Matthew 9:29 "According to your faith it will be done unto you."

I’m really looking forward to all the fresh vegetables from my garden this year!

The fresh tomatoes, onions, corn on the cob, cantaloupe, watermelon, man they are going to be so good!

I do have one small problem though…

Well, maybe two problems…

Problem # 1: I didn’t plant any seeds in my garden…

Problem #2: I don’t have a garden

-Dennis

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Hebrews 11:6a "Without faith it is impossible to please God."

Wouldn’t it be nice if there was a pill that gave you great faith?  You know, like, just enough faith to charge hell with a water pistol!

I have a confession to make: I’m a people pleaser. I didn’t do a lot of bad stuff when I was younger (more than made up for it later) because I couldn’t stand the thought of hurting my momma. Then there was pleasing my wife, then… you fill in your blank.

These days I wish I could tell you that I always live to please my Jesus. But verses like “Everything that isn’t based on faith is sin” (Romans 14:23b CEB) let me know I’ve got a long way to go.

Hebrews 11:6 (CEV) But without faith no one can please God. We must believe that God is real and that he rewards everyone who searches for him.

Lord Jesus, this is Dennis, your disciples and I have at least one thing in common: I need help increasing my faith. I desire to trust you more.

“Living By Faith”

By James Wells

I care not today what the morrow may bring,

If shadow or sunshine or rain,

The Lord I know ruleth o’er everything,

And all of my worries are vain.

Living by faith in Jesus above,

Trusting, confiding in His great love;

From all harm safe in His sheltering arm,

I’m living by faith and feel no alarm.

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I Corinthians 12:4-7; 12 NASB  Now there are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit. And there are varieties of ministries, and the same Lord. There are varieties of effects, but the same God who works all things in all persons. But to each one is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good. For even as the body is one and yet has many members, and all the members of the body, though they are many, are one body, so also is Christ.

My son is really into puzzles right now. We got some small wooden puzzles that have only four pieces each, so we can get just one puzzle out at a time and keep track of the pieces better. But, try as we might, pieces still manage to disappear, and right now we cannot find the orange bulldozer anywhere. I had to put that puzzle up because every time he sees it he starts looking under the table, under the couch, trying to find the missing piece!

Paul described Christians as a body with many members that all have different purposes, or different strengths. All the different members work together to accomplish God’s work. But what happens when some of the members don’t show up? I think sometimes our churches suffer from missing puzzle pieces. It is hard to put them all together when some of the pieces have disappeared.

Let’s be sure we are each using our God-given gifts in the body of Christ!

-Kevi

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John 10:2-4 NASB But he who enters by the door is a shepherd of the sheep. To him the doorkeeper opens, and the sheep hear his voice, and he calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. When he puts forth all his own, he goes ahead of them, and the sheep follow him because they know his voice.

My son woke up from his nap today but when I went to get him out of his crib, he was still tired and continued to just lay there and rest. I came back after a few minutes to check on him and was surprised that he continued to lay there and hadn’t stood up yet. Then…he heard the sound of the garage door opening (that means Dada is home from work) and he sat right up and pointed toward the door! He didn’t want to miss out on play time with Dada!

Jesus related His followers (that’s us) to sheep that recognize and follow the sound of their shepherd. When we hear Jesus calling us, are we eager to follow Him?

-Kevi

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Micah 4:7  NASB  “I will make the lame a remnant and the outcasts a strong nation, and the LORD will reign over them in Mount Zion from now on and forever.”

When Satan reminds me of my failures, God reminds me that He doesn’t need my perfection, but my faithfulness. When Satan reminds me of my weaknesses, God reminds me that he doesn’t need my strength, but my obedience.

Micah prophesied that the nation of Israel would be defeated and destroyed for their sins (yet again), but in Micah 4 God promised He would still use the remnant to establish His Kingdom. He continually uses the weak and the humble to build His Kingdom. I am so glad He can still use me!

For consider your calling, brethren, that there were not many wise according to the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble; but God has chosen the foolish things of the world to shame the wise, and God has chosen the weak things of the world to shame the things which are strong, and the base things of the world and the despised God has chosen, the things that are not, so that He may nullify the things that are, so that no man may boast before God. 1 Corinthians 1:26-29 NASB

-Kevi

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Luke 21:1-4  NASB  And He looked up and saw the rich putting their gifts into the treasury. And He saw a poor widow putting in two small copper coins. And He said, “Truly I say to you, this poor widow put in more than all of them; for they all out of their surplus put into the offering; but she out of her poverty put in all that she had to live on.”

This past Christmas my brother was confessing how during college he would convince his girlfriend (now wife) that they should exchange their Christmas gifts after they got back from Christmas break. He wanted to wait because he never had any money to buy a decent present. He knew he would get Christmas money as a gift from my parents and then he could use that money to buy a nice gift for his girlfriend! We always give him a hard time about what a bum he was in college, but I think it’s actually sweet that he would spend his Christmas money on his girlfriend. He wanted her to have the gift she deserved, not the one he could actually afford.

The widow in Luke 21 wanted to give God what He deserved, not what she could afford. And what He deserved was everything she had! She may have been scolded by friends and family for giving what little she had to the offering box, but Jesus saw her act of worship for what it truly was. May we worship Him so boldly, with everything we have!

