Good Morning Everyone,

Our theme for this month: “Worry”

Our Bible verse for today: “Five times I received 39 lashes from the Jews. Three times I was beaten with rods by the Romans. Once I was stoned by my enemies …”
2 Corinthians 11:24-25 (HCSB)

Our thought for today: “You have to decide how you will handle adversity.”

It’s been over twenty years now since sports fans everywhere were impressed and inspired by the example of professional baseball pitcher Dave Draveky. Many of us still remember it. Dave was a great pitcher and a strong Christian. He was the kind of professional sports figure who took his responsibility as a role model seriously.

Sadly, at the height of his career, Dave was diagnosed with a cancerous tumor in the shoulder of his pitching arm. The entire thing, all the way up to and including the shoulder, had to be amputated. Not only was Dave’s career in baseball finished, but his life was altered in a major way. A big part of the left side of his body was gone.

But within months of the amputation Dave was out on the speaking circuit as a featured speaker at Promise Keeper events; he appeared on television and radio talk shows; he visited in schools; he wrote books. Rather than worry and weep over his misfortune, Dave dealt with it as best he could and then moved on with life in a positive way.

The Apostle Paul was like that. Spend a few minutes reading 2 Corinthians 11:16-33 to see a brief summary of just some of the things he endured. Then read Philippians chapter four where Paul writes about how he learned to be content in all circumstances and to draw his strength from Jesus regardless of what he was facing. Paul didn’t weep and whine and worry. He dealt with the difficulties and then just got on with life.

Let’s be clear: You are not responsible for everything that happens to you. But you are responsible for how you deal with what happens to you. As author Eric Greitens writes, “There is a big difference between acknowledging pain and wallowing in it. Wallowing in pain is a life trap, the quicksand of achievement.”

Dave Draveky and the Apostle Paul acknowledged their difficult circumstances but they didn’t worry about them and they didn’t wallow in them. They dealt with them and they moved on with life.

Yes, worrying and wallowing is a life trap, it is quicksand. But the real danger of quicksand is not that it keeps you stuck where you are, it’s worse than that. Quicksand sucks you in and keeps taking you deeper and deeper until eventually it swallows you up.

But you don’t have to allow that to be the case with respect to your problems. Remember, you may not be responsible for everything that happens to you, but you are responsible for how you deal with it. Choose to deal with it in a positive, God honoring way. Then move on with your life as best you can in whatever the prevailing circumstances are.

God Bless,
Pastor Jim

Good Morning Everyone,

Our theme for this month: “Worry”

Our Bible verse for today: “We know that all things work together for the good of those who love God: those who are called according to His purpose.” Romans 8:28 (HCSB)

Our thought for today: “Understanding often comes in retrospect.”

In the Bible study “Experiencing God” author Henry Blackaby encourages his readers to create what he calls a spiritual map. He says that we should list, in chronological order, every significant event we can remember in our lives. He means everything from influential people we met, to significant accomplishments, to terrible hardships and tragedies. List things like graduation from school, coming to faith in Christ, marriage, the birth of children, career advancement, list it all.

Henry then encourages us to look backwards over the list to see the hand of God at work in our lives. Often as we do that we can see that although as we were going through those things we were often confused and worried, in retrospect we can see how God was in fact there and at work for our benefit.

This is what Paul was referring to in Romans 8:28. Even in the worst of situations God is there and He is at work for us. He will bring some good thing out of even the worst of circumstances. But usually it’s only after the fact that we can only see that.

Philip Yancey once wrote, “We live life moving forward, but we understand it looking back.” I believe that is true in most cases and therefore we have to move forward in faith, trusting that God is present and at work on our behalf, even if at the moment we don’t understand what’s happening or why. Can we do that? Yes we can, and we must. God sees the big picture but we can see only a very little bit. That’s why in Isaiah 55:8-9 God reminds us:

“For My thoughts are not your thoughts, and your ways are not My ways.” This is the Lord’s declaration. “For as heaven is higher than earth, so My ways are higher than your ways, and My thoughts than your thoughts.”

