Good Morning Everyone,

Our theme for this month: “Worry”

Our Bible verse for today: “Pure and undefiled religion before our God and Father is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress …” James 1:27 (HCSB)

Our thought for today: “Care about the right things.”

So much of what we worry about is small potatoes. Seriously, in a world filled with wars and famines, natural disasters and persecuted Christians, how much sleep do we allow ourselves to lose over small and silly things? If you’re like me then the answer is, “A lot!” I spend far too much time worrying about things that really shouldn’t matter much.

The truth is that all of us (especially those of us in safe and comfy places like the USA), spend far too much time thinking and worrying about problems that in the grand scheme of things, matter very little. Our goal shouldn’t necessarily be to not worry, but to worry about the right things.

In his book “Resilience”, former Navy Seal Eric Greitens offers this valuable insight:

“The aim in life is not to avoid struggles, but to have the right ones; not to avoid worry, but to care about the right things; not to live without fear, but to confront worthy fears with force and passion.”

When Eric writes in the above passage that it’s ok to “worry” he’s not talking about needless anxiety over things that don’t really matter. He’s referring to caring deeply and passionately about things that do matter.

An example of this is found in the passage from James above. God wants us to focus our thoughts, our attention, and our effort on people in need and on issues that matter. That’s a common theme woven all throughout the Old and New Testaments. Don’t waste your emotional energy on small stuff that neither you nor anyone else is likely to even remember by next week! Save it for the things that matter.

Our goal in life ought to be to worry (care) about the right things. What are you worried about today?

God Bless,
Pastor Jim

Good Morning Everyone,

Our theme for this month: “Worry”

Our Bible verse for today: “I know that my Redeemer lives, and that in the end he will stand upon the earth.” Job 19:25 (NIV)

Our thought for today: “Trust God for the future.”

It would be tough to imagine anyone who had more reason to worry and despair than Job. He lost everything including his children, his wealth, and his health. Beyond that, as he sat there in dust and ashes, covered in festering boils, and with the ruins of his life all around him, he could see little hope for the future. What were the chances that things would turn around for him? If anyone was justified in worrying about the future I think it would be Job.

But if you’ve read his story then you know that even though he freely and openly expressed his anguish about his circumstances, and even though he questioned why God would allow such calamity into his life, he never lost faith in God. Job acknowledged that he didn’t understand what was happening to him or why, and he even went so far as to admit that his circumstances appeared unfair on God’s part, but he still affirmed that he knew God was good and just and that in the end it would be proven to be true.

This great statement of faith which is recorded in Job 19:25 was made by Job at a time when his circumstances were the worst they ever had been in his life, or ever would be again. Things were as bad as they could possibly be, and yet he trust God.

Job is the classic Biblical example for us when we’re worried about the future. In Job’s case, his entire situation came about because of a wager between God and Satan. There was a divine drama unfolding in the spiritual realm of which Job knew nothing. But God was Sovereign over the situation and in the end, Job would be fine.

The same is true for you and for me. God is in control. He is Sovereign over your circumstances and over your future. And yes, even in your case, there is indeed a divine drama unfolding behind the scenes. Satan is always working to bring about bad things in your life, and God is always working for your good.

Even if you don’t understand what’s happening or why, hang onto your faith in Him! You can trust God for the future.

God Bless,
Pastor Jim

Good Morning Everyone,

Our theme for this month: “Worry”

Our Bible verse for today: “Consider it a great joy, my brothers, whenever you experience various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance. But endurance must do its complete work, so that you may be mature and complete, lacking nothing.” James 1:2- 4 (HCSB)

Our thought for today: “Thank God for your problems.”

I want to apologize in advance. I’m going to start your day off by telling you something you don’t want to hear. Ready? Here it is: “Your problems are good for you.” Yes, you read that right, your problems are good for you.

I don’t mean that the problem itself is necessarily good, many problems are bad, but the fact that you have problems to work through is actually a good thing because it makes you stronger, it makes you better.

Former Navy Seal Eric Greitens (a Christian), in his book “Resilience”, offers some interesting insight about this. He writes:

“We need challenges to master and problems to solve. If we are trapped in a life where everything is provided for us, our minds fail to grow, our relationships atrophy, and our spirits deteriorate … In the long run deprivation of purpose is as destructive as deprivation of sleep. Without a purpose we can survive, but we cannot flourish … You need a worthy struggle in your life.”

This is what James meant in James 1:2- 4. God uses our struggles and trials to make us stronger and better. In fact, God allows struggles and trials into our lives specifically so that He can then use them to train us and grow us and mature us into the men and women He wants us to be.

When we experience problems and challenges the natural human tendency is to worry about the outcome. A better response would be to consider what we can learn through the experience and how dealing with the situation can make us a better person, a better Christian.

