Good Morning Abiding Pray-ers! Consider abiding, listening and releasing in prayer . God wants us to release His will in powerful prayers. We hear Him as we still ourselves and dwell in His presence in preparation for the day ahead. We can also see and hear Him as we follow daily. He is active and invites us to come join Him, pray and sometimes even be an answer to those prayers. We need to be familiar with Him and His voice. We need to watch for His activity throughout the day prepared and ready to join Him. We need to know when He is inviting us to pray, join, and serve with Him and then have a heart ready to join. Are you ready? Still yourself in His loving presence and load up for the day ahead. Listen and release according to His will. Yes pray for His Kingdom to come and will to be done and ask for it to begin in you. He has some awesome plans ahead. Rejoice and prepare! I 'm praying for you! I'm also praying for Kingdom stories to come alive. What's your story? What's your I was one way and now another experience to share? Remember when we used to have Kingdom Stories Sundays once a month. I think we should do that again (and Bathe in Prayer Sundays)! What stories and praises do you have to share of what God's done and doing? What do we as His Body need to bathe in prayer? Those are great questions that lead to worship and work as stepping off in faith launch pads. What's God saying to you? Who needs to hear it? Make a list of 1-3 people that need prayer or need to hear your story and then pray and share. Amen!
Engage with your devotionals in your quiet time. I'm sharing one as a reminder from Sarah Young and the connections blogs as prayer starters for . Be still, listen, receive and release as you go and serve with Jesus! Praying for you all! Shalom!
This is my prayer calendar thought for . May it kick things off for you as it did for me! He really loves you and is calling you to join Him as you dwell in His loving presence and prepare for the day! Yes, rejoice!
Sarah Young
Connection blogs:
- Releasing the Grace of God into the World
“In that day you will no longer ask me anything. I tell you the truth, my Father will give you whatever you ask in my name” (John 16:23).
Praying disciples are working disciples. When they pray and work, Jesus works in and through them, and great things happen.
Their prayers, to be effective, had to be prayers in Jesus’ name. “In Jesus’ name” is not a pass code to get us into heaven’s throne room. A prayer in Jesus’ name is a prayer that is in accord with His will. It’s what Jesus would have prayed were He physically present.
They were able to pray in His name because they had His mind and His heart. When we truly want what God wants and turn such desires into prayer, those prayers will be prayers in Jesus’ name. When the Spirit of truth lives in us and makes God’s will known to us, we will pray in Jesus’ name. Praying in Jesus’ name makes intercession work. Both our asking and the Father’s giving depend on it. Such prayers will not be prayers for special favors related to worldly comforts or personal pleasures. They will be prayers by which God’s grace is released in the lives of those we pray for.
Jesus didn’t make this promise just to His twelve disciples. When He said, “Anyone who has faith in me will do what I have been doing,” He was including you, if you are a believer, and me and about two billion other believers in the world . What a great and far-reaching plan. Imagine what would happen in the world if all two billion of us stepped out into works of service and, at the same time, asked Him to work in and through us. Would that be world-changing or what? That is what Jesus had in mind when He spoke these words. That is how He intends to “bring glory to the Father.” In Jesus’ way of thinking we are not just believers; we are His praying servants doing great works as He works His works in us. We are intercessors accomplishing His will and releasing His power and love in the world.
Spirit of Truth, teach me to have the mind and heart of Jesus and to pray in ways that release Your grace into the lives of others. Use me to change the world and to bring glory to the Father! In Jesus’ Name I ask these things!
Praise God, whose mind and imagination created the stars, the earth, and the life of all creatures.
Give thanks for the reaches of God’s knowledge, which far exceeds the limits of the human mind.
Confess the times in this past week when you have leaned on your own understanding and not followed the teachings of the Lord (Hos. 14:9).
Commit yourself to studying the Bible regularly to learn what God has to teach you.
Ask the Lord to make his Word as sweet as honey (Ps. 19:10).
Pray for young adults and their parents, that the teaching of the Lord may be a living faith passed down from parent to child.
Prayer Points taken from Patterns for Prayer by Alvin VanderGriend. This book is available at prayerleader.com. Use the code CONPSP3 at checkout to receive an additional 10% discount.
TGIF! Thank God I'm Forgiven! PTL and Amen! What are you thankful about? Raise those praises!
Good Morning Focused, Forgiven, Followers of Jesus! He is creator, sustainer, redeemer, re-newer, and with us always! PTL! Are those on your gratitude lists? What other character or property traits of God can you add? Do it and praise the Lord as you abide in His loving presence throughout the day ahead! yes rejoice and keep focused. He does have plans for you . Prepare and follow well!
I had all kinds of things for , BUT God! PTL! He said come and worship and keep lifting those praise as you abide and refocus. So here we are! Let us worship our awesome God always!
He is awesome and worthy of all praise, glory and honor and worthy of all my heart in worship as I follow Him ! Abide! Worship! Follow well! That's enough for ! And everyday! Amen! and PTL!
DONUT DAY!!! 10-12. Come enjoy a day of food, fellowship and fun as God uses you to bless neighbors in need! Come and see how God wants to use you and bless you!
Good Morning Doers of the Word! We are all about being who we are created to be and doing what we are created to do as gifted and empowered by the Holy Spirit in us--doers of the Living Word! May it come alive in, to and through us Lord as we step out in faith to do what You have revealed. Amen! Are you a doer? Talk to God as you open His Living Word and ask Him to speak to your heart and move your feet as He shows what to do. With obedience comes blessings and those blessings are part of His provision that leads to what's next and more blessings. It's a great cycle of love in action. Blessed to bless and then blessed back because of our obedience! What joy and an easy yoke God has for us! He is with us revealing, helping, encouraging, providing and protecting! AMEN!
we discussed James 2 and the Upper Room uses James 2:26 which triggered this train of thought and had me put other devos I meditated on aside. Check it out below and Our Daily Bread which reminds us and threads through this all to remind us that Jesus is revealed through the whole Bible. He is the Living Word and His Spirit brings His Word and Him alive in and through us. PTL! Part of our job is not only recognizing when Jesus is at work but being a doer by joining Him and doing our part. But we are also called to bring Him alive and His Word to those He is sending and to those we are partnering with as we become doers by working at living and loving like Jesus and by doing our part in His Good News Delivery Company. Spurring each other on to good works God prepared for us is part of why God gifted us as He did as well. Praying, serving, helping, encouraging are all parts of the company and come alive as we become doers and not just hearers, as we trust, step out in faith and obey. What's God got for you ? What will you do about these pinches to try something, encourage someone, and/or go love well? Who are you processing with?
May we be a people of living faith that reveal Jesus and bring God's Word alive as we go do our part to connect to others, connect them to God and make disciples. "To make a disciple, you need to be a disciple" is a quote from a friend of mine who has planted 100's of churches and made countless disciples. Are you a disciple of Jesus? How does He want to grow you and use you to reproduce what He's doing in and through you? That is part of our mission. Remember discipleship can be defined as "the process of becoming who Jesus would be if He were me." Have you entered the process?Do it! And enjoy the fun and joy of being who you are created to be and doing what you are created to do. What a joy! Think about how to bring alive our EC vision statement: "To know Christ and Make Him known". That is being and doing as you are created and empowered. Know! Make Known! Live and love like Jesus, disciple and disciple-maker! Pronounce that over you and our Body! And may God's Word not come back void but produce good and lasting fruit in and through you and us! Amen!
UR: Living Faith
As the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also. - James 2:26 (KJV)
I knew my friend was going through a hard time. She was out of work and had three children to feed. I imagined a gift of a few groceries might help to ease her burden. So I headed to the supermarket and picked up a few essentials for her and her family. When I delivered the groceries, her look of surprise was quickly replaced by one of sheer gratitude. As she placed the items in her near-empty cabinets, she said, “You know, I’ll take these over thoughts and prayers any day.” That moment was a wonderful lesson for me.
How many times, after learning of someone’s hardship, do I promise to keep them in my thoughts or include them in my prayers? I know the right things to say, but do I act on them? We must pray for those in need, of course, but people also need tangible help. A bag of groceries, a ride to a doctor’s appointment, an afternoon of babysitting so that a weary parent can rest — these are simple ways we can meet an immediate need.
’s quoted scripture reminds us that “faith without works is dead.” When we put our faith into action, our faith is alive. In what ways can we show our living faith to those in need? Even a small act of kindness can make a big difference.
's Prayer
Generous God, show us how to put our faith into action, and give us the strength and courage to follow through. Amen.
ODB:
Recognizing Jesus
Their eyes were opened and they recognized [Jesus], and he disappeared from their sight. Luke 24:31
When Carlotta was young, she thought her mother had a remarkable gift for recognizing other people. But it was Carlotta who was remarkable. She had a rare condition called prosopagnosia. She couldn’t recognize or remember faces.
Shortly after Jesus’ resurrection, two disciples walking from Jerusalem seemed as if they had such a condition when they encountered someone they should have recognized. The two were talking about the exciting news of the past few days (Luke 24:14), but the third person seemed unaware of the events. They gave Him a quick summary, only to be surprised as this unknown person (Jesus) “explained to them what was said in all the Scriptures concerning himself” (v. 27). Then Christ broke bread with them (v. 30)—something He’d done many times before. At that moment, “Their eyes were opened and they recognized him, and he disappeared from their sight” (v. 31). They hurried back to Jerusalem to tell others (vv. 33-35).
Those disciples didn’t recognize Jesus when they were with Him, and they hadn’t recognized Him in the Old Testament—something they read often and thought they knew well. They needed Jesus to reveal Himself to them because they couldn’t see on their own.
We need that help too. Let’s ask God to open our eyes to see Jesus on the pages of the Bible and in our lives.
By Matt Lucas
REFLECT & PRAY
When have you failed to recognize God’s presence in your life? Why do you think this happens?
Dear Father, thank You for revealing Jesus to me so that I may follow Him.
SCRIPTURE INSIGHT
In Luke 24, we see that despite Jesus’ promise to rise from the dead (9:22; 18:32-33), His disciples weren’t expecting His resurrection. Women went to the tomb with spices to anoint a decaying body (24:1), not to investigate whether Christ had risen. Even after the women shared the angels’ announcement that Jesus had risen, the other disciples didn’t believe them (v. 11). And on the Emmaus road, even when Jesus Himself walked with two disciples, they didn’t recognize Him (vv. 13-16). Only after Christ shares bread are their eyes opened (v. 31). By God’s grace, we can also see our need for Jesus and come to Him.
Monica La Rose
Prayer starters from harvest prayer
Prayer Points
Praise Jesus, who is “declared with power to be the Son of God by his resurrection from the dead” (Rom. 1:4).
Thank the Father for having given us his “incomparably great power . . . the working of his mighty strength, which he exerted in Christ when he raised him from the dead” (Eph. 1:19-20).
Confess the times when you have not taken into account the mighty power of God in your life.
Commit yourself to meditating daily on the Scriptures and on the power of God (Mt. 22:29).
Ask God to use your weaknesses to “show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us” (2 Cor. 4:7).
Pray for God’s power to be unleashed in the life of the unsaved people you know, that their eyes will be opened to God’s love for them.
Good Morning Grateful, Provided for, Agents of Change! God provides where He guides and uses us through that provision to become agents of change for individuals, communities and even the nation. PTL! Right? And it all begins with humble, grateful, surrendered hearts. It carries on as we flow from to seeking to receiving to following and we are blessed all along the way which leads to more gratitude and that leads to more blessings to be used to bless and change situations and even change us. We get to worship, praise, team up and go live and love like Jesus just as we are and created to do. Again joy flows into that and peace as we follow Jesus with grateful hearts. People notice our joy and peace and want that. This world needs much love, joy and peace and we are sent to bring it alive. I just love being a child of God doing what I'm made and gifted to do! How about you?
God is creative. He is in us creating new hearts, new minds, new attitudes, and leading to new opportunities to shine. How might His creativeness flow through you to find creative ways to bless others? (Really meditate on that!) Who needs to see your faith and loving care in action? How might you find a way to bless them? How has God provided as He guided and how do you steward those blessings well? Much to ponder and process with your team and then make plans to be doers too. Go live and love like God creatively as you follow His provision. He does have great plans for you and us! Let's pray for creative ideas for how to step into those and bless others and God!
All this thinking flows for the Harvest Connection blog and Our Daily Bread and Upper Room devos for . Did you catch the thread. has the Holy Spirit pinched you? How might God be wanting to apply this and bring it alive in and through you? Ask Him and process with some friends. Get creative! Steward well! Go love as you are created and gifted to do for such a time as this! Overflow with gratitude as you choose joy and obedience always. Amen!
Connection Blogs:
- Are You an Agent of Change?
“But encourage one another daily, as long as it is called , so that none of you may be hardened by sin's deceitfulness” (Hebrews 3:13).
May I suggest a short prayer that you and/or your family can lift up each and every day? "Lord, show us the people You want us to help or encourage . Lead us to those who are hurting or in need and we will trust you for the means to do something about it." I can promise you that your loving Father will answer if you will listen and obey. He will trust you with small things first and then He will stretch you to be obedient in His bigger plans and purposes.
Being the answer to the prayers of others is one way to be used by God. Being the answer to our own prayers is an astonishingly powerful privilege. There may be situations in the lives of people you know, or perhaps He will choose to use your prayer to work in the lives of those you may never meet. Prayer is a great mystery, but God has chosen to use us to be His agents of answered prayer. Knowing this makes prayer such an honor. It encourages us to pray more and to listen better! We should always be ready to stand in the gap when the Lord places a burden or need on our hearts. He may not always use you in certain situations, but because of your prayers, He may have touched the heart of others to respond. A good prayer when those you are praying for are far away is, "Lord, would you put one of Your willing servants into the path of this person who can be a blessing to them?" The family of God is extensive and worldwide. He will use every heart that is willing to listen to His voice.
Lord, show me the people You want me to help or encourage . Lead me to those who are hurting or in need and I will trust you for the means to do something about it. Stretch my obedience and grow my desire to be Your agent of change in this hurting world. Give me joy in being a house of prayer for all the nations of the earth, as well as for each person into whose life You send me!
Praise God as the Father of the fatherless and the defender of the helpless.
Give thanks that, even in large cities, God’s eye is on the small and defenseless and alone (Jon. 4:11).
Confess those times when you have not remembered by prayer or material aid those in your community who have needed your help (Mt. 25:35-40).
Commit yourself to looking at others through the compassionate eyes of your Father.
Ask him to pull you out of your comfort zone and into the needs of others.
Ask God to help you see where other family members feel helpless or alone and to allow you to bear their burdens with them (Gal. 6:2).
Prayer Points taken from Patterns for Prayer by Alvin VanderGriend. This book is available at prayerleader.com. Use the code CONPSP3 at checkout to receive an additional 10% discount.
My dear friend Sally wanted to give a birthday party for one of her friends. She knew her friend had been experiencing a tough time, and Sally desired to help lift her spirits. However, Sally was unemployed and didn’t have extra money to purchase food for a nice party. So she looked in her refrigerator and cabinets to see what was available. She then created a nice spread consisting of many items she’d previously purchased and had in her home.
When Sally shared with me the creative menu she had come up with, I thought about the story of Elijah and the widow (1 Kings 17:7-16). The widow didn’t have much. In fact, she told the prophet Elijah that she was going to prepare her final scraps of food for herself and her son “and [then] die” of starvation (v. 12). And she only had a small amount of flour and olive oil, just enough for their final meal.
