DTC Church

As the good shepherd Jesus has promised to protect you and lead you. Check out this short devotional from our “I AM” series.

Have you found the door you’re looking for? The door that leads to your purpose and something greater for your life. Check out the 4th part of our “I AM” devotional series.

With so much uncertainty in the world these days it is good to remember the Lord has promised to provide. Check out the 3rd part from our devotional series “I AM.”

Jesus is the light that brings hope and life where there is darkness. He said, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.”

Welcome to DTC CHURCH Online! Get your family together and experience a time of worship, prayer and an inspiring with Pastor Joan Murray!!!

You can have peace and confidence in every season when you understand I AM is with you. Check out the first devotional of our new series.

Where Do We Go From Here?     Times Change     Where Do We Go From Here?       Times change but God remains the same.       Hebrews 13:8 “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.”     John 10:30 “I and the Father are one.”     Times change but God remains the same.     John 6:66-69 “From this time many of his disciples turned back and no longer followed him. 67 “Are you also going to leave?” Jesus asked the Twelve. 68 Simon Peter answered him, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life. 69 We have come to believe and to know that you are the Holy One of God.”     Where do we go from here?       Times change but God remains the same.  

“Open Our Eyes”   2 Kings 6:15-17 15 When the servant of the man of God got up and went out early the next morning, an army with horses and chariots had surrounded the city. “Oh no, my lord! What shall we do?” the servant asked. 16 “Don’t be afraid,” the prophet answered. “Those who are with us are more than those who are with them.” 17 And Elisha prayed, “Open his eyes, Lord, so that he may see.” Then the Lordopened the servant’s eyes, and he looked and saw the hills full of horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha.   Psalm 46:1-2 God is our refuge and strength,     an ever-present help in trouble. 2 Therefore we will not fear,   2 Corinthians 4:18 So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.   2 Corinthians 5:7  7 For we live by faith, not by sight.   Hebrews 11:1 Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see.      

Peace In The Storm     Matthew 8:23-27 “Then Jesus got into the boat and started across the lake with his disciples.  24 Without warning, a furious storm came up on the lake, so that the waves swept over the boat. But Jesus was sleeping. 25 The disciples went and woke him, saying, “Lord, save us! We’re going to drown!” 26 He replied, “You of little faith, why are you so afraid?” Then he got up and rebuked the winds and the waves, and it was completely calm. 27 The men were amazed and asked, “What kind of man is this? Even the winds and the waves obey him!”     Storms Come Without Warning       You Can Have Peace In The Storm   John 16:33  “I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.”     Storms Test Your Faith     You may have walked into the storm one way but you’re going to walk out stronger.   You go into the storm one way but you come out stronger.     James 1:2-4 “When troubles of any kind come your way, consider it an opportunity for great joy. 3 For you know that when your faith is tested, your endurance has a chance to grow. 4 So let it grow, for when your endurance is fully developed, you will be perfect and complete, needing nothing.”     Jesus Will Get You Through The Storm     The one who is for you is greater than the storm you go through.   Philippians 1:6 “Being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.”

What can I learn from this?     This momentary pause in life has given us an opportunity to reevaluate, realign and prioritize our life around what matters most.     What can I learn from this?       A Renewed Gratitude For Life       Social Media Isn’t Enough     Hebrews 10:24-25 “Let us think of ways to motivate one another to acts of love and good works. 25 And let us not neglect our meeting together, as some people do, but encourage one another, especially now that the day of his return is drawing near.”     Health And Family Is True Wealth     Mark 8:36 “What good is it for someone to gain the whole world, yet forfeit their soul?”         We Need Jesus More Than We Think     Philippians 4:12-13 “I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. 13 I can do all things through Christ who gives me strength.”     What can I learn from this?  

Check out the 3rd part of the series, “God Is Closer Than You Think.”

Check out the 2nd part of the series, “God Is Closer Than You Think.”