Rather than worry, we have to trust. If you’re having trouble trading worry for trust, spend some time with your spiritual map. Remember how God has worked in your life in the past and how He has delivered you and protected you time and time again. Then trust Him for the present and for the future. Quoting Philip Yancey again:

“What is faith, after all, but believing in advance what will only make sense in reverse?”

God Bless,
Pastor Jim

Good Morning Everyone,

Our theme for this month: “Worry”

Our Bible verse for today: “Great peace have they who love your law, and nothing can make them stumble.” Psalm 119:165 (NIV)

Our thought for today: “Take comfort in God and in His promises.”

I love reading the Bible and therefore I have always loved Psalm 119. Psalm 119 is a wonderful testimony to the beauty, the power, and the value of studying, applying, and obeying God’s Word. For 176 verses it calls us to read the Bible and to live by it.

However, as I was reading it again this morning it dawned on me for the first time that the last half of the Psalm is also a great exhortation against worry. Here’s just a sampling of what the Psalmist had to say about that:

Verse 76: “May your unfailing love be my comfort …”

Verse 105: “Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light for my path.”

Verse 114: “You are my refuge and my shield; I have put my hope in your word.”

Verse 143: “Trouble and distress have come upon me, but your commands are my delight.”

Verse 147: “I rise before dawn and cry for help; I have put my hope in your word.”

Verse 153: “Look upon my suffering and deliver me, for I have not forgotten your law.

Verse 157: “Many are the foes who persecute me, but I have not turned from your statutes.”

Verse 165: “Great peace have they who love your law, and nothing can make them stumble.”

Verse 173: “May your hand be ready to help me, for I have not forgotten your precepts.”

Those are just a few of the many verses in this Psalm which remind us that we don’t need to worry. Instead we can look to God for comfort, strength, refuge, guidance, hope, and peace.

If there are things in your world which have you worried today, I encourage you to trust in God and in His ways; take comfort in His Word and in His promises.

God Bless,
Pastor Jim

Good Morning Everyone,

Our theme for this month: “Worry”

Our Bible verse for today: “Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life?” Matthew 6:27 (NIV)

Our thought for today: “Worry is a waste of time.”

As I write this it is Monday morning and most of us are beginning a new week of work or school. What do you hope to accomplish this week? Do you have some goals and objectives you’re working on in terms of professional, educational, or personal self-development achievements? I’m not necessarily talking about major accomplishments either – just small steps of forward progress will be just fine.

Few things make us feel as good as making progress towards achieving a meaningful goal. And few things are as effective at chasing away worry as is achievement. But remember, achievement requires action. Wanting to do something is not the same as actually doing it. Positive change will occur not because of what you decide you want, but because of what you choose to do.

Worry is often rooted in inaction. Worry consists primarily of brooding about a problem and imagining all the terrible ways it might turn out. But when we involve ourselves in positive activity that moves us toward the accomplishment of a meaningful achievement, there’s much less room in our mind for worrisome thoughts. And if that meaningful activity also involves doing something about the thing we were worried about to begin with, the end result is even better.

In Matthew 6:27 Jesus asked a rhetorical question which was intentionally absurd. It was intended to illustrate the futility of worry. In the context of the larger passage, Jesus was teaching a lesson designed to motive His listeners to shift their focus from silly worries about unimportant things, and to instead be involved in the achievement of meaningful and worthwhile goals (seek first His kingdom and His righteousness …)

The bottom line? Worry is a waste of time. But making progress, even small steps of progress, towards meaningful goals is always helpful and it will go a long way towards chasing away worry. So let’s get busy accomplishing things that really matter.