But Elijah ensured the woman that her “jar of flour . . . and the jug of oil [would] not run dry” until God sent rain again (v. 14). By trusting in what God revealed through Elijah—even though she didn’t think she had enough—the woman found that God provided what she needed even though her kitchen was barren.
Just like my friend, the widow found what she needed. Following their examples, let’s live generously and rest in God’s provision for us.
By Katara Patton
REFLECT & PRAY
What’s causing you to resist sharing with others ? How can you give generously even when it seems like you’re lacking resources?
Heavenly Father, please help me to share with others as I trust You to provide what I need.
SCRIPTURE INSIGHT
The story of the Phoenician widow (1 Kings 17:7-24) appears in the middle of a series of contests between God (Yahweh) and the false god Baal. Yahweh closed the clouds and stopped the rain (v. 1)—a direct attack on Baal’s supposed control over agricultural fertility. Yahweh then sends Elijah to Zarephath and performs a series of miracles through the prophet (vv. 7-24). Yahweh, not Baal, provided food for the widow and her family and also showed that He has power over life itself. No matter how desperate the situation, God alone will care for His people.
Jed Ostoich
UR: Grateful Heart
Always give thanks to God the Father for everything in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. - Ephesians 5:20 (CEB)
For weeks I had been battling feelings of stress, irritation, and anger. I felt frustrated with everyone and everything. While getting ready for work one day, I told God I didn’t know why my attitude was so bad, but I wanted to change it. I asked for God’s help to reveal what I needed to do to reverse course. One word immediately settled into my heart: gratitude.
I spent the remainder of the morning and my commute to work expressing gratitude to God for big and small things. I thanked God for clean water to bathe in; for the scrambled eggs I enjoyed for breakfast; for a car that works; for my sweet dogs who make me laugh; for God’s mercies that are new every day; and for so much more. As I continued to express thankfulness, my sour attitude became sweeter and sweeter.
’s scripture reading reminds us to make music to the Lord in our hearts and to give thanks to God for everything. When we practice gratitude and center our hearts on thankfulness, we not only honor God, but we are more joyful, peaceful, and loving.
's Prayer
Dear God, help us to nurture within ourselves a heart of gratitude and toward you. Amen.
Good Morning Weeping in Prayer for this Nation Intercessors! Please continue! I thought God had a Word from us from our devotionals, and He does! Engage with those on your own. I came to the Prayer blog from harvest and heard God say, "Just post that". So hear it is! What's He saying to you? How is He informing your prayers? Continue to pray and intercede for this nation, our neighborhoods, THE Church and our church. Thanks! God hears! Maybe use this with your prayer partner(s) too.
5 Powerful Prayers for the Church to Pray in this Hour
Our nation and the nations of the world have been caught up in the midst of a long season of fear, violence, anger, indecision, confusion and distrust. Divisiveness has split communities, families and even churches. Here are some prayer points and scriptures to help navigate these turbulent waters. May the Scriptures and topics inform your prayers as you press into the Father, the One who has already “overcome the world!” Please feel free to copy and share these with others who will use them!
Pray for the Church to stand against the enemy’s attempts to damage and paralyze the Church:
“But you are the ones chosen by God, chosen for the high calling of priestly work, chosen to be a holy people, God’s instruments to do his work and speak out for him, to tell others of the night-and-day difference he made for you—from nothing to something, from rejected to accepted” (1 Peter 2:9-10).
“And now you have become living building-stones for God’s use in building his house. What’s more, you are his holy priests; so come to him—you who are acceptable to him because of Jesus Christ—and offer to God those things that please him” (1 Peter 2:5).
“Consequently, you are no longer foreigners and strangers, but fellow citizens with God’s people and also members of the household of God, built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus himself being the cornerstone, in whom the whole structure, being joined together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord. In him you also are being built together into a dwelling place for God by the Spirit” (Ephesians 2:19-22).
Pray: Almighty God, wake up Your Church to stand firm in this moment! Help us to remember that through Your authority and in Your power, we can take our stand against the Devil’s attempts to do damage. We have Your strength and Your Spirit! Give us great courage to stand together in unity as communities, families and churches. May we be recognized as Your loving children, adorned in Your holiness. May we function as salt and light in order to be Your hands and feet in this hour!
Pray that God’s people will overcome anxiety about world events with peace:
“Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go” (Joshua 1:9).
“I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid” (John 14:27).
“I sought the Lord, and He answered me, and delivered me from all my fears” (Psalm 34:4).
Pray: Father, we ask you to help us overcome our anxiety with Your perfect peace! We ask You to give us strength and courage in this hour! May we always remember that You are with us wherever we go and that You stand beside us in the midst of every circumstance! Strengthen us when our hearts are discouraged and when we see violence, destruction and disasters occurring with regularity. Show us how to be courageous Christ-followers who respond with love and action in the midst of darkness and difficulty.
Pray for the end of fear across the nations of the earth:
“Whoever dwells in the shelter of the Most High will rest in the shadow of the Almighty. I will say of the LORD, ‘He is my refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust.’ Surely he will save you from the fowler’s snare and from the deadly pestilence. He will cover you with his feathers, and under his wings you will find refuge; his faithfulness will be your shield and rampart. You will not fear the terror of night, nor the arrow that flies by day, nor the pestilence that stalks in the darkness, nor the plague that destroys at midday” (Psalm 91:1-6).
“But the Lord is faithful, and He will strengthen you and protect you from the evil one” (2 Thessalonians 3:3).
Pray: Most High God, we ask for Your divine hand of protection over Your people! In the Name of Jesus, we ask You to bring healing and courage into lives and hearts for the glory of Your Name. May people across the earth see You move so that there is no doubt about Your power and Your goodness! Draw the lost peoples of the earth to Yourself through our prayers and actions! We may not understand all that is going on around us but we trust Your heart!
Pray for the Church to step into the gap to provide supernatural generosity and help for those who are in need:
“May God himself, the God of peace, sanctify you through and through. May your whole spirit, soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. The one who calls you is faithful, and he will do it” (1 Thessalonians 5:23-24).
“For if the willingness is there, the gift is acceptable according to what one has, not according to what one does not have” (2 Corinthians 8:12).
“A generous person will prosper; whoever refreshes others will be refreshed” (Proverbs 11:25).
“You will be enriched in every way so that you can be generous on every occasion, and through us your generosity will result in to God” (2 Corinthians 9:11).
“It is God himself who has made us what we are and given us new lives from Christ Jesus; and long ages ago he planned that we should spend these lives in helping others” (Ephesians 2:10).
Pray: Lord Jesus, there are so many people in need of a touch from You right now. Open the eyes of those who are spiritually blind so that they are able to see You! Help Your people to give peace to the anxious, to give kindness to those who are struggling, to find resources for those who are without, and to give comfort and encouragement to those who are sad or alone! May Your Church shine Your light into the desperate, anxious hearts and lives of those around us so that ALL peoples of the earth will know that You alone are God and give You honor, praise and glory!
Pray for Revival and Spiritual Awakening to be poured out across the earth, so that the Gospel is brought to our homes, communities, and the nations!
“And Jesus came and said to them, ‘All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age’” (Matthew 28:18-20).
“For the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the LORD, As the waters cover the sea” (Habakkuk 2:14).
“All the ends of the earth will remember and turn to the LORD. All the families of the nations will bow down before Him” (Psalm 22:27).
“If my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and I will forgive their sin and will heal their land” (2 Chronicles 7:14).
Pray: King of kings, You have commissioned Your people to go into all the world, from next door to across the earth. Thank you for the added benefit of technology that is available to help Your people to spread the Gospel at an amazing rate! Father, would You open hearts and minds, would You remove the scales and blinders from eyes, and would You speak to people in dreams and visions in every nation, tribe and tongue on earth? We ask that Your creativity would continue to explode the message of Jesus Christ across the earth so that Your Name will be the name on everyone’s lips. You are able and You have the power to accomplish it through Your people! We trust You for an outpouring of Your Spirit unlike anything we have ever seen in our lifetimes!
Come and worship! What a great day to worship our King! (everyday is a great dat to worship!) We get to gather and worship, learn and fellowship, pray and serve ! Yes, come and worship and praise the Lord! See you at 10 in person or on Zoom!
Good Morning Very Blessed, Saved By Grace, Co-Laborers! Amen! Praise God for those things too and prepare your hearts to worship, receive, pray and go love like Jesus. we look at James 2. What's God saying to you as you worship?
Check our the Upper Room's discussing on a season of change. Yes we were all one way changing into another. God knows that and made and equipped us for such a time as this. We all have purposes along the journey to Christlikeness and we all need help to get there! What gifts has God given you to help others? Whose gifts might compliment yours in this journey? Check out the I to We devo too speaking about our teammates and purposes we are transitioning to. God has a plan for and everyday of your life and He is moving you towards great fruit and joy as we work to become more like Jesus, doing what we can with what we've been given. May we be the best stewards of His grace and love through all the transitions of life! Amen! And doing so is an act of worship that leads to more worship! Amen!
See you soon!
UR" A Season of Change
For everything there is a season and a time for every matter under heaven. - Ecclesiastes 3:1 (NRSVUE)
When I began my teaching career many years ago, I was responsible for decorating the bulletin board in the front entrance of the school. The board needed to be appealing, inspiring, and creative. It would also require a lot of time and preparation. Many times, I was unable to complete the board in one day, so I put up a sign that said, “Pardon me! I’m changing; I’m a work in progress!”
Since my retirement, I have experienced many challenges and changes in my life. I can’t do the things I used to do; at times I feel inadequate. I wonder
whether I am still able to do God’s work. Can God still use me? In this season of my life, despite my fears, I know I still need God’s pardon and grace. Yes, I am still a work in progress.
Then I think about the scripture that reads, “[God] who began a good work in you will continue to complete it until the day of Jesus Christ” (Phil. 1:6). What a comfort it is to know that God still heals, still restores, still gives us whatever we need to change from our way to God’s way!
's Prayer
O Lord, help us understand that change is a necessary part of life. Help us to use change in a positive way for our good and the good of others. Amen.
Good Morning Activated and Empowered, Able-to-Do-Greater than Jesus Apostle!!! YES LORD! PLEASE!!! We are knocking Lord! Open the door and hear our prayers. Thanks! Bring revival and may it begin in me and Your Church. Thank You! Lord turn the world right-side-up! Send us as Your vessels to do our parts. Thanks! Come Jesus! Fill us! Activate and empower us. Bring our gifts alive. Unite us on mission. May we become a dynamic movement changing the world as we change and grow in You. May love overflow us and draw others to You. Thanks! Teach us to walk with You in Your ways for Your glory! May we bless You, each other and those you are sending us to and to us. Thanks Lord! Your Kingdom come and will be done and Jesus raised up high. Amen!
He has a perfect plan for you and He's calling you by name to come, to pray, to love, and to go love. What's He saying to you about that? Check out the devos below beginning with the Connection one as you continue knocking and praying and inviting Him to come. We are created and chosen for such a time as this! Meditate on ODB. And then look for some teammates as you pray through the I to We devo. God is stirring us to these things and he has equipped, empowered and is sending us! GO! Make disciples and teach them to walk in Jesus' way. Amen!
Connection
- Turning the World Right Side Up
“I tell you the truth, anyone who has faith in me will do what I have been doing. He will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father” (John 14:12).
Jesus told his disciples that their prayers would be combined with ministry. He promised that they would be able to do what He had been doing and “even greater things” than He had done. Think of what that means! During His days on earth Jesus healed the sick, cast out demons, multiplied bread and fish to feed thousands, stilled storms, and raised the dead. He drew large crowds, spoke with unparalleled brilliance, boldly tackled corruption in the temple, and stood up against the most powerful leaders of the day. Would they be able to do all those kinds of things? The answer is yes, they could, and they did. Those first disciples took Jesus’ words to heart. They really prayed! And they really worked! They did the “greater things” that Jesus talked about. They spoke to great crowds. They stood up to the leaders who challenged them. They planted a church that lived by prayer and ministered with power. They prayed for signs and wonders, and Christ responded in power. They saw thousands come to faith. In the years that followed they were accused of turning the world upside down. They really turned it right side up.
Father, it seems as if the “greater things” are always for someone else to do and not me. Please give me the faith that steps out believing in Your ability to work through such a weak vessel! Some days I feel that I have failed miserably to represent Jesus to others. Teach me to be a world changer! Stretch me beyond the comfort of what I think I know to grow into what You know about me…that in You I am able to do “even greater things.”
As Franco Zeffirelli prepared to film his critically acclaimed version of Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet, he made a daring decision. He chose two unknowns to play the lead characters and insisted they be close to the age of the characters as Shakespeare had penned them. Zeffirelli ultimately selected seventeen-year-old Leonard Whiting as Romeo and sixteen-year-old Olivia Hussey as Juliet.
Some might think that Jesus took a similar risk with the selection of His disciples, who later took His message of forgiveness to the world. That’s when the religious leaders arrested and questioned some of them. Then Acts 4:13 says, “When they saw the courage of Peter and John and realized that they were unschooled, ordinary men, they were astonished.”
Any assumed risk was more than overwhelmed by the real story behind these simple fishermen: “They took note that these men had been with Jesus” (4:13). The seemingly unqualified disciples had not only been with Christ, but they also had His promise to be with them always (Matthew 28:20). We share that promise as well (Hebrews 13:5) and can be assured that, in His presence and with His grace, no task set before us will be too great for Him.
By Bill Crowder
REFLECT & PRAY
When you have felt overwhelmed, how have you typically responded to the pressure? How might you invite Jesus to help you during those challenging times?
Dear Jesus, please forgive me for the times I try to forge ahead in my own strength and wisdom. I want to rely on You in all of life’s moments.
SCRIPTURE INSIGHT
Acts 4 describes the Sadducees being “greatly disturbed” by the apostles’ teaching because they were “proclaiming in Jesus the resurrection of the dead” (v. 2). The Sadducees were one of two prominent groups of Jewish religious leaders mentioned in Scripture; the other was the Pharisees. A primary division in belief between them was the doctrine of physical resurrection. The Sadducees denied the existence of both an afterlife and a future bodily resurrection, while the Pharisees believed in both. While confronting the Sadducees, Peter was empowered by the Spirit to boldly proclaim Christ’s resurrection (vv. 8, 10). As believers indwelt by the Spirit, we can also experience Jesus’ presence and grace.
Good Morning Team! Rah Rah sis boom bah! Go Team! Amen! Let's start with the Upper Room and A Prayer for Help...HELP!!! What help are you longing for? What desperate situation has you scratching your head or wondering if God really has a plan or hears your prayers? What thing are you bringing on yourself from foolish choices? Man, What a can of worms those questions open!!! HELP!!!! BUT GOD! He is there! He knows and cares! He will help you in your time of trouble! Do you trust Him? Have you invited Him in to your trouble? Have you repented of any sin that may be hindering His help? Try those and watch for Him to come alongside of you and walk with you, maybe even carry you, through this dark valley to the other side. What stories do you have to share of His faithfulness to do so in the past? Who needs to hear them? Who might be able to help you and pray with you and hold you accountable? Who might God be stirring you to spur on, pray with or allow Him to use you to redirect, comfort and walk with? Do it!!! God is there always and always trustworthy! Amen and PTL!
