"Now What?"

by Pastor David

I can still remember graduating college.  For years, I had poured myself into my studies.  Each day I woke up with a sense of purpose.  I had a set schedule.  My goal was clear.  Graduate.  Then, as soon as the graduation music ended, a sense of aimlessness crept over me.  “Now what?”

As we close out our season of fasting and prayer, you might be tempted to feel a bit like I did – “Now what?”

For 4 weeks you’ve heard from Christian brothers and sisters who have encouraged, challenged, and inspired you.  Perhaps you’ve started reading God’s Word for the first time.  You’ve been on a spiritual high.  But now the end has come and you’re wondering where to go from here.

Here are a few tips to get your going (or, if you’re a Vet, to take your existing times with God to the next level):

1. Set a specific time and place to meet with God.  I know it sounds unnecessary.  But believe me, it works.  When we dedicate certain times and places for personal worship, it helps us be consistent and say, “No,” to lesser things.  For me, this is on the couch early in the morning before my son comes barreling down the steps.  I miss this time and the rest of my day doesn’t seem complete.

2. Set boundaries.  I get it.  It’s hard to tell ourselves, “No.”  When I wake up, my first temptation is to check Facebook and the news.  But I’ve learned that when I do, my times with God aren’t as meaningful.  Maybe you’re not an early riser.  But you still need boundaries.  Learn to shut the TV off.  Learn to put the phone on mute or leave it in another room.  Try telling your spouse you need some time alone.  Boundaries help you stay focused and keep others from stealing the most important part of your day.

3. Stick to a reading plan.  Confession time.  I don’t like a strict reading schedule.  I find them restrictive and suffocating.  But I do follow a loose plan.  Each day, I read a Psalm, Proverb, and another passage of scripture.  I feel like the Psalm focus my heart on worship, the Proverbs hone my mind, and the scripture passage speaks truth into my soul.  Sometimes I read through a book.  Sometimes I look up verses on a topic.   Whatever you do, just be consistent and intentional.  (Pro Tip: Reading one chapter of Proverbs a day will allow you to read the book once a month or 12 times a year.)

4. Find someone to hold you accountable.  Until you get the hang of it, daily devotions can be hard.  You’ll be tempted to slide here or there and, if this goes unchecked, will default back to your old habits.  If this is new for you or you’ve struggled with consistency in the past, try finding someone you trust in church and asking them to pray for you.  Give them permission to ask you how you’re doing with devotions at least once a week or so.  Just knowing someone’s going to check in on you can do wonders for your self-discipline.

5. Follow a prayer acronym.  Each of us have fallen into ruts in our prayer life.  Often we get stuck using the same language or asking God for things.  When that happens, try following a prayer acronym like ACTS.  It’s short Adoration, Confession, Thanksgiving, Supplication.  Try splitting your prayer time between times of adoration to God for who He is, times of confession for your shortcomings, times of thanksgiving for what He’s done, and times of asking Him to meet your needs and the desires of your heart.

6. Add Variety to your devotionals.

   1. Trying reading from an old hymnal.  Old hymns are full of theology and often speak the language of our souls.  Read the lyrics to an old hymn like, “Amazing Love,” or, “Satisfied,” and watch as God blesses your spirit.

   2. Try reading from different translations of the Bible.  I’ve found that my mind can disengage when I read familiar passages of scripture.  It’s like listening to a preacher who never changes his tone.  Hearing the same truths worded differently can help open them up to us in a fresh way.

   3. Try picking up a devotional.  If you’ve enjoyed these daily devotionals, you may enjoy picking another from Amazon or a Christian book store.  There are several designed to give you a simple thought each day of the year.  “Experiencing God: Day by Day,” by Henry Blackaby is a good one for new believers.   For those who’ve been at this a while, “This Day with the Master,” by Dennis Kinlaw, “My Utmost for His Highest,” by Oswalt Chambers, and “Streams in the Dessert,” by L.B. Cowman are all rich titles.

   4. Try changing your pace.  One summer my sister read the entire Bible over the course of two months.  Just thinking about that gives me a anxiety; I’m a slow reader.  But I have found that a change of pace can help me get more out of my quiet times with God.  Maybe read an entire book of the Bible in one sitting.  This often helps you get the big picture.  Or, try taking 5-10 verses and meditating on only them for the entire time.  It’s surprising what you learn when you’re not rushed to get to the next be.

   5. Try being quiet.  Funny thing, a lot of people treat prayer like a one-sided conversation.  It’s amazing what you might hear God say if you’ll just stop talking and learn to embrace the quiet, listening for His voice.  Don’t hear anything?  No problem.  You’re just showing God you want to hear from Him.

   6. Try journaling.  I know that doesn’t sound manly.  I don’t have a “Dear Diary” moment each morning.  But I do record things in my Bible.  I underline verses, write answers to prayer, record sermon outlines…Journaling Bibles that have lines next to the verse make this a breeze and help give you a reference point to revisit in the future. 

I realize that there is some much more that could be said (and from more qualified individuals than myself).   But these are some tips to get you started.

Something I liked about my college’s graduation ceremony was that they didn’t call graduation, “Graduation.”  Instead they chose to call it a “Commencement Service”  You see, to graduate signals an end to something.  To commence is to begin.  They liked to think that graduation wasn’t the end but the beginning of a new chapter in life and ministry.  It is my sincere prayer that this month of seeking God isn’t the end but the beginning of a new chapter of seeking intimacy with God.  Thank you for joining us and may God richly bless you as you endeavor to live for Him.

Jeremiah 29:13 – “And ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye shall search for me with all your heart.”

The Perfect Storm

By Dave Grant

Acts 27:13-20 (NIV)
When a gentle south wind began to blow, they saw their opportunity; so they weighed anchor and sailed along the shore of Crete. Before very long, a wind of hurricane force, called the Northeaster, swept down from the island. The ship was caught by the storm and could not head into the wind; so we gave way to it and were driven along. As we passed to the lee of a small island called Cauda, we were hardly able to make the lifeboat secure, so the men hoisted it aboard. Then they passed ropes under the ship itself to hold it together. Because they were afraid they would run aground on the sandbars of Syrtis, they lowered the sea anchor and let the ship be driven along. We took such a violent battering from the storm that the next day they began to throw the cargo overboard. On the third day, they threw the ship’s tackle overboard with their own hands. When neither sun nor stars appeared for many days and the storm continued raging, we finally gave up all hope of being saved.
 