Remember Me       The future is uncertain to us but never uncertain to God.     Remember God’s Faithfulness     Psalm 27:13-14 “I remain confident of this: I will see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living. Wait for the Lord; be strong and take heart and wait for the Lord.”       Remember God Is Working Even When We Don’t See It     The future is uncertain to us but never uncertain to God.     Genesis 50:20 “You intended to harm me, but God intended it all for good. He brought me to this position so I could save the lives of many people.”           Remember God’s Plans Are Always Good     Job 42:10,12  “After Job had prayed for his friends, the Lord made him prosperous again and gave him twice as much as he had before… The Lord blessed the latter part of Job’s life more than the first.”       The future is uncertain to us but never uncertain to God.       Remember Me

Here is the first devotional of a 4 part video series on how to stay close to God. You can listen along with a cup of coffee in the morning or engage with your family at your convenience.

Remember Me     When life seems out of control, God is still in control.     Exodus 12:12-14 “On that same night I will pass through Egypt and strike down every firstborn of both people and animals, and I will bring judgment on all the gods of Egypt. I am the Lord. 13 The blood will be a sign for you on the houses where you are, and when I see the blood, I will pass over you. No destructive plague will touch you when I strike Egypt.  This is a day to remember every year from generation to generation.”     1 Corinthians 5:7 “For Christ, our Passover lamb has been sacrificed.”     1 Corinthians 11:23-26 “The Lord Jesus, on the night he was betrayed, took bread, 24 and when he had given thanks, he broke it and said, “This is my body, which is for you; do this in remembrance of me.” 25 In the same way, after supper he took the cup, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood; do this, whenever you drink it, in remembrance of me.” 26 For whenever you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes.”     Remember Me and You Will Find Comfort     Ephesians 2:13 “But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far away have been brought near by the blood of Christ.”       Remember Me and You Will Not Be Afraid     1 John 4:18 “There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears has not fully experienced his perfect love.”     Remember Me and You Will Overcome   Revelations 12:11 “They overcame him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony.”     When life seems out of control, God is still in control.       Remember Me        

Faith Over Fear     John 14:1,27 “Don’t let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God, and trust also in me… I am leaving you with a gift—peace of mind and heart. And the peace I give is a gift the world cannot give. So don’t be troubled or afraid.”       Faith > Fear     Faith Is Greater Than Fear       My faith is greater than my fears.     Psalm 56:3 “When I am afraid, I will put my trust and faith in you.”     Isaiah 26:3 “You will keep in perfect peace all who trust in you, all whose thoughts are fixed on you!”     If you think about what makes you fearful you will be fearful but if you think about what gives you peace you will have peace.       Matthew 6:34 “So do not worry about tomorrow; for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.”           Isaiah 41:13 “For I am the Lord your God who takes hold of your right hand and says to you, Do not fear; I will help you.”    

  Hosea 4:6 “my people are destroyed for lack of knowledge” (NKJV)   1 John 3:4 I have no greater joy than to hear that my children walk in truth. (KJV)   Prov 22:6 Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it. (KJV)   Trainer - Counselor - Advisor (all up at the same time)   Do you care for me? Can I trust you? Can you help me?   Words of Affirmation -  Physical Touch - Active Love   Rules - Relationship = Rebellion Relationship - Rules = Aggression Absence = Desperation Rules + Relationship = Blessings     Truth without Grace = Condemns / Grace without Truth = Condones   Children are like arrows in the hands of a skilled warrior, blessed is the man whose quiver is filled with such arrows - Psalm 127:4-5   Prov 20:7  It is a wonderful heritage to have an honest father (TLB)   Psalm 42:1 As the deer pants for water, so I long for you, O God.   33 The king was stunned. Heartbroken, he went up to the room over the gate and wept. As he wept he cried out, O my son Absalom, my dear, dear son Absalom! Why not me rather than you, my death and not yours, O Absalom, my dear, dear son!   Ephesians 6:4 Fathers,[a] do not provoke your children to anger by the way you treat them. Rather, bring them up with the discipline and instruction that comes from the Lord. (NLT)       Four Basic Needs of a Son/Daughter:   Love Security Purpose Acceptance