Then check out the I to We devo. This one broke my heart as I realized God was addressing me and some of my choices through it. Am I trying to do everything? I thought I repented of that? Have I? Am I inviting others to step into their anointed giftedness? What do I do when no one wants to? How do I spur on and encourage and invite to try? Do I even consider that before acting? Lord help me to take every thought, word and action captive before You and only say and do what You have for me? Help me to invite help and gifts into my leadership. Help me to repent of the mentality that I can do it all and invite others in more quickly. Thank You for all the gifts, talents and abilities you have given me. Help me steward them well and invite in, teach and spur others onto do what You created and gifted them to do. COME! HELP! Keep me from overload, busyness, and striving in my own strength. Thanks! Unite us as a team and move others to step into their anointing! Thanks. May we be Your team and Good News delivery Company doing what You created each of us to do! Amen!
Then check out the Word for You . I think this speaks into many if us--feeling useless, unable, unqualified, not worthy and longing to do what we are created for but not finding our niche or not being asked to help. Ask to help! What is God spurring you to try? Do it! Who might you ask to help you? Pray into this! We all have a part and we do really need each other to do their parts? Who are we missing that has a role from God? What gifts do we need to compliment ours? Ask someone to join you! Team up to produce more fruit. Stop having a pity party and offer help and see what God will do! he has great plans made for you. What might some of those be? Are you willing to be bold and courageous and step out in faith? Try it! And then invite someone else to join you or look for someone to come beside. That is how the best fruit buds!
I'm trying to only do what I can with what I've been given for and each day and such a time as this. I get frustrated when others won't step into their parts and then try to do their part. I get weary and worn out doing more than God has for me. He has given me and the vision team some great ideas that are awaiting His provision which includes some of you! What's your part? What's God stirring you to try? Do it! Who needs to hear the ideas He has stirred in you to begin praying and planning and walking with you? Share them! And the receive and know God's peace as you do what you can with what you've been given and equipped to do. Amen! Seek to fulfill your purposes in Christ! Then you will know true joy and peace and produce the fruit you are created to produce. Amen! Come Jesus Come! Revive me and us! Stir us to Your best. Thanks! Unite us as Your Team on mission! Thanks! Bring the fruit alive! Amen!
Now off to another over-committed day in a stretch of several over-committed weeks. Help me Lord to repent and carry me through all the appointments and busyness. Thanks! Amen!
UR: A Prayer for Help
May the Lord answer you when you are in distress; may the name of the God of Jacob protect you. May he send you help from the sanctuary and grant you support from Zion. - Psalm 20:1-2 (NIV)
It is a quiet, peaceful winter morning. The sky is still dark, and my children are asleep. Before the day dawns, I take a moment to thank God for a new day and ask God to help me through it.
My prayer for help reminds me of the prayers in Psalm 20. When King David was about to head to battle with his troops, the people of Israel prayed for his protection. David’s victory meant life and freedom for his people, so they sang: “May we shout for joy over your victory and lift up our banners in the name of our God.”
David experienced God’s protection as he fought and defeated Goliath. So David responded by saying, “Now this I know: The Lord gives victory to his anointed. He answers him from his heavenly sanctuary with the victorious power of his right hand.”
As the day dawns and the cares of the day await us, we can trust in the name of the Lord. The Lord will answer us when we are in distress — protecting us, sending help, and granting support.
's Prayer
Dear Lord, help us to rely on you and trust you even when we have lost hope. Help us to see that you are our ever-present help in trouble. Amen.
I to We
TWFYT
Connection
- Becoming a Better Listener
“Suppose a brother or sister is without clothes and daily food. If one of you says to him, ‘Go, I wish you well; keep warm and well fed,’ but does nothing about his physical needs, what good is it? In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead” (James 2:15-17).
It happens to all of us! We see a homeless person, come upon the scene of an accident…or hear of a family in financial need. Immediately we may think to pray in each of these situations, "Lord, please help that person. Send someone to meet that need!" What if God wants to use you and your family to be the answer to your prayer? Are you prepared to back up your prayers with action if the Lord directs? I believe that our Father wants us to learn how to be the hands and feet of His Son to hurting or lost people.
Since Jesus lives in us we should consider as we pray what He would do to meet this need or help this person if He were physically present – because He is! He is physically present in the midst of every situation because He is incarnate – in us! Could this thought and realization change the way you respond to the prayers that you pray? Instead of thinking that you have done the right thing by praying and then moving along to the next activity of your day…do you need to take your prayer to the next level by listening to what the voice of the Spirit speaks to your heart? How many opportunities have we missed because we have not acted in response to the impulse of the Spirit urging us to make Jesus known in the midst of lives or situations?
I believe that many prayers we pray can be answered quickly and with amazing results if we become better listeners to the voice of the Holy Spirit. If we could learn to change our mindset as we pray, I believe we would be used of God in mighty ways to be His agents of transformation. Can you imagine how fulfilling and exciting your lives would be if your family would continually wait upon the Lord to see how He may want to use you to be the answer to prayers that you pray?
Holy Spirit, my spiritual ears are often plugged up as You seek to guide my heart towards Your purposes! How often I miss Your promptings to be the answer to the prayers I pray! Please teach me to be Jesus to the people I pray for so that I might partner with the Father in meeting the needs of those who are seeking a touch from His hand.
Read Ps. 86:15-17 and praise God for his marvelous compassion, grace, love, and faithfulness to you.
Thank him for turning to you and having mercy on you.
Confess any lack of appreciation for God’s saving work in your life.
Commit yourself to loving God wholeheartedly in response to his love for you.
Ask God to give you a sign of his goodness.
Ask that people in your neighborhood who do not yet know Jesus will be drawn to him by observing your Christlike behavior. Pray that they will have the boldness to ask about the faith they see in you.
Prayer Pointer
“God has chosen prayer as the key by which his church does its work. Through prayer we impact the world for God.” —Anonymous
Prayer Points taken from Patterns for Prayer by Alvin VanderGriend. This book is available at prayerleader.com. Use the code CONPSP3 at checkout to receive an additional 10% discount.
Get your worship on and PTL! Thank God I'm Forgiven is a day we focus on all we are thankful for in Christ and for our salvation! Rejoice! Count your many blessings--one by one!
Good Morning Thankfully Praising Redeemed of the Lord! Amen! What joy we know and gratitude drives our actions! Yes, PTL!
Eph. 2:10 comes up in our devotional time again . memorize, internalize and step into it because it is who you are and reveals the first steps God's plans for you: "You are God's masterpiece, made new in Christ to do the things He created you to do and planned for you from long ago." And when we come to Christ we are gifted, activated and empowered to go do those things according to our uniqueness in Christ. Thanks Lord! That is Jesus' easy yoke for us weary of striving and tired of falling short. We are Hi. He calls us by name. He knows us and still loves us and He has great plans for you and us as His gathered and sent Body. PTL!
Check out the devos below that thread this thinking all together for and worship, load up, partner up and go live and love like Jesus! It's gonna be a beautiful day to get out and enjoy this life in Christ. Share your joy and gratitude with some that Jesus is leading you to. Go! he is with you and you are made for such a time as this! Amen! Only you can do for Christ what you are created and gifted to do! rejoice and follow well! I'm praying for you and to know the peace of being you in Christ and doing what He has for you!
Sarah Young
Upper Room: Uniquely Made
God created humans in his image, in the image of God he created them; male and female he created them. - Genesis 1:27 (NRSVUE)
On a recent walk, I spotted an oak leaf lying among maple leaves. The fallen beige leaf stood out on the golden carpet of maple leaves. Its rounded lobes contrasted with the sharp points of the other leaves surrounding it. Still, together, the leaves were beautiful.
How often do we notice someone who is different? Skin color, style of clothing, hairstyle, age, and other features may set them apart from the crowd. Maybe we are the unique people where we work, live, or go to school. Sometimes people stand out, and that’s just fine.
God creates each person with unique gifts and abilities. Even though we are different from one another, we all bear the image of God. Together with one another and the Divine, we collaborate to establish justice, make peace, and promote love.
Some people may desire that everyone conform to the same appearance, style, or belief, but God creates variety. The diversity of the natural world and humanity bring wonder and joy in their myriad expressions of God’s creativity. Let us embrace God’s work of love and our calling to celebrate that labor.
's Prayer
God who delights in diversity, thank you for creating each of us. Help us to appreciate the variety you have made and to treat every person with kindness. In Christ’s name. Amen.
The Word for You
I to We
Connection blog
- The Prayer of Jesus’ Life
“Father, the hour has come; glorify your Son that the Son may glorify you. . . . I glorified you on the earth, having accomplished the work which you have given Me to do. Now, Father, glorify Me together with yourself, with the glory which I had with you before the world was” (John 17:1, 4-5).
Here it is plain that the phrase “yours is the glory” was in fact the prayer of Jesus’ life. The thrust of the text is that through His joyful obedience to God throughout His earthly life, God’s reputation, renown, and power were revealed in and through Him.
Here, to glorify God is to accomplish the things that God wants done. Jesus did that—and so can we.
To glorify God is to know Him intimately. It is to receive “marching orders” from God, and it is to carry them out. It is to look back on our day, our week, our month, or our life and say, “I did what you asked me to do. It is accomplished.”
Then it is to take a further step. Jesus could do this like no other. He requested a return to the glory that He had as the preexistent Word of God. In His case, it was a magnificent return to a wondrous reality—to be not only in heaven with God, but to be the center of heaven and to be God. In our case, we ask for the heaven we have never known before.
Our reward will be different in character, though it will be magnificent beyond all human existence. Jesus Christ the Lord is the center and we never can be. But we can be joined to the center and shine with His borrowed radiance forever. We shall share His glory and find ourselves seated in Him and with Him forever.
Lord Jesus, You truly are the center of life, as well as the very center of heaven! You are my God, the King of Glory! Teach me the ways of heaven through Your kingdom on this earth so that I might continue to glorify You every moment until I walk with You in the heavenly kingdom! Transform my heart, and please give me that joyful obedience that reveals You to others!
--Adapted from Power Praying by David Chotka.
Prayer Points
Read Ps. 73:23-26 and give praise to the one who holds you every day by your right hand.
Thank God for guiding you by his wise counsel.
Confess any time you have desired some earthly trinket more than the riches of your heavenly Father.
Commit yourself to staying close to God .
Ask God to be “the strength of [your] heart and [your] portion forever.”
Pray for any unsaved friends or relatives by name.
Ask that they will embrace the peace that comes with having God hold them by the hand.
Prayer Points taken from Patterns for Prayer by Alvin VanderGriend. This book is available at prayerleader.com. Use the code CONPSP3 at checkout to receive an additional 10% discount.
What an awesome night of feasting and fellowship last evening! Thanks for all who came and hung out! Maybe a third of those there are not members. Cool! Our . gathering is Rita's Night . at 6. Mark your calendars and bring some friends! Evenings then resume Sept 17th. It's cool to just chill with friends and God!
Good Morning Good Morning Trusting in the Lord Team! Pronounce that because things said out loud do have power as a prayer. I always try to use a salutation that flows from our devotionals and into our prayers and pronouncements. We trust in the Lord as we repent of leaning on our own understanding. We are gathered, teamed up and gifted and empowered to go live and love like Jesus and as we join with Him and each other we find this joy and peace as He uses us as we go. It's always about trusting and growing and going in Christ and we are made to do so as a team. Who are your partners? What has God revealed for you as you pray ? What thinking do you need to let go to put on the mind of Christ? Talk to God and your team about that and pronounce and pray for revival as we abide, receive and team up to go live and love like Him! He has great plans for you and us and maybe even a new believer ! Rejoice! Trust! Team up! Go live and love like Jesus! Amen! Pronounce it! Believe it! Receive it! Unite and go! Amen! God really loves you, is with you, is calling you by name to come to Him and walk in His peace . Accept the invitation and let me know what happens! Shalom!
I to WE
UR:A Change of Perspective
Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding. - Proverbs 3:5 (NIV)
I was working on a puzzle with my three-year-old granddaughter. It was from a set of puzzles of different shapes and sizes. This one had only eight pieces. Four of the pieces went together easily, but we couldn’t make the others fit. I finally said, “Summer, we must be missing a piece, or these pieces are from a different puzzle.” And I gave up. But after a minute, Summer said, “Grandma, I got these two pieces to fit.” And she had! It turns out that we had been looking at the puzzle from the wrong perspective; changing our perspective enabled us to finish the puzzle easily.
In ’s scripture reading from Isaiah, the Lord says, “As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts” (v. 9). And Proverbs encourages us to “trust in the Lord with all [our] heart and lean not on [our] own understanding.” My three-year-old granddaughter reminded me of this spiritual lesson. Sometimes I need to change the way I’m looking at a situation. I need to ask for God’s perspective. God is the only one who sees and knows how all the pieces fit together.
's Prayer
Dear Lord, thank you for your wisdom. Help us to see as you see and to trust your vision. Amen.
Tim’s hotel room seemed extra dark at night. What if he got up at night and slipped and fell because he couldn’t see? But when Tim did get up, he was surprised to see a bright light shining from underneath the bed—lighting his path. A motion sensor had activated it. The light only worked, however, if he got up and started to walk.
The Bible says we’re to walk with intent in God’s light. As Paul told the new believers in Jesus at Ephesus, “Follow God’s example . . . and walk in the way of love” (Ephesians 5:1-2). But what does it look like to walk that way?
As we step into Christ’s loving light, we turn from our sins—that might include immorality, impurity, idolatry, and coveting. “Have nothing to do with the fruitless deeds of darkness,” Paul said, “but rather expose them” (v. 11). Pagan worship thrived in Ephesus, but the apostle’s words steered the new believers aright. “At one time you were darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light” (v. 8 esv). He added, “The fruit of the light consists in all goodness, righteousness and truth.” So, “find out what pleases the Lord” (vv. 9-10).
The benefit? The light of Jesus “will shine on you” (v. 14), lighting your path. “Look carefully then how you walk,” Paul concluded (v. 15 esv). Walking confidently in Christ’s light, we’ll bless others as we point them to Him—the source of true light.
By Patricia Raybon
REFLECT & PRAY
How do you actively walk in Christ’s light? How has He shined His light on your ways?
Dear Jesus, this world is dark. Please shine Your light in me.
Paul’s letter to the Ephesians follows a pattern similar to some of his other letters, such as Romans and Colossians. Ephesians opens with a section of teaching or doctrine (chs. 1-3) followed by practical application of that teaching (chs. 4-6). This means, in a sense, that what we believe should directly impact how we behave. Ephesians 5:8-15 lands in the middle of that application section, concluding with verse 15: “Be very careful, then, how you live—not as unwise but as wise.” The apostle then goes on to deal with marriage relationships, parent-child relationships, and the relationships between masters and slaves. Believers in Jesus in Ephesus lived in a pagan culture, so this wise counsel would have equipped them to live distinctive lives that would’ve looked very different from the surrounding culture and thus point others to Christ. As He provides what we need, we can also confidently walk in His light .
Pizza and Ice Cream Party at 6 in Fellowship Hall. All welcome! Bring a friend!
Good Morning Loving because Loved, Reaching because Reached Disciple Makers! Now pronounce that over you and us and step into it and your part in His Good News Delivery Company! Pray into this and release God's power over you, us, your team to go love, reach and invite to learn about Jesus and His ways. Pray for revival. It is at hand!