I recall the time I worked as a research assistant at Tennessee Tech doing a bald eagle re-population project with Cherokee National Forest on South Holston Lake. My partner and I went out on our pontoon boat one afternoon and went quite a ways upstream before we turned around and then saw the looming storm clouds. We made like bandits to get back to the southern end of the lake and back to our campground that served as headquarters. The only problem was that our pontoons had developed a leak and we had let them fill with too much water, so as we traveled, our engine exhaust went under water and killed the engine. We had an emergency oar—one oar. Paddling a boat with pontoons full of water and only one oar was akin to being up the river without a paddle.  As a ferocious storm hit we got as close to shore as we could, dropped anchor, and swam to safety. And I don’t really swim.

So I can’t imagine being in Paul’s situation when he was caught in a storm, where neither sun nor stars appeared for 14 days and he'd taken such a beating that he'd all but given up hope of being saved. Most of us would be terrified asking, “God where are you?” After all, Paul was spreading the gospel, and he gets arrested in Jerusalem and held for far too long and then sent to be heard by the emperor in Rome. God where are you? Don’t you want me to keep preaching?

If you read the rest of the story in Acts 27-28, you see how the Gospel was shared in a snake bite around a campfire and through healing mercies while the passengers were stranded on the island of Malta. And eventually the Gospel was shared in Rome.

John Wesley tried to bring the Gospel to Georgia, and aboard the ship getting there, he too encountered a massive storm that shredded the main sail and flooded the decks. He was terrified, and likely asking God where He was. But Wesley noticed a group of Germans were singing praise hymns as if nothing else mattered. This led Wesley to question these Moravians as to the hope they had. It resulted in Wesley’s Aldersgate St. experience where he felt his heart strangely warmed and he knew that God’s grace was real and was for him.  It also led to Wesley’s Fetter Lane experience where at an all-night prayer meeting he experienced the outpouring of the Holy Spirit that brought an awakening to Great Britain.

Sometimes we find ourselves in situations we would rather not be in, and during many of those times, we may be asking if God is there. Does God really care. God, aren’t you going to do something? Do you even love me, God? It is during those times that God prepares us for something greater. We live in a time when we wonder if God is still with us. Violence. Disagreements within government, within society, within our churches. A spirit of offense. A self-serving spirit.

During Paul’s time aboard that storm-ravaged ship, I’m convinced Paul was praying. Paul had already received a message from God that he would be arrested, that he would go to Rome, and that those aboard that ship would not perish. During the storm off the coast of Georgia, no doubt John Wesley was in prayer—a prayer that intensified after he returned to Europe and visited a Moravian 24/7 prayer movement at Hernhutt that lasted for 100 years and sent over 300 missionaries around the world.
I wonder what God would do if we humbled ourselves, repented, and sought God’s face. I pray for a great awakening in our churches. I pray for the veil that is covering our eyes to be lifted this year, to be awakened to God’s grace and glory, to be empowered by the Holy Spirit in such a way that it creates the perfect storm in our community and in our nation that makes others look upon us as Wesley looked upon the Moravians saying, “What do you have that I don’t have, and how do I get it?” Will you join in the prayer for the next Great Awakening?

Walk with the King and be a blessing today.
 

Passage Reading Guide: Acts 27 & Psalm 8

Temptation

by Pastor Ryan

In a month dedicated to prayer and fasting, we need to look at a reality that can come along with it--temptation.  In Matthew 4:1-11, Jesus had been fasting for 40 days and nights.  Scripture teaches us that the devil came to Him to tempt Him when He was hungry.  When we fast, we trust that God fills any voids in our lives with a greater satisfaction in Him.  However, we still have a body that can grow hungry or fatigued.  The devil specializes in sneaking in at times that we are at our weakest.  He did the same to Jesus.  This whole passage is worth your time to read, but three verses that stand out are Christs' answers to the temptations.

• Verse 4 -- But he answered, "It is written, 'Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.'"

• Verse 7 -- Jesus said to him, "Again it is written, 'You shall not put the Lord your God to the test.'"

• Verse 10 -- Then Jesus said to him, "Be gone, Satan! For it is written, 'You shall worship the Lord your God and him only shall you serve.'"

Jesus  answered every temptation with scripture.  Jesus, my perfect example, the most Holy, sinless man to ever live--God Himself--answered with scripture.

I guess what makes that stand out to me is that Jesus could have said whatever He wanted to rebuke Satan.  Furthermore, anything He said could have become a "new" piece of scripture. Yet that's not what we find.  Instead, He quoted existing scripture to fight temptation.

That may seem subtle.  But I think it holds profound meaning.  If my perfect example--Jesus--used scripture to fight temptation, so should I!

There is power in God's Word to help us fight temptation!

In a month of spiritual focus and self-denial it's possible to grow tired.  The devil is ready, always waiting for an opportunity to tempt and cause us to slip.  Use scripture in your battle!  There are rich promises in God's Word.  Use them!  Do you feel alone?  God's word says He will never leave or forsake! (Deuteronomy 31:6)  Do you worry you'll do without?  Jesus said not to worry about what you put into body or what you put on it! (Matthew 6:25-26)  The list goes on!  When we use scripture to combat the devil, he is powerless.  In verse 10, Jesus told Satan to leave and guess what?  In verse 11 he left!

The point isn't to use scripture "if" you are tempted.  The point is to use scripture "when" your are tempted.  Because you will be!  Don't try fighting temptation with your wits or self-discipline.  Instead, use the same tool Christ did--God's Word.

Hebrews 4:12 -- For the Word of God is quick and powerful and sharper than any two-edged sword..."

Passage Reading Guide: Acts 26 & Psalms 3.