Vision Sunday   A Vision Worth Fighting For     Habakkuk 2:2-3 “Write down the vision and make it plain on tablets so that a runner may run with it. For the vision awaits an appointed time; it speaks of the end and will not prove false. Though it linger, wait for it; it will certainly come and will not delay.”     “Our vision is to reach thousands of people in the Rio Grande Valley and help them become followers of Christ.”         Know God Find Freedom Discover Purpose Make a Difference         John 17:3 “Now this is eternal life: that they know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent.”   God doesn’t just want you to believe in him, he wants you to know Him.     God doesn’t just want you to know him, he wants to help you find freedom.     John 8:31-32 Jesus said, “If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples. 32 Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”     God doesn’t just want you to know him and find freedom; he wants you to discover purpose.     Philippians 3:12 “Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already arrived at my goal, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me.”     God doesn’t just want you to know him and find freedom; he  wants you to discover purpose and make a difference.       “One of the greatest opportunities in life is to positively influence and make a difference in other peoples lives.”                                                                                     - Rudy Beltran     1 Peter 4:10 “Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others, as faithful stewards of God’s grace in its various forms.”           A Vision Worth Fighting For                  

Rely On The Lord     2 Chronicles 15:1-2 “The Spirit of God came on Azariah son of Oded. 2 He went out to meet Asa and said to him, “Listen to me, Asa and all Judah and Benjamin. The Lord is with you when you are with him. If you seek him, he will be found by you, but if you forsake him, he will forsake you.”     The Lord is with you when you are with him.         2 Peter 3:9 “The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. Instead he is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.”     The Lord is with you when you are with him.       2 Chronicles 16:7-9 “At that time Hanani the seer came to Asa king of Judah and said to him: “Because you relied on the king of Aram and not on the Lord your God, the army of the king of Aram has escaped from your hand.8 Were not the Cushites and Libyans a mighty army with great numbers of chariots and horsemen? Yet when you relied on the Lord, he delivered them into your hand. 9 For the eyes of the Lord range throughout the earth to strengthen those whose hearts are fully committed to him.”     The Lord is with you when you are with him.     Isaiah 26:3 “You will keep in perfect peace all who trust in you, all whose thoughts are fixed on you!”   Jeremiah 17:7 “But blessed are those who trust in the Lord and have made the Lord their hope and confidence.”    

GOALS     Philippians 3:14 “I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.”     The Multiplication Effect     2 Corinthians 8:1-7, 9 “Now I want you to know, dear brothers and sisters, what God in his kindness has done through the churches in Macedonia. 2 They are being tested by many troubles, and they are very poor. But they are also filled with abundant joy, which has overflowed in rich generosity. 3 For I can testify that they gave not only what they could afford, but far more. And they did it of their own free will. 4 They begged us again and again for the privilege of sharing in the gift for the believers in Jerusalem. 5 They even did more than we had hoped, for their first action was to give themselves to the Lord and to us, just as God wanted them to do. 6 So we have urged Titus, who encouraged your giving in the first place, to return to you and encourage you to finish this ministry of giving. 7 Since you excel in so many ways—in your faith, your speech, your knowledge, your enthusiasm, and your love for us —I want you to excel also in this grace of giving. 9 You know the generous grace of our Lord Jesus Christ. Though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, so that by his poverty he could make you rich.”     Giving Ladder:   0% - 3%        Nothing to Something 3% - 7%        Something to Significant 7% - 10%      Significant to Tithing 10% - 15%+  Tithing to Sacrificial     Proverbs 3:5 “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding.”     Growing in the grace of giving is act of faith that God blesses.       Whatever you give to God, he multiplies.   Mark 10:29-30 Jesus replied, “and I assure you that everyone who has given up house or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or property, for my sake and for the Good News, 30 will receive a hundred times as much in this present age: homes, brothers, sisters, mothers, children and fields—along with persecutions—and in the age to come eternal life.”     Whatever you give to God, he multiplies.       2 Corinthians 9:6,8 “Remember this: Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously…And God will generously provide all you need. Then you will always have everything you need and plenty left over to share with others.”     Whatever you give to God, he multiplies.

Relationship Goals     A Friend That Last Forever   Proverbs 18:24 “A man of many companions may come to ruin, but there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother.” Your relationship with Christ will do more for you than any other relationship.   Acts 4:13 “When they saw the courage of Peter and John and realized that they were unschooled, ordinary men, they were astonished and they took note that these men had been with Jesus.”     Philippians 4:13 “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.”     Purpose Driven Friends   1 Corinthians 15:33 “Do not be misled: "Bad company corrupts good character."     Proverbs 13:20 “Whoever walks with the wise becomes wise, but the companion of fools will suffer harm.”     Marry Your Best Friend     Mark 3:25 “If a house is divided against itself, that house cannot stand.”     Ephesians 5:31 “A man leaves his father and mother and is joined to his wife, and the two are united into one.”     Friends Without Benefits   Psalm 119:9 “How can a young person stay on the path of purity? By living according to your word.”