I did a funeral after church for a guy I am pretty sure did not make it to heaven. Only God knows for sure. But it was weighing on me early that I didn't do more to introduce him to Jesus. I shared the gospel with those partying in his memory but also may have given false hope that he is in heaven. Forgive me Lord. Thanks! But this story is one that happens all too often for most of us. We just don't feel comfortable interceding and stepping into a friends life to speak truth in love and share our hope and Good News. Who of your friends or family are you thinking of right now that you are pretty sure is going to Hell? Many come to my mind. And many of them will never come to Christ, but some might? Who are you praying for and watching for God to be at work with and joining Him. Who is He preparing you for or for you? What will you do about that. I don't want to get to heaven and hear, "You missed your chance with so and so." We are called by name to come to Jesus, join Him and walk with Him which includes leading some to Him or teaching them His ways as we make disciples. We, as God's gathered people, His Church, are being sent as well. Who are your teammates? at Bread Ministry we experience a team of servants doing what they can with what they've been given to represent Jesus and love on those we get to serve. Some are being drawn and we are focusing on those. Some are observing and wondering and we are patiently loving them. And some will never come but we still lovingly serve them and represent Jesus as best we can.
God has given us an open door in this country right now where we have freedom to share Jesus, His ways and the Truth of God's Word. Let us pray into that, prepare and seize the moment--doing what we can with what we've been given for such a time as this! How does God want you and us to go live, love, represent Jesus and make disciples like Him? Ask Him and partner up to fulfill your purposes! I'm praying for you and seeking God for what He has for you and us. I am also praying that we would have His eyes to see, heart to love and feet willing to follow and go. Join me! Jesus said, Come. Follow Me and I will make you fishers of men." It's time to go fishing!
Check out these devotionals reminding us of loving our neighbors and that we only have so long to grow like Christ and fulfill our purposes before we are called home. Our Daily Bread asks us to read James 1:19-27 that we studied and then uses James 2:8 that we will study this week. It speaks of the Royal Law: Love your neighbor as yourself." That reminds me of the Golden Rule where we are called to treat others as we want to be treated. I'm thankful for those neighbors who loved me to Christ! And that leads me to want to do the same for others. Who is on your mind right now? Do something about it! Talk to me if you have any questions. You are being covered, prepared, protected, provided for and called by name for such a time as this! Go! Love well! Be a doer of the Word!
ODB
Loving Our Neighbors
If you really keep the royal law found in Scripture, “Love your neighbor as yourself,” you are doing right. James 2:8
After a late summer thunderstorm ripped through our city, we had to deal with tree damage to our house, plus a major cleanup of our leaf-and-branch-strewn yard. As I spent the following day dealing with the damage and the tree debris, I tried to humor myself by repeating, “We don’t have any trees!” It’s true. Other than three tiny, three-foot-tall pines, we don’t have them. Yet I spend considerable time cleaning up after storms or falling leaves due to neighbors’ trees.
Neighbors. How do we interact with them—even when something they’ve done or grown or said bothers us? Scripture is clear on this: it states “love your neighbor as yourself” nine times—including Leviticus 19:18, Matthew 19:19, Mark 12:31, Galatians 5:14, and James 2:8. In fact, this is the second greatest commandment God has given us. The first is “Love the Lord your God with all your heart . . . soul . . . strength and . . . mind” (Luke 10:27). One of the keys to showing love to neighbors is how we interact with them. James explained this by saying, “Be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry” (1:19).
This isn’t always easy. It goes against our nature. Yet loving our neighbor is to be our first response. As God helps us, let’s shine Jesus’ light of love on those who share life with us—our neighbors.
By Dave Branon
REFLECT & PRAY
What’s bothering you about a neighbor? How can you handle this issue in love?
Dear Father, thank You for my neighbors—whether next door or the people I interact with daily. Please help me to love them with Christlike love.
SCRIPTURE INSIGHT
James says to “love your neighbor as yourself” (2:8), and we do that in part by our actions (1:19-20). Luke 10 also contains a reference to this commandment, but it goes one step further by answering the question “Who is my neighbor?” (v. 29) and illustrating what that entails. In an interaction with “an expert in the law” (v. 25), Jesus answers the man’s query by telling the parable of the good Samaritan (vv. 30-37). This parable reveals that God wants us to love our neighbor regardless of nationality, political party, or other distinction. Our neighbor also includes anyone who’s in distress. Just as Jesus had compassion on us, we’re to have compassion on others. When we love our neighbor, we “are doing right” (James 2:8). As Paul stated, “[Love] does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered . . . . Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth” (1 Corinthians 13:5-6).
Two updates...Karen is doing great! God heard your prayers! Could He have healed her? I believe so. Miracles happen when we pray!
LaRue Schmidt as stepped into Jesus' arms ! I am meet the family . because of that we need to cancel Zoom Huddle at 10.
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Good Morning Loved, Gifted, Activated, Gathered then Sent, Good News Delivery Company! That is yo and us! PTL! What's your part? Who are your partners? Who are you praying for? Who has God prepared for you and you for them? What will you do about all of this? Talk to God about it and process with some friends. Then share those stories and praises for all God is and will do!
God has answered your prayer and have have been sleeping well--too well. I overslept and need to get to a doc appoint. But He knows and is the Lord of me and my schedule. make Him Your Lord and Shepherd as well! Ask Him to lead you to His perfect plans for you and for the wisdom, courage and partners to go live and love and make disciples like Jesus. Ask Him to inform your prayers. Ask Him to continue to grow you into your fuller potential and to be more like Him. He loves you is calling you by name to come join Him and walk with Him into this day. Come! Amen!
Engage with all if these devos and the thread through them as you prepare for the day ahead and worship!
Sarah Young
UR: Follow Me
Paul wrote, “Follow my example, just like I follow Christ’s.” - 1 Corinthians 11:1 (CEB)
While visiting a friend at his home in rural Vermont, I asked him for the best route back to the interstate highway. He started to give me directions but then paused. “I have a better idea,” he exclaimed. “The directions are complicated. Follow me; I’ll drive my car and show you the way.” Because the road was winding, I followed close behind. It was helpful that he drove at a moderate rate of speed and was careful to signal well in advance of turns. Before long, we reached the interstate and waved goodbye as I headed home.
As I drove onto the highway, it occurred to me that following and leading are at the heart of discipleship. As the apostle Paul sought to genuinely follow Christ, he in turn offered himself as a person others could follow. Whether at home, school, or the office, our words and actions are being observed by others. God calls all believers to be examples that encourage others to follow the path of discipleship. Let’s all ask ourselves, Am I living a life that emulates the life of Christ?
's Prayer
Dear God, remind us of the importance of our actions. Help us to model the way of Christ for others. Amen.
ODB
Never Alone
The Lord your God goes with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you. Deuteronomy 31:6
Over the years, I’ve encouraged and prayed for many people battling loneliness for various reasons: nursing home residents whose family members don’t visit, the widow who spends her days outside so as not to be alone in her empty house, ministry leaders who don’t have anyone to confide in, and homeless people who feel ignored and alone.
Loneliness can strike anyone at any time. The US Surgeon General released an advisory in alerting the public about the epidemic of loneliness. About half of US adults say they’ve experienced loneliness, which can be as deadly as smoking a dozen cigarettes daily, according to the advisory.
When Moses was getting ready to pass the torch to his successor, Joshua, he wanted to make sure the Israelites knew they wouldn’t be facing any battles alone as they entered the promised land: “Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the Lord your God goes with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you” (Deuteronomy 31:6). He also reminded their new leader, Joshua, that “the Lord himself goes before you and will be with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you” (v. 8).
And he concluded with words that can encourage us : “Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged” (v. 8).
When we’re facing loneliness, let’s take comfort in knowing that God will never leave nor forsake us.
By Nancy Gavilanes
REFLECT & PRAY
Why is it important to know you’re never alone? How comforting is it to know God is with you?
In Deuteronomy, Moses recounts in three speeches (chs. 1-4; 5-26; 27-34) the history of the Israelites about to enter the promised land. The forty years of discipline had ended, and all Israelites twenty years and older when the exodus began had died, except for Moses, Joshua, and Caleb (Numbers 14:29-35). Moses urged the Israelites to learn from their past unfaithfulness and to trust God (Deuteronomy 31:4-6). Moses himself wouldn’t enter Canaan because he’d dishonored God at Kadesh by striking the rock for water instead of only speaking to it (Numbers 20:1-13; Psalm 106:32-33). He was permitted, however, to see Canaan from Mount Nebo (Deuteronomy 34:1-5). As God was with the Israelites, He’s with all believers in Jesus even when we experience loneliness.
“When he saw the crowds, he had compassion on them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd” (Matthew 9:36).
Intercessory prayer is hard work. It involves communion with the King and compassion for the multitudes. It is understanding the passion of Christ for souls. It is waiting on God to endue us with power from on high in order that we might lead those souls into the kingdom.
Those that have been most useful in reaping a harvest have always been men and women of intercessory prayer. They cry to the Lord for the multitudes. They have no confidence in themselves to build the kingdom of God; they live in absolute dependence upon God.
If we are to reach this generation for Christ, there must be men and women in every nation whose hearts hurt for their countrymen. Jesus had compassion for the multitudes two thousand years ago. Although the multitudes are greater , He loves, cares for, and wants to save every individual. We need to look at the masses of humanity through the eyes of Jesus. We will see people—real people, hurting people. Too many of us see people only as objects. We need a fresh touch from God. We need to feel the heart of the compassionate King.
Perhaps some Christians will say, “I know that I should have a burden to pray for the world. But it is just not there. I am so busy with my own life and problems that I don’t have time to pray for some people in a distant country that I will never meet.” We must first recognize that we must be delivered from such self-centeredness. The goal of every Christian should be conformity unto the image of Jesus. And the heart of Jesus is for the world. We must confess our apathy as sin and repent of it.
Oh God, I do need a fresh touch from You so that I am able to feel Your heart beat for those who are perishing. Deliver me from my self-absorbed self, and heal my arrogant spirit. I repent of my disobedience and desire to be used for Your purposes in the world. Heal me from my own self-righteousness and allow me to embrace the hurting, the homeless, the weak, the widow and the orphan. Ruin me for anything that is not of You!
--Adapted from The Prayer Factor by Sammy Tippit.
Prayer Points
Praise God as the Creator, Father, Savior, Lord, and indwelling Spirit of his church.
Give thanks for “the holy catholic church, the communion of saints; the forgiveness of sins; the resurrection of the body, and the life everlasting.”
Reflecting with God on how you aid or damage his church, confess any sin he reveals.
Commit to being a helpful member of God’s community.
Ask him to work through you to serve and enrich others.
Pray for each member of Christ’s body to excellently manage the treasures and gifts placed in his or her care. Ask God to prompt you to loving and generous service.
Prayer Points taken from Patterns for Prayer by Alvin VanderGriend. This book is available at prayerleader.com. Use the code CONPSP3 at checkout to receive an additional 10% discount.
Good Morning Loved, Trusting, Followers of Our Faithful God--Doers of His Word! we discussed choosing joy, even in trials and troubles and how standing firm in faith in doing so leads to endurance of our faith. We also heard James calling us to be more than just hearers of God's Word but also doers of it. We thought about our church and how many, if nit all, of us are able to trust God and choose joy and how we serve and choose to live out God's Word and stand firm on it in this cruel and evil world. Thanks for being part of this great fellowship of believers! Thanks for doing what you can with what you've been given! We bless God, each other and others! We allow His love to fill us to overflowing and to direct our steps! We are developing endurance and persevering faith! We are family too and need each other to continue to grow in these things and to go live and love more and more like Jesus. We are becoming God's dynamic movement and Good News Delivery Co. Amen!
Check out these devotions as you spend some time being still and knowing that He is God, He is for us, and he is with us always. He hears and answers our prayers and wants to hang out with us all day. How cool! Dwell in His love and keep choosing to trust, obey, follow and be doers of all God has for you and us! Yes rejoice and worship knowing these things and receive His peace beyond understanding always. Hold His hand as you walk joyously with Him ! He loves you!
The deadliest forest fire disaster in US history was the Peshtigo Fire in Northeast Wisconsin. It occurred on the same night as the better-known Chicago Fire (, 1871) but claimed several hundred more lives. Peshtigo, a fast-growing city of wooden buildings and part of the lumber industry, was consumed within an hour by the inferno fanned by gusting winds.
Besides scorched china and a brick kiln, among the few items the fire left behind was a small, open Bible. Flames had singed its cover and extreme heat had petrified its pages, yet it remained intact. It can be viewed in a museum in the city .
The little Bible’s preservation calls to mind an assurance God gave His people in another trying time: “The grass withers and the flowers fall, but the word of our God endures forever” (Isaiah 40:8). Though “firestorms” of invasion and exile threatened, God affirmed that He would be faithful to His promises and would never forsake those who turned to Him—come what may.
The Bible in Peshtigo, still partially legible, was opened to Psalms 106 and 107. Both psalms contain these words in their first verses: “Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good; his love endures forever.” Even in the greatest trials of our lives, His words and love never falter. And we will thank Him forever because of it.
By James Banks
REFLECT & PRAY
What's your favorite promise from God? What can you do to keep His promises in mind ?
Loving God, I praise You for Your faithfulness! Please help me to trust in You even in difficult seasons.
SCRIPTURE INSIGHT
The exile—God’s people being taken from their country first by Assyria and then Babylon—came as a result of His judgment for His people’s failures. However, the tremendous suffering it caused raised serious questions about God’s faithfulness. Had He forsaken His people? Or was God not able to do anything about what had happened to them? In Isaiah 40, God offers a resounding no to both of those questions. He hadn’t abandoned His people. His promise to be faithful to them could be trusted, for “the word of our God endures forever” (v. 8). They’d return from exile, and God’s presence and glory would be with them (vv. 3-5), and He would care for them (vv. 10-11). His voice and power would bring restoration, and no other power would be able to resist Him (vv. 10, 15-17). The reality that God’s promises and love never change provides encouragement for us as we face trials in this world.
Monica La Rose
UR: Trust the Driver
“My thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,” declares the Lord. - Isaiah 55:8 (NIV)
I’ve always loved the English language, but I never considered that passion to be a viable career. I told myself that I needed to finish a degree and find a corporate job after graduation to feel like a responsible adult. I studied business administration out of desperation. Now I can see how God had been preparing me all along. In my university days, I served as a translator for a Chinese friend, and now I work as an English teacher. It has been 10 years since I started working as an English teacher, and I’m able to provide for myself and help my family. The work of God continuously astounds me.
Sometimes our lack of imagination and our desire for control limit what we think we can do and achieve. When we try to become the driver of our lives, we forget that it is God who leads the way.
God can guide us down roads we have never seen or imagined. While we see only what’s right in front of us, God sees the entire journey. Let us surrender our lives to God’s guidance.
's Prayer
Heavenly Father, thank you for your patience and love for us. May we share your love with the people around us. Amen.
TWFYT
Sarah Young
Connection Blogs:
- Draw Me Close
It is impossible to do what the Lord desires unless we take time to listen to Him. We can only do this by being still and ceasing our busy activity-filled lives. Sometimes all God wants to speak to us are words of love and affirmation. Many times He may require nothing of you but to sit and enjoy His company. However, it is a very clear command from God that we are to listen to His Son: "Then a cloud appeared and enveloped them, and a voice came from the cloud: ‘This is My Son, whom I love. Listen to Him!’" (Mark 9:7). It is implied that listening involves obeying. Truly hearing God is to be obedient to what He says: "Do not merely listen to the Word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says" (James 1:22).
