Victory Temple Chantilly's Podcast

Wisdom for parenting teenagers."There is a season, a time for every purpose under heaven." Ecc 3:1 NKJVWhy does a happy, cooperative twelve-year-old suddenly turn into a sullen, depressed thirteen-year-old? There are two powerful forces that account for some of the adolescent behavior that drives you crazy as a parent. The first is linked to social pressures common at that age. But there is a second source of disruption. It's related to hormonal changes that not only transform the physical body but also revolutionize how kids think.For some (not all) adolescents, human chemistry is in a state of imbalance for a few years, causing flightiness, agitation, outbursts, and even depression. This upheaval can motivate a boy or girl to do things that make absolutely no sense to the adults who are watching anxiously on the sidelines. This hormonal firestorm can destabilize their self-concept and create a sense of foreboding. Parents often despair during the irrationality of this period.Everything they have tried to teach their children seems to have misfired for a couple of years. Self-discipline, cleanliness, respect for authority, and common courtesy may give way to risk-taking and all-around goofiness. If that is where your child is today, there is good news-better days are coming! Your unpredictable teen can actually become a tower of strength and good judgment-if they don't do something destructive before their hormones settle down once more. What should you do as a parent? First, don't draw long-term conclusions based on a short-term season. Second, let them know you love them, be patient, and pray for peace of mind."The peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds" (Php 4:7 NKJV).Wisdom for parenting teenagers The hormonal firestormShare This DevotionalSend us a textSupport the showChanging Lives | Building Strong Family | Impacting Our Community For Jesus Christ!

JUN. 10, 2025The five crowns (3)."There is laid up for me the crown of righteousness." 2Ti 4:8 NKJVThe third crown mentioned in Scripture is the crown of righteousness. Paul writes: "I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Finally, there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord...will give to me on that Day, and... also to all who have loved His appearing" (vv. 7-8 NKJV). A pastor amplifies this: "The book of 2 Timothy represents the last known writing of the apostle Paul, and we have reason to believe he was beheaded shortly after writing these words. But rather than dreading death, he was looking forward to the Second Coming. He was...content with his record of service for the Master. Paul's use of the athletic metaphor here is especially descriptive of the life of the believer because it describes struggle, endurance, discipline, and final victory. The Crown of Righteousness is reserved for those who have a longing for the Lord Jesus and who watch for Jesus to come back." Writing to Titus, Paul speaks of "looking for the blessed hope and glorious appearing of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ" (Titus 2:13 NKJV). The pastor continues: "Psychologists tell us that anticipation...is an emotion with marvelous healing powers. People who are snowbound sustain their spirits by anticipating the longer days of spring and summer. Couples…separated by military deployment stay sane by anticipating their reunion…Brides and grooms are eager for their wedding day." As a Christian, your best days are ahead of you, and you can anticipate all the glories of heaven and eternity. It should motivate you to be faithful to Jesus as you wait for His return.The five crowns The crown of righteousnessShare This DevotionalSend us a textSupport the showChanging Lives | Building Strong Family | Impacting Our Community For Jesus Christ!

The five crowns (1)."They do it to obtain a perishable crown, but we for an imperishable crown." 1Co 9:25 NKJVIn describing our heavenly rewards, the Bible speaks of crowns. Let's look at each and see what we can learn. The first is the victor's crown. "Everyone who competes for the prize is temperate in all things. Now they do it to obtain a perishable crown, but we for an imperishable crown. Therefore I run thus: not with uncertainty. Thus I fight: not as one who beats the air. But I discipline my body and bring it into subjection, lest, when I have preached to others, I myself should become disqualified" (vv. 25-27 NKJV). Paul points out that athletes who expect to win must actively train. And we, likewise, must retain self-control even in things that, although not inherently evil, can weaken our devotion to God. A pastor explains: Sometimes we have to turn off the television so we can study our Bibles. We have to get up earlier in the mornings to have our daily devotions. We have to exercise self-control in what comes into our minds. We can't watch many of today's television programs or movies-much less the streaming material accessible on our phones and computers-without violating biblical standards of personal holiness. We can't subject our bodies to drug or alcohol abuse or allow immorality to creep into our relationships. We've got to keep our tempers [and tongues] under the control of the Holy Spirit...and we have to depend on God to strengthen us in our resolutions to live disciplined lives." The Bible says, "Now they do it to obtain a perishable crown, but we for an imperishable crown"-the victor's crown.The five crowns  The victor's crownThe five crowns (2)."What will be our...crown as we stand before our Lord Jesus when he returns? It is you!" 1Th 2:19 NLTThe second crown mentioned in Scripture is the crown of rejoicing. It's given to those who take part in leading others to Christ. The background for this passage is written about in Acts 17, which tells the story of Paul arriving in the city of Thessalonica. He went into the synagogue, "and for three Sabbaths reasoned with them from the Scriptures, explaining...that the Christ had to suffer and rise again from the dead, and saying, 'This Jesus whom I preach to you is the Christ'" (vv. 2-3 NKJV). Some of his hearers were converted, including a great multitude of devout Greeks and a number of prominent women. As a result, a church was built there. Writing to them later, Paul said that they would be his crown when Christ returned. We should all follow Bill Bright's example; he was one of the best soul winners of the twentieth century. And he once disclosed his secret: "Although I have shared Christ personally with many thousands of people through the years, I am a rather reserved person and I do not always find it easy to witness. But I have made this my practice, and l urge you to do the same: Assume that whenever you are alone with another person for more than a few moments, you are there by divine appointment to explain...the love and forgiveness he [or she] can know through faith in Jesus Christ." When was the last time you shared the gospel with someone? Whenever you do, the Lord is fitting you for a crown of rejoicing.The five crowns The crown of rejoicingShare This DevotionalSend us a textSupport the showChanging Lives | Building Strong Family | Impacting Our Community For Jesus Christ!

JUN. 5, 2025Honor others, and God will honor you."...In honor giving preference to one another." Ro 12:10 NKJVOne of the real tests of character and maturity is how you react to someone else's success. That's particularly so when they succeed in an area where you failed or in which you're frustrated over not having achieved greater success. F. B. Meyer, a well-known author and minister in England, once shared the following experience to a few of his friends: "It was easy to pray for the success of G. Campbell Morgan when he was in America. But when he came back to England and took a church near to mine, it was something different. The old Adam in me was inclined to jealousy, but I got my heel upon his head, and whether I felt right toward my friend, I determined to act right. My church gave a reception for him, and I acknowledged that if it was not necessary for me to preach Sunday evenings, I would dearly love to go and hear him myself. Well, that made me feel right toward him. But just see how the dear Lord helped me out of my difficulty. There was Charles Spurgeon preaching wonderfully on one side of me, and G. Campbell Morgan on the other. Both were so popular and drew such crowds that our church caught the overflow, and we had all we could accommodate." No matter how well you do something, someone else will come along and do it better. So, here are your options:Compare yourself to them, compete with them, criticize them, compliment, and cooperate with them. The latter is what Paul meant when he wrote, "Be kindly affectionate to one another with brotherly love, in honor giving preference to one another" (v. 10 NKJV).Honor others, and God will honor you How you react to someone else's successShare This DevotionalSend us a textSupport the showChanging Lives | Building Strong Family | Impacting Our Community For Jesus Christ!

Finding your life's purpose."I have appeared to you for this purpose, to make you a minister and a witness." Ac 26:16 NKJVIn baseball, the catcher tries to distract the batter. On one occasion when Yogi Berra was behind the plate, Hank Aaron came up to bat. Yogi started in, "Hank, you've got the writing on the bat in the wrong place. The words should be facing you." Yogi kept going, "You better check it." Hank didn't say a word. On the next pitch, Hank hit the ball over the center field fence. He rounded the bases, stepped on home plate, looked at Yogi Berra, and said, "I didn't come here to read, I came to win." It's vital to know why you are here and not to let anyone talk you out of your calling or purpose. In the world today, people say they are trying to find themselves. Such a search is pointless. As one pastor states: "If you don't know who you are, how do you know what to look for? And how would you know when you have found it, since you don't know what you are looking for? Toasters don't find themselves...A toaster...just [has] to do what the manufacturer had in mind." Paul had a supernatural encounter on the Damascus road when Christ said to him, "I have appeared to you for this purpose, to make you a minister and a witness both of the things which you have seen and of the things which I will yet reveal to you" (v. 16 NKJV). To discover your life's purpose, you must start with God as your reference point. He made you; He redeemed you; He has a plan for your life-and He will reveal it to you.Finding your life's purpose It's vital to know why you are here.Share This DevotionalSend us a textSupport the showChanging Lives | Building Strong Family | Impacting Our Community For Jesus Christ!

JUN. 3, 2025Take responsibility for your life."Do you want to get well?" Jn 5:6 NIVWhat an amazing question Jesus asked this paralyzed man: "Do you want to get well?" Who wouldn't? You might be surprised! Kay Arthur tells of passing a beggar one day on a street in the Old City of Jerusalem. As he sat begging, his trouser leg was pulled up to reveal his terrible sores. She writes: "My nurse's heart brought my feet to a halt. I wanted to bend down and shield the open wound from the dust...It should be washed, medicated, and dressed by someone who cared. My friend gently took me by my elbow and propelled me toward our destination. I was a tourist and did not know about these things. She then proceeded to tell me that this man did not wish to be made well. He made his living from his wound! As I looked back...l caught one last glimpse of someone who was less than what he could have been." The man lying helpless on a cot by the pool called Bethesda had been there for thirty-eight years. Question: How long does it take before a problem becomes a way of life? Jesus said to him, "Get up...and walk" (v. 8 NIV), the inference being that it's time to get up and go to work—to become a father to your children, a husband to your wife, a contributor to your community, a solution to someone else's problem-it's time to take responsibility for your life. Are you letting your past or present circumstances keep you stuck and stop you from moving forward? If Jesus asked you, "Do you want to get well emotionally, physically, and spiritually?" what would your answer be? Today let Jesus make you whole!Take responsibility for your life Today let Jesus make you whole!Share This DevotionalSend us a textSupport the showChanging Lives | Building Strong Family | Impacting Our Community For Jesus Christ!