Run Your Race     Isaiah 43:18-19 “Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past. For I am about to do something new.  See, I have already begun! Do you not see it?”     1 Corinthians 9:24-25 “Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize. 25 Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training. They do it to get a crown that will not last, but we do it to get a crown that will last forever.”     Stay In Your Lane and Run Your Race       Be Secure In Who God Says You Are     Jeremiah 1:5 “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I set you apart; I appointed you as a prophet to the nations.”     Resist The Comparison Trap   Psalm 139:13-14 “You made all the delicate, inner parts of my body and knit me together in my mother’s womb. Thank you for making me so wonderfully complex! Your workmanship is marvelous—how well I know it.”     Colossians 3:23-24 “Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for people, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving.”    

GOALS   Press On       Isaiah 43:18-19 “Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past. See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not see it? I am making a way in the wilderness and streams in the wasteland.”     2 Corinthians 5:7 “For we live by faith not by sight.”     Philippians 3:12-14 “Not that I have already arrived at my goal, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. 13 Brothers and sisters, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, 14 I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.”     Press On     Philippians 3:15 “All of us, then, who are mature should take such a view of things.”       Set Fewer Goals     Write Down Your Goals     Set Specific Goals     Don’t Give Up On Your Goals  

The Gifts of Christmas         Matthew 2 “Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea, during the reign of King Herod. About that time some wise men from eastern lands arrived in Jerusalem, asking, 2 “Where is the newborn king of the Jews? We saw his star as it rose, and we have come to worship him.” 3 King Herod was deeply disturbed when he heard this, as was everyone in Jerusalem. 4 He called a meeting of the leading priests and teachers of religious law and asked, “Where is the Messiah supposed to be born?” 5 “In Bethlehem in Judea,” they said, “for this is what the prophet wrote:   “‘But you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, are by no means least among the rulers of Judah; for out of you will come a ruler who will shepherd my people Israel.”   On coming to the house, they saw the child with his mother Mary, and they bowed down and worshiped him. Then they opened their treasures and presented him with gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh.”       1 Timothy 6:15 “For, at just the right time Christ will be revealed from heaven by the blessed and only almighty God, the King of all kings and Lord of all lords.”     Hebrews 4:14-15 "So then, since we have a great High Priest who has entered heaven, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold firmly to what we believe.15 This High Priest of ours understands our weaknesses, for he faced all of the same testings we do, yet he did not sin. So let us come boldly to the throne of our gracious God. There we will receive his mercy, and we will find grace to help us when we need it most.”     John 12:46 “I have come as a light to shine in this dark world, so that all who put their trust in me will no longer remain in the dark.”  

Christmas at DTC Church       “There are two ways to live life.  One, there are no miracles, or two, everything is a miracle!  I choose to believe the latter.”                                                                                                             Albert Einstein     Miracles, Signs and Wonders     Isaiah 7:14 “Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign: The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and will call him Immanuel.”     John 20:30-31 “Jesus performed many other signs in the presence of his disciples, which are not recorded in this book. 31 But these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name.”     Luke 2:12 “This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.”     Luke 1:38 “I am the Lord’s servant,” Mary answered. “May it be to me as you have said.”     He became one of us so that we might become one with him.       Psalm 77:14 “You are the God of great wonders! You demonstrate your awesome power among the peoples.”  

At The Movies Alone No More Luke 15:13-14 “A few days later this younger son packed all his belongings and moved to a distant land, and there he wasted all his money in wild living. 14 About the time his money ran out, a great famine swept over the land, and he began to starve.”   Luke 15:17 “When he came to his senses, he said, ‘How many of my father’s hired servants have food to spare, and here I am starving to death!”     Colossians 3:13 “Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another.  Forgive as the Lord forgave you.”  