The Gift of the Holy Spirit

By Chaplain Sandy Good

Acts 2: 38-39 - "Peter replied, 'Change your hearts and lives. Each of you must be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. Then you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.'" The Wesleyan Study Bible CEB

The book of Acts records two separate bu similar Pentecost events, one among the Jews gathered in the upper room in Jerusalem (Acts 2:1-4) and later another among the gentiles gathered in the home of Cornelius in Joppa (Acts 10:44-48). Shortly before the second outpouring of the Holy Spirit, Peter had said to the people in Joppa, "I really am learning that God doesn't show partiality to one group of people over another. Rather, in every nation, whoever worships him and does what is right is acceptable to him" (Acts 10:34-35).

Today the gift of the Holy Spirit is often called "Christian holiness." As we surrender our lives to God, the Holy Spirit anoints our hearts and minds with a purity of intention to honor and serve God and to keep His commandments. As we prayerfully follow the Spirit's leading, people around us see a real difference in our lives.

We realize the potential of our time and money. Christian stewardship takes on a new meaning as we allow the Holy Spirit to guide our use of these valuable resources. Stewardship of our health also comes to the foreground.

The means of grace - like fasting, spiritual journaling, prayer, faith, reading scripture, and outreach - come into play. Our relationships are enriched as we place the happiness and well-being of others in better perspective and act accordingly. God has full range to do something new in our lives, something exciting that puts our gifts and talents to work. 

Is your Christian testimony yesterday's news? A vibrant testimony includes what God is doing in our lives right now. Join me in prayer and honest self-examination this month. The Holy Spirit is ready and willing to light new fire in our lives.

Passage Guide: Acts 25 & Psalms 24

Prayer: The Key to the Church's Success

by Dr. Marlin Hotle

Mark 11:17 - “He taught them, ‘Hasn’t it been written, My house will be called a house of prayer for all nations? But you’ve turned it into a hideout for crooks.” (CEB)

It is noteworthy that Jesus does not identify God’s house as the “house of worship” or as the “house of preaching.” Instead, He describes it as a “house of prayer.” Coud it be that prayer is the most ccrucial and important task that the church has been assigned to perform? It is not that the other tasks it performs are not worthwhile or important. But I would suggest that it is prayer that makes them all effective.

In his book “Fellowship of the Burning Heart,” the saintly A. W. Tozer writes, “It is prayer that gives power to all the other things. Singing, giving, entertaining, teaching, sewing, working, serving: those are all good things if we set them aflame by prayer.” How true! Could it be that a church which is not a praying church is really not a church at all? I believe Tozer is correct when he further declares, “The true success of any church is going to be prayer. We can easily deceive ourselves, but our purity and our power and our spirituality and our holiness will parallel our prayer.”

There are several reasons that this is true:

1. Prayer promotes unity!
It is hard to fight while we are on our knees. As you read through the book of Acts, over and over you will read that the church was “in one place and in one accord.” And each of these times it was prayer that was uniting them.

2. Prayer perfects our focus!
I firmly believe that it is nearly impossible for Satan to get us sidetracked while we are on our faces before God. As we are calling out to Him in prayer Scripture comes alive to us and He provides direction, hope and comfort.

3. Prayer produces results!
When we pray, it moves us from asking “Can we do this” to “Does God want us to do this?” It is not our abilities, plans, or finances that will make us victorious as a church. It is that we seek God’s face, find His will, and follow His plan. And if God be for us, no man can ever stand against us!

PRAYER: “Lord, help us as your people to always remember that we are not asking you to bless our work, but we are called to do your work, and we cannot do it without being led and empowered by your Holy Spirit. We seek You and surrender to Your will. Amen!”

Passage Reading Guide: Acts 24 & Psalm 91

Obey. Today.

by Caroline Speas

Hebrews 3:7-8 - "So, as the Holy Spirit says: 'Today, if you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts as you did in the rebellion, during the time of testing in the wilderness,'"

Hebrews 3:12 - "See to it, brothers and sisters, that none of you has a sinful, unbelieving heart that turns away from the living God."

Hebrews 3:15 - "As has just been said: 'Today, if you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts as you did in the rebellion.'"

Rebellion? Hard hearts? Sinful and unbelieving? That all sounds pretty strong, doesn’t it? How could this verse apply to us?

The author of Hebrews wrote this letter to Christian Jews to help them to continue in their faith in Jesus Christ. He warns against turning back to the Jewish religion. Now, maybe you are thinking, ‘But I’m not tempted to turn to another religion, so I’m fine.” I believe, though, that we can learn a lot from this letter to the Hebrews. And we can start with that simple, doable word – today.

Today, if you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts. As he speaks to you, respond in obedience. Each time. Do it today. And then tomorrow will be a new today, but when he speaks to you tomorrow, you will already be caught up, because you obeyed today! Whew!

So why is that word unbelieving in there? The Jews were tempted to leave their relationship with Christ and turn to something that seemed more tangible and familiar – their Jewish beliefs rather than their Christian beliefs. I believe disobedience is directly linked to a lack of trust in God. When the Lord leads us to do something, and we don’t do it, we are essentially saying we trust our own judgment more than we trust the leadership of Jesus Christ. Years before, the Jews had hardened their hearts against God, because they chose not to trust Him. And they missed out on God’s very special promise! The footnotes to verse 15 in the NLT Life Application Bible say, “Lack of trust in God always prevents us from receiving His best.” I certainly don’t want to miss out on God’s best, and I don’t think you do either! 

So be careful. As He speaks to you, listen and obey. And do it today.

Today's reading comes from Acts 23 and Psalm 130.

Be Here Long

By Kristen Robinson

 Psalm 90:12 – So teach us to number our days, that we may gain a heart of wisdom.
Psalm 19:14 – Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in your sight, O Lord, my rock and my redeemer.

Nearly three years ago, my family experienced something totally new and bizarre for all of us – the passing of both my paternal grandparents within 48 hours of each other. While the passing of elderly grandparents isn’t bizarre in itself, it felt especially bizarre to say good-bye to this Godly couple together in the same funeral. My grandfather served as a minister in North Dakota for nearly his entire life and spent his “retirement” reviving a little church on an Indian reservation in Selfridge, ND. My grandmother was not only an extraordinary support to my grandfather but also a hardworking, go-getter who somehow balanced raising five kids with generously sharing their home with traveling missionaries, people in need, and whoever else they felt led to shelter. You could always count on Grandma to shed a tear at every family reunion, quoting 3 John 1:4, “I have no greater joy than to hear that my children are walking in the truth.” They were wonderful grandparents who showered us kids with love and taught us our first memory verses and instilled in us love for hymns. Needless to say, their loss was felt extraordinarily in our family.