JUN. 2, 2025A word to graduates."Concentrate on doing your best for God." 2Ti 2:15 MSGGraduate, here are eleven lessons to empower and inspire you: (1) You're here for a reason, and the most vital thing you can do is find it. (2) Follow your passion. You may not already know what it is, but make it your mission to discover it. (3) Although you might love Facebook, you might not like working for the company. And because you enjoy cooking doesn't mean you will enjoy owning a restaurant. (4) Don't quit because the work is hard. Quit because deep inside you know there is something different for you to do, or you're not improving yourself or the organization, or you know you're not supposed to be there anymore. (5) Learn from every experience. Each job gets you ready for the work you were born to do. (6) Your present job may not be your highest purpose, but it can assist as an agent to prepare you for it. (7) In whichever job you accept after graduation, serve. Serving in minor ways affords you opportunities to serve in major ways. (8) Your dream job probably isn't the one you dreamed about. Frequently we end up in remarkable careers outside the scope of our degrees. (9) The pursuit of your purpose is filled with difficulties, wins, detours, dead ends, and postponements. Remain hopeful and faithful. (10) You may want something to happen immediately, but if it did, would you be ready for it? (11) Seeds yield to the ground so they can be utilized for a greater purpose.So, plant yourself, and let yourself be used for a harvest to benefit others.A word to graduates Don't quit because the work is hard.Share This DevotionalSend us a textSupport the showChanging Lives | Building Strong Family | Impacting Our Community For Jesus Christ!

MAY. 29, 2025The need for connectedness."Being rooted and established in love." Eph 3:17 NIVUnfortunately, the word fellowship has come to be associated with awkward gatherings in church basements, drinking red punch, and participating in stilted conversations. No wonder people give up on it! Paul describes connectedness as "being rooted and established in love."When a tree puts roots into the ground, it takes in nutrients and water, and the tree grows and has life, but only if it's rooted. In the same way, we're rooted, and our souls are nourished in the love of God-and other people. We experience this physically and emotionally when we connect with somebody. When there is an exchange of genuine caring, the roots of your soul get fed. We flourish when we're connected with God and people, and we languish when we're disconnected.Emotionally isolated people are more prone to depression, anxiety, loneliness, low self-esteem, substance abuse, sexual addiction, and difficulty eating and sleeping. One behavioral expert writes: "Connection not only helped make us who we are...it helps determine who we become as individuals…In both cases, human connections, mental health, psychological health, and emotional well-being are inextricably linked." Even animals that are isolated experience more intensive arterial sclerosis. One author writes, "A friend of mine used to have a dog and a cat [that] fought for ten years. Then the cat died...and the dog wouldn't eat. Six weeks later he died." That's just a small illustration of the power of connection. This doesn't mean you have to force yourself to become an extrovert. Some of the shyest people have the deepest friendships because they identify life-giving relationships, plug into them, thrive, and give back. And that's what God designed you to do too.The need for connectedness Human connections and emotional wellbeing are inextricably linked.Share This DevotionalSend us a textSupport the showChanging Lives | Building Strong Family | Impacting Our Community For Jesus Christ!

MAY. 28, 2025When you feel blah."Where there is no vision, the people perish." Pr 29:18The word "perish" conjures up images of deterioration and decay, like fruit rotting from within. On what specific day does passion leave a marriage or a worker lose interest in a job that once excited them? Like air leaking silently out of a tire, what was meant to carry our weight and to power us toward our destiny can now barely wobble. If that's how you're feeling now, read this promise, and let it take root within you: "He gives power to the tired and worn out, and strength to the weak. Even the youths shall be exhausted, and the young men will all give up. But they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength. They shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint" (Isa 40:29-31 TLB).The great apostle Paul told his admirers, "We too are only human, like you" (Ac 14:15 NIV).  We are all made of the same flawed material. That's why we need God's strength and mercy newly bestowed on us each day (See La 3:22-23). So, what should you do when you're feeling blah? Two things. First, if you're physically tired-rest. Second, think about how God's family works and stop isolating. The Bible says, "Carry each other's burdens" (Gal 6:2 NIV). The fact is, you have given to others in times past, now have the grace and humility to receive from them. Reach out. Use your connections. Start reading God's Word. Listen to uplifting music and fill your space with praise. When you do these things, your focus will change, and your faith will start to rise.When you feel blah We are all made of the same flawed material.Share This DevotionalSend us a textSupport the showChanging Lives | Building Strong Family | Impacting Our Community For Jesus Christ!

MAY. 27, 2025Are you in a stress mess?"What you are doing is not good...You... will only wear yourselves out." Ex 18:17-18 NIVThe Bible says: "The next day Moses took his seat to serve as judge for the people, and they stood around him from morning till evening. When his father-in-law saw all that Moses was doing for the people, he said, 'What is this you are doing for the people?Why do you alone sit as judge, while all these people stand around you from morning till evening?' Moses answered him, 'Because the people come to me to seek God's will. Whenever they have a dispute, it is brought to me, and I decide between the parties and inform them of God's decrees and instructions! Moses' father-in-law replied, 'What you are doing is not good. You and these people who come to you will only wear yourselves out'" (vv. 13-18 NIV). Moses was stressed to the breaking point. The Latin word for "stress" means "to be drawn tight." Doctors say it's a precursor to heart attacks and strokes. There is a reason why highways have weigh stations-to ensure that trucks aren't carrying more weight than they are constructed to haul. Moses' father-in-law told him that he was wearing himself out. The Hebrew word for "wearing out" literally means "to become old." Moses was growing old before his time. If that's happening to you,(1) shift gears and start to share the load with others, and (2) spend more time in God's presence. "Those who wait on the Lord shall renew their strength...they shall... not faint" (Isa 40:31 NKJV).Are you in a stress mess? Stressed to a breaking pointShare This DevotionalSend us a textSupport the showChanging Lives | Building Strong Family | Impacting Our Community For Jesus Christ!

MAY. 26, 2025When God asks you to give."The Lord will reward each one for whatever good they do." Eph 6:8 NIVWhen God asks you to sacrifice on behalf of somebody else, do it. It's like putting money in a heavenly account. You may not need it today or tomorrow, but when you do, God will ensure it comes back to you in multiplied form. Indian Christian missionary Sadhu Sundar Singh and a companion were traveling through a pass high in the Himalayas when they found a body lying in the snow. They checked for vital signs and discovered the man was still alive, but barely. As Sundar prepared to stop and help this unfortunate traveler, his companion objected, saying, "We shall lose our lives if we burden ourselves with him." Sundar, however, couldn't comprehend leaving the man to die in the snow without an attempt at rescue. His companion bade him farewell and walked on. Sundar lifted the traveler on his back and, with great exertion-made greater by the high altitude and snowy conditions-carried him onward. As he walked, the heat from his body began to warm the frozen man. He revived, and soon they were walking together side by side, holding each other up and sharing body heat. Before long, they came upon another traveler's body lying in the snow, and on closer inspection, they discovered he was dead. You guessed it. It was Sundar's original traveling companion! So, what's the lesson in all this? What you make happen for others, God will make happen for you! The Bible says, "Serve wholeheartedly because...the Lord will reward each one for whatever good they do" (vv. 7-8 NIV).When God asks you to give Money in a heavenly accountShare This DevotionalSend us a textSupport the showChanging Lives | Building Strong Family | Impacting Our Community For Jesus Christ!

MAY. 22, 2025How to stay enthusiastic about God.'My food,' said Jesus, 'is to do the will of him who sent me and to finish his work.'" Jn 4:34 NIVNo one had more energy than Jesus. He got up early, stayed up late, and sometimes pulled all-nighters. Where did He get all that energy from? The answer is found in a fascinating dialogue. "His disciples urged him, 'Rabbi, eat something. But He said to them, 'I have food to eat that you know nothing about! Then His disciples said to each other, 'Could someone have brought him food?' 'My food, said Jesus, 'is to do the will of him who sent me and to finish his work'" (vv. 31-34 NIV). When you see the word "food," you think energy because that's what food is. And Jesus makes an insightful point here: God's will is energizing. So, how do you keep yourself energized? By staying in the will of God. Engaging in God-ordained passions and pursuing God-sized dreams is how we produce energy. Nothing energizes us more. Don't just repent of doing what is wrong; replace it with what is right. Paul writes: "Therefore, my beloved brethren, be firm (steadfast), immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord [always being superior, excelling, doing more than enough in the service of the Lord], knowing and being continually aware that your labor in the Lord is not futile [it is never wasted or to no purpose]" (1Co 15:58 AMPC). If sin is a waste of energy, which it is, then discovering and fulfilling your God-given assignment in life is the most energizing thing that you can do.How to stay enthusiastic about God God's will is energizing.Share This DevotionalSend us a textSupport the showChanging Lives | Building Strong Family | Impacting Our Community For Jesus Christ!

