits? What are some of your marital blind spots? We discuss these and much more today in our studio conversation.

Rev. Samuel Parsons // Acts 3:1-4:19

Acts 3:1-4:19 tells a story about Peter and John on their way to church. As they go Peter and John run into a beggar who was crippled. John and Peter begin to minister to the crippled man by healing him in the name of Jesus. People in the community took notice of this beggars healing and a crowd began to form around Peter, which Peter capitalizes on by preaching the gospel.

When peter saw this, he said to them: “Men of Israel, why does this surprise you? Why do you stare at us as if by our own power or godliness we had made this man walk? The God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, The God of our fathers, has glorified his servant Jesus. …. V.16 It is by faith in the name of Jesus, this man whom you see and know was made strong. It is Jesus name and the faith that comes through him that has given this complete healing to him, as you can all see. V.19 Repent then and turn to God so that your sins may be wiped out that times of refreshing may come from the Lord.” – Acts 3:17-19

Have you ever had a similar experience like Peter and John that day? You thought you were just going to the grocery store but God had other plans. The next thing you know your sharing the gospel with the person loading groceries in your car.

I am a man of routines. I have a routine for everything, when I wake up… go to bed… arrive to work… Well if you learn anything from Peter and John the Spirit has a reputation of drawing us out of our routines. Like Peter and John the Spirit calls us often to step out of...

John 10:10

Shame is in escapable these days isn’t it? Everywhere we turn we receive some sort of message that we aren’t good enough the way we are. Whether it’s the political climate telling us we have to think a certain way. Or Hollywood telling us what kind of body type to have. Or the American culture telling us that we have to have every new toy available, to be busy or you’re lazy, and you’re only good enough if you’re above a certain poverty level.

The problem with living in a cultural climate like this is that it can easily be absorbed into our own way of thinking, including the expectations we set for ourselves. The truth is that these messages are just lies that attack our real Identity in Christ Jesus. Jesus states:

“The thief comes ONLY to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that you may have life, and have it to the full.”- John 10:10

So, ask yourself, “are you living your life to the fullest?” Or are you allowing those confusing and harmful message steal your identity? Do you believe that you need to conform the standards of the world, or are you looking to the only one who can truly define you?

Spend a few moments reading through Romans Ch. 8. Start at verse 29 for a foundational truth, then go back to the beginning and let God’s word build upon itself as it builds into you.

We’re all motivated by something. But, when you really stop and think about it, it’s not often clear what it is. Is it family, prestige, money,happiness, greed? If we are so unclear what motivates us, why are we so quick to assume the motivations of others? What does a heavenly perspective of examining our motives and the motives of others look like? Bryce and Mark discuss.

I read an article about loneliness last week.  Loneliness is a new topic of interest for me so I took notice.  It was about a new role in the British Parliament, the Minister of Loneliness.  The article noted a 2017 report that showed more than 9,000,000 people feel lonely often or always.  That’s a lot of people!  I’m not sure how a new ministry department can fix this problem (and that was the point of the article).  But I do know that I believe that statistic.  I believe it because I have felt lonely.  And I have friends who feel lonely.  Loneliness is this silent, shadowy thing that we don’t easily see or recognize.  And it’s growing.

Chronic pain or chronic illness leads to loneliness.  Actually, chronic anything will lead to loneliness: depression, migraines, panic attacks.  Or just being alone a lot, such as a single mom, a widow, or a wife whose husband travels full time.  When our circumstances force us to be alone often, we are stuck with the thoughts in our head.  And that can be dangerous.  Pain, physical or emotional, distorts our thinking.  It can send us down desperate paths of fear and doubt.  We can begin to believe lies such as, “No one cares about me.”  “I must be dying or if I’m not, I want to.”  “I believe God is real, but I don’t understand why He’s making me go through this.  He must not love me.”