-Kevi

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Now therefore be not grieved, nor angry with yourselves, that ye sold me hither: for God did send me before you to preserve life. Genesis 45:5 KJV

I love hymns. They often offer very stark and raw truths that pierce my soul and bring me to a place of humbleness. A few of my favorites are:

"Would He devote that sacred head for such a worm as I?" - At the Cross

"Prone to wonder, Lord I feel it. Prone to leave the God I love." - Come, Thou Fount of Every Blessing

"For nothing good have I, where by thy grace to claim." - Jesus Paid It All

These verses strike me at my core, because I"m reminded that a lot of the trouble I face is brought on by my choices.

Joseph's brothers had done an awful deed. Ridding themselves of him and then convincing their father Joseph had died…all to find out many years later that their fate would rest in Joseph's hands. When Joseph revealed himself to his brothers, they had a choice. They could leave in shame and anger, or forgive themselves and accept Joseph's forgiveness. When brought to ultimate humbleness by their own actions and decisions, they chose to take Joseph's advice and forgive themselves as he had forgiven them. And, let's not forget, God is sovereign and was ultimately fulfilling His plan all along. 

We too have a choice when we find ourselves in a place of despair by our own will. We can choose to acknowledge, repent and forgive ourselves in order to move into God's will. One Bible commentator said it this way, "Even when we foolishly and willfully choose a position for ourselves, He [God] most graciously overrules our folly, and causes the influences of our self-chosen circumstances to work for our spiritual benefit."

"Here's my heart, Lord, take and seal it. Seal it for Thy courts above."

-Lori C. 

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And [Paul]  said unto them, Sirs, I perceive that this voyage will be with hurt and much damage, not only of the lading and ship, but also of our lives.  Nevertheless the centurion believed the master and the owner of the ship, more than those things which were spoken by Paul.  Acts 27:10 & 11 KJV

When someone in our family has an ailment, the first place I typically turn is Google. (Don't judge.) Is there a home remedy for this ear ache, rash, sixth toe…I'm kidding. No one in our family has a sixth toe. After my thorough Google search, I call the doctor or dentist, check out books at the library and ask friends. I want expert advice before making a decision.

This didn't work out so well for the captain of the ship sailing to Italy that Paul was aboard as a prisoner. And when things began to look precarious, Paul tried to give a warning. But the captain chose to listen to the master of the ship instead of the messenger of God. What happened? The crew lost control of the ship and eventually the entire ship was destroyed. The captain could no longer control the direction of his voyage, even though he probably thought he was heeding expert advice. 

Where do we turn in a crisis? When we rely on society's "experts" on how to handle a situation without taking it to Christ first, we are missing the boat. Maybe His answer will lead you to follow "expert" advice, or, maybe, He has a different plan for you. Let's not inadvertently take matters into our own hands whether the situation seem simple or difficult, lest we lose our Master's direction.

Help us Lord, to hear Your voice above all.

Lori C. 

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And God heard the voice of the lad; and the angel of God called to Hagar out of heaven, and said unto her, What aileth thee, Hagar? fear not; for God hath heard the voice of the lad where he is.  Genesis 21:17 KJV            

One minute my son, Zach, was standing next to me in the kitchen flipping bacon, the next he was lying on the floor unresponsive. In that moment and the hours to come, I let worry win. 

In Genesis 21, we see Hagar amidst a terrible situation. She has been sent from Abraham's clan to wander in the wilderness with her son, some bread and a bottle of water. And God has told Abraham to listen to Sarah and send Hagar and the boy away. With her water spent, while she is weeping, God shows up. He comforts her by eliminating her worries - providing water in that moment and a promise to be with her son for the future. 

Several hours and several tests later, we would find out that Zach was a perfectly healthy 12-year-old, and his body had reacted abnormally to a growth spurt. And my worry didn't change my circumstance. In fact, my elevated emotions made things worse and the situation more stressful. Had I only opened my eyes and seen the "water" Jesus was offering, I would've experienced the peace and reassurance from Christ that I rejected when I chose to worry.

Worry is a real emotion we are all going to experience, but I pray that in your next trial, you will realize that instead of letting worry dominate your situation, you will look for the "water" the Savior is offering you.

-Lori C.

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And he went a little farther, and fell on his face, and prayed, saying,  O my Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me: nevertheless not as I will, but as thou wilt.  Matthew 26:39 KJV

There is a new song out by a Christian artist. The singer shares that she has followed God's voice, and it has lead her to a place of heart break. She acknowledges God is good, but can't understand why her situation is not good. When she prays, all she can say in her pain  are these four words: Thy Will Be Done.

When Jesus prayed in the Garden of Gethsemane, the Bible tells us that He said His soul was exceeding sorrowful even unto death. Our Savior experienced a place of incomprehensible pain, sorrow, and agony. And He knew the answer to His prayer was more pain, torture and death. Nevertheless, He prayed, "not as I will, but as Thou wilt."

How beautiful it must be to Jesus to hear His children, in their place of brokenness, truly seek His will. When we are in the depths of agony and despair, the only true way out is in His Will. So how do I get through my difficult, painful circumstance? It all begins with… Father, Thy Will Be Done. 

Jesus, forever first in my heart,

Lori C.

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