MAY. 21, 2025The secret to success."Whose weakness was turned to strength." Heb 11:34 NIVThe so-called "secret" to success is really no secret at all! It's simply getting back up when life has knocked you down and taking with you into the future the lessons you have learned. In talking about heroes such as Samson and David, the Bible goes on to say, "Whose weakness was turned to strength; and who became powerful in battle and routed foreign armies" (v. 34 NIV). Notice these people weren't always strong, but they became strong. They didn't win every battle, but they went on to win the ones that mattered. In 1928, a thirty-three-year-old man named Paul Galvin found himself staring at failure...again. By this point, he had failed twice in industry, his competitors having forced him to fold up his latest venture in the storage-battery business. Convinced, however, that he still had a remarkable idea, Galvin attended the auction of his own business. And with the $750 he had managed to raise, he bought back the battery eliminator portion of the inventory. With it, he built a new company, one in which he succeeded, one from which he eventually retired, and one which became a household word: Motorola. You have probably heard of it. Business innovator Roger von Oech said: "Remember the two benefits of failure. First, if you do fail, you learn what doesn't work; and second, the failure gives you the opportunity to try a new approach... Most people think of success and failure as opposites, but they both are products of the same process." Failure is delay, not defeat. We all make mistakes, especially those who act. It's only when you become unwilling to risk failure that you stop learning, you stop growing, and you stop succeeding.The secret to success Failure is delay, not defeat.Share This DevotionalSend us a textSupport the showChanging Lives | Building Strong Family | Impacting Our Community For Jesus Christ!

MAY. 20, 2025Who are you depending on?"Without Me you can do nothing." Jn 15:5 NKJVBecause God's Spirit lives within you doesn't guarantee His power is at work in your life. God's power is available, but you must plug into it. Jesus associates our spiritual life with a vine and its branches: "I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing" (v. 5 NKJV). In this comparison, the branch is completely dependent on the main vine; it cannot yield fruit on its own. Growing fruit is an internal job. If someone tied apples onto the branches of a dead tree and said, "Look at this fruit tree," what would you say? You would probably say, "You tied those things on." That's similar to when a Christian says, "I'm going to tie on a bunch of fruit in my life—a little patience now, a little goodness later, a little self-control at another time. I will do it by myself." Impossible! It's the fruit of the Spirit, not the efforts of the flesh. Jesus said, "He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit." How can you tell you're abiding (or residing) in Christ? Consider your prayer life. Your prayers reveal your dependence on God. What do you pray about? Whatever you pray about is what you're relying on God for. The Bible says, "Never stop praying" (1Th 5:17 NLT). Pray about your decisions, needs, temptations, interests, plans, schedule, problems, purchases; specifically, pray about everything! Doing this is what it means to "abide"-being aware that God is always with you, practicing His presence.Who are you depending on? Your prayers reveal your dependence on God.Share This DevotionalSend us a textSupport the showChanging Lives | Building Strong Family | Impacting Our Community For Jesus Christ!

MAY. 19, 2025Get alone with God (3)"When you make a vow to God, do not delay to fulfill it." Ecc 5:4 NIVWhen the pressures in your life begin to mount, the first thing you will be tempted to drop is your time alone with God, praying and reading His Word. And what's more, Satan knows if he can keep you from it, he has won the battle, and he will get no opposition from you. So, how can you overcome this problem?(1) By making a covenant with God. Think about it: Why do we make marriage vows? So we will think twice about breaking them! It's the same in your devotional life: "When you make a vow to God, do not delay to fulfill it."(2) By scheduling it. Block out time to meet with God each day, just like you would for a doctor's appointment or a business lunch. Can you think of a more important appointment? Surely not! (3) By being prepared for the devil's excuses. Adopt the Boy Scout motto: Be prepared! Dr. Robert G.Lee used to say, "If you wake up in the morning and don't meet the devil face on, it means you're headed in the same direction!"(4) By leaving your Bible open the night before to the verses you intend to read the next morning. When you wake up, it will remind you that the most important thing you have to do today is meet with God. What if you miss a day? Don't worry-and don't go on a guilt trip. If you miss a meal, you don't give up eating, right? It just means you eat a little more at the next one and move on from there.Get alone with God Block out time to meet with God.Share This DevotionalSend us a textSupport the showChanging Lives | Building Strong Family | Impacting Our Community For Jesus Christ!

MAY. 16, 2025Don't lose your passion for God."Then his disciples remembered this prophecy from the Scriptures: 'Passion for God's house will consume me.'" Jn 2:17 NLTTry to imagine the fire in the eyes of Jesus and the flex of His muscles as He turns over the tables of the money changers in the temple. And He does it while wielding a whip He made Himself. "Then his disciples remembered this prophecy from the Scriptures: 'Passion for God's house will consume me.'" Jesus was the wisest and kindest person who ever lived. Additionally, He was the most passionate. And those who follow Him ought to be the most passionate people on earth. The word enthusiasm comes from two Greek words: en and theos, meaning "in God." And the more you get into God, the more passion you develop about the things of God. "Delight yourself also in the Lord, and He shall give you the desires of your heart" (Ps 37:4 NKJV). Yes, you're supposed to crucify your carnal desires daily. But God doesn't do away with your capacity for desire; He sanctifies and redirects it. When you "delight yourself also in the Lord," you get a "desire transplant."  C. S. Lewis said, "We are half-hearted creatures fooling around with drink and sex and ambition when infinite joy is offered us." A pastor adds: "Sin is a waste of energy...And it's a double waste. After you waste your energy on things like lust and pride and anger, then you must waste even more energy on things like guilt and shame and regret. Nothing is more de-energizing than sin, but by the same token, nothing is more reenergizing than obedience. It's pure energy."Don't lose your passion for God Get a "desire transplant."Share This DevotionalSend us a textSupport the showChanging Lives | Building Strong Family | Impacting Our Community For Jesus Christ!

MAY. 15, 2025Free from jealousy."If your heart is full of...jealousy...don't... cover up the truth." Jas 3:14 CEVThe Bible says, "People are slaves to whatever has mastered them" (2Pe 2:19 NIV). And that's especially true of jealousy. Chuck Swindoll writes: "Jealousy and envy are often used interchangeably, but there's a difference. Envy begins with empty hands; it mourns what it doesn't have...Jealousy begins with full hands; it's threatened by the pain of losing what you have to someone else despite your efforts to hold on to it...This was Cain's sin. He was jealous of Abel. He resented God's acceptance of his brother, and not until Abel's blood poured over Cain's cruel hands did jealousy subside. Solomon might well have written the epitaph for Abel's tombstone: 'Jealousy is [cruel] as the grave. Its flashes are flashes of fire' (SS 8:6 ESV). Anyone who has experienced deliverance from this hellish giant knows too well how jealousy can decimate a friendship, dissolve a romance, destroy a marriage, shoot tension through the ranks of professionals, nullify unity on a team, ruin a church, separate preachers, foster competition among the choir, bring bitterness and finger-pointing among talented instrumentalists and capable singers. Jealousy questions motives and deplores another's success." The Bible says, "If your heart is full of...jealousy...don't... cover up the truth." Instead, determine that by the grace of God, you're going to break free from its control.  Swindoll adds: "I lived many years obeying its commands. It was gross agony. Finally, I realized I didn't have to live in darkness. I slew the giant and crawled out...and the releasing sunlight of freedom captured my heart. The air was so fresh and clean. Oh, the difference it has made! It's utter delight. Ask my wife."Free from jealousy. Jealousy is cruel as the grave.Share This DevotionalSend us a textSupport the showChanging Lives | Building Strong Family | Impacting Our Community For Jesus Christ!

MAY. 14, 2025Have a biblical perspective."That through the endurance taught in the Scriptures...we might have hope." Ro 15:4 NIVThere is a cute story about a girl who left home and went away to college. After her first semester, she emailed her mother, saying, "I think it's time I brought you up to date on what's going on in my life. Shortly after I arrived at college, I got bored with dormitory life and stole fifty dollars from my roommate's purse. With the money, I rented a motorcycle, which I crashed into a telephone pole a few blocks from the dorm. I broke my leg in the accident and am unable to attend classes, so I'm coming home to live with you and dad." After hitting "send," she immediately sent a second email: "Mom, I was only joking. I didn't steal any money, or rent a motorcycle, or hit a telephone pole, or break my leg. And I won't be coming home to live with you and dad either. However, I am getting a D in mathematics and an F in literature, and I wanted you to keep my grades in proper perspective!" Seriously, having a biblical perspective on life's challenges can lift you out of discouragement and despair. Paul said, "Everything that was written in the past was written to teach us, so that through the endurance taught in the Scriptures...we might have hope." For every problem you face in life, God's Word has a principle to be practiced or a promise to be claimed. So, the way to overcome discouragement is to get into God's Word and get it into you.Have a biblical perspective Get into God's Word.Share This DevotionalSend us a textSupport the showChanging Lives | Building Strong Family | Impacting Our Community For Jesus Christ!

MAY. 13, 2025Faith is not faith until it is acted upon."Faith without works is dead." Jas 2:26Could it be that the negative perception people have of the church stems from the negative energy we project?  And could it be that our negative energy stems from our negative view of righteousness?  We falsely view righteousness as doing nothing wrong: "Don't do this. Don't do that. And you're okay."  The problem with that approach is you can do nothing wrong and still not do the right thing; the thing God is calling you to do. Righteousness means more than doing nothing wrong. Do you really think God's ultimate dream for us is doing nothing wrong? You love it when your children make a difficult decision not to do something wrong. But the thing that brings you greater joy is seeing them develop their gifts and maximize their potential. And that's what God wants for each of us. The Bible teaches two kinds of sin: the sin of commission, which is doing something you shouldn't have done, and the sin of omission, which is all the things we could and should have done to advance God's kingdom but didn't do. A pastor writes: "In God's economy, breaking even is a total loss. Isn't that the lesson of the parable of the talents? The servant with one talent broke even... [and] Jesus called him a 'wicked and lazy servant' (Mt 25:26 NKJV). The greatest risk is taking no risks…Righteousness is using all our God-given gifts to their full God-given potential. Love doesn't play it safe; it takes risks. Love doesn't make excuses; it takes responsibility.Love doesn't see problems; it seizes opportunities to step up and step in."Faith is not faith until it is acted upon  The greatest risk is taking no risks.Share This DevotionalSend us a textSupport the showChanging Lives | Building Strong Family | Impacting Our Community For Jesus Christ!