I used to think I was the only one who struggled with this illness-induced loneliness.  But then, as usual, once I started talking about it, I discovered I was not alone in this struggle.  This week, I read an account of Martin Luther’s struggle with this despair and loneliness.  Martin Luther!  The Father of the Reformation!  A man...

Matthew 10:12

Through the years I have heard really deep lessons on the many ways one can look more like Jesus.

But as I read my Bible, I am really struck at times by the simplicity of Jesus commands to His disciples. Here’s one of my favorites:

“As you enter the house, greet it.” – Matthew 10:12

Jesus instructs his disciples to greet people as they are going out to share the Good News. As you look closer at the life of Jesus, this isn’t just something He instructs others to do; this is something He lives by.

Jesus greeted some fishermen and they decided to devote their whole lives to Him.

Jesus greeted the Samaritan woman at the well and offered her a drink that left us with one of the most quoted stories in the New Testament.

Jesus greeted children and welcomed them to be with Him.

Jesus says hello to two men walking to Emmaus, shares the Gospel with them and eventually enjoys a dinner with them.

Where else does Jesus greet people in Scripture? Can you think of any?

I think sometimes we just need to look at the life of Jesus and try to do the things that He did. Jesus was nice to people, He greeted them. We can do that! Today let’s say hi to the waiter. Invite your neighbors and their children over for dinner. Take time to ask someone how they are really doing.

Josiah O’laughlin // Psalm 149

Knowledge is at everybody’s fingertips. It used to be only the Jeopardy winners of the world knew what seemed to be everything. Due to technology however, everyone has the same ability to gain knowledge. Culture even puts a lot of emphasis and value on knowledge. For many their ability to retain knowledge is what give them meaning in their life. Unfortunately knowledge is not enough.

We are broken in a way that has masked what we truly desire through the pursuit of knowledge. We try so hard to fill that hole in our heart and yet we seem to always come up short. Still wanting to learn yet still lacking inside with an eternal desire “to just be enough.”

Thank God we can be! I am truly blessed to tell you, you are enough. You do not need to change anything to be loved by your creator and to be valued. He has made you purposely, purposely weird or smart or even quirky on purpose. Embrace it and thank God for it. Check out the below verses and remember he takes delight in you!

Praise the Lord.
Sing to the Lord a new song,
his praise in the assembly of his faithful people.
Let Israel rejoice in their Maker;
let the people of Zion be glad in their King.
Let them praise his name with dancing
and make music to him with timbrel and harp.
For the Lord takes delight in his people;
he crowns the humble with victory.
Let his faithful people rejoice in this honor
and sing for joy on their beds.
– Psalm 149

Patty Herrera // Job 42:1-2

“Then Job answered the Lord and said: I know that you can do all things, and that no purpose of yours can be thwarted.” – Job 42:1-2

“Catch me Mom!”  Looking up from in the pool, I could see a tangle of arms and legs flying towards me. There was no fear. There was just an absolute trust that I would be there to catch him before he went under the water.

As an adult who prides herself in constant risk assessment, I marvel at that level of abandonment and sheer trust. I test the water temperature before I ever stick a toe in the pool. I check to see how deep the water is. I look for live creatures that might have fallen in. When everything checks out, I cautiously slip into the pool gradually lowering my quaking limbs one at a time.

Sometimes I wonder if I trust God’s promises in the same way: one slow step at a time to see if what he asserted could really be true. I have noticed that children aren’t plagued with reserved trust. If God said that he answers prayer, then they expectantly look for his answer. If God promises to forgive them, then they confess and move on. If God calls them to tell others about Jesus, then they boldly tell the grocery clerk about him.

What if we abandoned our caution and broke away from our adult-onset wariness? What if we trusted God to be who he says he is and believed that his Word is true? What if we asserted with Job that we know that God can do all things and that his plans cannot not be stopped? Would that make any...

Mark Shoquist // Psalm 34:8

Do you want to know what one of the strongest antidotes to fear and despair is? Mediating upon God’s goodness.