God Bless,

Pastor Jim

Good Morning Everyone,

 

Our theme for this month: “Worry”

 

Our Bible verse for today: “When I am afraid, I will trust in You. In God, whose word I praise, in God I trust; I will not fear. What can man do to me?” Psalm 56:3-4 (HCSB)

 

Our thought for today: “Faith chases away fear.”

 

There’s a great story that came out of World War Two regarding the power of faith to overcome worry and fear. It took place in a German Prisoner of War camp. Many of the American soldiers in that camp had been held there for years under horrible conditions. But unbeknown to the German guards, the soldiers had secretly built a radio which they used late at night to listen to Allied radio broadcasts and to track the progress of the war.

 

One night they learned that the German High Command had surrendered and that the War was over. However the German guards didn’t know that yet. Because the lines of military communication had broken down for the Germans, it would be days before news of the surrender reached the guards.

 

The prisoners knew the victory had already been won and they now just had to wait to be delivered from their difficult circumstances. So for three days there was laughing and joking, celebrating and singing, with the guards having no understanding of what brought about the incredible change in the prisoners. Finally, on the fourth morning, the prisoners woke up to discover that in the night the guards had discovered the truth and had fled the camp, leaving the gate and all the doors open.

 

The American prisoners had heard the good news broadcast, they believed it, and their faith in that good news changed everything. They knew it was only a matter of time before the promise of deliverance from would become a reality in their lives. And even though the bad circumstances persisted for a short while longer, they had the promise of, and they had faith in, the coming deliverance.

 

That can and should be true for us too. Over and over again God has told us in the Bible the good news that He has a wonderful plan for us and that He is sovereign over the circumstances of our lives. And He has said that the day is coming when we will be liberated from our current difficult circumstances. That’s true in the eternal sense, yes, but also in the more immediate issue of your current difficulties. Nothing lasts forever.

 

Faith chases away fear, and God has the answer to your worries. It is this: “Trust Him. Deliverance is coming”.

 

God Bless,

Pastor Jim

Good Morning Everyone,

 

Our theme for this month: “Worry”

 

Our Bible verse for today: “But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and reaching forward to what is ahead, I pursue as my goal the prize promised by God’s heavenly call in Christ Jesus.” Philippians 3:13-14 (HCSB)

 

Our thought for today: “Let go of the past so you can move forward into the future.”

 

After retiring from the Navy I worked for a few years as a Family Counselor as I prepared to become a Pastor. I’ve been a Pastor now for almost twenty years and altogether, I have counseled many people about a wide variety of issues. I found that by far the two most common problems people wrestle with are regret about the past and worry about the future.

 

Many people have deep regrets for past actions that they’re unable to let go of. Often they wallow in the regret to the point that it holds them captive. Many others have fear and anxiety about the future. The future is a great unknown and that scares people. Sure, we can make plans and set goals but still, the outcome is always uncertain.

 

The Apostle Paul had an answer for these two common dilemmas. In Philippians 3:13-14 he told us that he made it a point to leave the past at the feet of Jesus. There was much in Paul’s past he could have regretted. But since the past is past, there was nothing he could do to change it. So Paul laid the past at the feet of Jesus and then turned his attention to the future. He disciplined himself to be forward-looking.

 

We can do that too. In fact, we must. If we don’t, the past will hold us captive and not allow us to move forward into the future with any real effectiveness.

 

Interestingly, in my counseling I found that the regrets many people have regarding the past didn’t necessarily involve things they did do, but things they didn’t do. “I wish I had gone to college.” “I should have trained for a different career.” “Why didn’t I save for retirement when I had the chance?”

 

It can hurt to realize how much time we’ve wasted and how many opportunities we either missed, or simply passed up. The only thing that hurts worse is to continue doing that now. Continue in that same pattern and it’s a sure bet that tomorrow, and next week, and next month, and next year you’ll have even more to regret.