In preparation for the exodus to the funeral in North Dakota, I purchased some new music to listen to during the drive. I had just downloaded Needtobreathe’s new album, and one of the songs from that album was titled, “Be Here Long,” with the chorus repeating, “We don’t get to be here long.”  Throughout my time in ND we ran into many old friends, and my sisters and I were constantly reminded that “it was only yesterday that you were in the nursery” as familiar faces remembered us as kids in the church.  My family had many stories to tell about life as pastor’s kids in western North Dakota, and many stories of the good old days that felt “just like yesterday.” The nostalgia and sharing of memories continued to remind me that “we don’t get to be here long.”

Although the brevity of life was on my mind, I was also constantly reminded by everyone I ran into that my grandparents touched their lives in powerful ways.  They shared stories of how Grandpa led them to a relationship with Christ or about when Grandma opened her home to them when they had nowhere left to go.  No one let me forget that my grandparents were a spirit-filled ministry team with honest, genuine love for Christ that overflowed on everyone they interacted with.

“We don’t get to be here long,” yes, but what we do with our short time here can impact those around us long after we’re gone.

I left the funeral grieving for my grandparents’ passing, but with an even stronger charge to live my life with a renewed love for Christ and His people. We don’t have long here, but God has given us all the right amount of time to live for Him and help those around us do the same, if we seek His will in our lives. He longs to bless us and others through us, but only if we seek Him daily by surrendering our lives to His marvelous plan. I don't want to spend one day of my life not pursuing Him! His Word tells us in Colossians 3:23-24, "Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men, knowing that from the Lord you will receive the inheritance as your reward. You are serving the Lord Christ."

What will you do with this awesome responsibility in 2020? We don’t get to be here long!

 

Passage Guide: Acts 22 & Psalm 100

He Must Increase

by Pastor Ryan White

John 3:30 - “He must increase, but I must decrease.”

These are the words of John the Baptist and some of my favorite. John said this after a discussion between some of his disciples and a Jew. They had seen that Jesus and his disciples were baptizing more people than John. And more and more people were leaving John to hear Christ. For a while, John had been the main attraction. But now he was losing some of the attention and popularity.

John’s answer to them wasn’t sad. He didn’t admit that they were right and that he was bummed out that his numbers were dwindling. John understood his place and his role. He told them that he wasn’t the Christ. He was just supposed to come before him and set him up. John understood that his purpose wasn’t to look good for himself and receive praises for his good work. So, he comes to this conclusion: Jesus must increase, I must decrease. 

If this was true for John the Baptist, I believe it is true for me. I am called to do something for God, but it’s not about me receiving attention or praise. If I am going to do some work for God, He must keep increasing while I must decrease.

Do I become a puppet on a string with no decision making capabilities? No. Do I become some sort of mindless zombie unaware of my actions? No. I become more like Him.

Paul had the right idea of what it meant to decrease when he wrote Galatians 2:20.  He said, “I am crucified with Christ...the life I live is Him living through me.” (paraphrasing) I want my life to be about God’s will and plan. It’s not about me. I want my agenda to decrease and His agenda to increase. 

In a month dedicated to prayer and fasting we should see ourselves decrease and God increase. May the things of earth become strangely dim in the light of God's glory and grace (someone ought to write a song about that some day)! 

In my life, I want to have the attitude of John the Baptist. It’s not about people seeing the good I do or giving me a pat on the back. It's about people seeing Jesus for who He is--all the glory to God!

Passage Guide: Acts 21 & Psalm 149

The Prescription for Anxiety

By Dr. Leigh Marlar

Confession time…I am a worrier. I have struggled with worry and anxiety most of my life. I can really relate to Paul when he wrote “therefore, in order to keep me from becoming conceited, I was given a thorn in my flesh, a messenger of Satan, to torment me. Three times I pleaded with the Lord to take it away from me.” (2 Corinthians 12:7-8). Anxiety is the thorn in my flesh.

Unfortunately, I am not alone. According to the National Institute of Mental Health, anxiety disorders are reaching epidemic proportions affecting nearly 50 million Americans. Stress-related ailments cost $300 billion every year in medical bills and lost productivity. And it is not just adults that are suffering. Anxiety disorders among teens and children are increasing at an alarming rate. According to psychologist Robert Leahy “the average child today exhibits the same level of anxiety as the average psychiatric patient in the 1950s.” Why are we so anxious and, more importantly, what can we do about it?

As Max Lucado states in his book Anxious for Nothing: Finding Calm in a Chaotic World, it is not God’s will that we lead a life of perpetual anxiety, facing every day with dread and trepidation. God has a greater plan for us. He knows what we go through and He knows what we need. He even gave us a prescription for anxiety!

Philippians 4:4-8
Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.

The Bible is the most highlighted book on Kindle and Philippians 4:6-7 is the most highlighted passage. Max Lucado says this passage should be in the Scripture Hall of Fame! Five verses with four admonitions that lead to one wonderful promise.

The passage spells out a prescription for CALM.

Celebrate God’s goodness (verse 4).
Ask God for help (verse 6).
Leave your concerns with him (verse 6).
Meditate on good things (verse 8).

First, we are to rejoice in the Lord, always. To rejoice in the Lord we must have a deep belief in God’s sovereignty over our lives. The more we believe in HIS control, the more we relinquish OUR control. Remember the Lord is always near.

Next, we should present our requests to God. The primary call to action in the fight against anxiety is prayer. God promises he will hear and answer our prayers. He wants to hear from us and we should be specific with our prayers. Paul calls us to pray with gratitude in verse 6. Gratitude is a mindful awareness of the benefits God has provided to us in life. Finding our contentment in Christ is the key to finding joy. What we have in Christ is greater than anything we do not have in life.

When we leave our concerns with him, the peace of God will guard our hearts. God is always with us and always helps us. He never promised a life without storms (see John 16:33), but he promised to be with us when we face them.