So today, as you encounter the problems and challenges that will inevitably come your way, rather than worrying about them, try learning from them. Ask God to show you what He wants to teach you through this situation.

And please, if someone tells you the story of their flat tire don’t respond, “Well, Jim said it’s good for you.” Be sure to explain “why” Jim said it was good for them.

God Bless,
Pastor Jim

Good Morning Everyone,

Our theme for this month: “Worry”

Our Bible verse for today: “Be still, and know that I am God.” Psalm 46:10 (NIV)

Our thought for today: “It’s difficult to worry when you’re in the presence of God.”

I love the story about the nuns who run “The Home for the Dying and Destitute” in Calcutta, India. This is the organization founded and led for many years by Mother Teresa.

The work the nuns do all day, every day, is difficult beyond description. They serve some of the poorest, the most destitute and miserable people to be found anywhere. Literally, many of those who live in the Home were found by the nuns on the streets, in the gutters, terminally ill and half dead already. The nun’s days are filled with bathing unspeakably filthy bodies, treating festering wounds, spoon-feeding those who can’t feed themselves, and cleaning up vomit and urine and excrement.

Day-after-day, for 12-1 5 hours a day, week-after-week, for months and years on end, their work is the same. How do they do it? I doubt that I would last an hour, much less a year, or a lifetime, in such an environment.

And yet, the nuns are known for their tremendous sense of joy and serenity in the midst of all that pain and suffering. They seem to have few cares or worries. They laugh and smile and sing as they go about their labor. Where does that come from?

It comes from spending much time in the presence of God. Philip Yancey was there, in Calcutta, and witnessed this for himself. He found that their serenity can be directly traced to what takes place every day before their work begins. At four o’clock every morning the nuns gather in the Chapel where they sit together in deep silence and in adoration before God. They pray together, they recite Scripture, and then they sing. They sing loud and joyfully. They sing praises to God and they celebrate His goodness, His mercy, His grace, and His love. Then, empowered and renewed with a fresh anointing of the Holy Spirit, they go forward into their day with joy in their hearts and a song on their lips.

I know your days are often challenging, so are mine. But seriously, compared to what those nuns face day-in-and day-out I have little to complain or worry about. I find their example challenging and stimulating. I want to face my days with the joy and serenity they have. To do that, I will have to go to the same source that they go to. I too need to begin my days in prayer, worship, adoration, thanksgiving, and praise.

In Psalm 46:10 we’re told to simply be still in His presence and know that He is God. Before your activities for the day begin; before you think about the long list of things to do, or all the things you could potentially worry about; just be still in His presence and know that He is God. Then praise Him, worship Him, and go forward into your day prepared for whatever lies ahead. Do that and you’ll probably worry a lot less.

God Bless,
Pastor Jim

Good Morning Everyone,

Our theme for this month: “Worry”

Our Bible verse for today: “Martha, Martha, you are worried and upset about many things, but one thing is necessary. Mary has made the right choice, and it will not be taken away from her.” Luke 10:41-42 (HCSB)

Our thought for today: “Mary got it right.”

Jesus said that Mary got it right, but what was it that she got right? If you’re familiar with the passage then you know that Jesus paid a visit to the home of Mary and Martha. Mary, the tranquil and contemplative sister, simply sat down at the feet of Jesus and spent time with Him. Martha, the strong “type A” over-achiever, immediately began scurrying around doing stuff.  She started out fixing tea and cookies. Pretty soon she was banging pots and pans.

When Martha complained to Jesus that Mary wasn’t helping, Jesus told her to chill out and have a seat.  Jesus wanted Martha’s company more than he wanted her cooking.

The Mary/Martha dilemma has always been an issue for Christians. That’s especially true in our highly caffeinated, hustle and bustle world today. There are many more Martha’s than there are Mary’s.

I once read a book on this subject with the great title of, “Having a Mary Heart in a Martha World.” That describes me! I have the heart of Mary, I really do. I want to just be still and sit at the feet of Jesus. But I have a Martha personality. I need to do stuff. I’m OCD and so I’m always inspecting the foyer for dust bunnies, or checking the pencils in the pews, or reviewing my sermon notes one last time. All the while, in my heart, I really do want to be still and be with Jesus – but I can’t resist the temptation to check just one more detail.

It’s probably true of you too – at least to some extent. Life in our world is busy and demanding, we all have long lists of things to do. But the words of Jesus ring just as true for us today as they did for Martha 2000 years ago. “Just chill out and have a seat.” (Ok, that’s not exactly how He said it but it is what He meant.)

Doing things for Jesus is important, so let’s give Martha credit for good intentions. But being with Jesus matters more. It has often been said, and it is very true, that God designed us as human beings, not human doings. Many of us need to spend more time being than doing. I encourage you to make it a point to do that today.