 

The thing to do is to leave your past at the feet of Jesus and then turn your attention to the future. Make the best plans you can and then just start moving forward. You don’t have to have it all figured out and you don’t have to be perfect. Just do something today that will move you in the right direction and make you a little better than you were yesterday. Then do the same tomorrow, and the next day, and the next. Before long you will have walked yourself into a future that’s better than the past.

 

It’s senseless to wallow in regrets about the past because that will hold you back. And worrying too much about the future can leave you paralyzed with uncertainty and fear. Give both of them to Jesus knowing that He has a great plan for your life and that He is in the process of working it out.

 

God Bless,

Pastor Jim

Good Morning Everyone,

 

Our theme for this month: “Worry”

 

Our Bible verse for today: “Don’t worry about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition with thanksgiving, let your request be made known to God.” Philippians 4:6 (HCSB)

 

Our thought for today: “Follow Paul’s prescription for worry-free living.”

 

I love Paul’s letter to the Philippians. It is the most positive, uplifting, and encouraging book in the New Testament. It was also written during a time when Paul was old, sick, nearing the end of his life, and in prison. It’s amazing that he could write a letter like this under such circumstances. The fact that he could, reveals a lot about where he was at in his relationship with the Lord, and therefore there is a lot we can learn from it.

 

If you have a propensity for worry, you would benefit from spending a little time in Philippians chapter four. In it Paul gives us a step-by-step prescription for worry-free living. Here are just a few of the points he makes:

 

Verse four: Make it a point to intentionally rejoice in the Lord constantly.

Verse six: Rather than worrying about things, pray about them.

Verse seven: Accept and embrace the peace God wants you to have.

Verse eight: Control the things you allow your mind to dwell on. Make them positive.

Verse nine: Make it a point to consistently do the things you know to be right.

Verse ten: Take your eyes off yourself and be concerned about the well-being of others.

Verse Thirteen: Rely on Jesus.

Verse Nineteen: Trust that God can and will provide for your needs.

 

Through many years of hardship and struggles the Apostle Paul learned how to avoid worry and to truly enjoy life, regardless of his circumstances. It was his strong faith in, and reliance on, Jesus. We can do the same.

 

God Bless,

Pastor Jim.

Good Morning Everyone,

Our theme for this month: “Worry”

Our Bible verse for today: “Let us run with endurance the race that lies before us, keeping our eyes on Jesus, the source and perfecter of our faith.” Hebrews 12:1-2 (HCSB)

Our thought for today: “The more you focus on Jesus, the less you’ll have to worry about.”

Many years ago Campus Crusade for Christ developed what went on to become the most widely used evangelistic tract of all time, “The Four Spiritual Laws”. In that little booklet they include a drawing that very effectively illustrates the difference between a life focused on Jesus, and one that isn’t.

The drawing is divided in half, left and right. On the left side, there is a throne which represents the place of honor in the person’s heart. Around the throne are a multitude of black dashes, each of which represents some person, issue, or activity which has a place in this person’s life. In this illustration on the left side of the drawing “self” is on the throne and all the black dashes are arranged around the throne in chaotic fashion, pointing up, down, sideways, and just jumbled all over the place. The scene depicts chaos.

On the right side of the drawing is another throne, it too representing the place of honor in a person’s life. But this time it is Jesus on the throne, and this time all the black dashes representing the things that fill up this person’s life, are in perfect order and are perfectly aligned, all pointing towards the throne.  The difference between the two lives is clear and stark.

In his book, “What On Earth Am I here for?” Pastor Rick Warren urges his readers to be intentional about making Jesus the center of their lives. He writes, “When God is at the center, you worship. When he’s not, you worry. Worry is the warning light that God has been shoved to the sideline.”

This is essentially the same lesson the writer of Hebrews was expressing in Hebrews 12:1-2. This life is a long haul, and it is often filled to overflowing with a multitude of things competing for our time, attention, and loyalty. Keep your eyes on Jesus. Put Him on the throne of your heart and keep Him there. Then allow everything else in life to fall into perfect alignment around the throne, all of it pointing to Jesus. If you do that, you’ll have a lot less to worry about.

