The High Cost of Wavering Faith..... Dr. Charles Stanley

 The High Cost of Wavering Faith

Dr. Charles Stanley

Deuteronomy 1:19-40

God has given believers personalities, abilities, and spiritual gifts which will equip them to accomplish His specific plans for their lives. But each one must choose to step out in faith and obedience. At times the Lord challenges us to do something that seems beyond our ability, but if we back off, we’ll miss His awesome blessings.

Let’s learn from the Israelites who made several choices that led to unbelief, resulting in a lifetime of aimless wandering. They . . .

• Listened to the wrong voices. To walk obediently with the Lord, we need to guard ourselves from being swayed by those who don’t understand the greatness of our God. Not only that, but we must also learn to recognize the lies of Satan. He wants us to become ineffective, accomplishing little for the kingdom of God.

• Relied on human perspective. At times trusting God conflicts with human reasoning. But those who choose to trust Him—even when the external evidence points to an impossibility—will find that He is bigger than any obstacle.

• Let feelings overcome faith. Perhaps the biggest hindrances to obedience are fear and inadequacy. An internal focus is a trust killer. The way to overcome our feelings is to rely on the Lord and His promises. He will equip us for whatever He calls us to do.

Every challenging call to obedience is a fork in the road of our lives. To go the way of unbelief will lead to a lifetime of regret and aimless wandering, but to courageously trust God and do what He says will result in the greatest blessing of your life. The choice is yours.

Loving Strangers..... Craig Denison

 Loving Strangers

Craig Denison

Weekly Overview:

Loving others is one of the most important and difficult commands Jesus gave us. We are a messy, broken, needy, and sinful people. We constantly deal with our own wounds and those of others. Because there is no perfect person, the foundation for loving others must be based outside of the merit or worth of others. The foundation for love must come from the God who is love. As believers we must be constantly tapped into the love and grace of our heavenly Father so that we can love others selflessly and powerfully. May you receive the love of your Father and be empowered to love others this week as we look to grow in our obedience of Jesus’ command to love people.

Scripture:“Do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers, for thereby some have entertained angels unawares.” >Hebrews 13:2

Devotional:

Matthew 25:34-40 gives insight into God’s passionate love for the lost, broken, and alienated. Scripture says,

Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, I was naked and you clothed me, I was sick and you visited me, I was in prison and you came to me.’ Then the righteous will answer him, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you drink? And when did we see you a stranger and welcome you, or naked and clothe you? And when did we see you sick or in prison and visit you?’ And the King will answer them, ‘Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me.’

The world around you is living every day apart from the saving and freeing knowledge of God’s love for them. They try to find hope in the created rather than the Creator and discover that the world contains nothing to help them. Relationship with Jesus is the sole source of hope for the earth. And God longs to use us to love the strangers around us so that they might enter into relationship with our Lord who longs to sustain them, provide for them, help them, and offer them eternal hope.

I am not by nature an outgoing person. The concept of talking to complete strangers scares me to death. Apart from God, my natural propensity is to go from place to place without interacting with anyone. But that is not the life my heavenly Father is calling me to. We are not called to keep this free gift of salvation for ourselves, but to share it with all those God is beckoning to himself. God longs to fill each of us with the courage to love the unloved. He longs to fill us with passion to see the world around us awakened to the goodness of Jesus. Every time we set foot outside our homes, we are entering into a mission field filled with countless people who need what we have to give.

Galatians 5:14 says, “For the whole law is fulfilled in one word: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’” You were created to receive the love of your Father and go out to share that love with a lost and dying world. God is calling you to a lifestyle of sacrifice, courage, adventure, and passionate pursuit of lost sheep who desperately need a Shepherd.

Allow God to strengthen you and fill you with courage to love strangers today as you enter into a time of guided prayer.

Guided Prayer:

1. Meditate on God’s command to love your neighbor as yourself. Allow God to fill you with a desire to reach the unreached today as you reflect on his word.

“For the whole law is fulfilled in one word: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’” >Galatians 5:14

“Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, I was naked and you clothed me, I was sick and you visited me, I was in prison and you came to me.’ Then the righteous will answer him, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you drink? And when did we see you a stranger and welcome you, or naked and clothe you? And when did we see you sick or in prison and visit you?’ And the King will answer them, ‘Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me.’” >Matthew 25:34-40

2. What fear holds you back from loving others? What thought, perspective, or past experience does God need to address and speak truth and love to in order for you to effectively love others? Allow him to come and meet with you in the deepest places of your heart.