As a child of God, He longs for you to know that He is working his perfect plan into your life—whatever the circumstance, and whether you see Him working or not. God continually invites you to explore His goodness.

The writer of Psalm 34 uses an interesting verb to explore God’s goodness: taste. It’s one thing to challenge someone to hear about God’s goodness, or see God’s goodness. But it’s a completely different thing to actually taste. Tasting is close and intimate. Tasting involves a full commitment and an element of trust. God wants much more than for you to just experience His goodness from afar!

Meditating on God’s goodness when things are going well is fairly easy. However, God also wants you to experience more than just the “low hanging fruit” of his goodness during good times—those times when His goodness is obvious. Here’s the key: When fear or despair begin to creep in, you must choose to continually focus on His goodness. It’s there where you are forced to climb higher into the tree to discover more fruit, sweeter fruit that he has specifically prepared for you to enjoy.

To help you begin mediating on God’s goodness, spend several minutes reflecting on, or writing in a journal, these questions:

• What attributes of God am I most thankful for that demonstrate His goodness to me?
• As the perfect, loving Father, how has God demonstrated His goodness to me in my life?
• What am I thankful for?

Enjoy His goodness!

Rev. Samuel Parsons // Ecclesiastes 2:24-25

Apart from fly-fishing my favorite hobby is landscaping.  My wife and I several years back, bought a home on one acre of property.  I wanted more but at the time it was all we could afford.  This acre had no landscaping except for one hillside that had a few plants and some roses by the front door.  The thing that drew me to this home was that it provided an empty canvas for me to paint my own vision into this acre of property.  Since than I have planted an orchard, a vineyard, a garden, lawn, created a patio space, play structure, sand box etc.  One of my favorite joys in this world is sitting in my rocking chair and enjoying what God has allowed me to create.  This is what I love about barbecuing as well. There is nothing better than preparing a pork shoulder, filet of salmon, setting it on the smoker for eight hours and sitting down with friends, family and enjoying a good meal in a beautifully landscaped yard. 

Sometimes life can be moving at such a fast pace that we can miss the enjoyment of it.   Solomon towards the end of his life shares some wisdom warning us of that truth as he writes,

“A man can do nothing better than to eat and drink and find satisfaction in his work, this too, I see is from the hand of God, for without him, who can eat or find enjoyment.” – Ecclesiastes 2:24-25

What I love about this wisdom from Solomon is that it causes us to slow down and find satisfaction and enjoyment in the little things.  In addition, he...

Dr. Roy Price // Philippians 2:1-4

What Getting Along with Each Other Looks Like (2)

• I need to bring my personal viewpoint into submission to the community—“being of the same mind”

“Of the same mind” literally means to think the same. Paul is not asking that everyone have the same opinion.  That would create a drab gray fellowship.  Instead, the church is rich with color and contrast. God is a magnificent artist who is using the full spectrum of color to produce a painting of unsurpassed beauty.

• I need to have greater concern for others than for myself

“Same love” describes a shared love, something both parties have in common. It is the love of Christ. It simply means I care more about my relationship with you than I do about my getting you agree with me.

• I need to connect with other believers

“With one soul” states we are soul-mates. God is not glorified when believers are at each other’s throats, getting into fights over secondary issues, bad-mouthing one another, gossiping, eating the pastor for lunch, or attacking character.

• I need to submit to God’s stated purpose for His church

Paul told the Corinthians to do everything for the glory of God. God’s purpose is God-glorifying lives. This overriding purpose should be the constant focal point of our activities and attitudes.

How Getting Along can be Achieved (3-4)

There is one thing I am not to do and one I am to do.

• I must not be self-centered

The middle letter of pride is “I” and the middle letter of sin is “I”. An egotistical drive to glorify oneself destroys relationships.  It divides the church....

Dr. Roy Price // Philippians 2:1-4

The “if” carries the meaning of affirmation, not of doubt. It is “because” we are in Christ that we are encouraged, “because” we have been loved we should learn to think alike, and so forth.