God Bless,

Pastor Jim

Good Morning Everyone,

Our theme for this month: “Worry”

Our Bible verse for today: “Don’t be enraged, my Lord,’ Aaron replied. “Your yourself know that the people are intent on evil. They said to me, ‘Make us a god who will go before us because this Moses, the man who brought us up from the land of Egypt – we don’t know what has happened to him!” So I said to them, ‘Whoever has gold, take it off,’ and they gave it to me. When I threw it into the fire, out came this calf!” Exodus 32:22-24 (HCSB)

Our thought for today: “Take responsibility for your own actions.”

Much of what we profess to be “worried” about is actually manufactured drama. It’s situations of our own making which we then exaggerate and distort in an effort to shift the blame to someone else. This is also known as having a victim mentality. The bad things that are happening to us, or which we think might happen to us, are all someone else’s fault. At least, that’s what we try to convince ourselves and everyone else is the case.

The scene from Exodus 32:22-24 is a great example. Aaron was busted. While Moses was away on the Mount receiving the Ten Commandments, Aaron had failed to provide good leadership for the people. He had allowed them to run wild and now that Moses was back, and holding Aaron accountable for his failure, Aaron was worried. So rather than simply admitting he was wrong and that the fault was his own, here was Aaron shucking and jiving, fabricating this ridiculous story, trying to shift the blame onto the people. It was so silly he should have been embarrassed. And the thing is, Moses and everyone else listening to this knew that Aaron was at fault and he was making a fool of himself as he tried to get out of it.

Aaron’s problem was that he was worried about the consequences his foolish actions were going to bring, and so he tried to shift the blame to others. It was cowardice on his part; but worry can have the effect on us. Strength of character enables us to push past the worry, admit the truth, and accept the responsibility.

Don’t allow yourself to assume a victim mentality and don’t attempt to shift the blame for your failures onto others. Doing so will end up causing you more worry and more anxiety in the end, then if you had simply accepted responsibility for it to begin with. I encourage you to take responsibility for your own actions.

God Bless,
Pastor Jim

Good Morning Everyone,

Our theme for this month: “Worry”

Our Bible verse for today: “So don’t worry …” Matthew 6:31 (HCSB)

Our thought for today: “Trust Jesus and stop worrying.”

As I write this it is the day before Mother’s Day 2015. I’ve been thinking about my wife and what a great mother she is to our four children. For one thing, she has always been the stabilizing influence in our family.

During all my years as a Naval Officer I was frequently gone and so Linda kept the home fires burning and the kids on track. Once I retired from the Navy and went into the ministry, nothing much changed in this respect. I was frequently away from home ministering to people or leading mission teams around the world, and once again Linda kept things stable at home.

So on this Mother’s Day, as a way of paying tribute to my wife, the mother of my children, I want to share with you her favorite passage of Scripture. It reveals a lot about where she gets that great sense of stability from. It is Matthew 6:25-34:

“This is why I tell you: Don’t worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Isn’t life more than food and the body more than clothing?
Look at the birds of the sky: They don’t sow or reap or gather into barns, yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Aren’t you worth more than they?
Can any of you add a single cubit to his height by worrying? And why do you worry about clothes? Learn how the wildflowers of the field grow: they don’t labor or spin thread. Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was adorned like one of these!
If that’s how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and thrown into the furnace tomorrow, won’t He do much more for you – you of little faith? So don’t worry, saying ‘What will we eat?’ or ‘What will we drink?’ or ‘What will we wear?’ For the idolaters eagerly seek all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things will be provided for you. Therefore don’t worry about tomorrow, because tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.”

Linda gets great peace and reassurance from that passage; it enables her to stay focused on the things that really matter and not worry about the things that don’t. She has learned to trust Jesus and stop worrying. It’s a good lesson for all of us.

God Bless,
Pastor Jim