Finally, meditate on good things. Our minds are constantly under attack. The enemy tries to invade our minds with lies, thoughts that we aren’t good enough, that no one will ever love us, or that everyone is against us. The good news is that while there are many things in life over which we have no control, we get to choose what we think about! The best way to think about things that are true, noble, right, pure, lovely, admirable, and excellent is by attaching ourselves to the One who embodies these things—abide in Christ, remain in Him (see John 15:4).

Philippians 4:4-8 -- memorize these verses! Write them on sticky notes and post them in your car, on your desk, in your refrigerator! Anywhere you will see them and they will remind you how to live a life of CALM. Ask God to bring them to your mind when you find yourself worrying or becoming anxious about anything. God does not want us to live in a state of anxiety. That is not his plan or purpose for our lives. In our weakness, He is made strong…

But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore, I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me. 10That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong. (2 Corinthians 12:9-10)

Reference:
Max Lucado, Anxious for Nothing: Finding Calm in a Chaotic World, (Nashville: Thomas Nelson, HarperCollins Christian Publishing, 2017).

Passage Guide: Acts 20 & Psalm 54

Eternally Rest in God

By Carl & Carolyn Kirk
 

The word eternal is generally defined as lasting or existing forever; without end or beginning.  We are told in the Bible that the Father and Son are one throughout eternity?  Does God have a beginning?  Does He have an end?  Can we rest in Him eternally?  

The idea of eternity runs like a lofty mountain range through the Bible. Everywhere you turn, you find it. In fact, all our treasured biblical doctrines and truths would collapse without the reality of an everlasting God. The eternity of God refers to His existence backward throughout time and beyond, further than we can imagine, and forward into the future, as far as we can imagine and beyond. (David Jeremiah)

Does God have a beginning? Genesis 1 tells us, “In the beginning God created the heavens and earth.” God’s beginning cannot be dated by any man. 

Does God have an end? Psalm 90:2, “Before the mountains were brought forth, or ever you had formed the earth and the world, from everlasting to everlasting you are God.”

God has no beginning or end. On this, we can rest.  He will not be here today and gone tomorrow. To all who receive Him, He can be our eternal refuge. John 1:12, “But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God.”  Also, words from Deuteronomy 33:27, “The eternal God is your refuge, and His everlasting arms are under you.”  Therefore, we can rest in Him as our eternal Savior.  

The author of Hebrews reminds us, “Therefore, since the promise of entering his rest still stands, let us be careful that none of you be found to have fallen short of it.  The writer of Hebrews further reminds us, “There remains therefore a rest for the people of God.  For he who has entered His rest has himself also ceased from his works as God did from His.  Let us therefore be diligent to enter that rest.”  (Parts of Hebrews 4:1-11).

God gives us everything we need to live victoriously as we rely on His precious promises.  As believers, we have the WORD and the Holy Spirit to guide us into all truth.  We can truly rest on His precious promises.

Readers!! Be encouraged! All you have turned to God with a sincere heart of repentance and trust can find eternal rest in God. Jesus reminded us in John 3:16-17, "For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved."
 

Passage Guide: Acts 19 & Psalm 5

Unity in the Church

by Alyssa Speas

1 Corinthians 1:10 - “I appeal to you, brothers, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you agree, and that there be no divisions among you, but that you be united in the same mind and the same judgment."

What color should the carpet be in a church? What about the seating arrangement? Who should make the decisions in the church? These questions have plagued modern American churches for years! Yes, we want to have beautiful churches, adequate seating, and strong leadership, but what happens when these questions and decisions cause division? Karen wants blue carpet, but Louis thinks red would look best. Frank wants traditional pews, while Betty wants those nice cushioned seats that we can move so the youth group can do activities in the sanctuary. Bobby wants the pastor to have the final say, but Shawn wants a small committee to make the big decisions.

All of these situations have led to division in the church. I’m sure you can think of “that church down the road” that split because a small, cosmetic decision opened up a can of worms and offended people. These things happen. But why? Aren’t we, the church, supposed to be singing Kumbaya and getting along, no matter what?

God has made us all different, with different tastes, wants, and ideas on how things should be done. As a body of believers, we don’t all have to agree 100%, but we do have to be willing to put aside our personal tastes, for the good of God’s Great Commission. When we have disagreements in the church on weighter issues such as who should be making decisions, where the tithe money goes, and how to plug the new believer into active ministry, we need to make sure that, as the body of Christ, we make well-informed, well-prayed-for decisions that glorify Christ, not our own wants and desires.

How is God using you in your local church? Are you helping to bring the church together with prayer and sacrifice? Or are your personal ideas causing division? Ask God to show you a way to make peace and show love in your church. Allow Him to become the basis of your decisions and let Him work through you in your local church.

Passage Guide: Acts 18 & Psalm 96

Total Chaos

by Caroline Speas

Philippians 2:5-11 - "In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus: Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage; rather, he made himself nothing by taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to death—even death on a cross!  Therefore God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue acknowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father."

In one of the churches my dad pastored, I remember the different Sunday school classes were supposed to come up with their own names. I was about 14 or 15 at the time, and the teen class I attended chose the name CHAOS. Ironically, it was probably the tamest teen class I ever attended. But the word itself stood for Christ Honored and Others Served. I’ll be honest, I think we just chose it because it was the word chaos, and we thought it was funny. I don’t know that we really changed our purpose as a teen class to suddenly make sure we were honoring Christ and serving others. I wish I could say that was the case.

Throughout the years, though, I’ve learned that when our lives are focused on honoring Christ and serving others – above all else – it’s quite the opposite of chaos. The world likes to tell us it’s chaos. It just doesn’t make sense to expend our time and energy living for someone we “can’t even prove exists.” And it certainly doesn’t make sense to give SO much to others that we do not make sure we’re taking care of ourselves. But the truth is when our main priority in life is to make the decisions God wants us to make, when we focus our hearts on Him and we worship Him in all we do, true, unexplainable peace comes.

And when we think of the needs of others and learn to deny ourselves in order to serve others – as Christ did – true, unexplainable peace comes.  So, I hope 2020 is full of total CHAOS for you – Christ Honored and Others Served. And I think you will find that where Christ is honored and others are served, there is peace.  