God Bless,

Pastor Jim

Good Morning Everyone,

Our theme for this month: “Worry”

Our Bible verse for today: “I rejoiced with those who said to me, ‘Let us go up to the house of the Lord.” Psalm 122:1 (HCSB)

Our thought for today: “Church attendance helps us overcome our worries.”

I read a great statement from Mother Teresa recently regarding worry. She wrote, “God will never, never, never let us down if we have faith and put our trust in Him. He will always look after us. So we must cleave to Jesus. Our whole life must simply be woven into Jesus.”

“Our whole life must simply be woven into Jesus.” How is that accomplished? Without question it would have to involve the personal individual spiritual disciplines of prayer and Bible study. Those are the two primary means by which the Lord communicates with us.

Also, every day, all day, we need to be consciously and intentionally including Jesus into all aspects of our lives.  In Revelation 3:20 He said, “Listen! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and have dinner with him, and he with Me.” We commonly use that verse in an evangelistic way to encourage unbelievers to place their faith in Christ. But Jesus actually spoke those words to Christians. He was speaking to lukewarm believers in the church in Laodicea and His meaning was that He wants to be invited into all the moments of our lives.

But another important way in which we include Jesus into our whole life is by participating in the regular gatherings of the church family. This is a crucial aspect of life in the family of God. We have to be together in worship and in a learning setting with other believers. The New Testament is crystal clear on this point and it makes no provision for Lone Ranger Christians who are not actively and regularly engaged in the life of a church family. That’s why the writer of the letter to the Hebrews cautioned us to “not stay away from our worship meetings, as some habitually do.”

Ok, back to our theme of worry. One of the impacts we experience from good Sunday school, a good time of group worship, and from good fellowship, is that our cares and worries tend to melt away. Instead of being focused on the problems, we’re focused on the Lord and on others. Consequently our time with our church family becomes a time of renewal and refreshing. We need this. We need it a lot. Church attendance helps us overcome our worries.

God Bless,
Pastor Jim

Good Morning Everyone,

Our theme for this month: “Worry”

Our Bible verse for today: “Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.”
1 Peter 5:7 (NIV)

Our thought for today: “Give all your worries and cares to God.”

I once read a statement written by a psychologist who had conducted an extensive study on the subject of worry. In his conclusions he wrote, “Approximately 80% of the things the average person worries about never happen. Another 10% do happen but they turn out good instead of bad. Only about 10% of the things we typically worry about happen, and happen bad. But even then, it’s seldom as bad as we imagined it would be.”

Based upon my experiences in my own life, and in what I have observed in the lives of others, I agree with his conclusion. Most of what we worry about either never happens, or does happen but ends up being good instead of bad. And even when the thing we worried about does happen, and it is bad, seldom does it end up being as bad as we imagined it would be.

And yet, we worry. Most of us worry a lot. We worry about big things and about little things; we worry about things which could actually happen, and we worry about things that probably wouldn’t happen in a million years. Worry is part of our human nature and so we’re all susceptible to it.

But Jesus doesn’t want us to be consumed with worries and doubts and fears. He is sovereign over the events of our lives and He wants us to learn to trust Him. And if we do trust Him – really trust Him – then we won’t worry. That’s why Peter urges us to cast all our cares and worries on Him – because He cares for us!

All this month we will explore the subject of worry. We’ll consider what it is, where it comes from, what things cause us to worry, and what we should do about it.

Years ago there was a popular song by singer Bobby McFerrin with a title and refrain that urged us to “Don’t worry, be happy.” It was a cute and catchy tune – but it stopped a little short of Biblical truth. The Biblical instruction is, “Don’t worry, trust Jesus.”

Yes, let’s do that. Let’s stop worrying so much and just trust Jesus.

God Bless,
Pastor Jim

Good Morning Everyone,

Our theme for this month: “Grace”

Our Bible verse for today: “Come to Me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden in light.” Matthew 11:28-30 (NIV)

Our thought for today: “Do your part.”

We’ve learned a lot about God’s grace this month. We’ve learned what it is, how we get it, and what we should do with it. When it comes to God dispensing His grace, we can count on Him to do so abundantly and joyfully. All of creation is crammed full of His common grace; and any who will come to Him through faith in His Son Jesus will also be overwhelmed with generous portions of His special grace. So God will do His part.

Therefore I want to end this month with a note about us (the Church) doing our part. As we’ve learned, in addition to receiving God’s grace, we have a responsibility to share God’s grace. It’s through the ministry of Christians serving in the name of Jesus that the world gets to experience the most and best of God’s grace.

That being the case, the church gatherings should be times of enormous grace. This should be the time and place when people experience God’s blessings more than anywhere else. If God’s people are to be the conveyers and dispensers of His grace, then when they’re gathered together there should be oceans of grace washing over everyone in the place.