Jesus expressed confidence that those who will be still before Him will live lives that are filled with divine "doing" that is birthed out of divine "being": "My sheep listen to My voice; I know them, and they follow Me. I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one can snatch them out of My hand" (John 10:27-28). Your children and/or grandchildren are watching how you live your life. Are they learning the lifestyle of Martha…or Mary? "…Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her" (Luke 10:42).
Lord Jesus, I have so much in common with Martha, which is not such a bad thing! Yet, I do long to learn a lesson from her sister, who spent her time sitting at Your feet, simply learning and adoring! Out of the overflow of her devotion, she lived her life. Help me to be still, and to keep my eyes fixed upon Your blessed face so that I will not miss You in the midst of my busy life! Draw me close, Jesus, so that those who follow after me will learn to know that You are God!
As one who professes to “believe in the Holy Spirit,” praise God for his indwelling of all believers.
Give thanks for his intimacy and power.
Confess any tendency to rely on your own strength rather than God’s.
Commit to becoming more sensitive to God’s ongoing presence.
Ask God to increase your consciousness of continual companionship with him.
Pray that the Holy Spirit will fill each of your family and friends, bringing a deep sense of his presence. Ask him to fill your household with his power.
Prayer Pointer
“Prayers not felt by us are seldom heard by God.” —Philip Henry
Prayer Points taken from Patterns for Prayer by Alvin VanderGriend. This book is available at prayerleader.com. Use the code CONPSP3 at checkout to receive an additional 10% discount.
Rejoice! Again, I say rejoice! For this is the day the Lord has made and it's beautiful and we get to worship in it!!! Yes praise the Lord and prepare your hearts to worship!
Good Morning Worshippers! we gather to worship, praise, pray, study, fellowship and glorify God! Amen. I also have a funeral after worship. Pray God uses me well . Thanks! May God come inhabit our praise as we enter His courts with praise and . May His Spirit bring His Word alive to us and lead us out the door prepared for a great Sabbath and a week of loving service that flows from grateful hearts. Amen!
we will study James 1 and think about our confident hope in Christ. Check out the thread through the devos below. God has great plans for you and us as His team. he will never leave us and nothing can ever separate us from His love and less we choose to renounce our faith and walk away. DON'T!!! Receive His embrace and release all your troubles, hurts and concerns to Him. He wants that and will bring His peace and restoration as you do! Again, more to worship about! See you soon fellow worshipers! Shalom!
I to We
Sarah Young
UR: God's Embrace
You yourself [O God] have kept track of my misery. Put my tears into your bottle — aren’t they on your scroll already? - Psalm 56:8 (CEB)
I volunteer at a women’s prison. One of the highlights of my year is the annual gathering. Inmates and volunteers all pack into a huge gym, sitting side by side as guest speakers and worship leaders share messages of hope and encouragement. We enjoy two hours of worship and prayer, clapping and singing. The gathering concludes with volunteers distributing care packages to each inmate.
This year something different and life-changing happened. The chaplain asked the volunteers to come to the front of the room. She said to the inmates, “These women are here to pray with you; if you want prayer, come forward.” Every woman in the gym stood up! We watched silently as, one by one, women stepped forward to receive prayer, bravely sharing their pain and heartache. A few times, I felt a woman rest her head on my shoulder, like a child with her mother. More than once, I noticed teardrops landing on my shoes during the prayer.
These images reminded me of how God pays attention to our every tear and embraces us in our sorrow. As I thought about that gathering, I truly experienced what it means to be the hands and feet of Christ.
's Prayer
Dear God, thank you for comforting us like a mother comforts her child. Help us to turn to you in difficult times and to be a place of safety and refuge for others. Amen.
ODB
Peace in the Release
The peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Philippians 4:7
Kayla’s brow furrowed as she shoved yet another slip of paper into an overstuffed box labeled “Give It to God” on all four sides. Sighing deeply, she sifted through the written prayers she had previously placed in the box. “I read them out loud almost every day,” she said to her friend. “How can I be sure God hears me?” Chantel handed Kayla her Bible. “By trusting that God keeps His word,” she said, “and letting go every time you write or read a prayer you’ve released into His hands.”
The apostle Paul urged believers in Jesus to “rejoice in the Lord” and gave good reason to do so by affirming, “The Lord is near” (Philippians 4:4-5). He encouraged God’s people to trade anxious thoughts for faith-filled prayers, to believe He receives every request, and to praise Him while resting in the unfathomable peace of His never-ending presence (vv. 6-7).
The Prince of Peace—Jesus—guards our emotional and mental well-being when we turn our thoughts toward qualities that point to Him, things that are “true,” “right,” “pure,” and “praiseworthy” (v. 8).
The peace of God protects us when we trust that the God of peace is with us. Liberated from the burden of clinging to concerns, we can experience peace in the release of every prayer into God’s trustworthy hands.
By Xochitl Dixon
REFLECT & PRAY
How has God used Scripture to help you trust that He hears your prayers? What concerns have you been clinging to instead of giving them to God in prayer?
Dear God, thank You for being my peace whenever I release my worries into Your hands.
Philippians is one of the Prison Epistles (along with Ephesians, Colossians, and Philemon) that Paul wrote while in prison. The letter to the Philippians is often referred to as the “joy letter” because of the apostle’s repeated emphasis on our joy in Christ. That’s striking by itself but made even more significant when we remember that he wrote this letter while in custody (1:12-14). He not only reflected on the joy we have in Jesus but also on what it means to have peace in Christ—even while in prison. This powerful truth can speak into whatever circumstances we might be facing. For some, that literally means being imprisoned. But regardless of our situation, Jesus is profoundly at work in our lives and the fruit the Spirit produces is joy and peace.
This is the day the Lord has made! Let us rejoice and be glad in it! Worship! What a beautiful ! never thought we'd see one again! PTL!
Good Morning Team! Fix your eyes on Jesus and get out and love some neighbors ! That is a great act of worship and obedience too. Remember, with obedience comes blessings! What a great day to do something fun while shinning the Light and sharing the Love! I'm ready to get out the door after a great night of sleep. Time to go live and love like Jesus as I am and enjoy life too! Praying you can do the same! Try it! One step at a time with Jesus! Amen
Just two devos . Keep on going and love others to Christ and do it with some friends! What's Gid saying to you and what will you do? Who might you partner with ? God has some custom made plans--good things--just for you! Enjoy! And invite someone along!
Thank God I'm Forgiven ! Well TGIF everyday! PTL! Worship and keep using and filling those gratitude lists as you populate them with many praises but especially ! Focus on all the ways that your salvation leads to praise and worship and about who Christ is and what He means to you. (Abide in Him, worship, and reload for the day)
Good Morning Special Possession of God! You are His masterpiece! He is the Potter and we the clay and all that happens has been filtered through His hands which have our names engraved on them. Ponder that some. He is shaping you into the person He created you to be--PTL! He has enabled and gifted and empowered you to grow to your fuller potential in Christ and to do all He created you to do. PTL! Nothing can separate us from His love! PTL! Do as Sarah Young says, say it out loud! I am God's special possession and nothing can separate me from His love--nothing! PTL! And like the Upper Room reminds us, He walks with us. PTL! He is with us, guiding us, molding us and making a way for us to succeed and to glorify Him! PTL!
So...what are you thankful for and who will you share that joyful good news with ? I'm rejoicing for you and praying for you as we all work at going to live and love more and more like Jesus each day. He is for us! Who can be against us? Nothing can separate us from His love, protection, grace and leading, unless we choose to walk away. Please don't! He really loves you and has great plans for you. Abide. Be still. Know He is God and is with you always and then partner up and help each other to grow in His love and go in His love to love many others. Amen! What an easy yoke Jesus offers us as we still ourselves, stop striving in our own strength and trust God has it all covered and will be with us always just as we are. And He's not finished with us yet! PTL! Again I say rejoice! And choose to live this day out of and as an act of worship! He is worthy! Amen!
Sarah Young
UR: God Walks with Us
I the Lord thy God will hold thy right hand, saying unto thee, Fear not; I will help thee. - Isaiah 41:13 (KJV)
While driving home one day, I stopped at a pedestrian crosswalk to let a young girl and her father cross the road. They held hands as she happily skipped along. She was carefree, eagerly looking up at her dad and talking to him. She never looked where she was stepping or paid any attention to the cars on either side of the crosswalk.
At home, I considered how my walk with the Lord is meant to reflect what I had witnessed. Did I trust my heavenly Father to hold my hand and get me safely through life’s challenges? I could think of several times in my life where I had taken matters into my own hands, impatient and refusing to trust the process to God.
When we try to work things out on our own, the “what ifs” and “maybes” keep us in a place of anxiety and stress. But as we read in scripture, “I the Lord thy God will hold thy right hand, saying unto thee, Fear not; I will help thee.” Just as the little girl trusted her father, we can trust our heavenly Father to walk beside us and keep us safe.
's Prayer
Faithful Lord, help us to trust your promise never to leave us, nor forsake us. Lead us beside still and quiet waters as we keep our focus on you. Amen.
Good Morning Church! several times I came across this question in a book and some notes I scribbled elsewhere: "What would our church be like if Jesus was our pastor?" hmmm! Much to ponder there! I try to be Christlike and pray to live. love, teach, lead and make disciples like Jesus. No matter how hard we try, that will never happen until we get to heaven and become like Him--like but not Him! Our goal is t keep growing and moving closer and closer to be like Jesus and do the things He did, but we will never get there. But it's the journey to Christlikeness that matters most! So what's your journey like? Are you surrendered and seeking, humbling yourself, dying to self, taking our cross and following Jesus and His way? As Christians we were first known as The Way or Followers of the Way. Jesus is the way and we are created, saved, gifted, empowered and activated to become like Him and do the things He did and join Him in what He is doing . So how's that going? Do you have some partners to travel this journey with? If not, PLEASE find at least one, but more would be better!
How do you/we define "Church", "Disciple", and even "Evangelism"??? We have been going with "Discipleship as the process of becoming who Jesus would be if He were me." Disciple making begins by living and loving like Jesus as we reach out to the lost and love them to Jesus. That could be evangelism. It's just being who you are created to be and joining Jesus where He is active and leading you. How about "Church" and our role as God's Church? Church could be defined as a gathering of disciples that worship and share the Good News of Jesus. We are being prepared sent ones who go as we are and grow to our fuller potential as we do life together. We gather and worship and seek to trust, obey and glorify God in all we do. And we do that together. Now there are different definitions to these words and how you define them affects how you serve and worship. Many churches believe they are making disciples of Jesus that are really not doing so. Is our church? Depends on your definition. What do you think? Talk to God about these things and process with some friends. I'd love to hear what our leadership and vision team (and any of you) thinks and how we might react and plan for such a time as this with what we've been given to do what we can!!!!
Our EC mission statement is to know Christ and make Him known. And our bishop has called of us to join together to become a dynamic movement of God led by pastors and laity (you) who have a burning passion for God and missionary zeal to reach the lost. Now that's a church I'd love to lead and be part of. And St. Matts is growing towards that but there is still much potential to strive towards. It begins as we humble ourselves, join together, worship and pray and then follow Jesus with what we've been given and as we are and He will teach us, grow us and use us to go make disciples and grow His Church. Amen!!! And it begins with each of us stepping into our parts and joining together as we learn to live sacrificially and love lavishly like Jesus. Humble and offer yourself to God to use . Remember this saying? (Start here!) "I am who I am because I allow I AM (God) to be who He is in and through me." That sounds a lot like inviting and allow Jesus to take over your life and live and love through you. pray into that and try it. And don't forget those of you called to be our supporters through pray...please pray into these things and for us to become a house of prayer for the nations. Amen! and thanks!
Just a couple of devos to spur our thinking and quiet time. ODB's call to looking like Christ and the I to We devo call to showing His goodness together. What's God saying to you and what will you do about, CHURCH! I'm praying we live out life as God designed us and our Church and that we learn to reach the lost and then make disciples like Jesus! Amen!
ODB
Looking Like Christ
Clothe yourselves with the Lord Jesus Christ, and do not think about how to gratify the desires of the flesh. Romans 13:14
As a child of the 1950s and ’60s, I grew up in the era when “America’s pastime” was baseball. I couldn’t wait to go to the park and play ball, and one of my greatest thrills was when I received my baseball jersey emblazoned with our team’s name—GIANTS! Though the number 9 on the back distinguished me from the others, the common uniform identified us as being on the same team.
In Matthew 5:3-10, known as the Beatitudes, Jesus identifies those who belong to the kingdom of heaven as those who “wear the jersey” of Christlikeness. The kingdom of heaven is comprised of those who assume the posture and character of their king. According to Jesus, “blessed” persons aren’t characterized by external appearance, health, or possessions. Rather, it’s the inside or heart of a person that counts. “Blessed are the poor in spirit” (v. 3)—the humble—those who are spiritually needy and know it. “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness” (v. 6)—those whose soul’s yearning is to please and honor God. “Blessed are the peacemakers” (v. 9)—those who join Jesus in the pursuit of harmony.
As the Spirit helps us, we can put on the garment of Christlikeness, which identifies us as believers in Jesus and members of His team. As such, we’re blessed indeed!
By Arthur Jackson
REFLECT & PRAY
According to the Beatitudes, how “well-dressed” are you? What aspect of Christlikeness are you praying for?
Heavenly Father, thank You for my status as a citizen in the kingdom of heaven. Please give me grace each day by the Spirit to look like Christ.
SCRIPTURE INSIGHT
The Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5-7) is Jesus’ great kingdom sermon, describing what makes life in His kingdom different from life in this fallen world. While the world is marked by selfishness, self-promotion, and self-gratification, the kingdom of God is characterized by selflessness and self-sacrifice. Beginning with the Beatitudes (5:3-12), that tone is set immediately—with the remaining exposition explaining how those big ideas are lived out. For example, the statement, “Blessed are the merciful” (v. 7) echoes forth with the instructions Christ gives on loving our enemies (vv. 43-48). Additionally “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness” (v. 6) finds connection in Matthew 6:33, where we’re challenged to “seek first his kingdom and his righteousness.” As we read the Sermon on the Mount, the Holy Spirit can help us see connections that point back to the principles set forth in the Beatitudes and lead us to better reflect the ways of Christ.
Visit ODBU.org/learning-library/the-poor-in-spirit-the-beatitudes-of-jesus/ to examine the Beatitudes with Dr. Craig Blomberg.
Bill Crowder
Sarah update
Good afternoon, Warriors,
I got the JOY JOY JOY JOY down in my heart!! WHERE? Where is your JOY? Better question to ask would be, do you HAVE the JOY?
Sometimes you have to Be Still and KNOW that He is God.....to receive JOY from Him. The more that you and I rest in His
presence, the more we will receive, and He is able to allow His Blessings to flow into us.
By spending time with God, we are able to concentrate on just how WIDE, and LONG and HIGH and DEEP is HIS LOVE for YOU!!
God pours His life into all of us.....and we are presented with a choice....do we RECEIVE Him and His love and joy or do we
say 'pass'.