Passage Reading Guide: Acts 17 & Psalm 46

The Open Door

by Pastor Keith

Acts 16:6-10 - Paul and his companions traveled throughout the region of Phrygia and Galatia, having been kept by the Holy Spirit from preaching the word in the province of Asia. When they came to the border of Mysia, they tried to enter Bithynia, but the Spirit of Jesus would not allow them to. So they passed by Mysia and went down to Troas. During the night Paul had a vision of a man of Macedonia standing and begging him, “Come over to Macedonia and help us.” After Paul had seen the vision, we got ready at once to leave for Macedonia, concluding that God had called us to preach the gospel to them.

In the sixteenth chapter of Acts is the account of Paul’s vision of the man of Macedonia. In this account, the Holy Spirit closes the door to the province of Asia redirects Paul to Troas and “during the night Paul had a vision of a man from Macedonia standing and begging him ‘Come over to Macedonia and help us.’” 

I suspect every believer wants to know God’s will. We would like it to be crystal clear - as the prophet writes in Isaiah 30:21, “This is the way; walk in it.” I’ve often found myself praying, “Lord, if you’ll write it on the wall, I’ll do it.” I suspect if God did write it on the wall, someone would have to perform CPR on me. Ofttimes in my life, God has simply led by opening and closing doors.

In today’s scripture, God the Holy Spirit closes the door to the provinces of Asia and opens the door to Macedonia. The text is pretty dramatic but still relevant to God’s leadership in our lives today. There are at least three essentials to take from this text.

1. Listen to the Holy Spirit.  Twice this portion of scripture refers to the Spirit’s leading. Several years ago I had a missionary talk about a phone call she made. Some of you will remember the old phone booths. She happened to be in a phone booth in Chicago that was near the L (a commuter rail). While talking, the train came over the rails and the person on the end of the phone shouted, “Shut the door, I can’t hear you!” I’m convinced that the Holy Spirit is speaking but we’re not listening. We’re distracted by our surroundings. The Holy Spirit is telling us, “Turn the TV off so you can hear me. Turn the cell phone off, turn the computer off, turn the gaming off, get quiet before me so you can hear me. I’ve opened the door, but you’re not listening!”

2. Keep moving and trusting. Some are stalled in their spiritual journey because of the closed door. In Acts 16, God closes the door to the province of Asia but He’s about to do some powerful tings in their lives. In the few verses that follow our text, Lydia is converted in Philippi, later a slave girl is delivered from an evil spirit, and God delivers Paul and Silas from prison, a miracle which God uses to save the jailer and his family – and all of these are thanks to a closed door. When God closes a door, He’s usually steering us to an open door. Keep moving and trusting. Remember, a parked car is hard to steer. Keep moving and trusting so God can steer you to where He is moving!

3. Obey.  “Obedience is better than sacrifice.” Paul’s obedience and sensitivity are rewarded with spiritual fruit, vision, and deliverance. Simply obey (Acts 16:10).

Keep moving! Listen! Obey!

Revelations 3:8 – I have placed before you an open door that no one can shut.

Today's Scripture reading comes from Acts 16 & Psalm 67.

Freedom in Christ

by Pastor Danny

Acts 15:1, 10-11 - Certain people came down from Judea to Antioch and were teaching the believers: “Unless you are circumcised, according to the custom taught by Moses,you cannot be saved.” Then some of the believers who belonged to the party of the Pharisees stood up and said, “The Gentiles must be circumcised and required to keep the law of Moses.” Now then, why do you try to test God by putting on the necks of Gentiles a yoke that neither we nor our ancestors have been able to bear? No! We believe it is through the grace of our Lord Jesus that we are saved, just as they are.”

Christ always brings freedom. Do you remember what it felt like when you first got saved? The joy that filled your heart? The weight that was lifted off your shoulders? The peace that surpasses all understanding invading your very soul? Total and complete freedom!

The problem is that sometimes, as Christians, we like to add rules. We like to fill in the gaps so to speak. We take the laws and draw them out to their logical conclusions. Most of us have opinions and convictions about  things in the Bible. This is a natural thing to do and can be good. The problem is that, if we're not careful, we can fall into the same trap that the Pharisees did--to trade our freedom for rules--to become legalistic.
 
Legalism happens when we care more about adhering to the letter of the law than honoring the spirit of the law.

We see from this passage and many others that the Jews, especially Pharisees and Sadducees, struggled with legalism. They knew that they were God’s chosen people. God had made a covenant with them and they were very proud of this special status. They looked down on the Gentiles and Samaritans. They were supposed to be a flashing neon sign saying, "This way to God!" Instead they touted their relationship as a thing of pride. In fact, this passage of Scripture says that they were surprised that the Holy Spirit had come to the Gentiles just like it had come to them. The Jews were supposed to be showing the world how to live in covenant relationship with God; instead they turned their covenant into a thing of bondage. They were following the letter of the law, but missing the heart of it.

The Jews thought everyone had to experience God their way. They thought that the Gentiles needed to be circumcised. They thought that the Gentiles needed to follow the Abrahamic and Mosaic covenant.

The crazy thing is, it's easy for us to do the same thing. 

It's so easy to turn our walk with God--our relationship with Him--into a thing of bondage. It's easy to get so focused on the dos and don'ts that we forget about the relationship. We sacrifice the joy of the Lord for rules. We expect others to share our convictions. We are annoyed with believers who hold contrasting views and ideas. We snub our noses at Christians who do things that we don’t like.

God forgive us...Restore our joy...Make us like you…..

Passage Guide - Acts 15 & Psalm 63

Labels

by Pastor David

Acts 14:8 – “Now at Lystra, there was a man sitting who could not use his feet.  He was crippled from birth and had never walked.”

In Acts 14, we read the story of a man cripple from birth.  What strikes me is not the man’s infirmity but that that’s all that is said about him prior to his healing.  It doesn’t say, “There was a man—full of faith— who happened to be crippled…,” or “In Lystra lived a man named James, who happened to have a handicap...”  Instead, the Bible, much like the people of his day, led with the obvious: “Now at Lystra, there was a man sitting who could not use his feet.  He was crippled from birth and had never walked.”  Talk about being labeled!