At The Movies   Great Triumphs Require Great Sacrifices       John 15:16 “You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you so that you might go and bear fruit—fruit that will last”     Vision   Vision is the driving force of future accomplishments.     Proverbs 29:18 “Where there is no vision, people perish”   Matthew 28:19-20 “Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you.”     Sacrifice     Great triumphs require great sacrifices.     Acts 20:22-24 “And now, compelled by the Spirit, I am going to Jerusalem, not knowing what will happen to me there. 23 I only know that in every city the Holy Spirit warns me that prison and hardships are facing me. 24 However, I consider my life worth nothing to me; my only aim is to finish the race and complete the task the Lord Jesus has given me—the task of testifying to the good news of God’s grace.”   Faith   Joshua 1:9 “Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.”     Teamwork     I can do things you cannot, you can do things I cannot; together we can do great things.   Mother Teresa          

At The Movies   Diamond In The Rough       God doesn’t see us as we are but as what we can become.     Romans 5:3-4 “We can rejoice, too, when we run into problems and trials, for we know that they help us develop endurance. 4 And endurance develops strength of character, and character strengthens our confident hope of salvation.”        Ephesians 2:10 “For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us to do.”       You + God = Maximized Potential       God doesn’t see us as we are but as what we can become.  

  I’ve Got Issues   You Are Stronger Than You Think You Are       2 Corinthians 10:3-4 “For though we live in the world, we do not wage war as the world does. 4 The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds.”     You Are Stronger Than You Think You Are     John 14:16-17 “I will ask the Father, and he will give you another helper who will be with you forever. 17 That helper is the Spirit of Truth. The world cannot accept him, because it doesn’t see him or know him. You know him, because he lives with you and will be in you.”     You can’t do God’s will without God’s power.         Matthew 26:41  “Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation. The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak.”     You can’t do God’s will without God’s power.     1 John 4:4 “The one who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world.”   Romans 8:11 “The Spirit of God, who raised Jesus from the dead, lives in you. And just as God raised Christ Jesus from the dead, he will give life to your mortal bodies by this same Spirit living within you.”     You Are Stronger Than You Think You Are    

Win The Day 2 Corinthians 10:3-4 “For though we live in the world, we do not wage war as the world does. 4 The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds.” You can win the battle if you win the day. Win The Day With Your Thoughts 2 Corinthians 10:5 We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.” Psalm 34:19 “The righteous person may have many troubles, but the LORD delivers him from them all..” James 4:7 “Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.” You can win the battle if you win the day. Win The Day With Your Words Judges 6:15 “But Lord,” Gideon replied, “how can I rescue Israel? My clan is the weakest in the whole tribe of Manasseh, and I am the least in my entire family!” Jeremiah 1:6-7 “O, Sovereign Lord,” I said, “I do not know how to speak; I am too young.” 7 But the Lord said to me, “Do not say, ‘I am too young.’ You must go to everyone I send you to and say whatever I command you.” Win The Day With Your Actions James 1:14-15 “Temptation comes from our own desires, which entice us and drag us away. 15 These desires give birth to sinful actions. And when sin is allowed to grow, it gives birth to death.” You can win the battle if you win the day.

I’ve Got Issues   The Choice Is Yours     Romans 7:18 “For I know that good itself does not dwell in me, that is, in my sinful nature. For I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out.”     Matthew 5:3 “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.”     The key to overcoming your sinful nature is faith in Christ not faith in yourself.     Galatians 3:1-3 “Oh, foolish Galatians! Who has cast an evil spell on you? For the meaning of Jesus Christ’s death was made as clear to you as if you had seen a picture of his death on the cross. 2 Let me ask you this one question: Did you receive the Holy Spirit by obeying the law of Moses? Of course not! You received the Spirit because you believed the message you heard about Christ. 3 How foolish can you be? After starting your new lives in the Spirit, why are you now trying to finish by your own human effort?”       Romans 8:5-6  “Those who live according to the sinful nature have their minds set on what the sinful nature desires; but those who live in accordance with the Spirit have their minds set on what the Spirit desires. The mind controlled by the sinful nature leads to death, but the mind controlled by the Spirit leads to life and peace.”     The Choice Is Yours     Galatians 5:25 “Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit.”  