MAY. 12, 2025Knowing the season you're in."To everything there is a season, a time for every purpose under heaven." Ecc 3:1 NKJVYour life's purpose is connected to a specific time and season. In other words, it will have a beginning and an ending. Some of God's purposes can be fulfilled in a short time, while others take a lifetime. You won't always be able to do what you're doing today, or at least to the extent you're doing it now. The Bible teaches, "As your days, so shall your strength be" (Dt 33:25 NKJV). That's why some of the world's best sports players transition into coaching. Three important observations: (1) You must understand and maximize the season you're in right now. (2) When one season ends, you must transition graciously into the next. (3) You must learn to enjoy whatever season you're in. Here is an interesting phenomenon: Elijah passed his mantle of power to Elisha, but nowhere do we read that Elisha passed it on to anyone else.But when Paul passed his mantle on to Timothy, it didn't end there. Paul told him,"The things...you have heard from me among many witnesses, commit...to faithful men who will be able to teach others also" (2Ti 2:2 NKJV). Instead of lamenting that he had run out of time, Paul rejoiced in knowing that God had helped him to fulfill his assignment. "I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Finally, there is laid up for me the crown" (2Ti 4:7-8 NKJV). The truth is, God only gives you grace for the season you're in. And when a season ends, and it's time to transition, the grace lifts. So, pay attention and know when to move on!Knowing the season you're in When the season ends-the grace lifts.Share This DevotionalSend us a textSupport the showChanging Lives | Building Strong Family | Impacting Our Community For Jesus Christ!

MAY. 7, 2025Why can't we work together? (4)"Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace." Eph 4:3 NIVA lady told her friend, "My husband and I have a very happy marriage. There's nothing I wouldn't do for him, and there's nothing he wouldn't do for me. And that's the way we go through life-doing nothing for each other!" We smile, but that's not so funny when it's true. That attitude paves the road to disaster in marriage, business, church, personal relationships, and everywhere else. Often people join a team for their own advantage— they want supporting players so they can receive all the accolades. But ultimately, that attitude not only hurts them, but it also hurts the people they work with and hinders the results they otherwise could have had.President Woodrow Wilson asserted: "You are not here merely to make a living. You are here to enable the world to live more amply, with greater vision, with a finer spirit of hope and achievement. You are here to enrich the world, and to impoverish yourself if you forget the errand." Here is a true statement, if ever there was one: When you use people, exploit them, and take advantage of them, you inevitably fail in life. Is it easy to work with others and always get along? Sometimes yes, sometimes no. That's why Paul writes, "Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace." You have to work at it. When someone criticizes, offset it with a compliment. When someone complains, find something to be thankful for. When someone comes across as self-centered, remind them that the collective goal you're striving for is greater than any one individual.Why can't we work together? You are here to enrich the world.Share This DevotionalSend us a textSupport the showChanging Lives | Building Strong Family | Impacting Our Community For Jesus Christ!

Why can't we work together? (3)."How good…..it is... to dwell together in unity!" Ps 133:1 NKJVReason three: temperament. Some people aren't naturally outgoing. When they face challenges, it never occurs to them to enlist other people's help in order to accomplish their goal.When you operate alone, you will achieve a certain amount of success, but when you cooperate with the right people, you will achieve things you never dreamed possible. When you do everything alone and never partner with others, you produce huge hurdles to your own potential. Dr. Allan Fromme quipped, "People have been known to achieve more as a result of working with others than against them." That's certainly an understatement! Like Chuck Swindoll says: "Nobody is a whole team...We need each other. You need someone and someone needs you. Isolated islands we're not. To make this thing called life work, we gotta lean and support. And relate and respond. And give and take. And confess and forgive. And reach out and embrace and rely on [others]. Since none of us is a whole, independent, self-sufficient, super-capable, all-powerful hotshot, let's quit acting like we are. Life's lonely enough without our playing that silly role. The game is over. Let's link up." If you desire to accomplish something big, you have to join with others. One is too small a number to greatly succeed. The Bible says, "Behold, how good and...pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity!….For there the Lord commanded the blessing" (vv. 1, 3 NKJV). Did you get that? When we work together, God commands His blessing to be upon our efforts. And without the blessing of God, there is no true and lasting success.Why can't we work together?  Let's link up.Share This DevotionalSend us a textSupport the showChanging Lives | Building Strong Family | Impacting Our Community For Jesus Christ!

Try. Try harder. Try longer."Let us not grow weary while doing good, for in due season we shall reap if we do not lose heart." Gal 6:9 NKJVOne of the greatest predictors of success in any endeavor is persistence. It's not only how hard you try; it's how long you try. We tend to overestimate how much we can accomplish in the short term. And according to an American pastor and author, we also "underestimate how much we can accomplish over the long haul. Why? Because energy is exponential. The harder you work and the longer you work, the more it pays off. In a study involving Japanese and American first graders, kids were given a difficult puzzle to solve while researchers measured how long they would try before giving up. On average, the American children lasted 9.47 minutes. The Japanese children lasted 13.93 minutes. That is a 47 percent difference. Want to guess who scores higher on standardized math tests?Success in any endeavor is a by-product of trying harder and trying longer. There are no substitutes. There are no shortcuts. It doesn't matter whether it's athletics or academics, music, or math [or ministry]. Study after study has shown that it takes about ten years or ten thousand hours to become great at anything. You need to work hard and work long. In the words of Malcolm Gladwell, 'Ten thousand hours is the magic number of greatness! Are there any God ideas you've given up on? Any God-ordained passions that you have stopped fighting for? Any God-sized dreams gathering the dust of disobedience? Don't give up on them. You need to try. Then you need to try harder. And then you need to try longer."Try. Try harder. Try longer. There are no shortcuts.Share This DevotionalSend us a textSupport the showChanging Lives | Building Strong Family | Impacting Our Community For Jesus Christ!

MAY. 4, 2025Why can't we work together? (1)"Diotrephes, who loves to have the preeminence." 3Jn v. 9 NKJVReason one: insecurity. The Florentine philosopher Machiavelli said, "The first method for estimating the intelligence of a ruler is to look at the men he has around him." Insecure leaders are threatened by talented individuals, so they surround themselves with weak people. As a result, the work suffers, and everybody involved suffers too. When a leader responds to a genuine question by saying, "How dare you challenge my authority," they're dangerous and often not worth following. Insecure leaders usually fail for two reasons: They want to maintain control over everything, or they're afraid of being replaced by someone more competent.Either way, leaders who don't encourage teamwork weaken their own potential and discourage those around them. President Woodrow Wilson said, "We should not only use all the brains we have, but all that we can borrow." John the Apostle tells us that Diotrephes, a leader in the church, "loves to have the preeminence." What was this man's problem? He wanted to blow everybody else's light out in order to let his own light shine. So, John writes: "When I come, I will report some of the things he is doing and the evil accusations he is making against us. Not only does he refuse to welcome the traveling teachers, he also tells others not to help them. And when they do help, he puts them out of the church. Dear friend, don't let this bad example influence you. Follow only what is good. Remember that those who do good prove that they are God's children, and those who do evil prove that they do not know God" (3Jn vs. 10-11 NLT). Let God's approval— which you already have—make you secure!Why can't we work together? Let God's approval make you secure!Share This Devotional"Go ahead; I am with you heart and soul." 1Sa 14:7 NIVReason two: naivety. An old Chinese proverb says, "Behind every able man there are always other able men." Even if you can do the job yourself, isn't it wise to stop and ask, "Who do I know who could help me to do it better?" That question defines the difference between mediocrity and excellence. Business consultant John Ghegan keeps a sign on his desk that reads, "If I had it to do all over again, I'd get help." We all need that sign! When you have a few victories under your belt, you're at an increased risk of thinking you can do anything and everything by yourself. But when your dream is from God, it will always be greater than your individual capacity and gifts, which means you will have to reach for others. Two men, Jonathan, and his armor-bearer, wiped out an entire Philistine garrison. How? "Jonathan said to his young armor-bearer, 'Come, let's go over to the outpost of those uncircumcised men. Perhaps the Lord will act in our behalf.Nothing can hinder the Lord from saving, whether by many or by few.' 'Do all that you have in mind, his armor-bearer said. 'Go ahead; I am with you heart and soul'" (vv. 6-7 NIV). Jonathan, the leader, needed the encouragement and support of his armor-bearer. And his armor-bearer needed the courage and leadership of Jonathan. Together they accomplished amazing things for God.The truth is teamwork is at the heart of all impressive triumphs. The question isn't whether teams have value; it's whether you are humble enough to acknowledge that fact and become a better team player.Why can't we work together?  Become a better team player.Share This DevotiSend us a textSupport the showChanging Lives | Building Strong Family | Impacting Our Community For Jesus Christ!

APR. 15, 2025Become willing to change."You will grow as you learn to know God better and better." Col 1:10 NLTTo grow, you must dedicate yourself to the process. Whether it's in your career, your marriage, your ministry, or your walk with God, once you dedicate yourself to growth and development and a lifestyle of planned improvement, it becomes normal to you.  And you realize when you're not making progress. Something is missing! It's been reputed that the Polish American classical pianist Arthur Rubinstein refused to listen to recordings of his playing. Even only a few months afterward, he was unhappy with what he heard. Why? Because he had changed and improved-but his recordings had not. Stop and think about the non-negotiables in your life. What are you willing to live and die for?Write down what you want to hold on to at any cost, and fully explain why. After you have done that, everything else should be open to change. Here is how Paul prayed for the Christians in the Colossian church: "We ask God to give you complete knowledge of his will and...spiritual wisdom and understanding. Then the way you live will always honor and please the Lord, and your lives will produce every kind of good fruit. All the while, you will grow as you learn to know God better and better. We also pray that you will be strengthened with all his glorious power so you will have all the endurance and patience you need. May you be filled with joy, always thanking the Father. He has enabled you to share in the inheritance that belongs to his people, who live in the light" (vv. 9-12 NLT).Become willing to change To grow, you must dedicate yourself to the process.Share This DevotionalSend us a textSupport the showChanging Lives | Building Strong Family | Impacting Our Community For Jesus Christ!