Have you ever been labeled by past failures or infirmities?  I know I have.  And it stinks.  When you  accidentally over-hear people talking about you once did this or that.  Shame floods your heart and spills over onto your face. Nobody wants to be known for their shortcomings.

Which, in a strange way, is exactly why I love this story.  The Bible begins by stating the obvious—the man had issues.  But it doesn’t stop there!  It says in verse 9 that Paul looked intently at him and saw that he had faith to be made well. 

When everyone else saw a man crippled from birth, the Lord saw a heart full of faith.

What’s more, God had the grace to change this man’s state!  Before that day, he was known as the man crippled from birth.  After that day, he was known as the man God healed.  And, in a way, shouldn’t that be true of us all?

Every one of us has baggage that attempts to define us. Past failures, sins, and mistakes all try to stick to us like those “Hello, my name is….” name tags. But praise God, we don’t have to let them! Because of the finished work of Jesus Christ, we can have a new identity in Christ! We don’t have to live beneath those old labels.

A couple years ago, I heard a friend say, “Well, Pastor, we’re nothing more than a bunch of sinners…”  We’ve probably all said that or something similar before.  But then a thought hit me.  “Why am I allowing myself to be defined by my past?”  Now, when I hear that, I smile politely and humbly respond, “Friend, that used to be my testimony…but now I’m a child of the Most High God!  Jesus died to give me a new identity!  I’m His.”

Who are you allowing to define you?  Whose labels are you listening to?  Yours? Others? Or God’s?

Passage Guide: Acts 14 and Psalm 27.

Beautiful in Its Time

By Kristen Robinson

 Ecclesiastes 3:11 –  He has made everything beautiful in its time. Also, he has put eternity into man's heart, yet so that he cannot find out what God has done from the beginning to the end.

Romans 8:28 –   And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose. I’ve always enjoyed mystery novels. I especially love a good whodunit – like the captivating stories by Agatha Christie. It’s fascinating how the author can take all of these complex details and weave them together throughout the story just to shock you in the last chapter as you suddenly put the puzzle pieces together and realize who the culprit was! All of the seemingly meaningless details along the way were finally all knit together to form this wonderful, totally surprising outcome.

Of course, these tales of mystery aren’t a surprise for the author. Agatha Christie knows all along that the unassuming clerk was the perpetrator. While the reader is taken on this perplexing ride through the plot, the author is actually guiding the reader the whole way so that the ending is a glorious surprise. Even though the reader is totally bewildered in Chapter Two, the author knows that by the end of the novel, the reader will appreciate the seemingly trivial details that were included earlier on.
 

I often feel that God’s timing works in a similar way. You’re no doubt familiar with the old saying “everything happens for a reason.” You can believe what you will on that, but I think that God works in mysterious ways. What may seem like an insignificance or even a setback in our lives may actually turn out to be part of God’s unique orchestration for our lives. Now, to be sure, we don’t always get to a certain point where we suddenly see the puzzle pieces come together like a magnificent mystery novel. Actually, we often don’t see it. But God does. The Bible says in Ecclesiastes 3:11, “He has made everything beautiful in its time. Also, he has put eternity into man's heart, yet so that he cannot find out what God has done from the beginning to the end.” This verse says that man cannot know what God has orchestrated “from beginning to end.” In fact, Acts 1:7 says, “It is not for you to know times or seasons that the Father has fixed by his own authority.”

God has a plan, and often it is impossible for us to fully know or comprehend. That realization is a hard pill to swallow, but we can find peace in knowing that His plans are good. God assures us in Jeremiah 29:11 that "I know the plans I have for you ... plans for good and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope." He is a good father, with plans greater and more consequential than any we could imagine - which we can forever be grateful for. While our minds are mortal and our imaginations limited, our God has no limit and is "able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine," according to Ephesians 3:20-21. When you are struggling to find the beauty in your circumstances, I encourage you to meditate on God's Word and let these verses remind you that God makes everything beautiful in its time.

Jeremiah 29:11 - “For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for good and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope.”

Passage Guide: Acts 13 & Psalm 20

Seeking God in Earnest

by Pastor David

Acts 12:1-3a — “About that time Herod the king laid violent hands on some who belonged to the church.  He killed James the brother John with the sword, and when he saw that it pleased the Jews, he proceeded to arrest Peter also.”

We’ve all had them.  Those phone calls that leave us speechless.  That diagnosis that makes time stop.  The look on our loved one’s face that says all isn’t well.  An uneasiness grips our spirits as we grow uncertain about the future and are tempted to despair.

I can only imagine how the church felt upon learning of James’ death.  But it must’ve been similar to what we feel when we hear dreaded news.  Remember, James wasn’t some ancillary figure to the church.  He was one of the original 12.  He was one of Christ’s inner circle.  Without him, the Church would never feel the same.  His loss cannot be overstated.  And now, to make matters worse, Peter had been arrested.

Imagine the fear that must’ve run up and down the Church’s spine.  Imagine the grief that must’ve pervaded every meeting.  Imagine the sense of uncertainty that must’ve taken up residency in the back of everyone’s mind.  They knew Herod’s plan.  As soon as Passover had finished, Herod would kill Peter to the delight of all the maniacal Pharisees and Sadducees that killed Jesus.  The end of the Church as they knew it must’ve seemed imminent.

But notice how the church responded.  It says in Acts 12:5b, “…but earnest prayer for him was made to God by the church.”

Just when things were beginning to seem hopeless, God’s people prayed earnestly!  Just when it looked as though Satan had won the day, God’s people prayed earnestly!  Just when all human cleverness and cunning had been exhausted, God’s people prayed with earnest!  Just when Peter’s death looked like a forgone conclusion, “earnest prayer for him was made to God by the church.”

I don’t know about you, but sometimes I need to be reminded of the power of earnest praying.  Not polite, Sunday-School prayers.  I’m talking about crying out to God in desperation.  The early church had no answers for Herod.  They had no plan B.  Their only hope was God.  So they prayed like Peter’s life depended on it!  And…God…answered!

I understand that we live in a busy world.  Praying this way isn’t always possible or practical or sustainable.  But when was the last time you cried out to God for your unsaved family?  When was the last time you wept before God for the sins of your country?  When was the last time you earnestly sought for His blessing upon your church?