3. Ask God to fill you with courage to engage with others today. Ask him to fill you with his love for those around you whom you have never met. Find your source of security in his opinion alone.

Luke 10:2 says, “The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few. Therefore pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest.” May we be laborers who work diligently for our Lord today. May we love others with the depth of love we have been shown in Christ.

Extended Reading: Luke 15

Strengthen Your Child’s Heart With Words..... LISA JACOBSON

 Strengthen Your Child’s Heart With Words

LISA JACOBSON

“Let no corrupting talk come out of your mouths, but only such as is good for building up, as fits the occasion, that it may give grace to those who hear.” Ephesians 4:29 (ESV)

I can honestly tell you I never intended to say the words aloud. It’s like they popped out of my mouth on their own accord — the result of growing frustration and sheer exasperation with our tween-aged daughter.

We had just finished a particularly trying conversation and, while walking away, I shrugged my shoulders and said to no one in particular, “Oh, I give up!”

I. Give. Up.

Three surprisingly significant words — especially when spoken within earshot of your own child. Something I’m keenly aware of now based on what she said to me later.

After several hours had passed, this same daughter — this strong, determined, often unrelenting girl — came to find me before bedtime. When she spotted me, she was so choked up she could barely get the words out.

“Oh, Mom. How could you give up? I can handle anyone, anyone else, giving up on me. But not you.”

Clearly, I had wounded my daughter with my words. I was mortified. How could I have been so careless and hurtful? Immediately convicted, I asked her forgiveness and assured her repeatedly I would never give up on her.

I also made a quiet vow to myself: I’d never again utter that phrase to, or about, my children. But even more importantly than what I would not say, I determined to be more intentional about the things that I would say.

The Bible addresses both sides of this conversation in Ephesians 4:29. First, “Let no corrupting [literally ‘rotten’ or ‘worthless’] talk come out of your mouths” and, secondly, “but only such as is good for building up [or ‘edifying’], as fits the occasion, that it may give grace to those who hear.”

Simply put: Our words are powerful.

As parents, we have tremendous influence and opportunity to use our words to either build up or to tear down. To encourage or discourage. The choice is ours.

For instance, consider the impact on my daughter if I’d said something like this instead: You are a strong person, and I believe God is going to use that strength in big ways someday.

Or, We might not always see things the same way, but I will always stay by your side.

Or, I don’t know everything, but here’s what I do know: You have something beautiful to offer that this world needs.

Just imagine if she had some of those words swirling around in her head as she was drifting off to sleep. Or if a few of these statements made their way into her prayers at night. Just imagine!

Maybe you have a child who could use some encouragement as well. What do you think he or she might be longing to hear from you? Because no matter what age they may be — toddler, tween, teen or adult — they desperately need words of love and strength spoken over them.

We all do.

So if you want to make a difference in your child’s life, begin by building up their heart and mind — one strong, beautiful word at a time.

Dear heavenly Father, I realize the power behind what I choose to say, or not to say, to my child. Please help me use my words wisely and lovingly — to build up, encourage and bless. I want to strengthen my child’s heart by the things I say. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

5 Verses to Gather from Psalm 25 When Life Gets Heavy..... By Kristi Woods

 5 Verses to Gather from Psalm 25 When Life Gets Heavy

By Kristi Woods

BIBLE VERSE OF THE DAY: "In you, LORD my God, I put my trust." - Psalm 25:1

God and His word are faithful – even in times of heaviness, even when we might question whether He or His word could do a single thing to help us. Psalm 25 is a place I once landed when life became heavy. It quickly became a respite and refuge, a landing pad of hope. In fact, Psalm 25 in its entirety became a prayer, one offered to God Almighty often. But His word isn’t only for some of us. It’s for all of us.

Here are 5 verses from Psalm 25 we can gather when heaviness rears:

1. Verse 15

My eyes are ever on Yahweh, for he will pluck my feet out of the net. Psalm 25:15

It’s all about focus.