I’ve Got Issues   I Am My Own Worst Enemy       Romans 7:15-19  “I don’t really understand myself, for I want to do what is right, but I don’t do it. Instead, I do what I hate. 16 And if I do what I do not want to do, I agree that the law is good. 17 As it is, it is no longer I myself who do it, but it is sin living in me. 18 For I know that good itself does not dwell in me, that is, in my sinful nature. For I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out. 19 For I do not do the good I want to do, but the evil I do not want to do—this I keep on doing.     Galatians 5:17 “For the sinful nature desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the sinful nature.  They are in conflict with each other, so that you do not do what you want.”     Romans 8:7-8  “For the sinful nature is always hostile to God. It never did obey God’s laws, and it never will. 8 That’s why those who are still under the control of their sinful nature can never please God.”     Romans 8:6 “The mind controlled by the sinful nature leads to death, but the mind controlled by the Spirit leads to life and peace.”     Romans 7:24 Oh, what a miserable person I am! Who will free me from this life that is dominated by sin and death?      Romans 7:18 “For I know that good itself does not dwell in me, that is, in my sinful nature. For I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out.”     Romans 7:25 “Thank God! The answer is in Jesus Christ our Lord.”  

I’ve Got Issues         Stop running from your issues and start facing them head on.       Romans 7:15-25  “I don’t really understand myself, for I want to do what is right, but I don’t do it. Instead, I do what I hate. 16 And if I do what I do not want to do, I agree that the law is good. 17 As it is, it is no longer I myself who do it, but it is sin living in me. 18 For I know that good itself does not dwell in me, that is, in my sinful nature. For I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out. 19 For I do not do the good I want to do, but the evil I do not want to do—this I keep on doing. 20 Now if I do what I do not want to do, it is no longer I who do it, but it is sin living in me that does it. 21 So I find this law at work: Although I want to do good, evil is right there with me. 22 For in my inner being I delight in God’s law; 23 but I see another law at work in me, waging war against the law of my mind and making me a prisoner of the law of sin at work within me.  24 Oh, what a miserable person I am! Who will free me from this life that is dominated by sin and death? 25 Thank God! The answer is in Jesus Christ our Lord.”     Psalm 51:5 “Surely I was sinful at birth, sinful from the time my mother conceived me.”       Stop running from your issues and start facing them head on. I’ve Got Issues         Stop running from your issues and start facing them head on.       Romans 7:15-25  “I don’t really understand myself, for I want to do what is right, but I don’t do it. Instead, I do what I hate. 16 And if I do what I do not want to do, I agree that the law is good. 17 As it is, it is no longer I myself who do it, but it is sin living in me. 18 For I know that good itself does not dwell in me, that is, in my sinful nature. For I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out. 19 For I do not do the good I want to do, but the evil I do not want to do—this I keep on doing. 20 Now if I do what I do not want to do, it is no longer I who do it, but it is sin living in me that does it. 21 So I find this law at work: Although I want to do good, evil is right there with me. 22 For in my inner being I delight in God’s law; 23 but I see another law at work in me, waging war against the law of my mind and making me a prisoner of the law of sin at work within me.  24 Oh, what a miserable person I am! Who will free me from this life that is dominated by sin and death? 25 Thank God! The answer is in Jesus Christ our Lord.”     Psalm 51:5 “Surely I was sinful at birth, sinful from the time my mother conceived me.”       Stop running from your issues and start facing them head on.

I Believe and I Belong     Christianity isn’t just about believing, it’s about belonging.     2 Peter 2:9-10 “But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light. 10 Once you were not a people, but now you are the people of God.”     1 Timothy 3:15 “God’s family is the church of the living God, the pillar and foundation of the truth.”       Philippians 1:21-25 “For to me, living means living for Christ, and dying is even better. 22 But if I live, I can do more fruitful work for Christ. So I really don’t know which is better. 23 I’m torn between two desires: I long to go and be with Christ, which would be far better for me. 24 But for your sakes, it is better that I continue to live. 25 Knowing this, I am convinced that I will remain alive so I can continue to help all of you grow and experience the joy of your faith.”     Christianity isn’t just about believing, it’s about belonging.     Acts 2:42-47 “The believers devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer…All the believers were together and had everything in common… 46 Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, 47 praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved.”     The secret sauce to spiritual growth and vitality is community.     Ecclesiastes 4:9-10 “Two people are better off than one, for they can help each other succeed. 10 If one person falls, the other can reach out and help. But someone who falls alone is in real trouble.”     Christianity isn’t just about believing, it’s about belonging.         Proverbs 27:17 “As iron sharpens iron, one man sharpens another.”       Hebrews 10:24-25 “Let us think of ways to motivate one another to acts of love and good works. 25 And let us not neglect our meeting together, as some people do, but encourage one another, especially now that the day of his return is drawing near.”