In the experiences that I have had, and I am sure many of you would atest to, it is better to RECEIVE His LOVE and JOY rather than
'Pass' on the offer. I challenge you - DO NOT HESITATE to receive Joy from God.....GRAB it!! Enjoy it!!!
Psalm 46:10 reminds us to "Be still, and KNOW that I am God, I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth"
** ** **
From Lisa Wenner: I just found out today that my nephew Matt's fiance Shayna has been diagnosed with an aggressive form of Non Hodgkin's lymphoma. She is currently in the hospital undergoing intensive chemo. They're supposed to get married this October. Shayna's prognosis is good but the treatment will be difficult.
- Several need our prayers:
Lori Rohrer is waiting to hear if her back surgery will take place on . Praying, Hopefully she will hear something to confirm. And Prayers for
all to go well.
Beth, a friend of Neen's will be having surgery to hopefully remove all the cancer from her breast. Please pray for peace to surround Beth, and for her
medical team that will be operating. Also keep her family in your prayers.
Lindsay, a daughter of a friend of Neen and Sarah's - she will be having a biopsy on some lumps that were found in her breast. Prayers for peace for Lindsay
and her mom and family, and prayers that the lumps are not cancerous.
Tom Roland - prayers for healing for Tom after his surgery on .
Continue to keep Twin Pines in your prayers as they wrap up this week of Lotsa Luv Campers and next week will be their last week of Moms and Gals.
There are 40 campers scheduled to come for that camp next week.
Thank you for your prayers for Pastor Don and myself - for our health and for wisdom as we serve our awesome God in many ways.
Good Morning Friends of God! Man, I've been catching up on sleep and actually oversleeping often, like . Was given great report from cardiology too (although I will need an ablation soon which will get me off some meds) Thanks for your continued prayers and encouragements! Any way, time is short! Time to leave for bread day.
Check out our three devos below for . Easy to find the thread there and they speak into our call to learn to live and love like Jesus! We are a loving caring church that helps those in need. These devos should help affirm that and call some of us to deeper service or agape (sacrificial) love and laying down ones life for another like Jesus did for you. And our praise and gratitude continue to grow as we allow God to love through us. See if you can see yourself or our church in these devos and praise God. Ask God how He may be calling you to join Him in caring ministry to our neighbors and fellow brothers and ssiters. he has a perfect plan for you and us to go live and love like Him and to lead others to His love. Ponder that and share with some friends to pray, plan and go love with. I'm praying for you!
Let's start with John 15:9-17 from Our Daily bread devo then flow to the devo, the Upper Room and The Word for You . What's God saying to you? What will you do about it? begin with praise, load up as you abide and then partner up and go live and love like Him. Amen!
John 15:9-17
New Living Translation
9 “I have loved you even as the Father has loved me. Remain in my love. 10 When you obey my commandments, you remain in my love, just as I obey my Father’s commandments and remain in his love. 11 I have told you these things so that you will be filled with my joy. Yes, your joy will overflow! 12 This is my commandment: Love each other in the same way I have loved you. 13 There is no greater love than to lay down one’s life for one’s friends. 14 You are my friends if you do what I command. 15 I no longer call you slaves, because a master doesn’t confide in his slaves. Now you are my friends, since I have told you everything the Father told me. 16 You didn’t choose me. I chose you. I appointed you to go and produce lasting fruit, so that the Father will give you whatever you ask for, using my name. 17 This is my command: Love each other.
ODB
A Friend at Midnight
I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master’s business. Instead, I have called you friends. John 15:15
“Who can you call at midnight when everything has gone wrong?” This question shook me when I first heard it years ago. How many of my friendships were strong enough that I could impose on them in my hour of need? I wasn’t sure.
Scripture has much to say about friendship, describing a friend as someone who keeps confidences (Proverbs 11:13; 16:28), shares advice (27:9), and respects boundaries (25:17). But perhaps no one defined friendship more powerfully than Jesus. While to advertisers we are markets and to employers we are staff, to Him, the Master of all, we are “friends” (John 15:15). Jesus described His kind of friendship as being built on shared love of God and personal sacrifice (vv. 13, 15)—something He Himself modeled and called us to pass on (v. 12).
A couple of years after hearing that question, my wife and I suffered a significant loss. Darren, one of the few who knew what happened, traveled two hours to see me, listen to my anger and pain, and pray for me. Darren is a busy man who had plenty of other things to do with his day. But he followed Jesus’ example of sacrificial friendship. I really did have someone in my hour of need.
The question now is whether others have a “friend at midnight” in me. For there are few better ways to make more friends than to be one.
By Sheridan Voysey
REFLECT & PRAY
Who can you call at midnight when everything has gone wrong? Why is it important to be there for others in their hour of need?
Dear Jesus, please help me offer to others the kind of friendship You modeled.
SCRIPTURE INSIGHT
In the early days of creation, God said, “It is not good for the man to be alone” (Genesis 2:18). These words reveal how foundational relationship and community are to the essence of being human. While the immediate context is the marriage relationship, we’re called throughout Scripture to be in relationship with those around us.
Jesus said in ’s text to “love each other as I have loved you” (John 15:12). And Paul encourages believers in Christ to “bear with each other,” to be patient and forgive the shortcomings of others (Colossians 3:12-13). Being a “friend at midnight” means helping those who’ve been given a heavy burden to carry.
J.R. Hudberg
UR: An Abundant Catch
I was hungry and you gave me food to eat. I was thirsty and you gave me a drink. I was a stranger and you welcomed me. - Matthew 25:35 (CEB)
Years ago I lived in Key West, Florida. One morning we were catching mahi-mahi almost as fast as we could bait the hooks. We realized we had more fish than we could eat, so we headed back to shore. The skipper gave us an address where we could take the extra fish.
Six nights a week, the Catholic Sisters served supper to people living in poverty. We gave them our fish and were invited back for dinner. As the Mother Superior blessed the meal, she said, “A Catholic, a Protestant, and a Jew provided our meal . Regardless of your heritage, all are welcome to eat at God’s table.”
Our gift was simple — indeed the fish would have spoiled if we hadn’t given them away. However, it transformed the rest of my time in Key West. Hardly a week went by when someone didn’t stop me on the street and ask, “Aren’t you the guy who brought us the fish? God bless you.”
Until then I had never seen those people who were struggling. People are still struggling. Look around at those who are cold, lonely, and hungry. There are countless ways to support them. The rewards of giving far exceed the value of the gift.
's Prayer
Dear God, thank you for opportunities to share what we have. Open our eyes to the people in need around us, and guide us to support them. Amen.
Sarah Update below...keep praising and praying! God hears and is with us--always!!!
Good Morning Persevering in Faith Co-Laborers! we will begin our journey through the book of James. (read chapter 1 for ). Chapter 1 is about our confident stand as Christians--persevering in faith. I see that all around us at St. Matts. Keep at it friends! God is with you and He has joined us with others to walk with. He has good plans for you and us. Plans to prosper and not harm. He walks through the darkest valleys with us and leads us to the refreshing still waters and lush green pastures as we persevere in faith and trust. And we have each other to lean on as well. Knowing these things leads to the ability to choose joy no matter what's going on around us. So, how's that choosing joy going for you ? Dwell in God's love and ask for the faith to endure and for some friends to walk with and pray for too. You are very loved. You are God's masterpiece created for special purposes only you can do. God will sometimes lead us through some things to get us where we need to be or to invite some others into. Trust Him and ask for help to choose joy . He is for you, not against you! Amen!
I thought God was leading one way then another as I engaged Him through my quiet time and with our devos. Then as I stepped back, I saw a thread through all the devos and blogs below--even my Scripture calendar. That quotes Philemon 1:6, "I pray that you may be active in sharing your faith, so that you will have a full understanding of every good thing we have in Christ." How do we come to understand all the great things we have as a result of inviting Christ to be our Lord and Shepherd? By being active in Him, doing what you are created and gifted to do and by sharing your faith. Meditate on this passage and ask God to reveal Himself so you can join Him and so you can experience all He has blessed you with! Don't forget to praise too!
Next I engaged with my I to We devo. I love this and would love to use this with some of you to learn and grow as teammates! They discuss living our lives together as priests of the Lord. What does it mean to you that we are all priests unto the Lord called to offer spiritual sacrifices that please God? (1Peter 2:5) They end with this thought and prayer: "...the Lord asks us everyday: to lay our lives down and to do it TOGETHER." Pray "Ask God to help you depend on brothers and sisters...and ask Him to convict you to ask for help when you are struggling..." That got me thinking about how you and our church leadership have come along side me to help me move through this heart stuff well, to heal and to set good boundaries of only doing what God has for me. Thank you! Who do you need to walk with, share with, pray with, be accountable with and go with? God wants us to be His co-laboring priests sharing our faith and spurring each other on. The rest of our devos for follow the I to We one below as they move through the process of helping each other through stuff. We need each other and need to be there for each other too. We are God's vessels of love, healing and hope and sometimes correction. Please pray to find a few partners and to be open for honest sharing and to seek help when needed.
I looked at my prayer journal from last year with and entry that read: "I feel God calling me to plant a church or house church. I began earnestly pursuing that." And here we are one year later. I have been pursuing this and studied, was mentored, prayed with some and now I begin a study with Adam Roberts about how we can come alongside him as he and Michelle have started a house church here in Emmaus. Pray for God to guide us, use them and grow His Kingdom through us. Pray we hear God and only do what we see Him doing. May His Kingdom come and will be done in, through and around me, you and all of us together! Amen! He really does have great plans and He is helping us to do what we can with what we've been given for such a time as this. And it shows! PTL! And keep at it! I'm praying for you and for us, priests unto the Lord united in Christ for His perfect plans. Amen!
I to We
TWFYT
Connection blog
- Becoming a Servant of God
To declare “yours is the power” is to announce in an act of personal alignment with God’s movement: “ours is the submission!”
Henry Blackaby and Claude King have made this teaching more clear in our day by indicating that instead of running programs based on our desire to “help God’s work get done” we are far more likely to succeed if we simply “find out where God is working and join Him there.”
Do you want to be a servant of God? Find out where the Master is, then that is where you need to be. Find out what the Master is doing, then that is what you need to be doing. . . . Blackaby says, “When I am in the middle of the activity of God and God opens my eyes to let me see where He is working, I always assume that God wants me to join Him.”
Are you able to prayerfully submit to the plans and purposes of God rather than insisting on your own?
Merciful Father, I’m tired of striving to do things for You instead of doing them “with” You. I’m sure I have followed many rabbit trails in my quest to serve Your kingdom when I should have been watching faithfully to see Your work all around me. Help me to humble myself and look for Your activity instead of seeking to go my own way. Please give me the heart of a servant.
--Adapted from Power Praying by David Chotka.
ODB
Sustained by God
[The Lord] will never let the righteous be shaken. Psalm 55:22
My family and I brought my dad home from the hospital. He had a degenerative disease, and we were now adjusting to the new twenty-four-hour medical routines of his suddenly becoming bedridden and requiring a feeding tube. I was also planning for my mom’s gastric procedure and dealing with demanding clients at work. Feeling overwhelmed, I sought privacy in the bathroom one day and cried out to God: Help me, Father. Please give me strength to get through the days ahead.
David also felt overwhelmed by troubles (Psalm 55:2-5). Attacked by his son Absalom, betrayed by his close friend, and helpless over the ensuing violence in Jerusalem, David said, “Fear and trembling have beset me” (v. 5).
But David chose to trust God (v. 23). He believed “[God] will never let the righteous be shaken” (v. 22). Years of trusting the Almighty had taught David that although troubles may unsteady us, those who place their faith in God will never be irrevocably lost and hopeless. “They will never fall, for the Lord holds them by the hand” (37:24 nlt). David knew God would support him with His strength and wisdom: “I call to God, and the Lord saves me” (55:16).
Fourteen years later, we continue to care for my dad at home. The years have taught me that when we cast our cares on Him, He sustains us (v. 22). God bears our burdens, and He bears us up too.
By Karen Huang
REFLECT & PRAY
How does God remind you He won’t let you be shaken? How can you entrust your troubles to Him?
Dear God, thank You for helping me walk through the days ahead.
SCRIPTURE INSIGHT
The Bible repeatedly assures us of God’s care. In Psalm 55, David urges, “Cast your cares on the Lord and he will sustain you” (v. 22). Later, the prophet Nahum writes, “The Lord is good, a refuge in times of trouble. He cares for those who trust in him” (Nahum 1:7). Centuries later, Peter pens similar words: “Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you” (1 Peter 5:7). How do we know God cares for us? The Bible tells us He’s a “compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness” (Exodus 34:6; Psalm 86:15). He loved us so much that Christ died for us—providing help and care for us now and the hope of eternity with Him (John 3:16; 1 Thessalonians 5:10).
Alyson Kieda
UR: Get Up Again
Though the righteous fall seven times, they rise again, but the wicked stumble when calamity strikes. - Proverbs 24:16 (NIV)
I had undergone major surgery and was hospitalized for three weeks when we suddenly lost our source of income. We were forced to sell our house in order to avoid being crushed by the mortgage. An inner voice nagged me: You are not a good enough Christian; God would have prevented this. You should have prayed with more faith. This is the end. All I could say in prayer was, “Help!”
I then remembered ’s verse from Proverbs and found solace. Knowing that even godly people can fall took away my sense of guilt. It also gave me hope that I would get up again — no matter how severe my circumstances were.
Proverbs 24:16 rang true when I reflected on the many hardships my husband and I had already overcome. God lifted us each time. This encouraged me to get up and get on with life, knowing we would overcome this new setback as well.
God didn’t promise a smooth life without obstacles, setbacks, or challenges. Yet, as God’s children, we have a privileged position: God is by our side throughout the journey — no matter what. We must not let obstacles define us or keep us down. With God on our side, we will get up again.
's Prayer
Dear Lord, help us to see your faithfulness in every situation. Thank you for helping us get up when we fall. Amen.
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Sarah update:
Good evening, Warriors
Here is the praises and prayer needs from 's worship.
Zoom Huddle - at 10:00am via zoom. Join us if you can!
Praises:
Mike Lacise is praising God for helping him through the past couple of years at his work, as he had to manage
two buildings, that were miles apart. He is now going to be managing one building which is only 10 minutes from
his home!! Yay God!
Josie is thankful that her dog is doing good again. the dog didn't feel well, but the Lord healed!
Darlene Geiger is thankful for family - they celebrated her 90 year old cousin's birthday. And many family members were all together
celebrating!
Enol and Braiden Paul made it home safely to the Philippians. Braiden is prepping to begin school there and Richard is getting ready to start college here,
in the states at Lehigh university.
Prayer needs:
Tim Roland has asked for prayer for his brother, Tom. he will be having surgery on , to remove a tumor from his kidney. Please pray that they are
able to remove it without having to remove part of or all of the kidney. (His other kidney doesn't have full function) Pray also that the tumor is not cancerous.
Marylou Snyder- her sister Joanne will be having an outpatient procedure on . Pray that all goes well, and for the nedical team.
Tim Derr's daughter and granddaughter will be flying back to Florida on . Please pray for safe travel for them.
Neen's friend, Beth will be having surgery on the 31st, for breast cancer. Pray that they will be able to remove all the cancer. May God's
peace surround her and her family
Millidine Waterman is having knee trouble. Pray for healing of arthritis and safety getting around.