The famous evangelist Dwight L. Moody often referred to the church as “A colony of heaven in a hostile world.” Moody also said “Only one man out of a hundred reads the Bible. The other ninety-nine read the Christian.”

The truth is that it’s a big, bad, and often cruel world out there. People are getting beat-up and they’re being hurt (emotionally and sometimes physically). When they come to the gatherings of God’s people they should experience a wonderful outpouring of God’s grace. After all, the church is a colony of heaven in the midst of a hostile world, right? The church should be the place Jesus described in Matthew 11:28-30, a place where people encounter Him and find rest, care, and nurture.

As we conclude our study of grace I want to leave us with the reminder that not only are we the fortunate recipients of God’s grace, but we are to be the conveyers of it too. We can count on God to do His part. He loves to pour out His abundant grace on all who will receive it. But can He count on us to do our part? I encourage you to go out and be a blessing to others today.

God Bless,
Pastor Jim

Good Morning Everyone,

Our theme for this month: “Grace”

Our Bible verse for today: “So if one member suffers, all the members suffer with it; if one member is honored, all the members rejoice with it.” 1 Corinthians 12:26 (HCSB)

Our thought for today: “Convey grace to those who are suffering.”

Philip Yancey once wrote a great line which I totally agree with. He said, “I would far rather convey grace than explain it.” He meant that he would rather have people experience God’s grace as a result of his actions than for them to just hear about God’s grace as a result of his words.

One of the most important occasions for us to share God’s grace with others is when they’re suffering. When people are suffering they need to experience an extra measure of God’s blessings, and those blessings almost always come through other Christians. In order to do that, we must be willing to enter into their suffering with them. We must be there for them (the ministry of presence); we must feel some of what they feel (empathy); and we must allow God to work through us in order to bless them in the special ways they need it at that moment.

When we do that, we impart meaning and significance to their circumstances. The fact that we care tells them that they matter – to us and to God.

Philip Yancey tells the story of how his wife Janet had a ministry to sick senior citizens. One man she worked with had bad cataracts in both eyes and could barely see. Janet urged him to get the surgery he needed so he could regain his sight, but the man took no action. He was lonely, depressed, and had given up hope. He saw no reason to live and therefore no reason to get his vision corrected. But finally, after many visits and much urging, the man did get the surgery, he did regain his vision, and it resulted in a significant improvement in his outlook on life. He could see again and he had hope again.

It turned out that the reason he finally agreed to get the surgery was not because it mattered to him, but because it mattered to Janet. Janet imparted meaning and significance to his suffering – she graced his suffering by showing him that it mattered and she cared.

I encourage you to go out of your way to convey grace to someone who is suffering. When you show them that you care it could very well convince them that God cares too.

God Bless,
Pastor Jim

Good Morning Everyone,

Our theme for this month: “Grace”

Our Bible verse for today: “For we are His creation, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared ahead of time so that we should walk in them.” Ephesians 2:10 (HCSB)

Our thought for today: “We must be the hands and feet of Jesus.”

This week in our reading of Rick Warren’s 40 day devotional “What on Earth Am I Here For?” the topic is serving God. Rick writes that serving God and serving others is actually one of the primary purposes of our lives. God created each of us as a unique individual with specific gifts and abilities, so that we could then be of service to Him in His Kingdom-building work here on earth.

Rick writes, “You were put on earth to make a contribution. God designed you to make a difference with your life. While many best-selling books offer advice on how to “get” the most out of life, that’s not the reason God made you. You were created to “add” to life on earth, not just take from it.”

This is what Paul was writing about in Ephesians 2:10. Before you were even born, God had a purpose and a plan for your life. Before you even took your first breath, God had things planned for you to do for Him.

When Jesus was here on earth He inaugurated this new era of grace. But when His time on earth was done, He passed the work along to His followers. In John 20:21 He said, “As the Father has sent Me, I also send you.” And in Acts 1:8, just before ascending back into heaven He said, “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come on you, and you will be My witnesses in Jerusalem, in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”

God’s grace is His undeserved blessings poured out upon people. In our day the way God’s grace is delivered is primarily through you and me – the followers of His Son Jesus. We have been designated to be the hands and feet of Jesus. People should be experiencing God’s grace through us. This is one of the primary purposes of your life.

Rick writes, “The last thing many believers need is another Bible study. They already know far more than they are putting into practice. What they need are serving experiences in which they can exercise their spiritual muscles.”

If you are not intentionally serving as a conduit for God’s grace to flow to others, then you’re missing one of the primary and most rewarding purposes for your life. I encourage you to be a blessing to others. Get involved in ministry.

God Bless,
Pastor Jim