APR. 24, 2025The waiting strategy."I waited patiently for the Lord; and He inclined to me, and heard my cry." Ps 40:1 NKJVWhen you're up against a problem that seems too big for you or feel like you are "in over your head" and you don't know what to do or which way to go, use the waiting strategy. That's the one David the psalmist used. And it worked for him: "I waited patiently for the Lord; and He inclined to me, and heard my cry. He also brought me up out of a horrible pit, out of the miry clay, and set my feet upon a rock, and established my steps. He has put a new song in my mouth-praise to our God...Blessed is that man who makes the Lord his trust...My ears You have opened" (vv. 1-4, 6 NKJV). Waiting is hard to do when you are anxious. And waiting patiently is even harder. Stop and think who you are waiting for: the Lord. He is Lord of every situation, including yours. Perhaps this illustration will help you. Arthur McKinsey writes: "If you think of a... problem as being like a medieval walled city, then a lot of people will attack it head on, like a battering ram. They will storm the gates and try to smash through the defences with sheer intellectual power and brilliance...I just camp outside the city. I wait. And I think. Until one day-maybe after l've turned to a completely different problem-the drawbridge comes down and the defenders say, 'We surrender' The answer to the problem comes all at once." Waiting for God to work is that way. While you are waiting, He is working on your behalf.The waiting strategy While you are waiting, He is working.Share This DevotionalSend us a textSupport the showChanging Lives | Building Strong Family | Impacting Our Community For Jesus Christ!

APR. 25, 2025Resolve conflict quickly (1)"If thy brother shall trespass against thee, go and tell him his fault between thee and him alone: if he shall hear thee, thou hast gained thy brother." Mt 18:15Few things in life cause more stress than unresolved conflict. It will elevate your blood pressure and consume your thoughts until you resolve it, so if you're wise, you will deal with it right away. Not all people feel this way. Even though Jesus commanded us to deal with it, many Christians refrain from saying anything for the sake of peace. Not so. Unresolved conflict will affect your peace of mind, your productivity, and your attitude toward others, so it must be dealt with. Additionally, the problem with refusing to face an issue is that it will probably occur again. So, according to an interpersonal communications adviser, do these three things: (1) "Ask God to give you His words to say so that His purpose will be achieved. 'My word...will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it' (Isa 55:11 NIV). (2) Empty your emotions out to God before engaging the offender. Emotions tend to get in the way of facts and can hinder objective thinking. This isn't as hard as it may sound once you decide you are going to make every effort to settle the issue in a harmonious way. 'If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone' (Ro 12:18 NIV). (3) Be clear as to what you perceive the problem to be. Avoid vague arguments that leave room for misinterpretation. For example, 'You need to do better' does not really clarify the problem." If your goal is to heal the relationship, God will work with you.Resolve conflict quickly "Live at peace with everyone."Share This DevotionalSend us a textSupport the showChanging Lives | Building Strong Family | Impacting Our Community For Jesus Christ!

APR. 2, 2025Be real."People judge by outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart." 1Sa 16:7 NLTJesus was rough on Pharisees: "People look at you and think you are saints, but beneath... you are total frauds" (Mt 23:28 MSG). They put on a good front but were devoid of grace, mercy, and compassion. And Jesus called them on it! Because we live in an appearance-focused society, Jesus warns us about the dangers that come from dwelling on the outer life at the cost of developing the inner life. So, how do you keep that from happening? (1) Follow Jesus' example. He spent His life ministering to the hurting, the forgotten, the lost, and lonely. (2) Keep in mind that even though you're a Christian, you will still struggle in certain areas, and don't try to act like you "have it all together." (3) Ask God to reveal behavior patterns that are appearance oriented instead of heart oriented. (4) Surround yourself with transparent people who encourage you to be real and correct you when you need it. Marybeth Whalen writes: "The painters painted the wall leading downstairs...A week later I discovered, while the wall had been repainted, the habits hadn't changed. The kids were still dragging their dirty hands behind them, making what was white and clean, grey, and dirty. Like that wall, if I'm not careful I can cover up what's there... wear the Christian tee shirt, carry my Bible, smile like everything's great, and talk a good game about my walk with the Lord. But deep inside the ugly habits are waiting to be revealed the moment life gets messy. I can become a modern-day Pharisee who focuses on the whitewash and ignores the dirty stuff underneath." So, be real.Be realDon't try to act like you "have it all together."Share This DevotionalSend us a textSupport the showChanging Lives | Building Strong Family | Impacting Our Community For Jesus Christ!

APR. 3, 2025Today, use your God-given power."You shall receive power." Ac 1:8 NKJVYou say, "If Christ lives in me, why do I still think and act the way I do?" A Christian leader explains: "The answer is illustrated in a story about a lady who had a small house...at the turn of the century. She was quite wealthy but also quite frugal... People were surprised, then, when she decided to be among the first to have electricity in her home. Several weeks after the installation, a meter reader appeared at her door. He asked her if her electricity was working well, and she assured him it was. 'I'm wondering if you can explain something to me,' he said. 'Your meter shows scarcely any usage. Are you using your power?' 'Certainly,' she answered. 'Each evening when the sun sets, I turn on my lights just long enough to light my candles; then I turn them off.' She's tapped into the power but didn't use it. Her house is connected but not altered. Don't we make the same mistake? We, too-with our souls saved but our hearts unchanged-are connected but not altered. Trusting Christ for salvation but resisting transformation. We occasionally flip the switch, but most of the time we settle for shadows. What would happen if we left the light on? What changes would occur if we set about the task of dwelling in the radiance of Christ? No doubt about it: God has ambitious plans for us. The same one who saved your soul longs to remake your heart. His plan is nothing short of a total transformation." "He decided...to shape [our] lives...along the same lines as the life of his Son" (Ro 8:29 MSG). Today, use your God-given power.Today, use your God-given power God has ambitious plans for us.Share This DevotionalSend us a textSupport the showChanging Lives | Building Strong Family | Impacting Our Community For Jesus Christ!

Put God between yourself and the foe"There is none like you to help." 2Ch 14:11 ESVFaced with an enemy he couldn't conquer on his own, King Asa prayed, "Lord, there is no one like you to help the powerless against the mighty. Help us...we rely on you, and in your name we have come against this vast army. Lord, you are our God; do not let mere mortals prevail against you! The Lord struck down the Cushites before Asa and Judah" (vv. 11-12 NIV). F. B. Meyer writes: "Remind God of his entire responsibility. 'There is none like thee to help! The odds against Asa were enormous. There were a million men in arms...beside three hundred chariots. It seemed impossible to hold his own against that vast multitude. There were no allies who would come to his help: his only hope therefore was in God. There was none beside to help. It may be that your difficulties have been allowed to come to so alarming a pitch that you may be compelled to renounce all creature aid, to which in lesser trials you have had recourse, and cast yourself back on your Almighty friend. Put God between yourself and the foe. To Asa's faith, Jehovah seemed to stand between the might of Zerah and himself, as one who had no strength. Nor was he mistaken...the Ethiopians were destroyed before the Lord, and before His host, as though celestial combatants flung themselves against the foe on Israel's behalf...Our God is Jehovah of Hosts, who can summon unexpected reinforcements at any moment to the aid of his people. Believe that He is there between you and your difficulty, and what baffles you will flee before Him as clouds before the gale."Put God between yourself and the foe An enemy you can't conquer on your own.Share This DevotionalSend us a textSupport the showChanging Lives | Building Strong Family | Impacting Our Community For Jesus Christ!

MAR. 11, 2025Born to believe (1)"Train up a child in the way he should go." Pr 22:6Training your child is both challenging and rewarding. By shaping their underlying belief system, you help their developing brain establish permanent neural pathways that will guide their moral and spiritual growth.Neuroscientists Andrew Newberg and Mark Robert Waldman, authors of Born to Believe, tell us the most crucial years are from age seven to ten. That's when your child has the greatest propensity to understand the concept of a God they can't see, feel, or hear.What an ideal opportunity! Newberg and Waldman also suggest that our most effective tool for belief building at this stage is storytelling, not preaching or moralizing. Stories that incorporate godly principles, moral behaviors, courage, faith, love, compassion, and forgiveness are welcomed, easily digested ingredients for building Christian character. Storytelling was how God instructed the Israelites to teach their children His ways and Word. Stories of Adam and Eve, Noah, Daniel, Esther, Samson, Ruth, and David; of Christ's birth, life, death, and resurrection; of Jesus walking on the sea, raising the dead, and feeding the five thousand, stir the hearts, interest, and imagination of young children and impart enduring, life-changing principles! In fact, studies show that the belief systems of adults are powerfully influenced by stories they heard growing up. Implant stories that will become the underpinning for their character and the basis for a lifetime of faith. As a parent, it's your job to encourage and stimulate their developing brain toward godly beliefs, decisions, and lifestyle!Born to believe Ingredients for building Christian character.Share This DevotionalSend us a textSupport the showChanging Lives | Building Strong Family | Impacting Our Community For Jesus Christ!