Lori Rohrer - upcoming back surgery, hopefully , barring no issues with insurance. Pray that all goes well and for the medical team.
Prayers also for Karen Kerns as she will be having stent surgery . Prayers that all goes well, no insurance issues and may His
peace surrounds her and Don
**
Thank you everyone for helping out with the brunch. Great time of eating and Fellowship
Next brunch will be on ,
Hope you all have a great week! Stay cool and remember to check on one another!!
Thanks Mike, Sarah, Sally and Lori and the kitchen crew for an awesome of worship!!!!
Karen and I were running late and Mike jumped in and led are opening with some great thoughts and prayers. Sally Blessed us on the piano filling in for Patti and Sarah brought a great Word form God on revival! Thanks team! Then we went downstairs for a great time of food and fellowship hosted by Lori and the 2 Peas in A Pod crew! It was delicious and fun! Thanks kitchen team. (BTW the kitchen team is most of Family Ministries!)
I am so blessed to be part of such a loving, caring and serving church! We are better together and many are finding their parts in God's Good News Delivery Company! Thank you all! And I am well on my way to a full recovery and am good physically and progressing well on the mental, emotional, spiritual things. Thanks for your patience, encouragements and prayers. I am truly blessed and do have the bestest flock!
Good Morning Very Loved Revivalists! We are very loved by the God who is love, created us in love to love. He fills us with love and it overflows to others and that brings revival as many are drawn to God and His love and then want to learn and do go love like Him. So our role is to allow love to flow from us and bring revival wherever we go daily. Amen! Sarah reminded us that revival happens as we spend time in life to life relationships loving like and loving others to Jesus. Pastor Al used to talk about PoP...people of peace. Those are the people we naturally connect to and as we love on them they start to see and are drawn to God and His love. Sarah reminded us that Jer. 29:11 says we know God has good plans for us. Plans to prosper and not harm. We need to tap into those plans of God for each of us and us as His Body. Those plans are founded on love, grow as we love, overflow to others with love and lead others to His love. What a great circle as we disciple others to love like Jesus--live like Him too. And we are growing in that and that is the start of revival. Let us keep growing in His love, plowing the hard soil with overflowing love, sowing seeds of love and watering and fertilizing in and with love. Then we will reap a revival harvest of love and new life. Amen!
We are very loved revivalists sent to love as we live more like Jesus daily. We are on a journey of love and Jesus' mission to lead others to His love. God is at work! Can you see it? Taste it? Want to be a part of it? Focus on God. Turn off the noise. And pray to grow in your potential to overflow His love and lead others to His love, just as you ate and for such a time as this! In other words, just be you and who you are created to be and doing what you are created to do--LOVE! Revival is at hand as we do! Amen!
Come Jesus! Fill us with Your love and teach us to follow You as we learn to live and love more like You! Thank You for the plans to prosper and not harm. help us to not lean on our own understanding and o turn off the noise and focus on what you are ding with willing hearts and moving feet to step into our parts. May we glorify You as we dwell in and overflow Your love. Thanks! Amen! We pray Psalm 85:6 in expectation, "Won't You revive us again, so Your people can rejoice in You? Thank You! Come! Fill us with overflowing love! Amen!
Prayer Points
Praise God for his compelling love (2 Cor. 5:14).
Give thanks for that love that holds us as in a vice, never letting go (Jer. 31:3).
Confess those times when you fight against God’s love, wanting to go your own way or seek glory for yourself instead of for him.
Commit yourself to being comfortable in that “love grip” of God so that you willingly live for him, serving him gladly (Prov. 3:3-6).
Ask God to give you a greater appreciation of his eternal blessings and to be glad with the joy of his presence (Ps. 21:6).
Pray that God’s compelling love may keep believers from fear and lead them on in the daily work of ministry “in Jerusalem, and Judea . . . and to the ends of the earth” (Joel 2:21-27; Acts 1:8).
Prayer Points taken from Patterns for Prayer by Alvin VanderGriend. This book is available at prayershop.org. Use the code CONPSP3 at checkout to receive an additional 10% discount.
Let us prepare our hearts to worship! Don't forget brunch after worship! Bring some friends!
Good Morning Worshipers! See you soon as we practice Acts 2:42 worship with the Word, Fellowship, eating together and prayer!!! See you soon as we get to gather, study, groe and hangout! May we worship in Spirit and truth and experience God coming to inhabit our praises and the Holy Spirit uniting and using us as Jesus' Body. Amen! Shalom! Now where are those pancakes?
Don't forget***Brunch after worship . Bring some friends--it's pancake day!
Good Morning Servants and Prayer Warriors! I have yo fly (get to hang with grand babies !). I have one thing to share: prayer starters from Connections. What would it look like in your life for God's Kingdom to come and will to be done? Is your life an example of that? Use these and pray into it with open ears and a willing heart and then allow God to lead you forth living and loving more like Jesus. He can and always will use the willing, humble, surrendered to pray and serve in His power. Amen! I'm praying for you! Have a blessed day with the Holy Spirit leading you. Amen!
We need a fresh view of the compassionate King. We need to understand the nature of His kingdom. Jesus taught His disciples to pray, “Your kingdom come. Your will be done, On earth as it is in heaven.”
Compassionate King, may I have Your heart for the nations, for the poor, the homeless, the lost and the hurting! Open my eyes and move me from my comfort so that I am able to weep for what I see all around me! Give me insight into the needs of my neighbors, whether those who live near me, or all across the world. Shake my ambivalence and fill my heart with Your love for all people! Help me to be faithful in prayer!
--Adapted from The Prayer Factor by Sammy Tippit. This book is available at prayershop.org. Use the code CONPSP3 at checkout to receive an additional 10% discount.
Prayer Points
Praise God for the example of servanthood given when Jesus washed the disciples’ feet (Jn. 13:5-15).
Thank Jesus for his promise that you will be blessed in being a servant, following his example (13:17).
Confess those times you are quarrelsome and resentful, not wanting to be a servant (2 Tim. 2:24).
Commit yourself to God as Samuel did and respond: “Speak, for your servant is listening” (1 Sam. 3:10).
Ask God to reveal clearly his assigned task for you, even as he did for Paul (1 Cor. 3:5).
Pray that your church will faithfully learn the joy of servanthood in every area, fixing their eyes on Jesus, not growing weary or losing heart (Heb. 12:2-3).
Prayer Points taken from Patterns for Prayer by Alvin VanderGriend. This book is available at prayershop.org. Use the code CONPSP3 at checkout to receive an additional 10% discount.
Thank God I'm Forgiven ! Get your worship on and fill those gratitude lists . He is worthy of all praise and glory and honor! Amen! PTL! Maybe sing Jesus Loves Me or raise another praise song or hymn.
Good Morning Redeemed, Forgiven, Gifted, Activated Masterpieces! Oh yes you are! PTL! What a great day to stay inside and stay cool and worship. Turn off the noise for an hour or two and meditate on all the nuances of Jesus' sacrifice for you and your new life in Christ! Turn on some worship music and lift some praise. And remember that you are saved, forgiven, made new, gifted, activated, gathered and sent to worship as you fulfill your created purposes and gathered Good News Delivery Co. purposes. We are gifted to go and make disciples! PTL! God sends and helps. How cool! PTL! Check out the two devos below and add them to your praise and worship and prayers . Remember, God inhabits our praises. And all we do can be an act of worship if done with a right heart and according to God's perfect plans and timing. So be still and know then praise and go live and love like Jesus . he is the Way, the Truth, and the Life! Hallelujah! I am His very loved, forgiven, activated masterpiece! yes PTL! I'm praying for God to give you a story, testimony or answered prayer to share with someone ! (That's an act of worship too!) So, rejoice! And go and love well !
ODB
God-Given Gifts
Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others. 1 Peter 4:10
In a poignant performance of Pilgrim: The Musical, Leisa stood before a special section for the Deaf and, using American Sign Language, expressively interpreted the performance. The musical, based on John Bunyan’s book The Pilgrim’s Progress about one man’s faith journey, was deeply moving, but so was Leisa’s delivery.
When asked about her interpreting, Leisa said, “The reason I do Pilgrim and the reason I interpret is because the gospel should be accessible to everyone. And the Deaf are a group that is [largely] ignored.” She went on to say, “It’s heartbreaking because less than two percent of the Deaf worldwide have heard about Jesus.” Leisa uses her gift so the Deaf can know Jesus.
Like Leisa, we’re called to use our gifts and abilities to be witnesses of God’s love and draw others to Jesus—to impact the world with the good news. The apostle Peter wrote, “Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others, as faithful stewards of God’s grace in its various forms” (1 Peter 4:10). These gifts include loving and praying for others (vv. 7-8). Whether you’re an encourager, a helper serving behind the scenes, a teacher, a speaker, a prayer warrior, or have another gift or ability, God can use you to serve others. Just ask. He’ll show you a way.
By Alyson Kieda
REFLECT & PRAY
When did you first encounter the gospel? What gift could you use to serve Him?
Dear God, please help me to find a way to serve You through serving others.
For further study, read Why Should We Help? Loving Our Neighbors at DiscoverODB.org.
SCRIPTURE INSIGHT
God gives believers in Jesus spiritual gifts (special abilities) to be used to serve others and build up the church (1 Corinthians 12:7, 11; 14:12; 1 Peter 4:10-11). The apostle Paul notes there are a variety of gifts, “but the same Spirit distributes them” (1 Corinthians 12:4; see v. 11). These gifts aren’t natural abilities, necessarily (though these too can be used to glorify God); they’re supernatural gifts given by the Holy Spirit to be used for “the common good” (v. 7)—to bless and instruct others and honor God. Peter divides these gifts into speaking and serving gifts (1 Peter 4:11). In 1 Corinthians 12, Paul lists nine gifts: wisdom, knowledge, faith, healing, miraculous powers, prophecy, distinguishing between spirits, tongues, and tongues interpretation (vv. 8-10). He lists additional gifts elsewhere (Romans 12:3-8; Ephesians 4:11). As believers in Jesus, we’re called to effectively use our spiritual gifts to serve and love others well.
Good Morning Activated Masterpieces of God! PTL and AMEN! PTL! I slept in until after 6 and PTL for a great time of fellowship and representing God at Rita's . I love how God has gathered us and uses us sent ones as we are for such a time as this! Now all of that ties to some of our devotionals for . It's late so I'll be brief...
Eph. 2:10 has become a foundational verse for our church. We are God's masterpieces who are activated and made new in Christ to do all the things God created us to do for such a time as this. Just being you and doing what you are created to do is part of Jesus' easy yoke we get to put on. That yoke is custom made for us just like we are custom made and custom gifted to go do what we are made to doo. What joy and peace we can know as we step into this more fully and as we team up with the partners God has for us. Let's just stop there and meditate on my I to We devo. What's God saying to you? What will you do about it? What's His plan and who are your partners for such a time as this? Do what He is leading to and invite us along. Our Daily Bread talks about Queen Esther and the "for such a time as this" placement that God has for all of us each season of life and circumstance we face. He is for us and uses us as we are where we
Opps hit send by mistake.
Here's the devos to meditate upon. And pray into. Thanks and chow!
I to We
ODB
Right Place, Right Time
Who knows but that you have come to your royal position for such a time as this? Esther 4:14
A nursing convention was being held at a hotel when a guest experienced a heart attack in the lobby. Immediately, more than two dozen caregivers came to his side and worked to keep him alive. The guest was incredibly grateful for all the nurses who were at the right place at the right time.
Esther was also at the right place at the right time. She’d been chosen to be queen after winning the king’s favor and approval (Esther 2:17). Yet a decree threatened her people, the Jews, so her cousin Mordecai encouraged her to use her position to appeal to the king to save them from certain death. “Who knows but that you have come to your royal position for such a time as this?” he challenged her (4:14). Her decision to risk her life and “go to the king” (v. 16) to expose this evil plot saved the Jews from certain death (ch. 8). It’s apparent that Queen Esther understood that God had placed her in that position at just the right time.
Sometimes, we may wonder why situations happen or circumstances change. Perhaps we get frustrated and try to get things “back to normal.” God may have placed us in our current situation for a specific purpose. , as we encounter disruptions or changes, let’s ask God to show us if there’s something special He wants us to do as part of His perfect plan.
By Brent Hackett
REFLECT & PRAY
What disruptions have you had lately? What opportunities might God be presenting to you in them?
Dear Father, when I get frustrated with change, please help me see the bigger picture and understand that You may be doing something in and through me.
SCRIPTURE INSIGHT
The book of Esther tells of a near-holocaust of the ancient Jewish people, which God supernaturally prevented through Esther’s willingness to serve. As is often the case in Judaism, great moments lead to abiding celebrations. As liberation from slavery is celebrated in the Feast of the Passover, and the Maccabean victory over the Greek/Syrian oppressors (160 BC) resulted in Hanukkah (sometimes known as the “Festival of Lights”), the Esther story led to the annual celebration of Purim. Each spring (usually in March), Purim is a time when gifts are exchanged, and people give to the poor. Children dress up as characters in the Esther story and remember God’s rescue of His people from the wicked Haman and his genocidal intentions. The story of Esther can remind us that God can use our current situation for His specific purpose.
at 6...Rita's hangout! Wear your St. Matts shirts and come enjoy a cool treat and some great fellowship!
Good Morning Led-By-the-Spirit, Loving Servants! Amen! And PTL! That's you and us! Well, it can be a choice we make and seek to live daily. How's that going for you? Living and loving like Jesus, filled with His Spirit and going in love to bless many. Has God given you any ideas to try to do this better? Is He leading you to someone or to try an activity? What will you do about that? Who is your team from processing, planning and going?
Check out the thread through our devos . We are the Light of God sent to light up the darkness around us. We are called to clearly focusing and following and may need to ask for help with our unbelief? We have been given the Holy Spirit to intercede, empower, gift and help us go with Jesus to complete our missions. We are made in love o go love like Jesus and work together to fulfill His purposes and plans.
God has made you for such a time as this? What is the next step He is leading you to in your quest to become more like Jesus and doing what He has and is doing? Who are your teammates and prayer partners? What will you do about this all? begin with abiding prayer and open Bibles. Humble yourself before God as you follow Him and learn to live and love more and more like Him. Amen!
Sarah Young
TWFYT
ODB
Led by the Holy Spirit
The Holy Spirit . . . will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you. John 14:26
When the navigation app suggested a route that would cut almost an hour off their drive from Las Vegas to Los Angeles, Shelby Easler and her brother followed the alternate directions. However, the “shortcut” led them along a dirt path for hours that left them stranded in California’s Mojave Desert during a dust storm. They were able to reverse course, but they eventually had to be towed because of all the damage to their car from the rough terrain. The app developer apologized to the numerous travelers who followed those wrong directions.
It’s important who we rely on for guidance. As believers in Jesus, we’ve been given the Holy Spirit to lead and direct us in matters of truth.
When Jesus knew that He’d soon die and be taken from His disciples, He assured them He wouldn’t leave them stranded. He urged His disciples to obey His commands and spoke of the promised Holy Spirit, or the Spirit of truth, who would be with them forever and live inside of them (John 14:15-17). “The Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you” (v. 26).
Let’s continue to follow the Holy Spirit’s prompting as we go throughout our day. We know He’ll never lead us astray.