These four verses are among the strongest statements in the New Testament on the community of the church. To grow in our knowledge of God is “not” to become a theological fathead or a brain-on-a-stick.  It is to discern what God says and then do it.  It’s not complicated.

In this two day devotional we will reflect on 3 things:  1) Why the church must work at getting along?  2) What getting along with each other looks like?  3) How getting along can be achieved?

Why the Church Must Work at Getting Along (1)

• Because we have been encouraged

“Encouragement” is speaking a word to strengthen based on the Word of God and given in the power of the Holy Spirit.

• Because we have been loved

This comfort of love is the result of someone caring enough to come alongside and speak in a friendly way.

• Because we have fellowship with the Holy Spirit

“‘The Spirit has brought you into fellowship with one another’” (Life Application Bible, QuickVerse).

• Because we have experienced affection and compassion

“Affection,” actually speaks of the intestines, where it was thought the affections originated.  It is a gut feeling.

Luke 10:41-42

Be still. Listening Prayer. Journaling. Solitude. Obedience. These are things I’ve had to continually work at because my flesh pulls me to move fast and get things done. GO GO GO!

“Martha, Martha,” the Lord answered, “you are worried and upset about many things, but few things are needed—or indeed only one. Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her.” – Luke 10:41-42

When I think about obedience I am always brought back to the story of Mary and Martha, the Spirit always convicts me. How often am I Martha? GO GO GO! Get this done, go do that, prepare this meal, be the perfect hostess, and love others through doing. Well, while all of these things might be good and at time necessary, what is my motivation for doing them? To seek praise from my peers, to feel in control, to be a “servant” leader?

How often do we sit at the feet of Jesus and ask, Lord, what is it you want to say to me? How often do we make time for his Spirit to lead us?

We cannot serve on empty.
We cannot go without direction.
We cannot listen when we are distracted.
We cannot obey God without God.

“Working for Christ has today been accepted as the ultimate test of godliness…Christ has become a project to be promoted or a cause to be served instead of a Lord to be obeyed.” – A.W. Tozer

Mark Monroe // Psalm 73:21-28

When you watch the world, listen to the news, experience the unapologetic brokenness of humanity, it is easy to become closed off or detached from your surroundings. Even more, despair can take root when you look inside yourself and identify all the brokenness within. Where do you go from there?  Often, we choose bitterness, bitterness towards others, our circumstances, or even ourselves. Surely there is a better option?  Yes, there is.

Draw close to God with your whole being. The more we do so, the more we will experience the life that God offers.  You will see the world through God’s eyes, hear the news through God’s ears, have compassion on the broken and remain engaged in your life.  Your bitterness will look like foolishness when you know God and His great never-ending goodness.  So, do not get lost in the trees of brokenness, despair, bitterness and division but pull back to view the forest of God’s intricately made creation which testifies to His goodness and plan for you & humanity (Romans 1:20).

With this perspective it becomes easy to draw near to the Father and recognize and experience His goodness that has been at the heart of everything all along. Then, be encouraged because His goodness has no end!  So, when your heart and flesh fail and begins to lean towards bitterness, remember God will be your strength in all things.

Doug Mcnett // 2 Corinthians 12:7-10 // We do not get to know what it was that Paul was struggling with. Some feel as if it was some sort of physical ailment, such as poor eyesight or a skin condition. Regardless of exactly what Paul’s thorn was, we do know that Paul was struggling and that he desired God to remove it.  Paul pleaded with God to free him from the torment that He was experiencing and God’s response was “no”.

The reality that we learn from Paul here is that sometimes God is silent. Sometimes, God says “no,” as he did with Paul.  However, God also states:

“My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.”

Paul turns his attention to God’s power, not just to remove the thorn, but he relies on that power to work through the pain of the thorn. Paul says, “he delights in his weakness, in persecution, in hardships and difficulties, he says, it’s because when he, Paul is weak, then, he is truly strong by the power of God.”