MAR. 10, 2025How God sees you."There is...no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus." Ro 8:1Once we understand that God's love for us is based on what Christ did for us rather than what we do ourselves, the struggle is over. Now we can stop "performing," and we can serve God because we know He loves us and that we don't need to try to make Him love us.We no longer fear rejection by Him because of our mistakes. When we do something wrong, now all we do is repent, receive God's forgiveness, and then refuse the condemnation that sin brings. Realizing we are loved and accepted even though we're imperfect is such a relief! Serving God out of desire rather than obligation is incredibly liberating! The moment you place your trust in Christ, God sees you as righteous from that point on. He doesn't accept you because of your performance but because of your relationship with Him through Christ. And you need to decide to believe it and stand on it. A noted minister writes: "We become what we believe we are; therefore, as we become convinced that we are right with God, our behavior will improve. We will do things right and with less effort. No matter what other people may have told you that you are not, God delights in telling you in His Word who you are in Him-loved, valuable, precious, talented, gifted, capable, powerful, wise, and redeemed. Take a moment and repeat those nine things aloud. Say, 'I am loved, valuable, precious, talented, gifted, capable, powerful, wise, and redeemed!'" That's how God sees you, and it's how you need to start seeing yourself.How God sees you Loved, valuable, precious, capable, powerful, wise and redeemedShare This DevotionalSend us a textSupport the showChanging Lives | Building Strong Family | Impacting Our Community For Jesus Christ!

Use your imagination."Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we... imagine." Eph 3:20 NIVLack of faith is not a failure of logic; it's a failure of imagination. Lack of faith is the inability or unwillingness to entertain thoughts of a God who is able to do "immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us" (v. 20 NIV). Did you get that? God wants to empower your imagination! A pastor writes: "If we are going to have an eternal impact on our culture, we can't just criticize it or copy it. We've got to create it. If we are going to reach our generation with the gospel, we can't just appeal to logic. We've got to capture their imagination. And C. S. Lewis is a great example of both. Can you think of anyone more left-brain logical than Lewis? His theological writings, from Mere Christianity to The Problem of Pain, are as logical as logic can be. But Lewis combined left-brain logic with right-brain creativity. The Chronicles of Narnia continue to capture the imagination of new generations. The church ought to be the most creative place on the planet. And there are certainly pockets of ingenuity and imagination, but we're nowhere near our creative potential." Perhaps this is because we have a false definition of faithfulness. Faithfulness is not doing it how it has always been done. It's not preserving the status quo. No, we must never water down the gospel or promote biblical compromise for cultural relevancy. Bottom line: Our message must never change, but our methods must change if we are to gather in the final harvest before the Lord of the harvest returns.Use your imagination Our message must never change, but our methods must change.Share This DevotionalSend us a textSupport the showChanging Lives | Building Strong Family | Impacting Our Community For Jesus Christ!

Put away the measuring stick!"Jesus said to Simon Peter...do you love me...?" Jn 21:15 NIVReimar Schultze says: "The more conscientious we are, the more we...go to bed with some sense that we missed the elusive 100 percent again... Many precious saints fall for this trap…..robbing themselves of the joy of the Lord and the peace...that passes all understanding…We all are familiar with the testimonies of some of the greatest men of God. Many of them, like us...found themselves in the gutters of self-incrimination." Moses felt completely unworthy and unable to free Israel from Egypt. Yet how often has God called you to do something and you said the same thing: "Who am I, that I should go?" (Ex 3:11). Do you think you know more than the One who called you? David tells us throughout the Psalms that God is omnipotent and omnipresent; that He never takes his eyes off us.  Then David contradicts himself by declaring, "I am a worm and not a man" (Ps 22:6 NIV), and "I am forgotten as though I were dead" (Ps 31:12 NIV). Elijah was so depressed that he cried, "Enough... Lord, take away my life" (1Ki 19:4). Job cursed the day he was born, yet the Bible calls him a "blameless and upright" man who reverenced God (Job 1:1 NIV). Pastor Schultze continues: "Measuring our worth to God by our performance will continue to threaten us until the end of time...I absolutely refuse to go to bed going through some kind of checklist on how I did...l would rather ask myself the question Jesus asked Peter...do you love Me with all your heart, soul, mind and strength? Again, that is the only test I want to give myself at the end of the day." It's the one that counts most!Put away the measuring stick! Do you love God with all your heart, soul, mind and strength?Share This DevotionalSend us a textSupport the showChanging Lives | Building Strong Family | Impacting Our Community For Jesus Christ!

Know when to let go."There's...a right time...to hold on and another to let go." Ecc 3:1, 6 MSGPersistence, determination, commitment, and recognizing the "right time...to hold on" are all commendable qualities, whether it's setting aside time to pray and read every day, eating dinner with your family, finding a better job, or losing weight, etc. But it's equally important to recognize the "right time...to let go" of self-generated urgency and things that are stopping you from living "life in all its fullness" (Jn 10:10 NCV).  The Bible tells us to "lay aside every weight" (Heb 12:1 NKJV). Not sure how to start? One teacher offers this suggestion: "Go to the hardware store and buy a flat patio stone that fits into your briefcase or purse. Then take a marker and write on the stone all the fears and prerequisites that are stopping you from enjoying life. Carry it with you wherever you go…eating, working, watching TV, showering, sleeping. Feel how heavy it is? It's hard to get anything done when your muscles are working overtime carrying all that extra weight. At the end of the second day (if you last that long!), sit down with your stone, review the list, and make a conscious decision to let go of the worries and burdens that are sapping your energy. Then go outside and set the rock down beside your front door. See how much lighter you feel? How much easier it is to get things done? Before you leave home every day, take a second to look at your stone...then turn around and deliberately walk away." That's what it means to "give your burdens to the Lord, and he will take care of you" (Ps 55:22 NLT).Know when to let go "Lay aside every weight."Share This DevotionalSend us a textSupport the showChanging Lives | Building Strong Family | Impacting Our Community For Jesus Christ!

MAR. 3, 2025Don't break, bounce back (2)."Though good people may be bothered by trouble...they are never defeated." Pr 24:16 NCVHere are two more keys to bouncing back: (1) Instead of complaining about what you can't change, change what you can. When you can't change your situation, you can change your attitude toward it. How do you do that? By reprogramming your mind with God's Word. The Bible says, "For every child of God defeats this evil world, and we achieve this victory through our faith. And who can win this battle against the world? Only those who believe [trust in God]" (1Jn 5:4-5 NLT). (2) Instead of grumbling about your pain, grow through it. At the peak of her career, when photographer Linda Joy Montgomery learned she was going blind, an inner voice said, "This isn't the end; it's the beginning." She began writing poetry, discovered her calling as a motivational speaker, and created the True Vision Institute, teaching kids to tap into their inner resources. Finding purpose in your pain isn't a new idea. Survivors of life-threatening illnesses, natural disasters, and the Holocaust, and parents of chronically ill children, continually demonstrate how overcomers find the proverbial silver lining by reinventing themselves. Meeting challenges helps you develop a can-do attitude that says, "Been there, done that, and I will survive." Basketball star Michael Jordan said, "I've missed over 9000 shots in my career...lost over 300 games...26 times, l've been trusted to take the game-winning shot and missed. I've failed over and over again in my life. And that is why I succeed." And you can too.Don't break, bounce back Change what you can.Share This DevotionalSend us a textSupport the showChanging Lives | Building Strong Family | Impacting Our Community For Jesus Christ!

Jesus is the answer."I was found by people who were not looking for me. I showed myself to those who were not asking for me." Ro 10:20 NLTThe Bible says, "I was found by people who were not looking for me. I showed myself to those who were not asking for me." You say, "What does this Scripture mean?" That even though you're looking for answers in the wrong places, asking the wrong questions, and heading in the wrong direction, Jesus will intercept you, redirect you, and meet your deepest needs. When the woman at the well met Jesus, she was looking for the answer in relationships. She had been through five failed marriages and was living with man number six (See Jn 4:18). When Zacchaeus met Jesus, he was looking for the answer in material things. "Now behold, there was a man named Zacchaeus who was a chief tax collector, and he was rich. And he sought to see who Jesus was" (Lk 19:2-3 NKJV). When Paul met Jesus, he was looking for the answer in religion. Here is his résumé: "Circumcised the eighth day, of the stock of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of the Hebrews; concerning the law, a Pharisee; concerning zeal, persecuting the church; concerning the righteousness which is in the law, blameless" (Php 3:5-6 NKJV). Multiple relationships didn't satisfy the woman at the well, riches didn't satisfy Zacchaeus, and religion didn't satisfy Paul. And these things won't satisfy you either. What will? A relationship with Jesus! Today He is saying to you: "The thief's purpose is to steal and kill and destroy. My purpose is to give them a rich and satisfying life" (Jn 10:10 NLT). Today and forever, Jesus is the answer.Jesus is the answer Today and forever, Jesus is the answer.Share This DevotionalSend us a textSupport the showChanging Lives | Building Strong Family | Impacting Our Community For Jesus Christ!

Refuse to wear the label. "His mother called his name Jabez, saying, 'Because I bore him in pain.'" 1Ch 4:9 NKJVThe name Jabez means "pain and trouble." Perhaps that's why no other parent in Scripture gave their child that name. But it's a label he refused to wear and a name he refused to be defined by. A label usually tells you what is in a bottle; its contents and even its value. And when you accept the labels people try to put on you, you start to believe that's who you really are and that you will never become anything more than that. The Bible says, "As he thinketh in his heart, so is he" (Pr 23:7). People will use past experiences to label and limit you. They will also use your physical, mental, and emotional characteristics to label and limit you. What should you do? Do what Jabez did -go to God! In the final analysis, His opinion about your past, present, and future is the one that matters most. Plus, He loves you and has a plan for your life. Jabez prayed a prayer that changed his life, and it will change your life too. "Oh, that You would bless me indeed, and enlarge my territory, that Your hand would be with me, and that You would keep me from evil, that I may not cause pain!' So God granted him what he requested" (1Ch 4:10 NKJV). Jabez asked God for four things: blessing, influence, power, and protection. And God gave them to him. So, today you have a choice; believe what others say about you, or believe what God says about you. When you look at it that way, the choice is clear.Refuse to wear the label Blessing, influence, power, and protectionShare This DevotionalSend us a textSupport the showChanging Lives | Building Strong Family | Impacting Our Community For Jesus Christ!