Your Time Is Coming       One touch from God can change everything.     1 Peter 5:6-7 “Humble yourselves, therefore, under God’s mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time. 7 Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.”     Your Time Is Coming       One touch from God can change everything.       Mark 5:34 “He said to her, “Daughter, your faith has healed you. Go in peace and be freed from your suffering.”       1 Peter 5:6-7 “Humble yourselves, therefore, under God’s mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time. 7 Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.”    

This Is The New You       2 Corinthians 5:17-18, “This means that anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun! And all of this is a gift from God, who brought us back to himself through Christ. And God has given us this task of reconciling people to him.”     You Are Free From Your Past   Romans 8:1 “So now there is no condemnation for those who belong to Christ Jesus.”     John 8:36 “So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.”       You Have Power   1 John 4:4 “You, dear children, are from God and have overcome them, because the one who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world.”     Luke 10:19-20 “I have given you authority to trample on snakes and scorpions and to overcome all the power of the enemy; nothing will harm you.  However, do not rejoice that the spirits submit to you, but rejoice that your names are written in heaven.”       You Are Blessed   Galatians 3:13-14  “But Christ has rescued us from the curse pronounced by the law. When he was hung on the cross, he took upon himself the curse for our wrongdoing…Through Christ Jesus, God has blessed the Gentiles with the same blessing he promised to Abraham.”  

I Love the 90s Remember What God Has Done   Joshua 4:4-7 “So Joshua called together the twelve men he had appointed from the Israelites, one from each tribe, 5 and said to them, “Go over before the ark of the Lord your God into the middle of the Jordan. Each of you is to take up a stone on his shoulder, according to the number of the tribes of the Israelites, 6 to serve as a sign among you. In the future, when your children ask you, ‘What do these stones mean?’ 7 tell them that the flow of the Jordan was cut off before the ark of the covenant of the Lord. When it crossed the Jordan, the waters of the Jordan were cut off. These stones are to be a memorial to the people of Israel forever.”   Joshua 4:21-23 He said to the Israelites, “In the future when your children ask their fathers, ‘What do these stones mean?’ 22 tell them, ‘Israel crossed the Jordan on dry ground.’ 23 For the Lord your God dried up the Jordan before you until you had crossed over. The Lord your God did to the Jordan what he had done to the Red Sea.”       God has done it before, he can do it again.     1 Samuel 17:37 “The Lord who rescued me from the paw of the lion and the paw of the bear will rescue me from the hand of this Philistine.”         Psalm 77:11-12 “But then I recall all you have done, O Lord; I remember your wonderful deeds of long ago. They are constantly in my thoughts. I cannot stop thinking about your mighty works.”       God has done it before, he can do it again.

To Good To Be True   1 Timothy 1:13-15 “Even though I was once a blasphemer and a persecutor and a violent man, I was shown mercy because I acted in ignorance and unbelief. 14 The grace of our Lord was poured out on me abundantly, along with the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus. 15 Here is a trustworthy saying that deserves full acceptance: Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners—of whom I am the worst.”      Romans 3:23  “For everyone has sinned; we all fall short of God’s glorious standard. 24 Yet God, in his grace, freely makes us right in his sight. He did this through Christ Jesus when he freed us from the penalty for our sins.”   2 Corinthians 8:9 “For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sake he became poor, so that you through his poverty might become rich.”       2 Timothy 1:9-10 “For God saved us and called us to live a holy life. He did this, not because we deserved it, but because that was his plan from before the beginning of time—to show us his grace through Christ Jesus.”     Ephesians 2:8-9 “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— 9 not by works, so that no one can boast.”     Amazing Grace, How sweet the sound That saved a wretch like me I once was lost, but now am found T'was blind but now I see   T'was Grace that taught my heart to fear And Grace, my fears relieved How precious did that grace appear The hour I first believed   Through many dangers, toils and snares We have already come. T'was grace that brought us safe thus far And grace will lead us home, The Lord has promised good to me, His word my hope secures He will my shield and portion be As long as life endures        