It’s often easy to focus on problems. If we listen closely, we can hear it in conversations often. The recount of the day’s troubles and woes slip off our lips or sit firmly in our minds without hesitation. We think about the problem and wonder why, how, and why again. But what if we changed our focus from the issues at hand to Yahweh, our God - the One who has all the wisdom of the world? What if we purposed and willed ourselves to keep the Lord, His saving ways, and past miracles in focus?

2. Verse 17

The troubles of my heart are enlarged. Oh bring me out of my distresses. Psalm 25:17

It’s all in the ask.

Sometimes it’s as simple as asking. Maybe that makes it sound far too easy, and there may be a battle in the midst, but unless we ask for help, we are lost. Hoarding our need is like trusting ourselves far more than safety deems wise. We can find ourselves in the waters of daily life, flailing alone among the pounding waves, or we can ask God for help.

3. Verse 18

Consider my affliction and my travail. Forgive all my sins. Psalm 25:18

Asked to be forgiven lately?

Isn’t forgiveness at the heart of much? It’s at the core of Jesus returning to earth. It’s the purpose of love, His walk with man, and our eternity. It’s at the heart of His ascension, and it’s certainly at the heart of our day-to-day. Sitting with the Lord, asking Him to consider our afflictions and troubles sits solidly with faith. Asking Jesus for forgiveness is its building place.

4. Verse 20

Oh keep my soul, and deliver me. Let me not be disappointed, for I take refuge in you. Psalm 25:20

Where do you take refuge?

Imagine a hurricane or winter storm descending on our location. What if we bounded out the front door and sat on the lawn, our legs crisscross as we watched the storm brew? Can you feel the harsh elements pelting our cheeks, causing them to grow increasingly rosy with each sting? We’d either find ourselves chilly with the frigid, northern temperatures or soaked silly in one big puddle as the army of raindrops continued to their battle. Sitting stark in the elements, choosing to withstand the conditions versus seeking shelter, seems silly, doesn’t it?

Where we take refuge is paramount – both in the natural and in the spiritual.

Choosing not to seek God’s refuge or heading to the wrong shelter, such as sin or an addiction, can cause the sting of the pelting adversary to grow worse. Our Father’s refuge is a safe haven.

5. Verse 21

Let integrity and uprightness preserve me, for I wait for you. Psalm 25:21

Wait lately?

It’s safe to say waiting isn’t at the top of most people’s list of favorites. Simply look at rush hour traffic or lines at the grocery store – folks don’t love to wait. Christians aren’t exempt. When God calls us to wait, we sometimes find it hard, uncomfortable even. Waiting simply doesn’t feel natural. It seems like wasted, lost effort. In reality, it might be one of the strongest “moves” of faith we ever make.

Waiting on God is righteous and overflowing with wisdom. It’s His way of guiding us faithfully, and it’s the building place of trust. Instead of reaching for our own preserver, what if we reach for His? What if we allow integrity and uprightness to preserve us as we wait on Him? What if we cling tightly, determine to simply wait on the Lord, holding hope in Him?

Yes, what if. And what if we gather Psalm 25, especially these five verses and walk solidly with God when life gets heavy.

Batman and Big Brother..... by Alex Crain

 Batman and Big Brother

by Alex Crain

“And Jesus said to them, "Yes. Have you never read, 'Out of the mouth of babes and nursing infants You have perfected praise'?" (Matthew 21:16 NKJV)

One of the blessings of being around children is the life lessons that they often teach us. Sometimes the lessons are about deep, spiritual truths. Like the lesson my two-year-old son, Henry, recently taught me about worship.

While at the playground area of a fast-food restaurant, Henry found himself surrounded by other kids his age whom he had never met. Suddenly, my wife heard him bragging to his little audience about his two heroes: Batman and big brother.

“Batman get bad guys,” Henry said to one. Then very proudly to another, “My brudder hit bad guys ty-kon-do.”

Now, his big brother never uses Tae Kwon Do… except in practice. But I suppose that, in Henry’s imagination, those nine-year-old practice opponents must be bad guys. Whatever his motivation for saying these things, Henry couldn’t help expressing praise for things that he thinks are great. It struck me that that’s a big part of what worship is.

Yes, we’ll need to continue teaching Henry about the goodness and greatness of God, just like we need continued teaching and reminding ourselves. But I don’t think that the concept of worship is something that he, or anyone else, needs to be taught. What we need to do is un-learn some wrong-headed ideas about worship that we have picked up over the years.