Today expect God's favor."For You, O Lord, will bless the righteous; with favor You will surround him as with a shield." Ps 5:12 NKJVThe Bible says that God will surround the righteous with favor. If you are trusting in the finished work of Christ, God sees you as "righteous" (See Ro 3:22). So, you qualify; you can pray, "Lord, I need your favor in this job interview," or "in selling this house," or "in making this deal," or "in going on this date," etc. Be prepared for your old programming to kick in, where you think about the word "righteous"; you begin to wonder if your thoughts, words, and deeds are good enough to deserve God's favor. Here is a truth you need to keep in mind: The only righteousness that God responds to is the righteousness of Christ. And since He has placed you "in Christ," you are always qualified to ask God for favor and believe He will grant it. You are saved by grace. And the word grace means "unearned, unmerited, undeserved favor." The world's concept of favor is misleading: "She owes me a favor," or "I don't owe you any favors!" In other words, the world's concept of favor is totally performance based.But the only performance God looks at when it comes to granting you His favor is Christ's performance on your behalf and the fact that you are trusting totally in Him. His life covers all your sins of omission, and His death covers all your sins of commission. And since God always sees you "in Christ," in His eyes you are always qualified for favor."Righteousness...shall be imputed to us who believe in Him who raised up Jesus" (Ro 4:22,24 NKJV). So, today expect God's favor. Today expect God's favor Unearned, unmerited, undeserved favorShare This DevotionalSend us a textSupport the showChanging Lives | Building Strong Family | Impacting Our Community For Jesus Christ!

Growth is about enlargement."You enlarged my path." Ps 18:36 NKJVRead these enlargement Scriptures: "You enlarged my path." "Jabez called on the God of Israel saying, 'Oh, that You would...enlarge my territory'" (1Ch 4:10 NKJV).  "Enlarge the place of your tent...lengthen your cords, and strengthen your stakes" (Isa 54:2 NKJV). God wants to enlarge you spiritually, emotionally, relationally, and in every area of your life. But to experience enlargement, you must learn from people larger than you. Dr. John Maxwell writes: "The first ten years that I was intentionally pursuing personal growth, I was always behind trying to catch up. I had to get over the comparison gap. I recognized I needed to be exposed to bigger and better leaders outside of my own small circle, but when I stepped out of my comfort zone, I was intimidated. It was clear that I was not in their league. Their organizations were six times the size of mine, and they had many more and much better ideas than I did. I felt like I was in over my head and trying to swim. Despite that, I was encouraged. Why? Because I discovered that great men were willing to share their ideas. And I was learning so much. You can only learn if others are ahead of you. It was a difficult transition, but it was well worth it. So if you are aware that others are better than you, don't be discouraged. Be glad others are there to help show you the way. Growth is not a rocking chair you sit in, it's a mountain you climb each day. But there is good news. As Jim Rohn said, 'You cannot change your destination overnight, but you can change your direction overnight!'"Growth is about enlargement Be glad others are there to help show you the way.Share This DevotionalSend us a textSupport the showChanging Lives | Building Strong Family | Impacting Our Community For Jesus Christ!

Governed by Christ's love for us."For the love of Christ constraineth us." 2Co 5:14The most powerful incentive to overcoming sin is not our love for Christ, but His love for us. Even with the best of intentions, our love for Him is subject to fluctuations. Jesus said to the church in Ephesus, "You have left your first love" (Rev 2:4 NKJV). He said to the church in Laodicea that their love had become"lukewarm" (Rev 3:16). Many of us grew up in churches where we were told that the reason we yield to certain carnal traits is because we don't love the Lord enough. So, we try harder, without success, and get discouraged. That's like putting the cart before the horse. It should be the other way around. The secret of victorious Christian living is not found in trying to love Jesus more, but in having a revelation of His love for you. That's why Paul wrote, "The love of Christ constraineth us." Paul's actions were governed by the knowledge of Christ's incredible love for him. If you're struggling with sinful habits today, pray for a revelation of God's love for you. It makes all the difference! Paul writes: "I pray that Christ will be more and more at home in your hearts...as you trust in him. May your roots go down deep into the soil of God's marvelous love; and may you be able to... understand... how long, how wide, how deep, and how high his love really is; and to experience this love for yourselves, though it is so great that you will never...fully... understand it. And so at last you will be filled up with God himself" (Eph 3:17-19 TLB).Governed by Christ's love for us A revelation of His love for youShare This DevotionalSend us a textSupport the showChanging Lives | Building Strong Family | Impacting Our Community For Jesus Christ!

God uses damaged people."When you have repented and turned to me again, strengthen your brothers." Lk 22:32 NLTToo often people are devalued or dismissed because of what they have been through in life. Sometimes it's because of what they have done to others, sometimes it's because of what others have done to them. If you have been to a consignment store, you know there are valuable items at deeply discounted prices; you just have to know what you're looking for. Jesus does. In His eyes you may be "down" but you're not "out." Peter's sorrow over denying Jesus ran so deep that he decided to go back to his old job as a fisherman. Can you imagine the scuttlebutt around the harbor? "That's the guy who turned his back on Jesus." Were Peter a pastor, we would have called for his resignation. At the very least, he would have nothing to say that we would be interested in listening to. Yet, he was the first person Jesus went looking for after the resurrection. And when Jesus saw Peter, He never mentioned it —not even once. But three times He asked him, "Do you love me?" When Peter answered yes three times, Jesus said, "Feed my sheep," referring to his future as pastor and head of the church (See Jn 21:15-17). Jesus looked beyond Peter's failed past and saw his future. Peter's failure was not a surprise. Jesus had told him, "When you have repented and turned to me again, strengthen your brothers." The weakness he had overcome and the restoring grace he had experienced became some of his greatest teaching tools in helping others. Yes, God will reprove you, but it's to restore you and use you for His purposes.God uses damaged people Share This DevotionalSend us a textSupport the showChanging Lives | Building Strong Family | Impacting Our Community For Jesus Christ!

Understanding the word "imputed""Righteousness...shall be imputed [transferred] to us who believe in Him who raised up Jesus." Ro 4:22, 24 NKJVPicture a transfer of funds from one account to another. Banks do it every day. Now imagine yourself destitute and unable to pay your debts. Then in an astounding act of grace, someone assumes all your debts and then transfers to your account such abundance that you never have to work or worry for the rest of your life. That's what happened at the cross when God imputed to Jesus all your sins from the cradle to the grave and imputed all His righteousness to you. Mind-blowing, isn't it? Would you say, "No thanks, I believe in paying my own way"?Would you say, "I can't allow you to do everything while I do nothing, so I'll work for the rest of my life to prove myself worthy of your love and grace"? Salvation is like health food that's labeled "no man-made additives." Understand this: The righteousness required for getting into heaven is not about behaving the right way, but believing the right way. You say, "But I feel such guilt when I sin." You're supposed to! Your new nature is reacting to sin just as your body does to food poisoning. Your boundaries have been violated and your regenerate spirit is saying that you can't indulge in that anymore; it's not who you are! Why did God arrange the plan of salvation in this way? Because any righteousness we could achieve falls far short of His standards. He actually calls it "filthy rags." Understand this: Your rewards in heaven are based upon your behavior, but getting into heaven is based on trusting in Christ alone.Understanding the word "imputed" It's not about behaving the right way, but believing the right way.Share This DevotionalSend us a textSupport the showChanging Lives | Building Strong Family | Impacting Our Community For Jesus Christ!

You are not beyond God's reach."But He needed to go through Samaria." Jn 4:4 NKJVThe Bible says that Jesus "left Judea and departed again to Galilee. But He needed to go through Samaria" (vv. 3-4 NKJV). In case you may not be aware of it, Samaria was not on the way to Galilee. Actually, it was miles out of the way. Yet, the Bible says Jesus "needed to go." Think about it: It was a long journey, and He was on foot. It was hot. As a Jew, He wouldn't be welcomed there because of a long-standing animosity between Jews and Samaritans. As for the woman at the well that He went to meet, women in that culture were forbidden to talk to men outside of their own family. Furthermore, this woman was the talk of the town because she had been through five divorces. So, why did Jesus feel like He "needed to go"? Because He saw this woman as a diamond in the rough. While those around her talked about her past and her problems, Jesus saw her potential for His kingdom. "Many of the Samaritans... believed in Him because of the word of the woman who testified" (v. 39 NKJV). To reach Galilee on God's schedule, Jesus had to throw man's schedule out the window. But the schedule didn't control Him. What did? The will of God and the unmet needs of hurting people. And He was willing to go out of His way, turn tradition on its head, and break new ground in order to do it. How about you? Can God interrupt your plans? If He can, then He can use you. Pray, "Lord, show me what I must do today in order to please you."You are not beyond God's reach Can God interrupt your plans?Share This DevotionalSend us a textSupport the showChanging Lives | Building Strong Family | Impacting Our Community For Jesus Christ!