I Love The 90’s     Knocked Down But Not Out      “When you get knocked down do you know how to get back up again?”     2 Corinthians 4:8-9  “We are pressed on every side by troubles, but we are not crushed. We are perplexed, but not driven to despair. 9 We are hunted down, but never abandoned by God. We get knocked down, but we are not destroyed.”   Romans 8:28-39 “And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them. 29 For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers and sisters. 30 And those he predestined, he also called; those he called, he also justified; those he justified, he also glorified.   31 What, then, shall we say in response to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? 32 He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all—how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things? 33 Who will bring any charge against those whom God has chosen? It is God who justifies. 34 Who then is the one who condemns? No one. Christ Jesus who died—more than that, who was raised to life—is at the right hand of God and is also interceding for us. 35 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword?    37 No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. 38 For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, 39 neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.   God is with you and God is for you.     Hebrews 13:5-6 God has said, “Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you.” So we say with confidence, “The Lord is my helper; I will not be afraid. What can mere mortals do to me?”   God is with you and God is for you.  

  Uncommon Faith       Uncommon things happen when you have uncommon faith.     Luke 1:38 “I am the Lord’s servant, may it be to me as you have said.”       Uncommon things happen when you have uncommon faith!       Acts 4:13 “When they saw the courage of Peter and John and realized that they were unschooled, ordinary men, they were astonished and they took note that these men had been with Jesus.”     Uncommon things happen when you have uncommon faith.                

Uncommon Love     Romans 12:2 “ Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.”         1 Corinthians 13:4-8  “Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. 5 It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. 6 Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. 7 It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. 8 Love never fails.”     Love is not just something you feel it’s something you do.       Ephesians 5:1-2  “Follow God’s example, therefore, as dearly loved children 2 and walk in the way of love, just as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.”        

Uncommon Power     1 Peter 2:9-11 “But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light. 10 Once you were not a people, but now you are the people of God; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.”   Uncommon Power       Luke 24:49 “I am going to send you what my Father has promised; but stay in the city until you have been clothed with power from on high.”     John 16:7 “But I tell you the truth, it is better for you that I go away. When I go away, I will send the Helper to you. If I do not go away, the Helper will not come.”      John 14:16-17 “I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Helper to be with you forever— 17 the Spirit of truth. The world cannot accept him, because it does not see him or know him. But you know him, because he lives with you and he will be in you.”     To live an uncommon life you need an uncommon power.     John 14:27 “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.”     Galatians 5:16 “So I say, let the Holy Spirit guide your lives. Then you won’t be doing what your sinful nature craves.”     Ephesians 1:13 “When you believed in Christ, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit.”     To live an uncommon life you need an uncommon power.

Uncommon   Because Normal Isn’t Working     Don’t settle for normal when you can be uncommon.       Matthew 7:13-14 “Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it.14 But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it.”       “If you want what normal people have, do what normal people do. But if  you want what few people have, do what few people do.”   Craig Groeschel         Romans 12:2 “Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.”     What you think determines what you become.       Don’t settle for normal when you can be uncommon.        

  John 15:13 “Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends.”     Christ died for you, so you could live for him.         Matthew 27:50-51 “And when Jesus had cried out again in a loud voice, he gave up his spirit. 51 At that moment the curtain of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom. The earth shook, the rocks split apart..”     “The one who draws near to God seizes the presence of God.”     John 11:25 “Jesus told her, “I am the resurrection and the life. Anyone who believes in me will live, even after dying.”

The Triumphal Entry       1 Corinthians 11:23-26 For I received from the Lord what I also passed on to you: The Lord Jesus, on the night he was betrayed, took bread, 24 and when he had given thanks, he broke it and said, “This is my body, which is for you; do this in remembrance of me.” 25 In the same way, after supper he took the cup, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood; do this, whenever you drink it, in remembrance of me.” 26 For whenever you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes.     It Is Finished!     Isaiah 53:4-5   He took up our pain and bore our suffering and by his wounds we are healed.  He was beaten and whipped so we could be made whole.     “Way Maker”     Stand in Righteousness   2 Corinthians 5:21 “God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.”   Matthew 6:33 “But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.”     Psalm 46:10 Be STILL and know that I am God…       In the midst of painful circumstances you have to battle and struggle with fear and doubt and uncertainty.