I can’t promise you immediate results.  But I can tell you this, it worked for the early church.   Maybe God is waiting for us to follow their lead?

Passage Reading Guide: Acts 12 & Psalm 19

Don't Settle

by Matthew Lorimer

1 Kings 14:22-28 - “It happened in the fifth year of King Rehoboam that Shishak king of Egypt came up against Jerusalem. And he took away the treasures of the house of the Lord and the treasures of the king’s house; he took away everything. He also took away all the gold shields which Solomon had made. Then King Rehoboam made bronze shields in their place, and committed them to the hands of the captains of the guard, who guarded the doorway of the king’s house. And whenever the king entered the house of the Lord, the guards carried them, then brought them back into the guardroom.”

The Lord had blessed Israel. So much so that, when Solomon was king, he had gold shields crafted to commemorate God's goodness. Unfortunately, the story didn't end there. Soon after Solomon's death, other kings rose up who didn't fear or serve God.  And by the time of King Nabad, the Lord's patience was wearing thin. To punish the nation, the Lord had the gold shields stripped from the Temple and hauled off to another country. Rather than repent, Nadab replaced the gold shields with ones made of bronze.

What can we learn from this? I would dare say God was trying to wake Nadab up. Because of his sin, the nation was straying from God. But instead of repenting and returning, Nadab became satisfied with bronze shields.

Here is a question to ponder: Am I experiencing God's best or am I settling for bronze shields? Understand, it's bigger than material possessions. Spiritually, is the body of Christ experiencing all that God intended?  Or is it possible that we're settling for cheap substitutes?

The Bible says that God has a plan for our lives. But in order to experience it, we have to choose God's will instead of our own.  What kind of choices are you making on a daily basis? Are you living with God's best?  Or is it possible you've settled for something else?

“ For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the Lord, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope.“ -- Jeremiah 29:11

Today's reading comes from Acts 11 & Psalm 1.

Letting God Out of the Box

by Pastor Danny

I once heard a story of a women who, when baking her holiday hams, would cut them into perfect squares, wasting a large portion of the meat. Her husband asked why she did this. Since she'd picked up the habit from her mom, she decided to call her and ask why they'd always done it that way. The mother said, "Well that's because my mom always did it." So the lady decided to call and ask grandma why they had, for years, cut the ham into a square. Grandma said, “Oh, that's because the hams were too big for the old oven I used to have...”

Acts 10:14-15; 34-35 14 - “Surely not, Lord!” Peter replied. “I have never eaten anything impure or unclean.” The voice spoke to him a second time, “Do not call anything impure that God has made clean.”...Then Peter began to speak: “I now realize how true it is that God does not show favoritism but accepts from every nation the one who fears him and does what is right."

Here in chapter 10, we see how Peter was given a vision of clean and unclean things. God revealed to Peter that His mission is to spread the good news to the Gentiles. In our culture, we don’t deal with clean or unclean things like those Jews did. We also don’t have a problem with the Gospel being shared with the Gentiles. My guess would be that most of us are Gentiles. But during Peter's day, this would have been a big deal.

If you read Acts 10 you can see that Peter was having a hard time with this idea.....Peter had been putting God in a box. That is something many of us struggle with: putting God in a box, because that's not how we do things. We don’t like the idea of getting out of our comfort zone. We don’t like the idea of being criticized by others when we try something different. Pastor Keith made the comment on Day 2 that we are creatures of habit. That's so true. We have a hard time doing new things or getting out of old ruts. I believe many churches are failing to effectively spread the Gospel because we're guilty of this very issue.

Like Peter, we must allow God to give us fresh wisdom and insight--to do things we have never done before so that others may come to know Him. The Jews were shocked to the Gentiles were getting saved. They were shocked that the Holy Spirit had fallen on the Gentiles and that the good news was for them, too. Sometimes we're guilty of the same thing.  We put God in a box and stop taking Jesus to the people that need it most. We understand that the Gospel message is for everyone. But sometimes we aren’t willing to go out of our own comfort zones to do what is necessary to reach others for him. Many of us hope we can live our lives and people can see we are Christians just by example. Many of us hope people will come to our church, hear the word, and be saved. Many of us may justify our lack of evangelism by making the claim “this isn’t my spiritual gift”.

Don’t put God in a box because that’s how you’ve always done things. Be open to doing things differently to reach the lost. We have been given the Great Commission. A mandate to go and share the good news of what Christ has done.

Day 10's reading comes from the story just referenced--Acts 10--and Psalm 148.

Who Do You Resemble?

by Alyssa Speas

Acts 4:13 - Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, and perceived that they were uneducated, common men, they were astonished. And they recognized that they had been with
Jesus.

Who do you look the most like? Mom, dad, sister, brother? If someone saw you on the street, who or what would they say you resemble? Do you have a celebrity doppelganger? Do you radiate "soccer mom," "handyman dad," or "coffee shop hipster?" If people were to describe you, would they say you were kind and caring? Or rough and calloused?

In the book of Acts, Peter and John were recognized as being apostles. Now, the people who recognized them were the scribes and Pharisees--the ones who led Jesus to be crucified. They knew (at least roughly) who Christ’s disciples were.  So it doesn’t come as a surprise that they “recognized that they had been with Jesus”. What is surprising is that they “perceived [to be] uneducated, common men...”  It was their boldness.

When people see me on the street, I want them to be able to tell that there is something different about me. I want people to know that I “have been with Jesus." What does this look like, though? Is it a button I put on my clothes? A certain way of dressing or doing my hair? These things might show people that I belong to a certain denomination or claim to be a Christian, but do they show
what’s in my heart?

John 13:35 tells us that people who see us will know that we are Christians by “[our] love for one another.” Galatians 5: 22-23 tells us that “the Fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.”

When we show love to our neighbors and live out the Fruits of the Spirit in our lives, people should know that we are different. They might not say, “Oh yeah! He’s a Christian!,” right off the bat.  But your actions can open the door to them asking you why you do the things you do and how you have a certain attitude in a certain situation. Then, you can tell them all about the amazing work Christ has done in your life.

So, who do you look like? Will people recognize that you’ve been with Jesus? Ask Jesus today to help you live like you’ve been with Him!

Passage Guide: Acts 9 & Psalm 47