FEB. 13, 2025Change your routine."I will lead them in paths they have not known." Isa 42:16 NKJVAs attested by the law of requisite variety, the continued existence of any system requires the ability to cultivate variety in its internal structures. In physical exercise, for example, routines eventually become useless. If you exercise the same way each time you work out, your muscles begin adapting and stop developing. You have to change your routine. You have to disorient them. This is true spiritually. One author writes: "When I'm in a spiritual slump, nine times out of ten, something sacred has become routine. I'm sure it differs by personality, but one of the ways I snap out of a spiritual slump is by disturbing my routine and experimenting with spiritual disciplines.Sometimes all it takes is a small change in routine. Volunteer at a local homeless shelter. Start keeping a gratitude journal. Get plugged into a small group or Bible study. Take a day off and do a personal retreat. Or just get up a little earlier in the morning and spend a little extra time with God. One of the small changes in routine that has helped me rejuvenate my devotional times is picking up a new translation of Scripture. New words help me think new thoughts." In order to grow spiritually, you need consistency, structure, and discipline. But when you go through a spiritual dry spell, try changing your spiritual routine. Instead of doing things the way you have always done them, try doing things differently. "I will lead them in paths they have not known." God doesn't change, but He moves! And in order to get to where God wants to take you, you must be willing to move with Him.Change your routine To grow spiritually, you need consistency.Share This DevotionalSend us a textSupport the showChanging Lives | Building Strong Family | Impacting Our Community For Jesus Christ!

Fear is the enemy of growth."Tell the children of Israel to go forward.'" Ex 14:15 NKJVIf you want to grow, you need to get over any fear you may have of making mistakes. As author and professor Warren Bennis states, "A mistake is simply another way of doing things." So, expect to make mistakes along the way, and embrace them as a sign that you are going in the right direction. With the Red Sea in front of them and Pharaoh's chariots behind them, the children of Israel panicked. "The Lord said to Moses, 'Why do you cry to Me? Tell the children of Israel to go forward'" (v. 15 NKJV). When they did, the Red Sea became a pathway to victory and a burial ground for the enemy they feared. If you have to find "the best way" or "the perfect way," you will never get anywhere. It's like driving on an unknown road at night. Ideally, you would like to see your entire route before you start out. Instead, you see it little by little. As you keep going, a little more of the road is revealed to you. So, if you want to see more of the way, get moving. Make a commitment to yourself to start on your growth plan and keep at it for at least twelve months. If you do, you will develop a love for the process, and at the end of the year, you will be able to see how far you have come. "Enlarge the place of your tent...stretch out the curtains of your dwellings; do not spare; lengthen your cords, and strengthen your stakes. For you shall expand to the right and to the left" (Isa 54:2-3 NKJV).Fear is the enemy of growth Expect to make mistakes along the way.Share This DevotionalSend us a textSupport the showChanging Lives | Building Strong Family | Impacting Our Community For Jesus Christ!

Keep trusting God."Though He slay me, yet will I trust Him." Job 13:15 NKJVThe story of Job reads like this: Chapter 1, he is one of the wealthiest men in his generation.Chapter 2, he loses everything, including his health, his wealth, and his children. Chapter 42, he is back on top again. Wouldn't you like to know what happened from chapters 3 through 41? If so, you should read the book of Job and find out how he had it all, lost it all, got it all back, and ended up with twice as much as he lost. Did Job have unanswered questions? Lots of them. Did he experience grief? Yes, to a depth that is hard to imagine.But Job never changed his mind about God, and God never changed His about Job. This Scripture best summarizes Job's attitude: "Though He slay me, yet will I trust Him." If you're stuck at a place you don't understand right now, don't give up-on God or yourself. When you don't understand your circumstances, and it feels like they're more than you can bear, stand on this great Bible promise: "You will keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on You, because he trusts in You. Trust in the Lord forever, for in... the Lord, is everlasting strength" (Isa 26:3-4 NKJV). Trusting God does not mean He will answer all your questions, but that He will give you "perfect peace" regardless of the circumstances. Trusting God does not mean that you won't struggle, but that He will give you "everlasting strength." So, the word for you today is-keep trusting God, and He will bring you through this.Keep trusting God He will give you "everlasting strength."Share This DevotionalSend us a textSupport the showChanging Lives | Building Strong Family | Impacting Our Community For Jesus Christ!

FEB. 10, 2025Use your gifts in ministry to others."The gifts and...calling of God are irrevocable. " Ro 11:29 NKJVWhen God gives us a spiritual gift, He doesn't take it back. "The gifts and...calling of God are irrevocable. " And if God does not, we must not! Paul writes: "If someone falls into sin, forgivingly restore him, saving your critical comments for yourself. You might be needing forgiveness before the day's out. Stoop down and reach out to those who are oppressed. Share their burdens, and so complete Christ's law. If you think you are too good for that, you are badly deceived" (Gal 6:1-3 MSG). When a brother or sister in Christ goes astray, the Bible tells us what we must do; lovingly confront them, gently correct and counsel them, and cover them. The Bible says, "Love will cover a multitude of sins" (1Pe 4:8 NKJV).Now the word "cover" doesn't mean "cover up"; it means provide a place of shelter and restoration where they can be made whole. Is restoring someone sometimes messy? Yes, especially if they have hurt others and brought embarrassment to the family of God. But that's the point… They are still our spiritual family! The world is watching to see how we handle this. If we throw away those among us who stumble, why would the world turn to us for help?Jesus healed a blind man by rubbing clay in his eyes and telling him to go and wash it off in the pool of Siloam. How far away was the pool? We don't know. But he needed someone to hold his hand and walk with him until he reached it and his sight was restored. And that's what we have been called to do.Use your gifts in ministry to others A place of shelter and restorationShare This DevotionalSend us a textSupport the showChanging Lives | Building Strong Family | Impacting Our Community For Jesus Christ!

FEB. 6, 2025Pass it on to others."The things that you have heard from me...commit these to faithful men who will be able to teach others also." 2Ti 2:2 NKJVWhat's your goal in life? Survival, success, or succession? Some of us suffer from "duck syndrome." We appear calm on the surface, but underneath we're paddling furiously. We think "I'm glad people around me don't know how much I don't know," and we keep them at a distance hoping they never find out. That's not how God wants you to live, as the source of your own strength and wisdom. David wrote, "The Lord is the strength of my life; of whom shall I be afraid?" (Ps 27:1 NKJV). On the other hand, some of us strive for a self-centered form of success that begins and ends with us. Our philosophy is "look out for number one." When that's your goal, God cannot trust you with success because your motives violate every principle in His Word. God told Abraham, "I will bless you and make your name great; and you shall be a blessing" (Ge 12:2 NKJV). When your heart's intent is to bless others, God will bless your endeavors. Jesus said, "I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit, and that your fruit should remain [after you're gone]" (Jn 15:16 NKJV).  Part of God's plan for your life is passing on to others what He has entrusted to you. There is no lasting success without a successor. That's why Paul wrote, "The things that you have heard from me among many witnesses, commit these to faithful men who will be able to teach others also." So, the word for you today is-pass it on.Pass it on to others Survival, success, or succession?Share This DevotionalSend us a textSupport the showChanging Lives | Building Strong Family | Impacting Our Community For Jesus Christ!

Let's respect our differences."Let us aim for harmony in the church and try to build each other up." Ro 14:19 NLTPaul wouldn't yield an inch when it came to standing on the central truths of Scripture. But when it came to traditions, personal opinions, and personal preferences, he said, "Let each be fully convinced in his own mind" (v. 5 NKJV). Under the law of Moses, being circumcised was considered equal to having a covenant between you and God. So when Gentile believers joined the New Testament church, Jewish believers insisted they too must be circumcised. Not as babies, mind you, but as adults! Were these Jewish believers sincere? Absolutely. But they were sincerely misguided. When this issue threatened to split the church, the apostles met in Jerusalem, prayed about the matter, and issued the following opinion: "It seemed good to the Holy Spirit, and to us, to lay upon you no greater burden than these necessary things" (Ac 15:28 NKJV). Any time a tradition or personal preference becomes equal in authority to God's Word, we have gone too far. Question: Have you been upset with someone who doesn't agree with you on some nonessential point of doctrine? Have you been critical of someone whose opinion differs from yours? Perhaps in insisting on your list of dos and don'ts, you have forgotten the most important item on God's list: that we exhibit love. Jesus said, "By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another" (Jn 13:35 NKJV). Our hearts can be in unity even when our minds don't agree. We can walk hand in hand, even when we don't see eye to eye. As theologians often say, "In essential things, unity. In all things, charity!"Let's respect our differences Our hearts can be in unity even when our minds don't agree.Share This DevotionalSend us a textSupport the showChanging Lives | Building Strong Family | Impacting Our Community For Jesus Christ!

How to forgive."Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God in Christ forgave you." Eph 4:32 NKJVIn 1982, John Hinckley Jr. attempted to take the life of President Ronald Reagan by shooting him with a handgun. Reagan's daughter, Patti, later recounted what she learned from her father when he was in hospital: "My father said he knew his physical healing was directly dependent on his ability to forgive John Hinckley...It showed me that forgiveness is the key to everything...He gave me an example of Christ-like thinking." Sometimes the wounds that others inflict on us are unintentional, and other times they are deliberate. But in both cases the Scriptures give us a clear standard concerning the wrongs we experience.  You are to forgive those who hurt you, "even as God in Christ forgave you." That's a high standard, but it's one that brings healing for our deepest wounds. Sometimes we dispense forgiveness like a soft drink from a vending machine— mechanically, and with no feelings attached. But the Bible says two attitudes should accompany forgiveness: kindness, which is expressed in our actions, and tenderheartedness, which is expressed in our attitudes. Why? Because that's the way God forgives us. Throughout Scripture we find emotions or characteristics such as kindness, gentleness, compassion, and tenderness-in word or by action-ascribed to God. We also find examples of it in the lives of those God used to fulfill His plans and purposes. Joseph was one of them, when he forgave his brothers who betrayed him. And He calls on us to do the same. This kind of forgiveness is as much an act of the heart as it is an act of the will.How to forgive Forgive those who hurt you. Share This DevotionalSend us a textSupport the showChanging Lives | Building Strong Family | Impacting Our Community For Jesus Christ!