By Nancy Gavilanes
REFLECT & PRAY
What helps you to follow the Holy Spirit’s prompting? How can you get better at following Him?
Dear God, thank You for Your Holy Spirit.
SCRIPTURE INSIGHT
Jesus insisted that in His departure from earth (John 14:1-14) He wouldn’t abandon His disciples. He promised, “I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you” (v. 18). Christ could leave without abandoning His people because He’d return to be with them through His Spirit. The Spirit would unite believers to Jesus and draw them into the life of the triune God: “On that day you will realize that I am in my Father, and you are in me, and I am in you” (v. 20). The Holy Spirit continues to lead and unite believers in Jesus .
Monica La Rose
UR: The Words You Pray
The Spirit helps us in our weakness, for we do not know how to pray as we ought, but that very Spirit intercedes with groanings too deep for words. - Romans 8:26 (NRSVUE)
My mom and dad taught me at a very early age to pray. But I struggle from time to time with how and what to pray. Our family regularly attended church and prayer services, and at times we prayed at the church altar if we felt led to do so. But sometimes even now I’m not sure what to say when I pray.
Memorized prayers and scriptures help when I’m stumbling over my thoughts while trying to verbalize them in prayer. My dad’s favorite scripture is Proverbs 3:5-6, which begins, “Trust in the Lord with all thine heart” (KJV). These verses keep my mind focused when I wake up worried or run into any problem. They remind me how trustworthy our heavenly Father is. Mom’s favorite scripture is Proverbs 17:22, “A merry heart doeth good like a medicine” (KJV). What great reminders of the Father’s desire to lead us to joy, peace, and healing!
Sometimes I still don’t know what to pray, and I get stuck. I told Mom my dilemma years ago, and her simple answer was: “Just pray his name: Jesus, Jesus, Jesus.” Praying that beautiful, sweet name has saved my life. There is amazing power in Jesus’ name.
I to We
Connection Prayers
- Does His Presence Go with You?
The experience of Israel under the leadership of Moses is a great teacher for the Church as we cry out to God for revival. Terry Teykl, in his powerful book entitled The Presence Based Church, writes, "As a result of their unique relationship with God, the Israelites became the original Presence based people. Under the leadership of Moses, and at God’s bidding, they made the Presence the axis of their lives.
"The Ark of the Covenant was always located in the tabernacle at the very center of the camp. The 12 tribes were divided into four groups and stationed symmetrically around the Presence: three to the north, three to the south, three to the east, and three to the west. By day they saw the cloud that hung over the tent, and by night they would lie in the entrance to their own tents and watch the fire. As long as the Presence stayed, they stayed. But when the Presence moved, they followed. They were Presence led and Presence drawn" (Pg.89).
In Exodus 33, verses 13-17, there is a fascinating conversation between the Lord and Moses concerning His Presence. "The LORD replied, ‘My Presence will go with you, and I will give you rest.’" Then Moses said to Him, "If Your Presence does not go with us, do not send us up from here. How will anyone know that You are pleased with me and with Your people unless You go with us? What else will distinguish me and Your people from all the other people on the face of the earth?" The Lord replied, "I will do the very thing you have asked, because I am pleased with you and I know you by name."
Moses understood how critical it was for Israel to stay with the Presence of God. When the Church grabs hold of that fact, we will see revival. When the Church, like Moses, commits to going only where the Lord leads, then we will be making progress. It is time for us to cry out for the Lord to make us aware of His Presence.
Lord, how often I go my own way, completely unaware of Your Presence. I am often so busy and so convinced of my own competence that I neglect to listen to Your voice and respond in obedience. Forgive me, Father, for my arrogant ways and fill my heart with a longing to be continuously aware of Christ in me!
Praise God for not leaving you “as orphans” but for giving another helper to be with you forever (Jn. 14:16, 18).
Give thanks for God’s presence and power, and trust him to continue to energize you, keeping you on the right course.
Confess the times you are dissatisfied or frustrated in your walk with the Lord.
Commit yourself anew to God and let his Spirit help you in your weakness, especially in prayer (Rom. 8:26).
Ask him to reveal himself to you in a new and fresh way.
Pray that your family and friends will have the joy, peace, and stability that comes from knowing God personally and spending time daily with him (Col. 3:15-17).
Prayer Points taken from Patterns for Prayer by Alvin VanderGriend. This book is available at prayershop.org. Use the code CONPSP3 at checkout to receive an additional 10% discount.
I've been sleeping through the night PTL! But feel like I've lost half a day now. I mean it's normally lunch time for me but it's 8:40 and just writing this. So here's a brief blog for
Good Morning Audaciously Trusting, Loving Community of Servants of God--Slaves of Jesus! Do any of those words apply to you? So they can and might be some words to work on--audaciously trusting Jesus, slaves of Jesus, Loving Community of servants. That one is what St. Matts is becoming known as and as people encounter God's love and care through us, they are finding a gathered and sent community that is united in Christ and God's love--a caring community that is doing what it can with what it's been provided. AMEN! Keep it up! People are noticing and being drawn to God! PTL! And as we begin to disciple these new people they are finding that our MO is learning to live and love like Jesus and audaciously trusting Him to lead, provide and protect as we go share His love individually and as His Body. Dying to self, taking up cross daily and following Jesus, yoked to Him and moving with Him reveals that we are really slaves of Jesus who are sold out to Him and committed to becoming more like Him and learning to walk in His ways, which includes disciple making as we travel through each day and week just as we are. Amen! People are also seeing the example in us that come as you are doesn't mean we stay as we are. We want to, long to, become more like Jesus and to grow into our fuller created potential in Christ. Please Lord!
Check out the I to We devo below and the link they have for discovering your spiritual gifts. Some have done this last year. When we come to Christ He gifts us to spur each other on, grow His Church and to grow into our purposes. Do you know your purposes and the gifts you've been blessed with that may need some work and practice to grow and flourish? Check it out and let's talk and see where God may want to lead you and us. Please find some teammates to work with too! PLEASE! That is the next thing God has for us--developing teams. We are Hi loving, unified community of servants! And there is always improvements we can make as we grow to become more like Jesus and doing more of what we are created for. Then think about the Our Daily bread devo reminding us that even in these hard times God does shelter us and wants to use us too. That reminds me again of the importance of small groups, teams and our community of audaciously trusting, loving servants who are sent by God to change the world! Let's figure out and pray into how He wants to use us for that. Amen! What's God saying to you and what will you do about it? Who are you teammates to pray and process and be accountable with? I'm praying for you and for God to lead us with all of this. Seek and listen and receive as you abide and reload to go ! Amen!
I to WE gifts link
I to We devo
ODB
Shelters of God’s Care
Each one will be like a shelter from the wind and a refuge from the storm. Isaiah 32:2
On a long family road trip, I spent hours driving through the sparsely populated states of Montana and South Dakota. As I drove, I began to notice a pattern: Vast stretches of farmland were dotted with groves of trees surrounding a house. As I worked hard to keep our van in our lane due to strong winds, it dawned on me that the trees were there for more than beauty. They were also intentionally cultivated windbreakers designed to protect the home and its occupants from the powerful gusts of wind buffeting the landscape.
The prophet Isaiah once described a future in God’s care as a shelter from wind and storm. Having called God’s people to repentance (Isaiah 31:6-7), Isaiah also wrote of a future time when “a king will reign in righteousness” (32:1) and all who rule with Him will be “a shelter from the wind and a refuge from the storm” (v. 2). The resulting blessing is people who are able to see, hear, understand, and speak truth (vv. 3-4) in peace and safety.
While we still await the full benefits of this promise, we already see God at work through those who actively look out for the interests of others (Philippians 2:3-4). Christ’s Spirit helps us cultivate a safe space where people can flourish even in difficult times. This is a tangible way we can exemplify God’s loving care.
By Lisa M. Samra
REFLECT & PRAY
When have you experienced the protective shelter of a compassionate community? How did that inspire you?
Heavenly Father, please help me to be a shelter to others around me.
SCRIPTURE INSIGHT
In Isaiah 32, God offers hope through the promise of a time when there would finally be leaders the people could trust. Instead of caring for and protecting the vulnerable, leaders had become the danger from which people needed protection. They could “with a word make someone out to be guilty, . . . ensnare the defender in court and with false testimony deprive the innocent of justice” (29:21).
Against this background of injustice and failure to care for those most in need (32:6-7), Isaiah lifted up the truth that God was still just (v. 1). He insisted that God could be trusted to bring about a future where justice, integrity, and compassion would finally shine through the leaders entrusted to care for others, and each would use their power to provide refuge for those in need (v. 2). , in Christ, believers know and experience the one true, perfect, and just leader who cares for them.
Reminder: Clothing Closet is closed . Will reopen in two weeks.
Worship at 10 live and on Zoom. Read the book of Jude in preparation. Invite a friend and prepare your hearts to worship!
Zoom Huddle resumes at 10-11
Bread Min 10-12
. Rita's Hangout 6PM
Pastor Don update: Cardiologist reports all looks good and to keep at what I'm doing. PTL! I've been able to get outside and work without heart issues (although had some heat related stuff from overdoing it). God has healed and is restoring my health. PTL! Now I have to work on my mental/spiritual journey back to normal (not that I was ever mentally normal!) I have been able to be still and know and spend more time with God! Over the next few weeks, I expect to move closer to normal routine with some good healthy boundaries. Thanks for your prayers and encouragements! God has a plan for me and all of you and us all together! PTL! Let us seek and follow Him, His Way and healthy rhythms together!
Good Morning United Good News Bringers! We are God's Good News Delivery Co and we all have a part in that and all parts matter. God has created you for such a time as this and in Christ we are activated, gifted, trained and sent to live and love like Jesus as we join with Him, go and do what we can with what we've been given. The reminder here for me is operate in His timing and to follow His provision of people, time, finances and being able to see what He's doing to join in with. Balance and working from abiding rest is key to good fruit production. That is my call to work on for this season. Only do what I see Jesus doing and what I am called and gifted to do each day yoked to Him. Help me/us Lord to embrace this and walk with You and in Your ways and timing. Move us to abide in you and follow well each day. Bring Your easy yoke alive for each of us according to Your perfect plans for each of us and us as Your gathered and sent people. Thanks! Amen!
I've had an amazing quiet time and am praying you do as well. Two things came up for me to share. Karen and I have been discussing what she read . Eph. 3 is very alive to her right now and so I read and abided in that passage . That flowed to my I to We devo (below). They remind us of the importance of traveling this walk with Christ with uniting with others--humbly. Dying to self and really loving and uniting may take crucifying some personal wishes and ways for the unity and good of the whole and/or necessary to follow the Jesus way each day. I'm praying for how God may want to unify and grow us as teammates. I'm praying we all find some partners and for God to orchestrate His perfect plans for us as His gathered and sent people. Eph. 4:1-3 is Paul's reminder of this (below) and I will end with His prayer from Eph. 3. What's God saying to you ? Do it! Go live and love, pray and make disciples like Jesus! That is another of my prayers for me, you and us--His beloved children. We are created for such a time as this! As we follow and incarnate Christ and His way we will find unity, peace, joy and love overflowing! And see many answered prayers as he grows us and works with and through us. Amen! We are one in Christ, gifted and empowered to incarnate Him and His ways to a lost and weary world. Ask God to show you one He is preparing and sending to you and ask for wisdom and courage to do your part. Know His peace and joy!
Ephesians 4:1-3
Unity in the Body
4 Therefore I, a prisoner for serving the Lord, beg you to lead a life worthy of your calling, for you have been called by God. 2 Always be humble and gentle. Be patient with each other, making allowance for each other’s faults because of your love. 3 Make every effort to keep yourselves united in the Spirit, binding yourselves together with peace.
I to We
Paul’s Prayer for Spiritual Growth
Eph. 3:14 When I think of all this, I fall to my knees and pray to the Father, 15 the Creator of everything in heaven and on earth. 16 I pray that from his glorious, unlimited resources he will empower you with inner strength through his Spirit. 17 Then Christ will make his home in your hearts as you trust in him. Your roots will grow down into God’s love and keep you strong. 18 And may you have the power to understand, as all God’s people should, how wide, how long, how high, and how deep his love is. 19 May you experience the love of Christ, though it is too great to understand fully. Then you will be made complete with all the fullness of life and power that comes from God.20 Now all glory to God, who is able, through his mighty power at work within us, to accomplish infinitely more than we might ask or think. 21 Glory to him in the church and in Christ Jesus through all generations forever and ever! Amen.
Don’t be afraid, for I am with you. Don’t be discouraged, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you. I will hold you up with my victorious right hand.
This is the day the Lord has made and we get to worship and rejoice in it!!! PTL!
Good Morning Made New in Christ Worshipers! Amen! And rejoice! Get your worship on and prepare your hearts to share stories of His goodness, faithfulness and love and to sing some praises. He will be blessed as we do and come inhabit our praises. As we praise God in all circumstances and as we get comfortable in our own skin and who we are in Christ, we grow in Him and see Him at work more and our praises grow. God loves that and it brings such peace and joy to our souls too and the praises keep building. Cast all your anxiety on Him and count your many blessings and recount the stories of how God has transformed and blessed you and you peace and joy will grow. Yes, get your worship on and step more fully into your true identity in Christ. God really does love that and you will bless Him and be blessed back beyond measure! PTL! Again I say rejoice!
Check out ODB and the I to We devos below. they speak into singing God's praise and how walking in your true identity changes everything. yes PTL! See you soon worshipers who are made new in Christ! Amen!
When Diana’s vision began to deteriorate, she grew concerned. She’d also been having trouble thinking and kept repeating herself. Her symptoms caused doctors to believe it wasn’t a problem with her eyes but something in her brain. They learned she had a large tumor in her brain that needed to be removed. Diana was concerned that the surgery would impair her ability to sing—something she’s passionate about and shares with her family. So her surgeon did something incredible and kept her awake for the pain-free surgery, asking her to sing during the procedure so he’d know he’d preserved that part of her neurological circuitry. The two even recorded a duet during the operation.
Like Diana, King David—who penned many of the Bible’s psalms—was passionate about singing. He often sang to God in both lament and joy. When he was delivered from his enemies, he acknowledged that it was God who set him “free from [his] enemies” (2 Samuel 22:49). Because of God’s good works, David declared, “I will praise you, Lord, among the nations; I will sing the praises of your name” (v. 50).
God continues to be at work in the world and in each of our lives, delivering us from the malady that plagues us all: sin. May we, like David, set our hearts on singing God’s praises for all He’s done.
By Kirsten Holmberg
REFLECT & PRAY
What can you praise God for ? What invites you to worship Him in song?
Heavenly Father, I bring You praise for Your work in the world and in my life.
SCRIPTURE INSIGHT
Much of the material David wrote in 2 Samuel 22 is also found in Psalm 18. The psalm’s superscription tells us that David was celebrating God’s rescue of him from “the hand of all his enemies and from the hand of Saul.” It appears that since the events of David’s deliverance had happened years earlier than the events of 2 Samuel 22, David is reminiscing and reflecting on that rescue. Now, looking backward, he celebrates again the wonder of divine deliverance and faithfulness—a wonder he’d experienced repeatedly in his life. He looks back at the end of life and reflects on the consistency of God’s goodness to him. The key idea of David’s song of praise? God is faithful and will deliver His own. David’s heart explodes in worship as he remembers God’s goodness to him—something all believers in Jesus are called to do.
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