C.S. Lewis points out one such wrong-headed idea when he admits that he used to mistakenly view the Bible’s demands for praising God as no different than a conceited woman seeking compliments. Every time he heard the Psalms saying “praise the Lord,” “praise God,” or “praise Him,” God sounded pathetically vain to him. In his book, Reflections on the Psalms (p. 93 ff.), Lewis explains how his perspective changed:

“…the most obvious fact about praise—whether of God or anything—strangely escaped me. I thought of it in terms of compliment, approval, or the giving of honor. I had never noticed that all enjoyment spontaneously overflows into praise unless shyness or the fear of boring others is deliberately brought in to check it.”

“The world rings with praise—readers [praising] their favorite poet, walkers praising the countryside, players praising their favorite game... Just as men praise whatever they value, so they spontaneously urge us to join them in praising it: ‘Isn’t she lovely? Wasn’t it glorious? Don’t you think that magnificent?’ The Psalmists, in telling everyone to praise God, are doing what all men do when they speak of what they care about.”

“My difficulty about the praise of God depended on my absurdly denying to us what we delight to do, what indeed we can't help doing, about everything else we value. I think we delight to praise what we enjoy because the praise not merely expresses, but completes the enjoyment.”

Intersecting Faith and Life: If it’s true that worship springs naturally from within a person and is expressed by praising that which he or she enjoys most, then what or whom do you find yourself praising?

A Prayer to Keep Doing Good..... By: Meg Bucher

 A Prayer to Keep Doing Good

By: Meg Bucher

“Do not neglect to do good and to share what you have, for such sacrifices are pleasing to God.” - Hebrews 13:16

Salty tears dampened my knees as I sat paralyzed in the spot I land in when things fall apart. This day, it wasn’t just my world unraveling and upending, it was the entire world. Together and all at once, everything started to come to a screeching halt, as the pandemic virus, COVID-19 began to sweep into the corners of our everyday lives. Those first days felt akin to a roller coaster ride, simultaneously rallying to carry on individually while pushing the limits of innovation to reach out to others.

Hebrews 13:16 commands us, “do not neglect to do good and share what you have.” Suddenly, the way we help each other drastically changed. The need expounded, while our ability to physically help and hug each other was rapidly stripped. When hard pressed, we can simply allow ourselves the grace to give up and hunker down, or we can embrace the impossible things God has purposed us to do.

What does it look like to help and hold people when we must stay six feet apart? We look to God’s truth as a guide, and trust in His providence, faithfulness, and goodness.

“Share what you have,” today’s verse implores. This pandemic has put the resilience of the human spirit on display. From our homes, we have utilized technology to stay connected, rally in support and raise funds for those who fuel food banks. We’ve lit up our neighborhoods with lights and donned windows with  signs of hope. 

Jesus makes it possible for us to tap into the goodness of God. Everything He does is good …because He is good. He sees us, He hears our prayers, and His heart is moved. His care is unequivocal. We can trust Him, in times of plenty, and it times of pandemic, to be all we need. He goes before us, preparing the way.

Each of us is created to glorify God with our lives, and so we must not neglect to do what is good and share what we have. This obedience brings glory and honor to God.

Let’s pray to not grow weary in welldoing:

Father,

This is the day you have made, so let us rejoice and be glad in it. You know what today will bring, and what tomorrow’s needs will be. If we awake to breathe today, we can be assured it is with great purpose, in order to bring glory and honor to You, the One True God. Jesus, our Savior, Friend, and Redeemer, it is through You we come to the Father, and spread the love of the Gospel. Remind us, through Your Spirit who convicts and comforts us, of your truth.

In moments when we find ourselves slumped into the places we land when things unravel, we know you meet us there in comfort and to supply the strength we need to stand again.

Use our lives as vessels of love and truth. Let us see ourselves through the lens of faith, and the Father’s purposeful perspective. The author of Hebrews reminds us not to neglect to do good and share what we have, because such sacrifices are pleasing to You, Father.

We know all good things come from You, and You make good, all things. Let us share in the good works you have prepared for us, by the outflowing of our faith in Christ, to the people You have placed in our lives. We pray for Your favor, God, and Your protective embrace, as we look out into the world to do good and share what we have.

In Jesus’ Powerful Name we Pray,

Amen.