God will not grant our every request. He will not take away every pain. But He will always be there to gently wrap us in His arms of love, wiping our tears and giving us the strength and motivation to press on.

Ryan Connelly // Psalm 46:10 // “Be still, and know that I am God…” – Psalm 46:10

At the end of the day, Is God everything you need? Is He enough? Our natural response to any sort of trouble in life is to ask “why?” Why did the results come back positive? Why is my marriage failing? Why does evil exist?

Earlier this year, I lost a dear friend. He was on his way to London to record an album, but later fell into cardiac arrest while on the plane and passed away shortly after landing in London. I will never forget the moment I received that text message. I was fuming on the inside. I knew my friend was face-to-face with Jesus, but it just wasn’t right. It was in that moment I made a decision that I was not going to allow these other voices in my head to take over my emotions, heart and mind. This was the moment my faith got real.

I drove to our worship space, turned on worship music, grabbed my Bible and began to declare who God was in the midst of the storm waging in my heart. I told God that I wasn’t leaving until his peace fell upon me. I ended up on my knees listening for His still voice.

The first verse in Psalm 46 says that God is not only our refuge and strength, but that He is our PRESENT help in times of trouble. Did you catch that? He is PRESENT in your circumstances. Even now as you sit reading this let God be your refuge and strength. Don’t fear the storms just because you hear it roar.

God met me in that moment when I was...

Dillon Barber  // Ephesians 2:10 // As a hobby woodworker, I have thoroughly enjoyed the recent trend of using reclaimed wood for furniture and home decorating.  Barn wood, fence boards, even pallets can be reclaimed and repurposed in thousands of creative ways.  As much as I like the rustic reclaimed look, I am even more attracted to the metaphor it offers. 

Just as a carpenter or craftsman salvages an old piece of lumber, God is in the process of reclaiming human beings.  Each of one of us was created to live in a loving, intimate relationship with God.  We were created with purpose and intent.  Yet sin has broken that relationship and disrupted God’s purpose.  We bear the scars of that sin in our lives and stories.  Just like rusty nail holes, dry rot, and deep cracks, we have broken hearts, broken relationships, hurts and hang-ups that have become a part of who we are. 

The good news is that God is reclaiming us.  By the blood of Jesus on the cross and the sanctifying work of the Holy Spirit, we are being made new again.  God is removing the dry rot, sanding down the rough edges and reshaping us into something different, new and beautiful.   We are being reclaimed and made into something useful for God’s kingdom work.  We may carry some of our scars through the rest of our lives, but instead of ugly wounds, God uses them to demonstrate his power of redemption in our lives.  By God’s grace, our wounds become part of the character that makes us beautiful and usable by Him. 

“For we are Gods’ workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God...

Leviticus 19:33-34 //  Immigrant: a person who comes to live long term in a foreign country. This is the definition of the word but in our culture it has become much more. National security. Political positioning. Cultural Identity. Walls.  Fear. Immigration is now a buzzword in our society. But what does God’s Word say about it?

“When a stranger sojourns with you in your land, you shall not do him wrong. You shall treat the stranger who sojourns with you as the native among you, and you shall love him as yourself, for you were strangers in the land of Egypt: I am the Lord your God. – Leviticus 19:33-34

We may have never seen the word immigrant in Scripture, but many times we see the terms sojourner, alien, stranger in Scripture. All of these come from the Hebrew word ger. The meaning of this word in Hebrew is “a foreign-born inhabitant of Israel, a newcomer lacking inherited rights.” This word occurs 92 times in the Scriptures, and the command to welcome the stranger is one of the most repeated in the Old Testament.

As we look at the command to welcome the stranger in Scripture, may we look for practical ways to love our neighbors, protect the vulnerable, and welcome the stranger.

The Lord watches over the sojourners;
he upholds the widow and the fatherless,
but the way of the wicked he brings to ruin.

Psalm 146:9